On the night of June 17, 1973, 24-year old Savannah, Georgia-born security guard Frank Willis, a high school dropout who had finally gotten an equivalency degree by joining the Job Corps, only to find his asthma kept him from keeping the good job he found as a result at the Ford Assembly Plant in Detroit, who was now a security guard in one of the most prestigious apartment complexes in Washington, D.C., stopped when he put his hand on the door knob of the door leading from the parking garage upstairs when it swung open without effort.
The "Seven Days in May" monent in Watergate is the oft-forgotten December 1972 crash of United Airlines Flight 553, the first crash of a Boeing 737, in Chicago. At first the big secondary story was the death of Rep. George Collins. Watergate had all but evaporated. The Washington Post stories hadn't resonated. CBS and Walter Cronkite had run a special investigation that had little impact and the subject all but disappeared in the wake of the Nixon landslide.
But the passenger list also included the wife of Watergate burglary organizer E. Howard Hunt, whose suitcase was stuffed with $10,000 in cash. That looked like a payoff for Hunt's continued silence, probably because it was. So the conviction of the burglars in January marked only the end of the first phase of the scandal.
This Legacy piece begins novelistically with the security guard at Watergate Plaza. From there we go to the belly of the beast America. I didn't want to return to Watergate. The House Committee hearings investigating January 6th attack on the Capitol are enough drama and information to absorb. But TC brought them together. The flames of distrust and division intertwine as they grow. The characters spread as ill winds of rapacity. As with the sense we got of Pence within an inch of his life, we feel here the breath of violence.
This is a superb piece (like all of yours). Recalls so many of the details I have forgotten (repressed?)-- and links the threads together. (A crucial side current for me---the concurrent fomenting of war and destruction in Latin and South America; the legacy of American funded violence, death, and destruction.....) I must have signed up a while back to comment but this is my first one (I see you on HCR). Your three posts a few days ago on the naval air heroes of Midway and the destruction of the Japanese carriers were powerful. Heroism of the first rank. Thank you for that, and thank you for your service and the record of the Pacific War and Viet Nam in your books---still have to do a lot more reading there. We are in the midst of "who knows where it will end". Hearing powerful, but end game not clear. Clearly, as you say, makes Watergate small stuff. Hearing the denunciation Pence by a member of the riots and the calls to get him put a chill into me....... Peace and Courage to everyone. We the People.......
In 73, I was rec counselor at our local playground. I ran home every day to follow the Watergate hearings, in the fall of 74 was my first time voting. I registered and voted Democratic and to this day have never voted for a Republican. Being a registered Democrat in a heavily Republican county, I never could work for any rec department ever again. Or any county job. A small price.
But let's celebrate Frank Willis this weekend. For the life of me I cannot understand ( well, intellectually I can) why there isn't an annual award named for Frank and honors anyone for performing due diligence in their job. He's a true blue fucking hero. Thank you, Mr. Willis.
And these institutional issues are just one piece of the puzzle. The policy prescriptions of movement conservatism post 1980 (with a little head start under Carter’s deregulation push), and the consequent decline of the middle class, with an assist from feckless neoliberals and third way Democrats, is another nail in the coffin. Add to that the rise of officially sanctioned racism (Nixon’s and Kevin Phillip’s Southern strategy was the start there), and we again are contesting with the Confederacy (a tip o’ the hat to HCR’s scholarship on this latter point).
Tape on a door. And then only because tape on a door a second time.
Just goes to show. The unsung heroes….we the people, will throw the wrench in the works every time when the darkness gets too confident, too overt, too wicked.
Sincere thanks to you, TC, for responsible, intelligent, and compelling writing. May it mark a return to journalism as a guidepost for seeking connection to an abundant, honest existence that includes us all.
