Changes

Nixon's "Enemies list" went back 20 years and consisted mostly of individuals who were outraged that a Congressional back-bencher disgraced an FDR protege, a major author of the [[United Nations]] Charter and its first Secretary General. Alger Hiss was an obvious choice to carry on the New Deal tradition in the post-World War II era, but Nixon stuck him in prison. From there, Nixon got himself elected Senator, Vice President, and eventually President. The leak of the [[Pentagon Papers]], a catalog of the sins of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, outraged Nixon.<ref>http://millercenter.org/presidentialclassroom/exhibits/first-domino-nixon-and-pentagon-papers </ref> Theft of classified government documents was something Nixon was well familiar with in the Amerasia and Hiss cases. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover refused to act, based upon Hoover's experience in the foregoing cases. So Nixon authorized the creation of a secret, non-governmental "Plumbers unit" to fix government leaks. The outfit was funded by his 1972 re-election committee. The irony should not be lost: Nixon's downfall was caused by Nixon trying to cover up the mistakes of the two previous Democratic administrations.

Nixon's "Enemies list" went back 20 years and consisted mostly of individuals who were outraged that a Congressional back-bencher disgraced an FDR protege, a major author of the [[United Nations]] Charter and its first Secretary General. Alger Hiss was an obvious choice to carry on the New Deal tradition in the post-World War II era, but Nixon stuck him in prison. From there, Nixon got himself elected Senator, Vice President, and eventually President. The leak of the [[Pentagon Papers]], a catalog of the sins of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, outraged Nixon.<ref>http://millercenter.org/presidentialclassroom/exhibits/first-domino-nixon-and-pentagon-papers </ref> Theft of classified government documents was something Nixon was well familiar with in the Amerasia and Hiss cases. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover refused to act, based upon Hoover's experience in the foregoing cases. So Nixon authorized the creation of a secret, non-governmental "Plumbers unit" to fix government leaks. The outfit was funded by his 1972 re-election committee. The irony should not be lost: Nixon's downfall was caused by Nixon trying to cover up the mistakes of the two previous Democratic administrations.

But Nixon's enemies were ready to pounce based on any scintilla of evidence of wrongdoing. It began before he took office, when a [[lame duck]] congress repealed the tax deduction Nixon planned to use for donating his vice-presidential papers. Nixon aides backdated some documents to make it appear the donation had taken place before the time limit expired. Nixon invested his $600,000 tax refund in real estate, properties that became known as the "Florida White House" and the "Western White House" in San Clemente, California. Nixon's new found wealth attracted the attention of the [[IRS]], and the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, and eventually the House Judiciary Sub-Committee on Impeachment.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=WugCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44&dq=Nixon+Tax+Scheme+Vice-Presidential+Papers+Tad+Szulc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwio-KD9i43NAhVX0GMKHZ1dCZ0Q6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=Nixon%20Tax%20Scheme%20Vice-Presidential%20Papers%20Tad%20Szulc&f=false How Nixon's Tax Scheme Backfired], Tad Szulc, ''New Yorker'', April 15 1974.</ref> But Nixon's enemies couldn't attach the aura of scandal in the public's eyes until well after the 1972 election. Nixon won re-election, carrying a full one-third of all Democratic voters with him in his Silent Majority coalition.

But Nixon's enemies were ready to pounce based on any scintilla of evidence of wrongdoing. It began before he took office, when a [[lame duck]] congress repealed the tax deduction Nixon planned to use for donating his vice-presidential papers. Nixon aides backdated some documents to make it appear the donation had taken place before the time limit expired. Nixon invested his $600,000 tax refund in real estate, properties that became known as the "Florida White House" and the "Western White House" in San Clemente, California. Nixon's new found wealth attracted the attention of the [[IRS]], and the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, and eventually the House Judiciary Sub-Committee on Impeachment.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=WugCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44&dq=Nixon+Tax+Scheme+Vice-Presidential+Papers+Tad+Szulc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwio-KD9i43NAhVX0GMKHZ1dCZ0Q6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=Nixon%20Tax%20Scheme%20Vice-Presidential%20Papers%20Tad%20Szulc&f=false How Nixon's Tax Scheme Backfired], Tad Szulc, ''New Yorker'', April 15 1974.</ref> Nixon's enemies couldn't attach the aura of scandal in the public's eyes until after the 1972 election. Nixon won re-election, carrying a full one-third of all Democratic voters with him in his Silent Majority coalition.

=== Watergate ===

=== Watergate ===