Over 40 years ago, President Richard Nixon fired Attorney General Eliot Richardson and soon afterwards, Richardson's replacement chose to quit. Both men boldly refused to appease the demands of a corrupt sitting president. Nixon wanted the men to fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, the man who was investigating the famous Watergate scandal. The president eventually found someone, Robert Bork, to do his bidding, promising him a place on the Supreme Court bench. However, that promise never materialized due to Nixon's inevitable resignation and the Senate's rejection.
Obviously, Nixon favored covering things up, but back then, the public preferred a leader who respected the Constitution and took his job seriously as a leader who did not abuse his power. A federal judge did rule the dismissal of Cox as illegal and the masses flooded Congress and the White House with telegrams supporting the notion of impeachment. Nixon left.
Truth or politics?
What occurred on Monday night echoes shades of Nixon, with Donald Trump's firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates for "betraying" him (not the agency for which she was hired to do right by). No one knows if Congress or the White House is getting inundated with telegrams these days. Do people still send those anymore?
But there appears to be a growing call for Trump's impeachment before he shakes up or blows up Washington and the rest of world with everyone in it. There is a website regarding his impeachment and amazingly, protests began before Trump officially crossed the threshold of the White House doors as president. Perhaps, what is more baffling is how history has never seen protests against a U.S.
President spill outside the United States, crossing over the pond, reaching down under, and spreading to countries throughout every continent on the planet.
A majority of opinions, or mere obstacles to overcome?
Similarities can indeed be uncanny. Some dare go to the extremes. There is one striking difference between Nixon and Trump.
More controversy surrounds and more leeway is given to Trump than Nixon or any other president. No doubt, Donald Trump expects loyalty to override one's personal convictions and maybe even the law and/or Constitution. The jury is still out on that one. Just look at how fiercely protective, angry, and threatening his inner circle can get. Nevertheless, the White House is not built to be a bully pulpit or a throne, and people are held accountable to others.
