Both Bradlee and Graham felt the enormous pressure of tackling a president at the peak of his power. Williams encouraged Bradlee through the darkest moments as the paper pursued the case, telling him, “Ben, the kids have got to be right because otherwise why are the Nixon people lying to you so goddamn much? If they’re clean why don’t they show it?” As measured as she tried to be in public, publisher Katharine Graham recalled, “I was feeling beleaguered. The constant attacks on us by CRP and people throughout the administration were effective and taking a toll.”
