Monday, August 23, 2010

Web Of Ties

Maarja Krusten, an historian and former tapes specialist at the National Archives' Nixon Project, has graciously shared some of my recent Nixon library posts with her colleagues on the Society of American Archivists web board.

4 comments:

MK said...

Many thanks, John, much appreciated! It's great to see you blogging again. I've really missed your sharp and special insights into very complex and complicated issues.

Fr. John said...

Thanks, MK.

MK said...

You're most welcome. As you know, I once worked to fulfill "the full truth" provision of the Nixon records statute. I waver between optimism and pessimism on issues related to presidential libraries but hope for a good resolution of the situation with the Watergate exhibit. More so than with other libraries, the stakeholders here trail all sorts of baggage, much of it on public display to an extent not seen with the other libraries. Nixon and his family, friends and associates certainly paid a high price for his decision to tape record his conversations. While I would like to think fair minded people can learn a lot from the tapes about how the presidency works -- my work with them certainly humanized the principals and illuminated some of the processes -- the circumstances under which Nixon resigned presented, and still may present, some difficult challenges for all involved.

Fr. John said...

Thanks, MK. There are some unique and fascinating dynamics on "our" side of the equation as well.