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Volokh Conspiracy

Watergate quiz

|The Volokh Conspiracy |


How well do you know Watergate? This 100-question quiz from the summer of 1974 will provide the answer. If you were a newspaper reader when Watergate took place, the quiz will bring back lots of memories. If you don't remember Watergate, then the quiz will inform you about the details of one of the most criminal and scurrilous presidential administrations in American history.

The quiz was distributed at the 1974 Colorado Democratic Assembly by the Dick Lamm for Governor campaign. It was titled "Watergate quiz (and assembly time-killer)." It was written by Democratic State Representative Dick Lamm (who was on his way to winning the first of three gubernatorial terms) and his campaign staff. At the time the quiz was distributed, the House Judiciary Committee had not yet begun the hearings which would lead to the Committee favorably reporting three articles of impeachment against Richard Milhous Nixon. Nor had the Supreme Court yet ruled in United State v. Nixon; the 8-0 decision of the Court would lead to the release of the "smoking gun" White House tape, which proved beyond any doubt that Nixon himself had orchestrated the Watergate cover-up right from the start.

Those were halcyon days for Colorado Democrats. Denver's U.S. Representative Pat Schroeder (who was in the first of what would be 12 terms in Congress) delivered a rousing Assembly speech based on the Declaration of Independence. She read from Declaration's indictment of King George's particular offenses, and pointed to the parallel offenses by Nixon. Dick Lamm was fresh off his 1972 victory on a ballot initiative, which had prohibited taxpayer public funding for the 1976 Winter Olympics in Colorado. Deprived of corporate welfare, the Olympics moved to Innsbruck, Austria. Lamm would capture the Governorship for the Democrats after 12 years of Republican control. In the subsequent 40 years, Democrats have held the office in all but eight.

Meanwhile, Gary Hart (who had managed George McGovern's 1972 presidential bid) was engaged in a five-way battle for the U.S. Senate nomination. Hart won the first of two senatorial terms, unseating Republican incumbent Peter Dominick. The Watergate tide lifted all Democratic boats; Democrats took the State House for the first time since 1964, making my father, Jerry Kopel, chair of the House Judiciary Committee in 1975-76.

In my view, Watergate is a positive story. As Gerald Ford told the nation in his first speech as President, following Nixon's August 1974 resignation, "Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men." The Democratic pursuit of Nixon was based partly on partisan animus, but as Nixon's guilt became clearer and clearer, many patriotic Republicans put their nation ahead of their party, and decided that Nixon had to go.

Watergate Quiz
(And assembly time-killer)

The Dirt
1. Who was the guard at the Watergate who discovered the buggers? Where is he working now?
2. How many men were caught in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate the night of the break-in?
3. What nationality are Frank Sturgis and Bernard Barker?
4. Who first called the Watergate break-in a third-rate burglary?
5. In what city did G. Gordon Liddy make a run for Congress?
6. What does Liddy's wife do for a living?
7. What position did James McCord hold at CREEP?
8. Howard Hunt was a _____-dollar a day consultant to the White House when he was hired in 1971.
9. Name two pseudonyms under which Howard Hunt wrote spy novels.
10. How much money did the Democratic National Committee ask for in its suit against CREEP? How much did they finally settle for?
11. On May 26, 1972, Watergate conspirators tried to break into McGovern for President headquarters. Why did they fail?
12. Who is Gerald Alch?
13. Who visited Dita Beard wearing a red wig?
14. Who is Dr. Lewis Fielding?
15. How much money was Howard Hughes accused of giving to the Nixon re-election campaign?
16. What excuse did the White House give for its investigation of Daniel Schorr?
17. When he received a report that President Nixon's appearance with ________ had been disrupted by demonstrators, __________ wrote "great" in the margin
18. Who had been accused of writing the letter during the New Hampshire primary which charged Senator Muskie with calling French Canadians "canucks"?
19. Which Presidential candidates were accused by the dirty tricksters of being sexual deviants? On whose stationery were the innuendoes printed?
20. Who is the principal stockholder in the Watergate apartment complex?

