Watergate 50th meets Jan. 6. Common thread: Thirst for power
By CALVIN WOODWARD
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Watergate and Jan. 6 are a half-century apart, in vastly different eras, and they were about different things. But in both episodes, a Republican president tried to do an end run around democracy. Friday is the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in that eventually consumed Richard Nixon’s presidency. The anniversary intersects with the continuing House hearings on the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol. Mysteries from both affairs endure. Is there a smoking gun yet to emerge in the investigation into Donald Trump’s actions leading to the insurrection? And why did Nixon indulge in political malfeasance when he was on a smooth path to reelection?
