AND FINALLY 658

“He gave of himself with intelligence and energy and devotion to duty. And his entire country owes him a debt of gratitude for that service” - Bill Clinton speaking at Richard Nixon’s funeral in 1994

“It is Nixon himself who represents that dark, venal and incurably violent side of the American character that almost every country in the world has learned to fear and despise.” - Hunter Thompson, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail

Who was right, Slick Willy or the Duke of Gonzo? Well after this weeks release of some of the unedited versions of the infamous ‘Nixon tapes’, is leaning towards the good Dr (we were neutral before, honest). The release - the first in a series - comes after the Nixon presidential library passed into the hands of the National Archives. Previously it was controlled by Nixon supporters, complete with an exhibition on how Watergate was a stitch-up.

At times disturbing, at times hilarious, the tapes cover the 1972 election and the War in Vietnam. Highlights include Nixon calling Vice-Prez Spiro Agnew ‘a goddamned fool’ who ‘bores the hell out of me’ and telling Henry Kissinger ‘The press is the enemy. The establishment is the enemy, the professors are the enemy. Write that on a blackboard 100 times and never forget it.” To which Kissinger snivels “Errm I’m a professor.”

The records also amusingly document Nixon’s pathetically insecure side, covering his campaign to have all images of previous presidents removed from all 35 rooms in the White House - even personally signed photos of JFK on the walls of lowly staffers.

The W tapes could be equally fascinating, but then again he wasn’t so gung-ho about bugging the White House, just peoples' phones...