35 Years Ago Today

Richard M. Nixon's farewell speech to his staff. We had celebrated the night before (and I was allowed my first drink of champagne, at age 14), but even then this was difficult to watch. The "you won't have Dick Nixon to kick around any more" speech is more famous, but this one is where Nixon really rips the core out of his soul and bears it for the entire world to see. And it is not a pretty sight - all you have to do is look closely at his face to know that Nixon was not a well man on August 9, 1974. The comeback and rehabilitation was far away.