The press sniped that Nixon was a little too eager to bask in the reflected glory of a moon-launch program started by JFK, but the president was genuinely energized by the example of American cando spirit. Borrowing from NASA jargon (“All systems go”), Nixon had the idea of using the word go as a theme for his presidency. “Means all systems ready, never to be indecisive, get going, take risks, be exciting,” Haldeman recorded in his diary. “Must use the great power of the office to do something.”30