The Cover-Up
21. Who did President Nixon put in charge of the Administration's investigation when the case first broke?
22. _______said_________ should twist slowly, slowly in the wind?
23. What is deep-sixing?
24. What Watergate-related figure was killed in a plane crash on December 8th, 1972? What was found in the passenger's luggage?
25. In what city was Martha Mitchell given injections in her posterior? Why?
26. What code name was given to transcripts of tapped conversations from the DNC headquarters in Washington?
27. What excuse did John Mitchell use to leave his job as campaign director for the Committee to Re-elect the President?
28. What was offered to Judge Matthew Byrne? Where? When? By whom?
29. To what country did Robert Vesco first flee to?
30. Who said "I won't be a scapegoat"?
31. Who said "Somebody is trying to make me the fall guy, but it isn't going to work"?
32. What Democratic prankster was accused by the Republican dirty tricksters of being their model?
33. Who are two of the finest public servants Richard Nixon has ever known?
34. Who said "That whoever is responsible for Watergate is a damn idiot"?
35. Who would Charles Colson run over on behalf of the President?
36. What was Haldeman's code name? Who was "the pipe?"
37. How much did Nixon claim as a tax deduction for his vice-presidential papers?
38. How much did Nixon pay in taxes for the years 1970 and 1971?
39. In what states has President Nixon paid income tax during his years in office?
40. What is Bebe Rebozo's real first name?
41. On what subject did Richard Nixon solicit a question during his Florida news conference?
42. Who initiated the term "White House horrors?"
43. What do the H.R. in Haldemans's name stand for?
44. How did Robert Abplanap make his fortune?

The Court
45. Who was the original chief prosecutor at the Watergate break-in trial?
46. What day did the Watergate case break in Judge Sirica's open court? What happened?
47. How many technical experts, approved by Judge Sirica, examined the April 15 tape?
48. Who was the first witness to testify before the Senate Watergate Committee's public session?
49. Senator Ervin always carries with him a tattered copy of the_____________.
50. Jeb Stuart Magruder cited which of his former professors before the Senate Watergate Committee as having provided an example of lawlessness?
51. What administration figure asked the Watergate Committee to give him back his good name?
52. Which member of the Committee was a good friend of Pat Gray?
53. During what senator's questioning did Art Buchwald advise his readers to go to the john?
54. Who was Sally Harmony?
55. What job did Tony Ulacevitz hold before going to work for the White House?
56. What advice did Gordon Strachan offer young people during his appearance before the Senate Watergate Committee?
57. During whose testimony was the existence of the Enemies List disclosed?
58. How many certified enemies are on the White House list?
59. What famous sports figure, who claims to be apolitical, made the list?
60. What statement by Herbert Porter was contradicted by Senator Baker?
61. What is John Dean's full name?
62. Which senator from the Watergate Committee is currently under investigation for campaign abuses in his home state?
63. It was suggested that __________, who monitored conversations at the DNC from the nearby_________ Hotel may have been a double agent.
64. How long had John and Maureen Dean been married at the time of his testimony? How many times had he been married previously?
65. What Watergate Committee staffers delivered the subpoena requesting the tapes to the White House?
66. To whose daughter is Howard Baker married?
67. Where did Segretti and Strachan go to school?
68. Committee lawyer Terry Lenzner was accused of badgering this grand-fatherly White House aide.
69. ________called ___________a "little Jap".
70. What senior White House aide did Lowell Weicker eject from his Senate office when he came to "reason" with him during the height of the hearings?
71. Who were John Dean's lawyers?
72. Who asked of whom "Who thought you up?"

The Tapes
73. Who revealed the existence of the White House taping system in his testimony?
74. The White House aides recorded the comings and goings of the Watergate tapes on what?
75. What make was the tape recorder used in President Nixon's office?
76. _______, an associate of ______played a confidential tape for friends at a cocktail party.
77. What kind of tape recorder did Rose Mary Woods use?
78. How long is the gap on the April 15 Watergate tape?
79. How long did Rose Mary Woods claim to have left her foot on the pedal?
80. Who made the most sexist comment of Watergate when he claimed, "That women never know how long they talk on the phone"?
81. Who raised the possibility that a "sinister force" altered the tapes?

The Massacre
82. How many heads rolled in the Saturday night massacre?
83. Who, besides Elliot Richardson, refused to fire Archibald Cox?
84. Who finally took on the responsibility of firing Archibald Cox?

