Saturday Night Massacre

Archibald Cox had been appointed Special Prosecutor in the Justice Department to investigate the Watergate break-in and subsequent coverup during the Nixon administration.  When Cox learned of the existence of tapes from the Oval Office, he subpoenaed the tapes.  This enraged Nixon, and he ordered his Attorney General, Elliot Richardson, to fire Cox.  Richardson refused and resigned.  The Deputy Attorney General, William Ruckelshaus, then became acting AG.  He also decided he could not fire Cox, and he resigned.

This elevated the number three man in the Justice Department, Robert Bork.  Yes, the same Robert Bork in the later Supreme Court fight.  Bork was also prepared to resign, but Richardson and Ruckelshaus told Bork that Nixon would go through the entire Justice Department until he found someone and told Bork he should carry out the order.

Bork then fired Cox.  This all happened on a Saturday and has come down in history as the “Saturday Night Massacre.”  For the first time aftjer that event, a majority of Americans thought Nixon should be impeached.

When my friend Roger was inducted into the Army, he took an oath to defend the Constitution and the Commander-in-Chief.  The sergeant who administered the oath asked if anyone had any questions.  Roger raised his hand and asked, “Suppose they are in conflict?”  The Sergeant was really irritated, and said, “That’s not possible.”

It is possible.  And, as I have told thousands of students over the years, your first duty is to the Constitution.  Presidents come and go, but the Constitution is the guiding principle.

Luckily we still have people in government who get it.