How the Watergate scandal changed Washington



Fifty years after the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at Washington’s Watergate complex, we are still piecing together the story of a crime, and a coverup, that brought down a presidency. CBS News’ Robert Costa talks with journalist Garrett Graff, author of “Watergate: A New History,” about what we are still learning of a political tragedy, and in what ways the unfolding scandal has shaped Washington today.

“CBS Sunday Morning” features stories on the arts, music, nature, entertainment, sports, history, science and Americana, and highlights unique human accomplishments and achievements. Check local listings for CBS Sunday Morning broadcast times.

Subscribe to the “CBS Sunday Morning” YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/20gXwJT
Get more of “CBS Sunday Morning”: http://cbsn.ws/1PlMmAz
Follow “CBS Sunday Morning” on Instagram: http://bit.ly/23XunIh
Like “CBS Sunday Morning” on Facebook: https://bit.ly/3sRgLPG
Follow “CBS Sunday Morning” on Twitter: http://bit.ly/1RquoQb
Subscribe to our newsletter: http://cbsn.ws/1RqHw7T
Download the CBS News app: http://cbsn.ws/1Xb1WC8
Try Paramount+ free: https://bit.ly/2OiW1kZ

For video licensing inquiries, contact: [email protected]

source

29 thoughts on “How the Watergate scandal changed Washington”

  1. "All the criminals in their coats and their ties, are free to drink martinis, and watch the sunrise….steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot…and they make you king."-Dylan. Bigly true. Believe me. That I can tell you….

    Reply
  2. As BAD as Nixon was. And he was certainly a very bad man. Trump is FAR, far worse. The difference is Nixon had at a shred of self respect AND at least at the end AMERICA's interests at heart. As well as his own of course. Trump cares about nothing. Least of all America. The even sadder part is there's a big percentage of Americans (now) that absolutely do not care if Trump faces justice. They care about how much they'll have to pay in taxes and at the gas pump. It remains to be seen if America will last the next five years.

    Reply
  3. I disagree with the summary. Instead what should of been said is how Republicans as well as Democrats learned the importance of deleting 18 minutes of tape can do and how to control what is said while deleting anything can be the most important tool in getting away with it all. And that's the immoral point of Watergate. Just ask Epstein…oh yeah you can't…and that's how it works.

    Reply
  4. I remember growing up most of my parents friends and relatives thinking how great president nixon was, and then when watergate hit many of the same people would say what a corrupt bum he was. It taught me a valuable life lesson in that so called adults are not always consistant and only just want to be on the winning team

    Reply
  5. No mention of Henry Kissinger, and how he told Nixon, "he MUST record his actions for Poserity!!"
    Nixon the Man who opened up China. "If nothing else, they'll always work cheaper"
    On Russia, "They're a paper tiger that our military needs, to keep America working."
    Watch the last 10 minutes of 2008 Frost/Nixon, it says it all.

    Reply
  6. And don’t forget that Roger Ailes worked for Nixon. He probably believed that his hero, Nixon, shouldn’t have had to step down and vowed to protect future republican criminals.

    Reply
  7. John Erlichman said in an interview 10 yrs on from Watergate "That the Whitehouse staff did nothing on their own initiative. They were carrying out Richard Nixon's instructions day to day".
    30 yrs on from Watergate, Jeb Magruder said he could hear Richard Nixon's voice on the telephone while speaking to AG John Mitchell regarding whether or not the Watergate caper was worth doing. . Nixon says: "The only way to get the dirt on Larry O'Brien was for Liddy's team to break into the DNC office at the Watergate".
    (The dirt was proof that Larry O'Brien was involved in a scheme to confuse and embarrass Richard Nixon surrounding information related to the president's brother Donald and Howard Hughes.

    Reply
  8. Good story, thanks! There are two considerations that aren't getting enough attention in this anniversary of Watergate: First, how SHOCKING it all was. Once the story got traction, every day was an adventure in shock for the country. It was just so unbelievable, and became fully consuming of our attention. Our President was a paranoid, corrupt criminal? Really? Who would have thought or believed it? Shocking. Second, with Nixon resigning and going away with a new administration taking over, there was the belief that our Government had addressed the issue, and taken care of us in that grotesque, bizarre situation collectively called "Watergate". Our elected officials had "of course" done their jobs in an appropriate bi-partisan manner in service to our Country (and not in service to themselves and/or their particular political party). They had gotten rid of Nixon and addressed the disastrous mess. Sure, there were lots of people who didn't think it was right to pardon Nixon, etc., but that was like a matter of semantics. The point was that the mess was addressed and we believed our Democracy was "of course" remaining SAFE AND SECURE because "of course" our elected officials were doing the right thing. Those are two points generally overlooked these days 50 years down the road, due to being for example fascinated and engaged with the details of the break-in, our current sense of cynicism and frustration, and so on. At this time of hearings regarding Trump's January 6 coup attempt, there is no shock or feeling safe and secure about our Democracy, given the corrupt nature of the Republican Party, the nature of Trump, and the reality of the Trump cult. Talk about a different ball game! Thanks again for the story.

    Reply
  9. He is biased and using this to promote hisself and you both are only talking Watergate to trash Trump. This was all handled during an Impeachment. All laid out, all displayed, aired on tv, internet, some radio and it’s a sham. You can say he used bad judgement but he didn’t tell anyone to do anything. They doctored the voice over the first night as well which turned middle roads off. Had the rules not changed in the middle of an election Trump would have no argument. Also we needed to purge the Bush Cheney war machine.

    Reply
  10. Pretty much the only ones still alive are John Dean, Alexander Butterfield… and Henry Kissinger.

    What gets me about the Deep Throat sub-story is that Hal Holbrook did bear a bit of a resemblance to Mark Felt.

    Reply
  11. 59 years ago the FBI leaked information to overthrow the president. Today the FBI hunts the president s daughters diary to protect Biden from people finding out about his Pedophilia

    Reply
  12. I don't think it was the illegal activity t hat bothered us it was the draft. Everybody was getting killed in a war that was being used to support the military industrial complex.

    Reply
  13. I remember this so well ! In those days everyone still had a radio & every home in our neighborhood had the hearings blaring , and all us kids heard it, at whatever house we were playing at.
    Even tho my Mom was a Democrat, NOT EXCUSING his illegal and unethical behavior,she still felt some human compassion for Nixon as a human being, watching him giving his resignation speech. I remember her thinking “ Tho we all as humans have some experience that makes us angry or upset, but what happens to a person in their lifetime , to make them go ahead and do things like he did?” I wonder the same thing about former President Trump and all his GOP Enablers..

    Reply
  14. BOGUS mis direction of attention then – — and now – – –

    meanwhile – – about that 'wrap up' phase of the CFR Nixon – – Rockefeller MAO – – 'transfer treason project – – ?

    Reply

Leave a Comment