Abuse of Power: The New Nixon Tapes

by Stanley I. Kutler

PRESIDENT NIXON: Here we go. What in the name of God are we doing on this one? What are we doing about the financial contributors? Now, those lists there, are we looking over McGovern's financial contributors? Are we looking over the financial contributors to the Democratic National Committee? Are we running their income tax returns? Is the Justice Department checking to see whether or not there is any antitrust suits? Do we have anything going on any of these things? HALDEMAN: Not as far as I know. PRESIDENT NIXON: We better forget the Goddamn campaign right this minute, not tomorrow, no. That's what concerns me. We have all this power and we aren't using it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Presidents, American History, Biography, Audiobook

704 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1997

About the author

A specialist in 19th and 20th century American constitutional history, Stanley Kutler received his B.A. degree in 1956 from Bowling Green State University and his doctorate from Ohio State University in 1960. He taught at Penn State University from 1960 until 1962, San Diego State College from 1962 until 1980, and the University of Wisconsin from 1980 until his retirement.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unless you're a total Watergate nerd (or Russiagate nerd; history is repeating itself), reading this cover to cover is daunting, depressing, and disgusting. I read the juiciest parts and skimmed the rest. Well, all of it is juicy in the sense that Nixon and his staff completely thought of the U.S. presidency as their personal plaything. While they -- Nixon along with Haldeman and Erlichman among many others -- ranted, raved, obfuscated, and backstabbed, the highest levels of the administration were falling apart and Americans were losing their lives in Vietnam.

Along with these meticulously transcribed tapes, there are overviews and context by the author, who filed suit to have many of the tapes released from the National Archives -- another reason to support the 1st Amendment and a free press. Nixon said every word of what's in print; these are not pages of fiction or fill-in-the-blanks with what people remember. What's revealed is a venal, out of touch, mean, lying, anti-Semitic, delusional, and manipulative president whose extreme hubris gets in the way of his leadership of the free world. He can also be strikingly pathetic and self-destructive. At one point Nixon tells his right hand man and co-cover up conspirator Hadleman that he loves him -- after summarily firing Haldeman and throwing him under the bus as a scapegoat. Nixon even lies to his own daughter Julie. Nixon hangs on by his bleeding fingernails til even his own backers (aka millionaires and the GOP) can't defend him any longer. It was the tapes that revealed it all, not necessarily the investigative newspaper reports over a two year period, the live nationally televised Watergate hearings, or the cover-up's "mastermind" Dean's implicating testimony. It was Nixon's own words that did him in.

Sound familiar to where we are today?

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first tapes (40 hours) were released by President Nixon -- sort of -- in 1974. These tapes ( 3,700 hours !! ) were released in 1994. Over his dead body (literally -- he died in 1992). They provide the answers to a couple of the pressing questions from the time of Watergate.

1) why oh WHY didn't Nixon burn the tapes instead of releasing them ?
His attorneys advised that destroying the tapes, after their existence became known, would be considered an obstruction of justice, which is an impeachable offense.
He figured controlling the ( many !! ) revelations of wrongdoing on the tapes could be controlled easier than explaining destruction of the tapes.
He never thought the Supreme Court would actually order the release of the tapes.
He needed to hold on to the tapes to help him write his memoirs, which he did in 1978 -- RN: The memoirs of Richard Nixon ( 1,120 pages !! )

2) why did Judge John Sirica refuse to accept the guilty pleas of the Watergate burglars ? i was shocked at the time. can a judge do that, and, if so, why ? and then, after they were found guilty, he sentenced them -- first offenders all, no weapons, no theft, a simple breaking and entering case -- to 50 years each in prison. why ? as it turns out, the Judge suspected there was greater involvement and he wanted the culprits to tell everything they knew about Watergate and any other illegal government involvement . and he got it. he is the one who actually broke the case wide open, NOT the self-promoting newspaper reporters.

This book is over 600 pages. and every page is a transcription of Nixon talking to someone (usually Haldeman and/or Erlichman) about the Watergate case. it got pretty annoying after a while. i mean, he said the same things over and over and over again. and then he rephrased them and said them yet again.

My fav part is when Nixon stands real close to the hidden microphone and converses with Haldeman, in a LOUD voice:
President Nixon: I don't want anybody to lie about Watergate, you know what I mean ?
Haldeman: Yes, sir, Mr. President .

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may prove a daunting read for some, as they wade through the minutiae to get at the heart of the conversations obsessively recorded by Pres. Nixon. If you have an interest in Vietnam, Watergate, Richard Nixon or American politics, however, it's worth making the effort.

There is only one word to describe many of these conversations...chilling. Nixon's arrogance and ruthlessness were astounding. What a terrible shock it must have been for men like Haige and Kissinger to learn their every word - and the President's - had been recorded for posterity.

That anyone could listen to these tapes and proclaim that Nixon was a good president is unbelievable. In these tapes, Nixon reveals himself to be not only a compulsive liar, hut a moral bankrupt, paranoid bigot. He lied about his plans for Vietnam, his tax returns, and that fifth-rate burglary known as Watergate, in other words, a felony.

Some readers have complained that these tapes don't contain a "smoking gun." Well, he destroyed two of the tapes he made after he was ordered by the authorities to turn them over. Or rather he had his secretary "accidentally" erase them. We'll never know what those tapes contained.

He did all this and Ronald Reagan made him a goodwill ambassador to China! It's terrifying.

This book is a must for any student of American History or the Cold War.

We should all be grateful to Nixon for leaving us this invaluable piece of history. His compulsive paranoia was, in this one way, a gift to us all.

[Abdul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about Richard Nixon. Before reading this book I had some sympathy for Mr. Nixon. After reading it all sympathy was gone. Alas his paranoia about real and perceived enemies went over board and eventually destroyed him. What a shame, such a brilliant man to have such a petty side.

[Medicinefckdream]

Graham: "This stranglehold (of Jews in the media) has got to be broken or the country's going down the drain."
Nixon: "You believe that?"
Graham: "Yes, sir."
Nixon: "Oh, boy. So do I. I can't ever say that but I believe it."
Graham: "No, but if you get elected a second time, then we might be able to do something."
Nixon: "You know, it's a funny thing. Every one of the bastards that are out for legalizing marijuana is Jewish. What the Christ is the matter with the Jews, Bob (Haldeman)? What is the matter with them? I suppose it is because most of them are psychiatrists.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides the transcriptions of hours of White House audio tapes from the Nixon administration relating to Watergate and other political scandals during his presidency. Although the text appears daunting at first, the conversations quickly pull you in.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fasinating book. I have read it twice and plan on reading it over and over again. If we don't learn from history...

[PeachyTO · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tricky Dicky

[Mel Bush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still shocking after all these years.

[Lauren Wiseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was amazing to have the transcripts there. Kutler's commentary was minimal and he let the history speak for itself. History the way it should be.

[Chris Tognotti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this cover to cover for a sixth grade report on the Watergate affair.