Get It Done

by digby

I love it when new Nixon tapes are released. So far, the excerpts I’ve seen have lived up to the usual expectations:

— On July 1, 1971, Nixon instructs Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman to have someone break into the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.: “I can’t have a high-minded lawyer … I want a son-of-a-b—-. I want someone just as tough as I am. … We’re up against an enemy, a conspiracy that will use any means. We are going to use any means… . Get it done. I want it done. I want the Brookings Institution cleaned out and have it cleaned out in a way that has somebody else take the blame.” — On April 4, 1972, Nixon discusses the press with Haldeman: NIXON: “Return the calls to those poor dumb bastards … who I know are our friends. Now do it … We made the same mistake [Dwight] Eisenhower made, but not as bad as Eisenhower made, because he sucked the Times too much … G-d damn it, don’t talk to them for a while. Will you enforce that now?’
HALDEMAN: “I’ll try.” — On May 18, 1972, Nixon talks to Henry Kissinger about the National Security Adviser’s meeting with Ivy League college presidents regarding the war in Vietnam: NIXON: “The Ivy League presidents? Why, I’ll never let those sons-of-b—— in the White House again. Never, never, never. They’re finished. The Ivy League schools are finished … Henry, I would never have had them in. Don’t do that again … They came out against us when it was tough … Don’t ever go to an Ivy League school again, ever. Never, never, never.” — On Nov. 14, 1972, Nixon talks with his aide Charles Colson about his landslide re-election victory over Democrat George McGovern: NIXON: “What in the hell did you think of McGovern’s statement on the election? Wasn’t that the sour grapes crap again?”
COLSON: “Well, it’s unbelievable, the arrogance of the guy … God, what a bad man. Just awfully glad we got him buried and put away for good. I think he is.”
NIXON: “Oh, he’s buried. He’s buried.”

It’s a good thing we decided for the good of the country not to play the blame game and to let bygones be bygones because it resulted in the Republicans completely changing their ways.

Dick Cheney, for instance, learned from Nixon’s mistakes and completely repudiated Richard Nixon’s imperial presidency and profane disrespect and operated with bipartisan good faith and total transparency as a result of the generosity with which Richard Nixon (and later Ronald Reagan) were dealt. It’s a heartwarming story of the power of positive reinforcement, forgiveness and redemption.

I’m sure the next generation, tempered by their experiences during the Bush years, will respond to any current decision to let bygones be bygones on unfortunate little transgressions like torture and constitution shredding with similar grace and humility.

Update: The tape with Kissinger is amazing. Recall, that he’s the King of the Realist school,the alleged practice of which the village is celebrating the return of. Let’s hope they don’t know what they are talking about, as usual.