President Nixon on Television 8/8/74.

收听点击  在线英语听力室论坛

On August 8, 1974, a unique and tragic event in American politics occurred as President Richard M. Nixon spoke on TV to the American public announcing his decision to resign the presidency. Nixon's decision came after the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives voted to recommend his impeachment.

The collapse of support in the Congress marked the end of Nixon's two year battle against news media, government agencies, the Senate and House of Representatives and the U.S. Supreme Court - all stemming from a break-in that occurred on the night of June 17, 1972, when five burglars entered the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate office complex in Washington.

Subsequent investigations revealed the burglars were actually agents hired by the Committee for the Re-election of the President. A long chain of events then followed in which the president and top aides became involved in an extensive coverup of White House sanctioned illegal activities. The coverup snowballed and increased the president's troubles as Nixon and White House aides attempted to use the prestige and power of the presidency to obstruct justice.

The U.S. Senate then held televised hearings investigating the conduct of White House officials, leading to the resignation of several of Nixon's top aides as they became implicated. The House Judiciary Committee also began an inquiry as to whether Nixon had committed impeachable offenses.

During the Senate investigation, a Nixon aide revealed the president had installed a bugging system in the oval office and recorded most conversations on tape. Under intense pressure Nixon released edited transcripts in the spring of 1974 containing his conversations. The transcripts caused a national sensation, exposing Nixon as a cynical man who frequently used obscene language, in contrast to his carefully tailored public image.

The transcripts also revealed the president was deeply involved in managing the coverup, sometimes on a daily basis. As a result Nixon lost most of his political support and following further revelations implicating him in more illegal coverup activities, Nixon chose to resign and avoid the prospect of an impeachment vote by the full Congress. He thus became the only U.S. president ever to resign.

Vice-President Gerald Ford succeeded him on August 9, 1974 and a month later granted Nixon a full pardon for any crimes he might have committed while president.

Good evening. This is the 37th time I have spoken to you from this office, where so many decisions have been made that shaped the history of this Nation. Each time I have done so to discuss with you some matter that I believe affected the national interest.

In all the decisions I have made in my public life, I have always tried to do what was best for the Nation. Throughout the long and difficult period of Watergate, I have felt it was my duty to persevere, to make every possible effort to complete the term of office to which you elected me.

In the past few days, however, it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base in the Congress to justify continuing that effort. As long as there was such a base, I felt strongly that it was necessary to see the constitutional process through to its conclusion, that to do otherwise would be unfaithful to the spirit of that deliberately difficult process and a dangerously destabilizing precedent for the future.

But with the disappearance of that base, I now believe that the constitutional purpose has been served, and there is no longer a need for the process to be prolonged.

I would have preferred to carry through to the finish whatever the personal agony it would have involved, and my family unanimously urged me to do so. But the interest of the Nation must always come before any personal considerations.

From the discussions I have had with Congressional and other leaders, I have concluded that because of the Watergate matter I might not have the support of the Congress that I would consider necessary to back the very difficult decisions and carry out the duties of this office in the way the interests of the Nation would require.

I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as President, I must put the interest of America first.

America needs a full-time President and a full-time Congress, particularly at this time with problems we face at home and abroad.

To continue to fight through the months ahead for my personal vindication would almost totally absorb the time and attention of both the President and the Congress in a period when our entire focus should be on the great issues of peace abroad and prosperity without inflation at home.

Therefore, I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford will be sworn in as President at that hour in this office.

As I recall the high hopes for America with which we began this second term, I feel a great sadness that I will not be here in this office working on your behalf to achieve those hopes in the next 2 1/2 years. But in turning over direction of the Government to Vice President Ford, I know, as I told the Nation when I nominated him for that office 10 months ago, that the leadership of America will be in good hands.
共2页: 上一页 1 [2] 下一页