I sat next to Carl Bernstein throughout Watergate, and Woodward would come over, and they would argue everything out, so I was really tuned into what happened.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
The really tough thing would have been to decide to take Woodward and Bernstein off the story. They were carrying the coal for us - in that their stories were right.
Watergate had become the center of the media's universe, and during the remaining year of my presidency the media tried to force everything else to revolve around it.
Suppose Watergate had not been uncovered? I'd still be on the City Desk.
My 1974 album 'Mind Over Matter' was a detailed thing about Watergate. I always had some righteous indignation.
The influences in my life were all kind of politically, socially implanted. And then there was Watergate.
The big moment for me was making 'All the President's Men'. It was not about Watergate or President Nixon. I wanted to focus on something I thought not many people knew about: How do journalists get the story?
I was unknown because I came to Washington from the West. I started covering Watergate. Immodestly, I'd say I did it pretty well, in part because it was hard to go wrong.
Lawyers didn't seriously get involved in the Watergate stories until quite late, when we realized we were on to something.
I didn't really see a way to make a living on the farm. I always loved writing. I was the guy who won the D.A.R. essay contest and things like that, and it was the era of Watergate, and I decided I would be the next Woodward and Bernstein, and then retire to the farm.
I never leaked information to Woodward and Bernstein or anyone else!