Paul's Perambulations a personal blog

The Nixon Tapes give us a classic example of abuse of power, as demonstrated by the following examples.  The scary thing is, he almost got away with it.  In the political circles of Washington, this was seen as fairly normal behavior until it was brought to public attention.

June 30, 1971

Nixon wants to get the goods on Ellsberg, to stop publication of the Pentagon Papers.

Nixon: “The way I want that handled, Bob, is.. just to break in.  Break in and take it out!  You understand!
Haldeman:  But who do we have to do it?
Nixon:  Well, don’t discuss it here.  You talk to… You’re to break into the place, rifle the files, and bring me….
Haldeman:  I don’t have any problem with breaking in. This isn’t a domestic.  This isn’t a foreign, approved security.
Nixon: Just go in and take it.  Go in around eight nine o’clock and clean it up.”

September 8, 1971.

Nixon wants to loose the IRS on his major opponents.

Nixon: (more…)

“I thought we would succeed quicker than we did, and I am disappointed by the pace of success.”

President George W. Bush, at a press conference with Tony Blair, in response to a question about whether he would acknowledge his failures and change course in Iraq (quoted in Time Magazine, December 18, 2006).

I am reminded of my father’s description of the news in Nazi Germany when he was an American graduate student at the University of Berlin.  So much of the “news” simply made no sense to an informed person.

p.s.  Our president speaks (again):  “The legislature’s job is to write law.  It’s the executive branch’s job to interpret law.”   Austin, TX, November 22, 2000.

Here is a version of what I sent to the Philadelphia Inquirer on November 10, 2006, in response to their glowing report of the new voting machines. The following is also posted at the Inquirer online. (more…)