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The Saturday Night Massacre

The Saturday Night Massacre

On October 20, 1973, an event known as the "Saturday Night Massacre" occurred in Washington, DC, and its impact was felt throughout the United States.

Archibald Cox was appointed Special Prosecutor for the Watergate investigation on May 18, 1973, by Attorney General Elliot Richardson due to growing evidence that the White House was involved in the Watergate break-in and cover-up. Richardson selected Archibald Cox, a Harvard Law School professor, former Solicitor General under John F. Kennedy, and a well-respected non-partisan legal scholar, to ensure investigative credibility and independence.

Cox’s mandate was to investigate all offenses arising out of the 1972 presidential campaign, including the Watergate burglary and any related cover-ups—an appointment that ultimately led to what became known as the Saturday Night Massacre when Nixon tried to fire the Special Prosecutor after Cox issued a subpoena for nine White House tape recordings.

The Cascade of Resignations: On Saturday evening, October 20, 1973, Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Cox. Richardson, who had promised the Senate during his confirmation that he would not interfere with Cox's independence, refused and submitted his resignation.

Nixon then turned to Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus, who also refused and was fired. Finally, Solicitor General Robert Bork agreed to carry out the dismissal, becoming Acting Attorney General in the process.

After Cox was fired, the White House abolished the Office of Special Prosecutor and had FBI agents seal off its offices, adding to the appearance of a cover-up.

In 1973, fifty-two years ago, as I write this, the Republicans still possessed courage. Several GOP Senators (then the minority party in Congress) called for Nixon's resignation and deemed the White House actions as "a grave mistake" and "an act of apparent desperation".

The Massacre Aftermath: The public reaction was overwhelming - the White House received over 300,000 telegrams in the following days, and congressional offices were flooded with calls. Within days, 22 bills were introduced in the House calling for impeachment proceedings. Under intense pressure, Nixon agreed to turn over the tapes and appointed Leon Jaworski as the new special prosecutor in November 1973, with assurances of independence.

The Saturday Night Massacre marked the point where Nixon lost key Republican support, making his eventual resignation almost a year later, in August 1974, almost inevitable. In early August 1974, a group of Republican Senators led by Barry Goldwater told Nixon that his Senate support was down to 15 votes (and Nixon needed 34 votes to save him from impeachment conviction). The key piece of evidence against Nixon was the release of a tape recording from June 23, 1972, when Nixon ordered the CIA to interfere with the FBI Watergate investigation.

Fifty years ago, the party of Abraham Lincoln and Dwight D. Eisenhower had the courage to act against an Administration that betrayed its people. This is sharply contrasted to the spineless fealty of Trump Republicans of today.

Prior to the Trump Administration, Senator McConnell shaped a Supreme Court with an extreme partisan bent, dedicated to first allowing massive amounts of secret campaign donations to erode democracy and institutional guardrails, and then providing immunity and unbridled authority for a lawless and corrupt President.

McConnell blocked Garland, and was able to get Gorsuch confirmed instead. McConnell is largely responsible for the corrupt and bent Roberts SCOTUS

The GOP of today simply rubber-stamped a Trump Cabinet filled with sycophants loyal only to the criminal-elect: the incompetent, the inexperienced, the sociopathic, and the alcoholic.

  • Trump/Vance calls for continuing tax cuts for wealthy donors in exchange for eliminating healthcare access for millions of Americans, and the GOP Congress passes the bill.
  • Trump/Vance want to provoke war with Venezuela, (presumably to distract the United States from the Epstein files and the massive array of Trump/Vance/GOP corruption) the GOP-controlled Senate opposed a resolution offered to order the removal/termination of U.S. Armed Forces from “hostilities within or against Venezuela” unless Congress passes a declaration of war or authorized use of military force (AUMF).
    • Notably, Rand Paul blasted Vance’s praise of the boat strike as “despicable”—calling it a “despicable and thoughtless” sentiment to glorify killing people “without a trial.” This, after Vance had said killing cartel members was the “highest and best use of our military.”
    • Nevertheless, the GOP's opposition to the resolution was "rubber-stamped" approval for Trump/Vance to continue their illegal actions in international waters.
  • Trump/Vance has directed the DOJ to indict political opponents, but the GOP-controlled Congress is silent.
  • The Trump/Vance budget includes an allocation for the Secret Police ("ICE") that is more than the entire military budget of NATO ally Poland, and the GOP rubber-stamped approval.
  • Trump ordered Texas and other GOP-controlled States to gerrymander Congressional Districts so they don't lose control of the House of Representatives and can remain free from investigations into their criminally corrupt and unconstitutional acts. (https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/republicans-sue-to-stop-california-response-to-texas-gerrymander/)
  • Trump decided to destroy part of the White House for his $300 million ballroom -the GOP is silent.
Symbolic for what Trump/GOP has done to America.
  • Trump has accepted a 747 jet and other crypto-based bribes from foreign governments -the GOP is silent.
  • Trump/Vance decided to send military troops into American cities and towns -the GOP is mostly silent while idiot Texas Governor Greg Abbott sends the Texas National Guard to Illinois.
Lethal military force used against Americans always leads to tragedy.
  • Trump/Vance seek to eviscerate academic freedom in higher education in the United States -the GOP Congress is silent.
  • When newly-elected Rep. Adelita Grijalva is supposed to be sworn in to represent nearly a million Arizona constituents, Trump loyalist and House Speaker Johnson refuses to swear her in, knowing she would be the deciding signature on a bipartisan discharge petition which would force a House vote on releasing the Justice Department files relating to Epstein/Trump/Maxwell Child Sex Abuse and Trafficking. In this case, the GOP isn't silent -instead, Johnson is acting as an accessory after the fact in the Epstein/Trump cover-up.
  • While Project 2025 architect and human garbage Russell Vought advocates for Trump to act as an authoritarian tyrant by impounding and/or cancelling funding for vital programs already authorized by Congress, and mass firings of public sector workers, the GOP Congress is silent.
  • Trump wants his DOJ to hand him $230 million because the Federal government had the audacity to investigate an array of Trump's crimes from his first Administration and subsequent coup attempt (or his first crime wave, as I call it). Repeat after me, the GOP Congress is silent.
  • Trump/Vance categorize Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization, and Trump issues National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), the GOP Congress is silent.
    • For clarity, "Antifa" is short for anti-fascist. Historical fascists such as Hitler and Mussolini were enemies of democracy, justice, and equality. Trump has expressed admiration for many of today's neo-fascists, such as Putin, Bolsonaro, and Orban. Musk provided support for Germany's AfD party, widely viewed as extreme right-wing.
    • Fascists are known for authoritarianism, cult-like followers, promoting secret police, emergency rule by decree, propaganda, persecution of political opposition, and control of women's bodies under the guise of "family" and "traditionalism".
    • Anti-fascists embrace democracy, equality, justice, and freedom.
Antifa on DDay -fighting AGAINST Fascists.
  • In all the above, the GOP Congress is rubber-stamping anything Trump/Vance wants, effectively ceding Congressional authority on the budget, impoundments, tariffs, war powers, and taxation. When coupled with a corrupted Supreme Court offering immunity and allowing the criminal elect to do whatever he wishes, the GOP Congress has created a de facto authoritarian presidency.

The GOP Congress is Silent.

The Trump/Vance/GOP is complicit.

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