At some archival pictures from the Watergate Complex, which is a hotel office and condo here in washington, d. C. Our phone lines are open. Were dividing them among democrats, republicans and independents. 2027488001 for republicans. 2027488000 if youre a democrat. For independents, 2027488002. Joining us on social media, send us a tweet, cspanwj, or on facebook. And good sunday morning. Thanks very much for being with us. We want to talk about watergate some. Say there are potential parallels to where we are today. Tell us what you think. This is first from u. P. I. , which takes a look at the resignation of Richard Nicks sandon how the events unfolded 26 months earlier with the breakin at the Watergate Complex. A 26month saga that morphed slowly into perhaps the greatest political catastrophe in American History and saw the only resignation ever of a u. S. President grew out of a small washington, d. C. , office suite exactly 45 years ago. It was just after midnight on june 17, 1972, five burglars were caught redhanded by plainsclothes d. C. Policemen in the offices of the Democratic National committee. When they were arrested, the middleaged suitclad bandits held sophisticated communications and surveillance electronics, as well as large amounts of cash. And theres this 23r abc news. Frank wills passed away in 2000, but was a Security Guard on duty june 17, 1972, how a piece of tape and an astute night watchman foiled the political crime of the century. So 45 years later, what do you think about the watergate breakin that ultimately led toed resignation of Richard Nixon, as well as the indictment and prison sentences of some of his top aides, bob allegedman, Jon Erlichman, John Mitchell among others . John dean, who served as white House Counsel from 1970 to 1973, reflected back in 2007 on the breakin and the ultimate coverup that led to nixons resignation. They just knew that there was a huge disaster, but they thought that p. R. Was the answer. I tried to dissuade them about it. I remember the first time i told ehrlichman that we were obstructing justice, and he said, john, theres something putrid in the water youre drinking in old town where you live. He didnt want to hear it. I said, john, you better listen, because were on the other side of the law on this. What role do you think the president played in the coverup . Well, it wouldnt have happened if he hadnt wanted it. He knew very well. When you go back he bases his defense on my march 21 conversation, when it all comes falling down, said before dean came in, i didnt know anything. Actually, some of my conversations before march 21 are highly relevant, that i give him bits and pieces, i just happen to lay out and use that dramatic term that theres a cancer on your presidency in that talk. Ut thats his defense. So when the tapes come out that hes talked to haldeman within days of the breakin about using the c. I. A. To block the f. B. I. Investigation, you know, it decimates his defense. So hes clearly involved all the way along. Host john dean, who served as white House Counsel until he was fired in april of 1973. If you go to cnn. Com, some of the watergate fast facts have been posted on the cnn web sited. You can check it out at cnn. Com. By the way, john dean is our guest on cspans the sidebar, our weekly podcast, and he reflects on exactly where he was 45 years ago, returning from the philippines, expected to stay in san francisco, but rushing back to washington when he got word about the breakin. His immediate words were, what did chuck get us into . The full podcast on our website at cspan. Org. Brian is first up, utah, independent line. Good morning. Caller hey. Is that you guys . Host yes, good morning, brian. Caller ok. Im scared for our country. Theres no water great crap going on right now. But the media, you know, you go throw a lie out, and then everybody runs with it, and it just its just ridiculous that everybody hates trump. Trumps trying to fix this mess were in. The democrats, republicans, its like the blood and the crips. Lets just fight each other. And it just were getting nowhere. You know, 250 years. Damn what is it, damn, i cant think of it. They only last 250 years. Every country, and then they fall. And were at 240 years. If we dont start getting together, as a people, you know, americas going to be gone. America keeps everybody safe. Host brian from salt lake city. Thanks for the call. From twitter, first, just think what nixon could have accomplished had he not been such a paranoid person. Remember dick nixon, trump is no nixon. And this from michael, nixon was impeached for the coverup, not the breakin. This editorial from the los angeles times, reflecting on the times were at today and what we saw are 45 years ago. Its Available Online at latimes. Com t. Reads in part as ollows host john in ohio, republican line. Good morning. Caller good morning. Yes, so i was actually i was a never trumper, but this whole thing of covering the 45th an very are you to the extent theyre doing seems to be completely mediadriven. And this is them pushing their agenda obviously to try to draw parallels, you mentioned it even in your opening. So this doesnt seem watching some of the specials, where theyre rehashing interviews with g. Gordon liddy, that was on abc friday night, it seems like they have an audience of one that theyre trying to direct this to. Host fair enough, john. Thanks for the call. Lets go to brian from illinois. Good morning, brian. Caller hi, good morning. I think watergate demonstrates that the best and brightest do not go into politics. Ive heard that many places. Both parties are infested with powerhungry people that only care about winning, and they will lie, cheat and steal to get the power, the attention, the adulation they want. Thats all they care about is themselves. Theyre sociopaths, many of them. We should examine all the political