When one mentions the name Richard Nixon one word usually comes to mind: Watergate. On June 17, 1972 Five men were arrested in an attempt to bug Democratic Party Headquarters in the Watergate Complex in Washington D.C. Following massive Congressional investigations and relentless digging by reporters Bob Woodard and Carl Bernstein, it became evident that Nixon had ordered the burglary and attempted to cover it up. Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974 before impeachment proceedings were brought against him. After he left office, Nixon has generally been thought of as terrible president who brought disgrace to the office.
He is also thought of having an aggressive foreign policy because of his bombing of Cambodia and overthrow of the government of Chile.
However, upon looking at his Presidency with a stronger microscope one can find many aspects that would be considered liberal or even progressive. Some examples include the following:
He started Supplemental Security Income program that provides stipends to low-income persons who are either aged (65 or older), blind, or disabled.
He was an environmentalist. During his term he created National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act of 1970, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
He created OSHA, whose purpose was to regulate worker safety.
His policies on minorities and women included supporting the Equal Rights Amendment and adopting the first significant federal affirmative action program in 1970.
On health care, he introduce the Comprehensive Health Insurance Act which would have mandated employers to purchase health insurance for their employees, and in addition provided a federal health plan, similar to Medicaid, that any American could join by paying on a sliding scale based on income. Sound familiar?
Despite being a staunch anti Communist, he actually pulled the U.S. out of Vietnam. He also opened diplomatic relations with China and signed nuclear arms reduction treaties with the Soviet Union.
If it wasn't for Watergate, Nixon would probably be remembered quite different in the pages of history.
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