Welcome to JFK in The Enduring Secret.

I'm your host, Jeff Crudell.

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the podcast.

Today's episode is episode 267 and it's the beginning of a major series on Bobby Baker.

Remember that little thing they called Watergate? The little thing that became the big thing.

It started out as a petty attempt at burglary at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

It ended up as one of the most riveting political scandals in American history, one that brought down a president.

Nixon was the only one ever to resign from the presidency. It was a disgrace and truly unheard of,

well, at least in those days anyway. And in some level of poetic justice, the very forces of nature that compelled

Nixon to use the raw power of the presidency to go after his enemies, even after an election

was no longer going to be a close race, while those very forces of nature were also responsible for his unwavering respect for the office itself.

I do believe that Nixon resigned to save the presidency.

Oh, don't get me wrong. He took care of himself first.

Ford's pardon of Nixon was part of the deal, but he didn't leave the

office just to escape what they would do to him. You see, Nixon understood the damage that one does

to these prestigious positions when the behaviors go sideways. Damages whose legacy are sometimes more than generational.

But, alas, that point is perhaps for another type of podcast. My point here is that the little thing

became the big thing. And that is precisely what happened to Bobby Baker, a tiny lawsuit involving

a vending machine contract, a dispute that was essentially settled out of court for $30,000.

Well, that was the match that lit the fuse. And it brought down one of the most prolific politicos of the 20th century.

Now, I say politico because Bobby Baker never held political office, even though he might, add his

zenith, have been the second most powerful person operating in the United States Senate.

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