corruption thats gone on in the last 100 years. I could go on and on, but the clintons are another family that did a lot of very slimy, crument things. Hillary with her private email server and classified material on it that she said was ok. And our current president , all he cares about is himself and winning. If he lies, cheats and steals to win, hell do it. Thats im he cares about. Hes a very dishonorable person. And its a shame that hes in the white house right now. Host brian, thanks for the call. A lot of tweets coming in. This is from richard, who says the following, it sure feels like watergate today with president donald trump. The white house lawyering up both the president and the v. P. , referring to both getting lawyers. And they say getting outside counsel. Politicians have learned from watergate what not to do to get caught. They arent better simply at not getting caught. And theres this from park storm saying Donald Trumps alleged misdeeds with the russians make nixon and watergate look quite insignificant. Some other news on this sunday morning from the new york post, the u. S. S. Fitzgerald, which was damaged a couple of days ago, seven bodies have been found, the story Available Online at nypost. Com. The bodies of those seven sailors missing after the predawn collision off the coast of japan on saturday have been found, confirmed by the navy. They were found in compartments below the water line that flooded when the collision tore a hole in the destroyer of the u. S. S. Fitzgerald. They decides either from the impact or drowned when the seawater flooded the compartment. Most of the approximately 300 sailors on the ship were asleep at the time. The navy says it will release the names of all the sailors after notifying family members. At least three crew members, including commander bryce benson, were injured. The fitzgerald, which managed to struggle back to base under its own power, had recently been participating in exercises in the sea of japan with a two u. S. Carrier strike group, as well as Japanese Navy ships, according to reports. That this morning from the new york post. And any new york city. Good morning, republican line. Caller good morning. Host good morning. Caller im disappointed. Trump is like nixon, and unfortunately i think he, in the near future, he will face impeachment. His fail sewer more than any president in American History. In near future, he would face impeachment. We saw that few days ago he went to regime that was among with him, to regime that loss of the people, children in and in iraq, in syria, its against his hand. And i dont know why trump who is unfortunately, if near future he face impeachment im sure, and im very disappointed. I vote for him. Thank you very much. Host thank you. Of course, two president s have been impeached, president johnson and president bill clinton. No, nixon was not impeached, but had he not resigned, he certainly would have been and removed from office. So continue to send us your tweets cspanwj. Caller i was listening and i was thinking, i listen how when people call in. I always sit there and think, we complain when we send these people to washington, d. C. , like with nixon. Republican party at the time wasnt going to do anything until the tapes come out. Its the same thing going on now. Everyone, when they get to washington, d. C. , all they care about is their jobs, keep in power, dont care what no one say. Its about them taking care of the big corporations, the people who have money. We people send these people there, then when they do things tonight cry and complain about it. I tell everyone, grow up. You sent these people there, you put these people in power, then you praise them like they kings, deal with it. Thats all i can tell them. Host thanks very much for the call. Don from california, good morning, welcome to the conversation. 45 years after the watergate breakin, led to nixon leaving the presidency as our 37th president. What are your thoughts . Caller well, the only parallel that i see with watergate is the washington, d. C. , elite with the help of the media trying to break into the white house and steal the presidency from a duly elected president. Look at this mueller, this guy who they put in as an independent counsel whos supposed to be running a super secret investigation independent of everybody. Hes already leaking like a sieve. We know his daytoday activities, as long as those activities are something against trump. And you think this is some kind of coincidence . Its not. This is a coup against a sitting president. And the media is complicit in it. The washington, d. C. , elite want it because hes taking power away from them, their power, their money, and they ant stand it. You know, i dont know what us people sitting out here in america are sitting here with our mouths open at this crime thats going on, and everybody up there where youre living up in washington, d. C. , knows exactly whats happening, and youre not doing anything about it. Host don, i know the president has talked privately about firing Robert Mueller as the special counsel. Should he . Caller i think he should. I dont care if congress, you know, appointing another counsel. But this guy, that place you live up there is so incestuous, i think hes the godfather of comeys children, this mueller. I mean, its ridiculous how close everybody up there has to recuse themselves every time one of the other ones gets in trouble. You know, were aghast out here. We cant stand the sight of washington, d. C. Host don from california, thanks for the call. Nbc news reporting on the condition, we received an yu7 date late yesterday from the family of congressman steve scalise. He has been upgraded to serious condition from critical. The family saying he underwent an additional surgery on saturday and that he is now able to talk to his family members. The 51yearold congressman