Dirck in RealAudio

Nixon in RealAudio

Within a year of the overwhelming 1972 victory over George McGovern, Nixon found himself fighting for his political life and his place in history as the Watergate scandal unfolded. Nixon's desire for a landslide spun itself into the Watergate fiasco, which ultimately caused him to lose the office he fought so hard to obtain. This photograph was taken in May, 1974, as impeachment hearings were beginning. A few moments before, Nixon had shoved Press Secretary Ron Ziegler, yelling at him to "keep those bastards away!"  In speeches, rather than looking at his audience, he would find a flag that he could focus on. As Watergate tightened its grip on him, Nixon would increasingly wrap himself in that flag.