Nixon Library

In late December while we were in California, I made my first visit to a presidential library - President Nixon's in Yorba Linda. It was a great experience - my first presidential library won't be my last. There were many great displays, including the one above depicting Nixon's historic visit to China, shaking hands with Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai.

One of my favorite displays at the library was a section of the Berlin Wall - very fitting since Nixon played a pretty large role in its ultimate demise.

There were disappointments at the library, however. Most notably, there wasn't a section about Watergate at all. As I think back, I wonder if we missed it, but I don't think we did - we walked through the entire permanent exhibit and I didn't see anything. Of course, it's a museum that pays homage to Nixon, so I wasn't expecting monumental space devoted to the end of his presidency, but to not address it seems very short sighted. We did rush through it a bit, because we got there a bit late and it was on a weekend day. I think I remember reading something in the brochure about a Watergate display being constructed, so I'll have to pay another visit some day. It still seems strange that the library ignores Watergate, though. Even President Clinton's library in Little Rock, Arkansas, deals with his impeachment. I'm sure he wasn't thrilled to include it, but really, presidents have a duty represent all aspects of their presidencies, not just the highlights; especially considering that presidential libraries are a place of study and research.