Meanwhile, Bush reached an unwelcome record. By 64%-31%, Americans disapprove of the job he is doing. For the first time in the history of the Gallup Poll, 50% say they "strongly disapprove" of the president. Richard Nixon had reached the previous high, 48%, just before an impeachment inquiry was launched in 1974.
Turning to the bad news, the same poll shows that 46% of Americans think that bombing Iran might not be a bad idea.
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...but still:
As the investigation picked up speed, Nixon grew increasingly concerned about whether Thompson could stand up to the Democrats.In this May 1973 recording, he shared his concern with then-chief of staff Alexander Haig.
"He's talking to Fred Thompson. I said you're not --," Haig begins.
"Oh sh--, he's dumb as hell. Fred Thompson," Nixon interjects. "Who is he? He won't say anything."
In another conversation some weeks later, Nixon and his advisers were still describing Thompson as not very smart but at least beginning to play ball.
"Our approach is now, we've got a pretty good rapport with Fred Thompson. He came through fine for us this morning," White House counsel Fred Buzhardt says on a tape from June 6.
"He isn't very smart, is he?" Nixon asks.
"Not extremely so, but --," Buzhardt says, interrupted by the president.
"But he's friendly," Nixon says.
"But he's, he's friendly," Buzhardt echoes.
"Good."
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I had nearly forgotten that White House counsel Fred W. Fielding was Associate Counsel for Nixon in the years 1970-1972 (although he wasn't implicated in the series of crimes known as "Watergate").
That said, I find this from a January issue of Time magazine rather ironic:
In a signal that he could be open to working more closely with congressional Democrats rather than stonewalling, President Bush plans to name the widely respected Republican lawyer Fred F. Fielding as White House counsel this week, party sources tell TIME.
So much for that.
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"We would all have to say that mistakes were made in terms of comments."
Nixon Press Secretary Ron Ziegler, 1973.
“I acknowledge that mistakes were made here.”
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, 2007.
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