California: Los Angeles, Part 1

 8 May 2022

Nixon Library

The obligatory photo in the obligatory Oval Office mock-up. Pat Nixon was responsible for the suggestion that the seal of the President of the United States be woven into the Oval Office carpet. So far, every Presidential site we’ve visited, save for Lincoln and Kennedy, have had the OO mock-up.

What do I remember about Richard Nixon, besides the Checkers speech? Corruption. In spite of his accomplishments in office, I think he’s rightly remembered for layers of corruption due to the Watergate break-in, investigation, and cover-up. What I did not know, growing up, was just how corrupt Spiro Agnew was, and was from the time he was a low level politician in Maryland! Agnew had been taking kickbacks since his days as a county executive, and then as governor of Maryland, and continued when he was VP. He later said those 5% payments for contracts were “campaign contributions”, even as he had begun, once found out, to negotiate a plea bargain! He was finally forced to resign and got off easy with unsupervised probation for three years and a $10,000 fine. He borrowed money from Frank Sinatra to get himself “started” again and wrote a book from which he earned proceeds. His life of dirty dealings knew no bounds. Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as VP after Agnew’s resignation and he became President after Nixon resigned, the only President not elected by the people.

Lots of good things on Nikon’s list of accomplishments. I was honestly surprised.

The most impressive timeline of the Watergate Scandal that I’ve ever seen. Layer upon layer of incidents and coverup are here in one place. As we talked to people about our visit to the Nixon Library, we were informed that the Library finally decided they had to “come clean” about what REALLY HAPPENED and this revised history was then installed here; prior to that, Watergate was just glossed over. Now even the movie at the beginning of the museum tour begins with Watergate. No sidestepping today.

Nixon’s infamous “Enemies List”. These were the individuals he wanted to “make life hard for”—and there were several individuals who were really upset because their names were not on this list!

Yes. And, yes.

Marine One, now retired, at the Nixon site.

The Nixon Library as seen from the Rose Garden

Nixon’s modest childhood home, on it’s original foundation.

A too-short visit with Nikki and Jon

My wonderful friend Nikki. She and I met in the City of Industry office of General Tire, the only two women in a sea of white men, in about 1981. I was in her wedding party. Funny with some people: you just start talking and then keep talking and laughing and then more talk. The visit flew by!

OMG. Bespoke pizza….swoon.