represents the district in louisiana. Hes also the House Republican whip. He had previously been listed in critical condition. The rifle round causing severe bleeding, according to doctors on friday. He was admitted, where he faced the imminent risk of death, but again, better news for congressman steve scalise, whos been upgraded in a washington, d. C. , hospital. One of our callers mentioning the nixon tapes. This is from december of 1972. You get a sense of president nixons animosity toward the Washington Post, which was leading the coverage of the watergate breakin and ultimately the coverup. There was no reporter today at the ceremony. There was a photographer there, but apparently they screwed up on their desk assignment today, and there was no reporter present. I want it clearly understood from that now on, ever, no reporter from the Washington Post is ever to be in the white house. Is that clear . Absolutely. Thats a press conference. Yes, sir. Briefings here. Everything. Never, never in the white house. No church service. Nothing. You tell connie, dont tell mr. Nixon, because shell approve it. No reporter from the Washington Post is ever to be in the white house again, and no photographer, either. No photographers. Is that clear . Yes, sir. None, ever, to be in. That is a total order. And if necessary, ill fire you. You understand . I do understand. Ok. All right. Good. Thank you. Host from the nixon tapes, december 1972. This is the 45th anniversary of the watergate breakin that took place on june 17 of that year. We welcome your calls. If youre listening on sirius x. M. , the potus channel, give us a call at 2027488001, our line for republicans. 2027488000 for democrats. Michael has this tweet, a few people under the age of 55 really have an understanding of what it was like during the watergate period. Lets go to john in houston. Good morning. Caller good morning. m 51 years old. I was listening to npr, National Public radio, a couple of nights ago, and they were talking about the attorneys that Robert Mueller was adding to his team. There are about four or five of them that have, you know, Money Laundering experience, decades, decades of experience prosecuting people. I think theyre going to take the whole trump family down. I think theyre going to get the soninlaw, the daughters. I think theyre going take i think theyre going to take the whole bunch down. They are very serious, and they know what theyre doing, i tell you what. I see Newt Gingrich getting all a at thisy, and kellyanne conway, you know, nobody is listening to begin begin begin anymore anyway. Hes 20 years in the past. Newt not going gingrich, been there, done that. Host Newt Gingrich is going to be our guest in a halfhour, so we hope you tune in. Hes out with a new book, understanding trump. Hell be with us at 7 45, 7 50 east coast time. Air nick california, welcome to the conversation. Caller good morning, america. I have to somewhat laugh about this. We seem like were stuck in time, suspended in time. This is what happens when you brave. When you have bad behavior, you get suspended in time. So welcome to suspension of time. I never thought that time would end like a get smart movie. Remember the get smart Comedy Series with russian chaos . Chaos has finally got into the white house, yall. But its all misinformation. Soviet union was all fake information. It was based upon us building weapons of mass destruction, keeping us scared. And unfortunately, theres a generation that was feared, scared. They made these you cant get under, and fear Nuclear Bombs and stuff. It was all fake, to get us to buy weapons and sell weapons to the world, and now we get the russians. And they dont have no power. But the media wants to sell this game to us so we can stay focused on the news and everybody is making money. Selling death. Host thanks very much for the phone. Front page of the Washington Post, the mistrial does not end the woes for bill cosby, above the fold. On the other side, hiring haunts the white house, the turmoil is bogging down an effort in recruiting inside the trump white house. The former counsel to the watergate investigation, and he said the following about congressional inquiries into a president or other illegal wrongdoing, it reads in part as ollows host well go to kelly in georgia. Good morning, independent line. 45th anniversary of the watergate breakin. Go ahead, kelly. Caller yes. Thank you for taking my call. One of the biggest things that ive noticed about watergate and whats going on now with trump, if youll allow me a second, tapes were destroyed and everything. And now, they want to bring him up on obstruction of justice. Has anybody back there in the Hillary Clinton investigation, did anybody ever demand a special counsel . Because i can assure you, between Loretta Lynch and Hillary Clinton, bill clinton getting on that plane, i mean, its just this country has a ned into its not about we can y about disagree, but disagreeable, but at the same time, after everything that Hillary Clinton did, Loretta Lynch did, and all the times that barack obama went on the air and said, oh, theres nothing there, she did nothing wrong. Or even with lerner, theres not a smidgeion, and from day one, there has been nothing but just to completely annihilate this president. And lets say yall get yalls way. Lets say you impeach him. I guarantee it, it wouldnt stop there. Yall would then go after mike pence. Thank you. But theres a huge difference. Quotation of tapes and trump has a way of making yall feel uncomfortable. And from what i could tell, why did james comey not why did he not tell what Loretta Lynch did throughout why did oretta lynch not be brought up under a special counsel, the whole hillary thing . Host thanks for the call. This is from the hill newspaper. You mentioned the former attorney general, Loretta Lynch, Senate Republicans are clamoring to