The 50th anniversary of the June 17, 1972, Watergate break-in — in which burglars inspired and funded by President Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign attempted to bug the Democratic National Committee offices — stirs memories of a sorry chapter in American history.
Organized by the Committee to Re-elect the President, fittingly referred to by some as “CREEP,” in a time when political savants already fully expected Nixon to win the 1972 election, the bungled operation exposed a sitting president to unrivaled investigation and condemnation. Ultimately, of course, Nixon won in 1972 but resigned under threat of impeachment in 1974.
Much has been made of Watergate’s lasting damage to America’s political culture. Less discussed is the shift toward better governing that followed. Perhaps a bit more skepticism of our government isn’t so bad.