Hear, Hear! A bang-up, if dispiriting, summary of the dissolution of a functioning republican government. Keep up the good work. It would be good if people would listen. And then think what they need to be doing.
congratulations again, Tom. this was one of the most brilliant summaries of that history in a short space I've ever seen. I can't think of a single important thing you missed. However, the really significant legislative New Deal-style accomplishments of the Johnson administration during the Civil Rights movement need a mention. and oh yeah, there's the almost-certainly-treasonous deal Nixon made during his 1968 campaign certainly counts as another strike against that not-quite-slippery-enough prick. reading it back to myself, that last bit feels a little too "graphic" for my empty stomach, which probably means I shouldn't touch it. again, thanks. it's a really excellent thing to consider you a friend.
This is such an excellent and concise summary of the trajectory of political parties over the years since Watergate, I am hopeful the younger "followers" of my FB page will read it and learn from it. A number of them have moved here from CA and call themselves "Republican light" voters. A few are wishy washy about politics in general but lurk on my page just because they can. A few have no interest in politics at all and are prone to fall down various conspiracy rabbit holes, because of the juice, I guess. None of these various readers appear to have any understanding of history, civics, how government does or does not work, what political parties have stood for and either stand for now or not. I have not blocked them because I remain ever hopeful I can lure a few over the fence to Sanityland and they really do no harm just lurking around! So, thank you, TC!
“Their presidencies have played out differently in the historical record. Nixon resigned amid impeachment proceedings in which it was clear there was a bipartisan Senate majority in favor of his conviction. Twice-impeached, Trump served his entire term because of the stubborn willingness of men who should have been thought better than he were willing to overlook all evidence of his unprecedented criminality, and vote to keep in office. Despite that, despite the evidence now public of his deep involvement in planning and orchestrating the only coup ever attempted against the American government, he may seek another term and actually win it, despite the public knowledge of the truth about his complete unfitness for any public office.
That this is so is testament to a more deeply polarized electorate, erosion in the strength of democratic institutions, and most importantly the transformation and radicalization of the Republican Party into a clear and present subversive danger to the continued survival of a constitutional democratic republic.”
The "Seven Days in May" monent in Watergate is the oft-forgotten December 1972 crash of United Airlines Flight 553, the first crash of a Boeing 737, in Chicago. At first the big secondary story was the death of Rep. George Collins. Watergate had all but evaporated. The Washington Post stories hadn't resonated. CBS and Walter Cronkite had run a special investigation that had little impact and the subject all but disappeared in the wake of the Nixon landslide.
But the passenger list also included the wife of Watergate burglary organizer E. Howard Hunt, whose suitcase was stuffed with $10,000 in cash. That looked like a payoff for Hunt's continued silence, probably because it was. So the conviction of the burglars in January marked only the end of the first phase of the scandal.
Thank you Ed! I had totally forgotten that.
😯
This Legacy piece begins novelistically with the security guard at Watergate Plaza. From there we go to the belly of the beast America. I didn't want to return to Watergate. The House Committee hearings investigating January 6th attack on the Capitol are enough drama and information to absorb. But TC brought them together. The flames of distrust and division intertwine as they grow. The characters spread as ill winds of rapacity. As with the sense we got of Pence within an inch of his life, we feel here the breath of violence.
Yes. Exactly, Fern.
This is a superb piece (like all of yours). Recalls so many of the details I have forgotten (repressed?)-- and links the threads together. (A crucial side current for me---the concurrent fomenting of war and destruction in Latin and South America; the legacy of American funded violence, death, and destruction.....) I must have signed up a while back to comment but this is my first one (I see you on HCR). Your three posts a few days ago on the naval air heroes of Midway and the destruction of the Japanese carriers were powerful. Heroism of the first rank. Thank you for that, and thank you for your service and the record of the Pacific War and Viet Nam in your books---still have to do a lot more reading there. We are in the midst of "who knows where it will end". Hearing powerful, but end game not clear. Clearly, as you say, makes Watergate small stuff. Hearing the denunciation Pence by a member of the riots and the calls to get him put a chill into me....... Peace and Courage to everyone. We the People.......
Thanks!
A fine primer on how we got here from there.
In 73, I was rec counselor at our local playground. I ran home every day to follow the Watergate hearings, in the fall of 74 was my first time voting. I registered and voted Democratic and to this day have never voted for a Republican. Being a registered Democrat in a heavily Republican county, I never could work for any rec department ever again. Or any county job. A small price.
