Disputes on Archiving of Nixon Documents

Re “Nixon Library Can’t Be Trusted Not to Play With His Words,” Commentary, March 15: As a former employee of the National Archives, I understand why David Greenberg is worried. The aggressive advocacy previously used by President Nixon’s representatives to influence historical disclosures now haunts the Nixon Foundation.

When the archives tried to open some of Nixon’s White House files in 1987, the former president blocked 150,000 pages from being released. He and now his estate have every right to file objections. But the Nixon representatives also hammered archivists. Nixon’s lawyer told the press in 1987, “I can raise your hair on end with what the archives thinks does not infringe privacy and should be released.”

Two years after Nixon died, John Taylor, Nixon Foundation executive director, jumped into the fray. He asserted in a letter to the editor that the blocked items “were of the sort that are routinely withheld at other presidents’ libraries.” Perhaps not, as the archives opened many of the documents to the public in 1996. Some turned out to deal with Watergate and the Vietnam War.

Taylor sneered at archivists as “Hardy Boys” in 1998. The Washington Post noted, “Taylor has in the past denounced the Nixon archivists as ‘junior prosecutors’ bent on making the late president look bad.”

Given such tactics, I’m not surprised historians are so worried about politicization.

Maarja Krusten

Former National Archives’

Nixon Project archivist,

1976-1990

Arlington, Va.

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In his opinion piece Greenberg labels me a “conspiracy theorist” and suggests that “Silent Coup,” my book, “denies the basic facts of Watergate.” Rather, the book demonstrates that John Dean was more involved in the planning of the Watergate burglary and cover-up than previously understood. It neither excuses the actions of President Nixon nor seeks to exonerate him from responsibility for criminal activities. The book is well documented and has withstood several court challenges.

The scandal that we call Watergate was far more complex and multifaceted than Greenberg and other demonizers of Nixon would like to admit.

Shortly the Nixon Library will publish the proceedings of its conference last August, in which I took part, and historians and all other interested parties will be able to judge the quality of my more recent contributions to the debate over Nixon and his place in our country’s, and the world’s, history.

Len Colodny

Tampa, Fla.

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Even in death, Richard Nixon is still trying to have his way with the truth. It reminds me of the old joke about his epitaph: “Here Lies Richard Nixon.”

Evan Puziss

Mar Vista