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I can see clearly now... that I was wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate.

The fact of the Watergate cover-up is not nearly as interesting as the step into making the cover-up. And when you understand the step, you understand that Richard Nixon lied. That he was a criminal.

This is a generation weaned on Watergate, and there is no presumption of innocence and no presumption of good intentions. Instead, there is a presumption that, without relentless scrutiny, the government will misbehave.

This story, I predict, will grow to be worse than Watergate. The American people need to have the answers.

I contend that, in spite of all that might be said about Watergate, Richard Nixon was good for the poor people of America.

Lawyers didn't seriously get involved in the Watergate stories until quite late, when we realized we were on to something.

The political lesson of Watergate is this: Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election.

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.

From Watergate we learned what generations before us have known; our Constitution works. And during Watergate years it was interpreted again so as to reaffirm that no one - absolutely no one - is above the law.