President Nixon

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President Nixon During Nixon terms as president (1968-1974) the Press wrote stories about the break at the democratic national headquarters in the Watergate offices building in Washington, DC A series of investigations resulted from the break in and ended with the resignation of Nixon from the presidency. The press wrote constant reports about the developments with the white house's involvement in an attempt to cover up its connection with the break in and other forms of political espionage. Although the Press's reports had little effect on the election they did help lead the grand jury and impeachment hearings in the direction of who was really responsible for the crimes. The white house was forced to ignore what was going on in its domestic and foreign affairs and acknowledge the findings of the press related to their election crimes and tactics. In the early stages of the investigation the press held a high reverence for the position of the president and only attempted to link the break in with the presidents men. Later as the information trickled in more and more they began to realize that the president had knowledge of the affairs. Then they began to attack his personal aids including Haldeman and Ehrlichman his two highest aids with allegations that they had intimate knowledge of the break-in and other illegal activities beforehand and that had authorized or ordered them. These charges were at first denied but then later the denials were refuted and guilty pleas were given in front of an investigative committee. Later findings came out that the president had bugged his own office to get his own aids to take the fall for him in the Watergate trial. He had his aids come into his office and update him as to what had happened with the illegal campaign tactics and then he feigned ignorance. This way he would be able to claim insouciance. The press discovered this information and the tapes were suppeaned. Before the jury could vote for impeachment Nixon resigned. The press played a fundamental part in his resignation. In the 2000 presidential election between Gore and Bush the press plays a much different role. When I read the newspapers or Internet coverage of the election the only that comes close to the Watergate incident is the riots and protest outside the conventions of both parties. At the democratic convention there were riots during the Politically driven band Rage Against the Machine concert. One of my friends was shot with rubber

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