But let's celebrate Frank Willis this weekend. For the life of me I cannot understand ( well, intellectually I can) why there isn't an annual award named for Frank and honors anyone for performing due diligence in their job. He's a true blue fucking hero. Thank you, Mr. Willis.
Well said, Judy, about Frank Willis---an unsung hero !!
A tip o’ the hat, TC.
And these institutional issues are just one piece of the puzzle. The policy prescriptions of movement conservatism post 1980 (with a little head start under Carter’s deregulation push), and the consequent decline of the middle class, with an assist from feckless neoliberals and third way Democrats, is another nail in the coffin. Add to that the rise of officially sanctioned racism (Nixon’s and Kevin Phillip’s Southern strategy was the start there), and we again are contesting with the Confederacy (a tip o’ the hat to HCR’s scholarship on this latter point).
Frankly, that’s a lot to overcome.
You are so right.
Tape on a door. And then only because tape on a door a second time.
Just goes to show. The unsung heroes….we the people, will throw the wrench in the works every time when the darkness gets too confident, too overt, too wicked.
Sincere thanks to you, TC, for responsible, intelligent, and compelling writing. May it mark a return to journalism as a guidepost for seeking connection to an abundant, honest existence that includes us all.
Unidad! 🗽
Hear, Hear! A bang-up, if dispiriting, summary of the dissolution of a functioning republican government. Keep up the good work. It would be good if people would listen. And then think what they need to be doing.
congratulations again, Tom. this was one of the most brilliant summaries of that history in a short space I've ever seen. I can't think of a single important thing you missed. However, the really significant legislative New Deal-style accomplishments of the Johnson administration during the Civil Rights movement need a mention. and oh yeah, there's the almost-certainly-treasonous deal Nixon made during his 1968 campaign certainly counts as another strike against that not-quite-slippery-enough prick. reading it back to myself, that last bit feels a little too "graphic" for my empty stomach, which probably means I shouldn't touch it. again, thanks. it's a really excellent thing to consider you a friend.
Thanks.
Actually, the Chennault Affair is going to be compared with Reagan's 1980 treason this weekend.
tell me more.
I will. Tomorrow. :-)
This is such an excellent and concise summary of the trajectory of political parties over the years since Watergate, I am hopeful the younger "followers" of my FB page will read it and learn from it. A number of them have moved here from CA and call themselves "Republican light" voters. A few are wishy washy about politics in general but lurk on my page just because they can. A few have no interest in politics at all and are prone to fall down various conspiracy rabbit holes, because of the juice, I guess. None of these various readers appear to have any understanding of history, civics, how government does or does not work, what political parties have stood for and either stand for now or not. I have not blocked them because I remain ever hopeful I can lure a few over the fence to Sanityland and they really do no harm just lurking around! So, thank you, TC!
American Publick Miseducation at work.
Thank You, TC!! This is superb!! Sharing.
Who the f*ck are those “20 percent of Americans that say they trust their government to do the right thing all or most of the time?!”
The ones who back the openly fascist conservatives to dismantle our democracy? Okay.
But anyone else?!
So scary and so true:
“Their presidencies have played out differently in the historical record. Nixon resigned amid impeachment proceedings in which it was clear there was a bipartisan Senate majority in favor of his conviction. Twice-impeached, Trump served his entire term because of the stubborn willingness of men who should have been thought better than he were willing to overlook all evidence of his unprecedented criminality, and vote to keep in office. Despite that, despite the evidence now public of his deep involvement in planning and orchestrating the only coup ever attempted against the American government, he may seek another term and actually win it, despite the public knowledge of the truth about his complete unfitness for any public office.
That this is so is testament to a more deeply polarized electorate, erosion in the strength of democratic institutions, and most importantly the transformation and radicalization of the Republican Party into a clear and present subversive danger to the continued survival of a constitutional democratic republic.”
I'm sharing this piece. Thank you for connecting the dots and tying together loose ends over the last 50 years. Thank you, TC.