Capitol Issues

Meteorologically March came in to Washington like a lamb. As a result all of the crocuses got terribly confused and started bursting through the soggy warm ground. Politically March came in to Washington like a lion. On March 1 a grand jury indicted seven of Mr. Nixon’s former aides for involvement in a criminal conspiracy to obstruct justice—the Watergate coverup. While the ink was still drying on those indictments, another barrel of ink was trucked in for six more indictments stemming from the White House sponsored and financed and coordinated burglary of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist. If this is what spring is going to be like, it will make us regret the passing of winter.

Throughout the Watergate investigations there has been a disastrous pattern to Mr. Nixon’s behavior. At every point where there has been the possibility of a confrontation with some person or institution the confrontation has occurred. At each point Mr. Nixon’s initial defiance has made everyone so suspicious and angry that his eventual retreat has seemed like weakness. The case of the tapes is a perfect example of this. Last July, just a few days after the existence of the White House taping system became public knowledge, Mr. Nixon, in a letter to Senator Sam Ervin, rather grandly announced that no tape would ever be surrendered by the White House. You remember how it was back then: the White House argued that to surrender a tape would destroy “the Presidency” as a “functioning institution.” Three months and one Saturday Night Massacre later the White House began surrendering tapes.

About the Author

George F. Will

George F. Will has been a columnist, beginning with National Review, since 1973.

Meteorologically March came in to Washington like a lamb. As a result all of the crocuses got terribly confused and started bursting through the soggy warm ground. Politically March came in to Washington like a lion. On March 1 a grand jury indicted seven of Mr. Nixon’s former aides for involvement in a criminal conspiracy to obstruct justice—the Watergate coverup. While the ink was still drying on those indictments, another barrel of ink was trucked in for six more indictments stemming from the White House sponsored and financed and coordinated burglary of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist. If this is what spring is going to be like, it will make us regret the passing of winter.

Throughout the Watergate investigations there has been a disastrous pattern to Mr. Nixon’s behavior. At every point where there has been the possibility of a confrontation with some person or institution the confrontation has occurred. At each point Mr. Nixon’s initial defiance has made everyone so suspicious and angry that his eventual retreat has seemed like weakness. The case of the tapes is a perfect example of this. Last July, just a few days after the existence of the White House taping system became public knowledge, Mr. Nixon, in a letter to Senator Sam Ervin, rather grandly announced that no tape would ever be surrendered by the White House. You remember how it was back then: the White House argued that to surrender a tape would destroy “the Presidency” as a “functioning institution.” Three months and one Saturday Night Massacre later the White House began surrendering tapes.