John Dean brought his newly updated version of "Blind Ambition" to a packed house at the Nixon Library http://nixon.archives.gov/ in Yorba Linda. Dean displayed his sense of humor with references to the controversy surrounding his appearance. He joked that Daniel Ellsberg would not be appearing any time soon at the Library.
Dean's talk included his thoughts about working in the White House and the changes he has seen since his tenure. "I never realized when I went to work at the White House that I would have to be a criminal lawyer.....Since Watergate, White House staff have included criminal lawyers....Perhaps if I was a criminal lawyer, my antenna wold have been tuned in to what we were doing was wrong."
Dean also recounted flying to the Western White House in San Clemente on a courier flight to talk with John Ehrlichman to get Chuck Colson to back off breaking into the Brookings Institute to retrieve copies of the Pentagon Papers.
The Nixon Library is now being managed by the National Archives, which manages other Presidential libraries. The Nixon Foundation, which previously managed the Library, is still involved. During the evening with Dean, several members and docents from the Foundation were present. The Foundation members harassed members of the public who did not support their views, were difficult to staff managing the auditorium, and were generally unprofessional in their conduct.
In 2010, Nixon's papers and records, which include John Dean's papers, will begin moving to the Library. The public will have access to the papers for reading and research. The Foundation had restricted use of the Presidential materials in their possession to only scholars supporting their views of Nixon's legacy.
The Library is in the process of installing new exhibits which include enhanced information about Watergate and the aftermath. In August, the Library will host an Apollo exhibit which will feature 3 moon rocks, one from the collection of President Nixon.
If you missed John Dean, he will speak again at the Laguna Woods Democratic Club on July 5. The deadline for reservations is June 25. http://www.lw-dems.org/ or http://www.actblue.com/page/demclubluncheon Lunch is included in the $25 ticket. John Dean will be available after the event to sign copies of his book.
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