H: Well, I think they will. If it runs (unintelligible) what the hell who knows (unintelligible)
contributed CIA.
H: Ya, it's money CIA gets money (unintelligible) I mean their money moves in a lot of different
ways, too. [fn 52]^Nixon's train of associations takes him from the Pennzoil-Liedtke Mosbacher-Bush slush
fund operation to Howard Hunt and the Bay of Pigs and "a lot of hanky-panky." and then
back to Bus Mosbacher, Robert's elder brother. Later on Haldeman stresses that the FBI,
discovering a large money laundering operation between Pennzoil and Bill Liedtke in
Houston, Mexico City, Maurice Stans and the CREEP in Washington, and some CIA
Miami Station Cubans, simply concluded that this was all a CIA covert operation.
As Haldeman himself later summed it up:
If the Mexican bank connection was actually a CIA operation all along, unknown to Nixon; and
Nixon was destroyed for asking the FBI to stop investigating the bank because it might uncover a
CIA operation (which the Helms memo seems to indicate it actually was after all) the multiple
layers of deception by the CIA are astounding. [fn 53]Later on Nixon's last Monday, Bush joined White House Counsel J. Fred Buzhardt and
Dean Burch on a visit to Congressman Rhodes, and showed him the transcript of the
smoking gun tape. "This means that there's just no chance in the world that he's not going
to be impeached," said Rhodes. "In fact, there's no chance in the world that I won't vote to
impeach him." Bush must have heaved a sigh of relief, since this is what he had wanted
Rhodes to tell Nixon to get him to quit. "Rhodes later let it be known that he was
offended that Bush had been briefed before he was," but of course, Bush was a top
official of the Nixon White House. [fn 54]
But Nixon still refused to quit, raising the prospect of a trial before the Senate that could
be damaging to many besides Nixon. The next day, Tuesday, August 6, 1974 saw the last
meeting of the Nixon cabinet, with Chairman George in attendance. This was the Cabinet
meeting described as "unreal" by Bush later. Nixon's opening statement was: "I would
like to discuss the most important issue confronting this nation, and confronting us
internationally too--inflation." Nixon then argued adamantly for some minutes that he
had examined the course of events over the recent past and that he had "not found an
impeachable offense, and therefore resignation is not an acceptable course." Vice
President Ford predicted that there would be certain impeachment by the House, but that
the outcome in the Senate could not be predicted. Otherwise, said Ford, he was an
interested party on the resignation issue and would make no further comment.
Nixon then wanted to talk about the budget again, and about an upcoming summit
conference on the economy. Attorney General Saxbe interrupted him. "Mr. President, I
don't think we ought to have a summit conference. We ought to make sure you have the
ability to govern." Nixon quietly assured Saxbe that he had the ability to govern. Then
Chairman George piped up, in support of Saxbe. The President's ability to govern was
impaired, said George. The Republican Party was in a shambles, he went on, and the
forthcoming Congressional election threatened to be a disaster. Watergate had to be
brought to an end expeditiously, Bush argued. From his vantage point at Nixon's right