Bush White House on verge of Watergate-type scandal

[L. Coyote]

John Patrick Grace: Bush White House on verge of Watergate-type scandal
Aug 13, 2008 - http://www.herald-dispatch.com/opinions/x2021817254/Bush-White-House-on-verge-of-Watergate-type-scandal


During the Watergate hearings that ultimately led to the forced resignation of President Richard M. Nixon, I happened to be in New York City and hopped into a taxicab to get to a meeting. The cabbie and I fell to discussing the brewing scandal over the break-in at Democratic party headquarters in Washington by "the plumbers," burglars hired by the White House to find and steal the opposition party's strategic plans.

"Oh, but I don't think the president himself could be involved," the cabbie said reverently. "Maybe some low-level types, but not the president."

I held my peace. Even then I thought it highly likely that the president indeed had been involved, as subsequent evidence proved.

The cabbie, though, was probably like the vast majority of the American public ...............

[mak3cats]

1. I would wet my pants if it ever actually happened...

...but I think the MSM has so petrified the intelligence level of the American public that nothing short of a good, rollicking sex story will capture their attention. Look how the Iran Contra scandal fared...

[L. Coyote]

8. Iran Contra scandal fared well w/ a special prosecutor, until the pardons!!

Bush lost in 1992 in part due to the Iran Contra crimes.
The Rs will be creamed again in 2008 due to their crimes!

[helderheid]

10. I can only yawn and cry at this point

[TahitiNut]

2. The political "establishment" seems to have a vested interest in creating an aura of untouchable

... around the Presidency. Over my lifetime, I've noted a clear impetus to consistently hype the office. "Leader of the Free World." "Most Powerful Man in the World." It's more than the "imperial Presidency" of the Nixon era and the partisan allegiance ... it's this constant inference that if the guy loses his job it'd be some major apocalypse. The notion that we can't fire that person without "hurting everyone" is (imho) utter anti-Constituional nonsense. We do just fine.

Harry Truman could take walks in Washington as President. Nobody sealed off four square blocks. He wasn't surrounded by a brigade of Special Forces and thousands of cops. With only a SS agent or two, he just went for a walk. He'd chat with people.

By filling D.C. with 50,000 armed troops and police for an inauguration and surrounding the pResident with INSANE amounts of 'protection,' the aura of indispensibility serves this increasing myth. It's disgusting.

It's a job. If George W. Bush has proven anything, he's proven that any imbecile can do it. Maybe not well. But it's sure not a job that can't be done by thousands of people enormously better qualified than the Smirking Turd.

[AndyTiedye]

12. It's Worth Filling DC With 50,000 Troops To Make Sure That…

…Dick Cheney does not become President! :scared:

[pinto]

3. Well written analogy, if that's the right term. Few Americans have heard of Suskind's allegations,

most likely. But great to see this mentioned outside of DC/NY/LA.

:kick:

[aquart]

4. When my rightwing stepdad admitted Nixon might have done something wrong...

I knew the earth had shifted. Two days later, Nixon resigned.

[pinto]

6. I remember the afternoon he resigned. I was in Massachusetts, we rang bells outside.

Realizing there is no time-line for impeachment for this administration, I plan to ring bells again this January.

And after that? Who knows.

We will have our day.

[L. Coyote]

9. It is a good analogy, or at least the best we have. But, Bush is way worse than Nixon.

[bridgit]

5. Well valid observation, Cabbie, but isn't the pretzeldent a "low-level type"

:shrug:

[AndyTiedye]

7. If We Had Today's MSM in the '70's, Nixon Would Have Gotten Away With It All

It is NOT POSSIBLE for the Bush** administration to have a Watergate-type scandal NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO.
They have done worse than a Watergate every day and gotten away with it because the MSM covers for them!

[L. Coyote]

11. Post-Watergate strategy? Buy all media, avoid repeat!