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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsVast majority of GOP defended Nixon for more than a year of Watergate scandal
Vociferously and nastily, to boot.
Let's not romanticize: they weren't suddenly all "Let's stand up for the Republic." They had to be dragged kicking and screaming to turn on Nixon.
Tom Rinaldo
(22,911 posts)After their work is done they'll have time for Photo Ops of putting Country over Party
dalton99a
(81,386 posts)The famous question posed by Thompsons mentor, Senator BakerWhat did the president know, and when did he know it?was not meant to discredit Nixon, but rather to cast doubt on the witness, former White House Counsel John Dean, whose testimony portrayed the Nixons lair as a font of wiretaps, payoffs, and cover-ups.
And Republicans constantly tried to change the subject at the hearings
Retrograde
(10,128 posts)"What did the president know, and when did he stop knowing it"
I've been feeling nostalgic for the Watergate days recently: I used to listen to the hearings on the radio at work. But yes, it took well over a year before the evidence was so overwhelming that prosecutors thought they had enough Senate votes for removal. But things move a lot faster these days. I hope.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,576 posts)It wasn't until after the Saturday Night Massacre that they started breaking ranks, and even then not all of them turned against Nixon. Some die-hards like Pat Buchanan claimed to the end that Watergate was just a phony scandal concocted by the "liberal media."
Archae
(46,299 posts)WND, I know, but this is Pat "Nixon could do no wrong" Buchanan.
(BTW, this site banned me after I corrected a lie on it in their comments section)
http://www.wnd.com/2017/05/deep-state-took-down-nixon-plans-same-for-trump/
Jarqui
(10,119 posts)They only turned when the media evidence had him dead to rights and it was going to cost them their jobs.
These were the last key, back breaking steps:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/3848570/Deep-Throat-Watergate-timeline-of-events.html
July 24, 1974: The Supreme Court rules unanimously that Nixon must turn over the tape recordings of 64 White House conversations, rejecting the president's claims of executive privilege.
August 5th, 1974, it was reported that Nixon still hoped the Senate would vote for his acquittal in the impeachment proceedings after he admitted that he stopped the Watergate investigation six days after the burglary. We then had absolute proof that he lied, obstructed justice and the tapes were damning.
The events of the recent weeks finally turned enough votes against him.
August 8th, 1974 Nixon resigned.
You need 2/3rds of the Senate vote to impeach so it's a high bar.
RockCreek
(739 posts)So can we please reach that point really soon...?
trof
(54,256 posts)"The Democrats do it too."
"Everybody does it."
"Third rate burglary."
"No big deal."
Liberal In Texas
(13,528 posts)Some people are just never going to admit the truth.