Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter

Last section of Ch 29 &

All of Ch 31

Richard Nixon

• 1913 – 1994; 37th President• Whittier College, Duke Law School• Navy in WWII, Served in House & Senate• Eisenhower’s VP• Married to Pat – 2 daughters – Tricia & Julie• President for the Moon landing• Had Elvis to the White House in 1970

“Realpolitik”

• From German for “real politics” • Deal with solid national interests not just fear of

communism– Recognized that communism was NOT one unified

movement• Dr. Henry Kissinger, National Security Advisor &

later Secretary of State– German Jewish Immigrant, Army, Harvard

• Détente – flexible diplomacy, easing of Cold War

People’s Republic of China

• Nixon quietly began plans to recognize China– Kissinger played key role in this

• “Ping – Pong Diplomacy” – US table tennis team visited China in April 1971

• Feb ‘72 – Nixon’s official visit to China– Saw Great Wall, Imperial City– Premier Zhou Enlai & met with Mao

• Result: trade with & travel to China thrived

Détente with the Soviet Union

• Premier Leonid Brezhnev concerned about US - China relations

• Invited Nixon to Moscow! May 1972• Announced joint space mission• Signed SALT I – 1st step at arms limits– Froze deployments of ICBMs• Intercontinental ballistic missiles

– Limited ABMs (antiballistic missiles)– Viewed as 1st step towards end of Cold War

New Federalism - Nixon’s Domestic Agenda

• Environmental laws & created the EPA– Clean Air, Clean Water, Endangered Species Acts– 1st Earth Day celebrations in 1970

• Created OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health Administration

• Tried to deal with inflation & enacted price controls for period of time

• Enforced Supreme Court order on busing to further desegregate schools

Watergate – The Beginning

• Watergate – building in Washington DC– Offices, hotel, condos

• June 17, 1972 – Burglary at the Democratic National Committee HQ– 5 caught by security linked to CREEP• Committee to Re-Elect the President

• The Washington Post’s reporters kept with story– Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein– Had gov’t source – “Deep Throat” (Mark Felt – FBI)

The Investigation

• Mostly led by Woodward & Bernstein• Senate committee est. in Feb 1973– White House staff to testify

• Archibald Cox named Watergate Special Prosecutor• Nixon responded in speeches in April & Aug ‘73 & in

April ’74– Always denied any involvement -

• Indicted - 5 burglars & G. Gordon Liddy, CREEP lawyer (convicted) & Howard Hunt, CIA & consultant (plead guilty)

Allegations of a Cover Up

• Accused John Dean & John Mitchell of orchestrating the cover up– Council to the President & Attorney General

• Revealed deeper political espionage– Plots to discredit candidates, break in at Pentagon

Papers Ellsberg’s psychiatrist• July ‘73 Nixon claims executive privilege &

won’t testify for Senate Committee

White House taping system revealed

• Committee discovers that since ‘71, Nixon has recorded all conversations & phone calls – To be remembered in history!

• Nixon’s refusal to hand over tapes & subsequent release of tapes w/ parts erased

• United States v. Nixon – Supreme Court case– Ruled he had to produce the tapes in July 1974

“Saturday Night Massacre”, Oct ‘73

• Nixon ordered Attorney General Richardson to fire Special Prosecutor Cox; refused & resigned

• Ordered Deputy Att. Gen. Ruckelshaus to fire Cox; refused & was fired

• Robert Bork, Solicitor General fired Cox• Nation watched…wondering• Nov 1st- New Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski• Nov 17th Press Conference – Nixon urged nation

to move on and says “I am not a crook”

The End of a Presidency

• After Supreme Court ruling on the tapes…• House Judiciary Committee adopted three

Articles of Impeachment (step 1) – July ‘74• “The Smoking Gun” – transcript of Nixon talking

6 days after break in, proving he ordered the cover up, are released – Aug 5th

• Aug 8th- Nixon told nation he would resign• Aug 9th – resigned…Ford = 38th President– Pardoned Nixon Sept 8th or would’ve been charged

Gerald Ford

• 1913 – 2006, reputation for integrity• U of Michigan, Yale Law School & football!• Navy for WWII, lawyer, House of Rep– House Minority Leader, 1965-73

• Married to Betty, 3 sons, 1 daughter• Former NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller was

his appointed Vice President• “our long national nightmare is over”

Issues of the Ford Presidency

• Stressed efforts to grow economy & limit fears of energy shortages– Vetoed 39 bills he felt would hurt economy– WIN – Whip Inflation Now – mostly voluntary plan

• Reformed antitrust laws• Continued visits with Soviet leaders – détente – Kissinger still Sec of State

• “shuttle diplomacy” – started w/ Middle East• Ultimately economy blamed on him

Ford’s Foreign Policy

• Helsinki Accords – pledge to protect human rights, not a formal treaty– Signed by US, Canada, Soviets, & most of Europe– Seen as another step towards ending the Cold War

• USS Mayaguez – seized by Khmer Rouge– Ford sent in Marines, rescued ship & crew

• Saw rise in “boat people” after fall of Saigon

Reforms after Watergate

• Federal Election Campaign Act amended– Set limits on contribution, provided some federal

funding for campaigns, created Federal Election Commission

• Freedom of Information Act amended– Penalty to gov’t officials who withheld documents

• Sunshine Act – opened meetings of most gov’t agencies to the public

• Ethics in Gov’t Act – required financial disclosures, restricted lobbying, created a special prosecutor

Jimmy Carter

• 1924 – still alive, 39th President • Georgia peanut family farm, devout Baptist • Naval Academy, nuclear engineer for subs• State gov’t, Georgia Governor• Married to Rosalynn, 3 sons, 1 daughter – Amy• Walter Mondale, VP• Carter Center, Habitat for Humanity, 2002 Nobel

Peace Prize

Domestic Policy

• Pardon to draft dodgers – campaign promise• Economy still bad – gave loan to save Chrysler• Energy Crisis & gas lines also hurt him• Nominated Paul Volcker as Fed Chairman– His actions will help improve economy

• Created Department of Education• Expanded lands for National Parks• Ultimately now remembered for over-managing

the administration

Carter’s Foreign Policy

• Détente seemed to fade…emphasized human rights in relations w/ all nations

• SALT II – pledge to limit nuclear weapons– After heated debate in Senate, Carter withdrew it…

• Because the Soviets invaded Afghanistan– Imposed sanctions & boycotted 1980 Summer

Olympics in Moscow• Difficulties with both Nicaragua & Cuba• Pledged to return the Canal to Panama in 1999

Middle East – High & Low points

• Camp David Accords – peace agreement between Egypt & Israel– After 2 weeks of personal diplomacy– Considered biggest victory of Presidency

• Iranian Hostage Crisis – 66 hostages taken from US Embassy & held for 444 days– US allowed the Shah to enter US for medical care– Ayatollah Khomeini had seized power– Carter blamed for failing to free them• Failed rescue attempt hurt him too