Impeachment: A Citizen's Guide

by Cass R. Sunstein

President Richard Nixon was smart and shrewd. He mastered the details. He saw the big picture. He did great things, which continue to define our nation. He was a Republican and a conservative, but he was tough to pigeonhole. He created the Environmental Protection Agency, claiming that clean air and clear water are “a birthright for every American.”7 He created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He promoted self-determination for Native-Americans. He signed the great civil rights law that prohibited sex discrimination in higher education. He reoriented the Supreme Court. He calmed tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. He went to China. If you are listing the five most consequential presidents in American history, you could make a good argument that Nixon belongs on the list. His enemies called him “Tricky Dick.” He lacked charm and charisma. On camera, he would sweat at inopportune moments. In private, he could be brutal. Washington, he said, “is full of Jews.” In his view, that was a problem, because “most Jews are disloyal.” One of his campaigns was based on three words: “law and order.” But he didn’t seem to care so much about obeying the law. He lied to the American people. He kept an enemies list.