The Crunch
85. In what month did the first major Washington Post Watergate revelations appear? What did the White House say?
86. Why, according to President Nixon, is he not angry with reporters?
87. Which was the first major corporation to plead guilty to making illegal contributions to the Nixon campaign? What was its punishment?
88. Which major indicted Nixon aide let his hair grow since appearing before the Watergate Committee last summer?
89. Which Watergate figure has had a religious conversion since he because implicated in the scandals?
90. Who was the foreman of the grand jury that handed down the recent major indictments, and what kind of beard does he have?
91. What national magazine published its first editorial in 50 years calling for Nixon's resignation?
92. What is the name of Carl Bernstein's partner?
93. Who is the shortest person to be indicted by a grand jury since Watergate broke open?
94. Who claims to have seen White house evidence that Dean is lying, but refused to reveal what it was?
95. During Nixon's October press conference, which reporter asked the President what goes through his mind when impeachment is discussed?
96. Who did Nixon push in front of reporters/ Where?
97. Who did Nixon slap in front of reporters? Why?
98. When did Nixon say his former aides are "guilty until proven innocent"?
99. When did President Nixon ask the nation to "join me in mounting a new effort to replace the discredited president?"
100. Who, while dying, told Nixon never to give up?

Answers to the Watergate Quiz:
1. Frank Wills-at last report, unemployed.
2. Five
3. Cuban
4. Ron Ziegler
5. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
6. Schoolteacher in Washington, D.C.
7. Director of security for CREEP
8. 100
9. Robert Salisbury Dietrich
10. $6.4 million-$775,000
11. A man was standing in front of the door
12. James McCord's lawyer
13. Howard Hunt
14. Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist
15. $100,000
16. He was being considered for a government post
17. Billy Graham-Haldeman
18. The finger has been pointed at two men: Kenneth Clawson, who denies it, and Donald Segretti, who has not commented on the charge publicly
19. Hubert Humphrey, Scoop Jackson-on Muskie stationery
20. The Societe Immobillare Generale company of Rome
21. Mitchell
22. Ehrlichman-Pat Gray
23. A Navy term. In Watergate, to dispose of documents by dropping them in the Potomac
24. Mrs. Dorothy Hunt-$10,000
25. Newport Beach, California-to keep her from talking to reporters
26. Gemstone
27. To save his marriage
28. Directorship of the FBI-Los Angeles-April 5& 7, 1973 Ehrlichman
29. Costa Rica
30. John Dean
31. John Mitchell
32. Dick Tuck
33. Haldeman, Ehrlichman
34. Henry Petersen
35. His grandmother
36. The Brush-Mitchell
37. $576,000
38. 1970, $793-1971, $878
39. none
40. Charles
41. Milk price supports
42. Mitchell
43. Harry Robbins
44. Valves for aerosol spray cans
45. Earl Silbert
46. March 23, 1973, when Judge Sirica read McCord's letter in open court
47. Six
48. Robert Odle
49. Constitution
50. William Sloane Coffin
51. Maurice Stans
52. Senator Weicker
53. Senator Montoya
54. Liddy's secretary
55. New York City policeman
56. "Stay away" from politics
57. Dean's
58. 490
59. Joe Namath
60. "My loyalty to Richard Nixon goes back longer than any person at these hearings…"
61. John Wesley Dean. III
62. Senator Gurney of Florida
63. Alfred Baldwin-Howard Johnson's
64. 8 months, once
65. Terry Lenzner, Rufus Edmisten
66. Everett Dirksen's
67. University of Southern California
68. Richard Moore
69. John J. Wilson-Senator Inouye
70. Charles Colson
71. Robert C. McCandless; Charles Shaffer
72. Senator Baker asked Tony Ulasewicz
73. Alexander Butterfield
74. Brown paper bags
75. Sony 800B
76. William Dobrovir-Ralph Nader
77. Uher 5000
78. 18 ½ minutes
79. About 5 minutes
80. Alexander Haig
81. Haig
82. Three
83. William Ruckelshaus
84. Robert H. Bork
85. August, 1972-"no comment"
86. "One can only be angry with those he respects."
87. American Airlines-fine of $5,000
88. Haldeman
89. Colson
90. Vladmir Pregelj-Van Dyke beard
91. TIME magazine
92. Robert Woodward
93. Segretti (5'2")
94. Hugh Scott
95. Dan Rather
96. Ron Ziegler-New Orelans
97. Air Force Sergeant Edward Kleizo-Orlando, Florida
98. At Disneyworld meeting with 400 newspaper editors
99. State of the Union Address
100. Hannah Nixon, his mother

Scoring:
90-100 correct- You are qualified to advise Leon Jaworski on how to conduct the prosecutions.
70-89 correct- You are able to write questions for Senator Talmadge.
50-69 correct-You know about as much as J. Fred Buzhardt ever knew.
30-49 correct- You are qualified to write questions for Senator Montoya.
10-29 correct- It's high time you did your share of wallowing in Watergate.
0-9 correct- You know as much as Nixon claims to know.