Political consultant Roger Stone discussed his latest work uncovering untold truths about Richard Nixon, including his campaigns, presidency, and Watergate. If it hadn't been for Watergate, Nixon might have been considered one of the best US presidents, Stone argued. He actually wanted to get out of Vietnam as soon as possible, engage the Soviets in an arms control dialog, and open relations with China. Further, he ended the military draft, started the Environmental Protection Agency, and Clean Air and Water Acts, helped Israel in the Six Day War, as well as began desegregation in public schools.
In the 1960 election, Nixon may have actually won the popular vote, but the voting was rigged in favorite of Kennedy in Chicago and Texas, Stone asserted. Regarding Watergate, John Dean's new book misrepresents what happened, and Dean actually cased out Watergate six weeks before the break-in, and set the ball in motion, Stone continued. Dean also recruited G. Gordon Liddy, and badgered the CIA to pay bail money for the Watergate burglars, he added. "The CIA took advantage of the Watergate idiocy to take Nixon down after failing to assassinate him, because he was moving the country toward peace-- they wanted to bomb Red China not talk to Red China," said Stone.
According to Stone, Nixon got a deal for a pardon for his Watergate crimes before he resigned by holding knowledge about Gerald Ford's role in the Warren Commission, and their cover-up of JFK’s murder. Stone also shared various intriguing or amusing stories about Nixon, such as how he inadvertently carried pot through Customs for Louis Armstrong, had a long-term affair with a Chinese woman who may have been a Communist spy, and met with Elvis Presley, who wore his stage outfit at the White House.
Suicide, Drugs, & Depression
First hour guest, Dr. Peter Breggin, talked about the problem of depression and suicide in relation to the recent death of Robin Williams, who hung himself. Drugs and alcohol may have played a role in contributing to his depression-- most drugs leave a person depressed after they wear off, he noted. Regarding committing suicide by hanging, "people will get into a compulsive belief that they've finally got to end it, and they get driven to do it in this really tortuous way...so much of what I've seen of that has involved either street drugs or psychiatric drugs because something just gets so twisted out in the brain," he remarked.
News segment guests: Howard Bloom, Catherine Austin Fitts