Archer W.: Why was the Watergate scandal such a big deal?
Bob Woodward: There are a lot of political shenanigans that go on in Washington, but Watergate was different in this way: It was a crime. Breaking into somebody’s office is illegal. So instead of just having a debate about the political ramifications, it was, oh, we’ve got this crime. And then eventually when the secret tape recordings came out—for instance, on one tape, “I want you to lie to the grand jury. I want you to stonewall.” Of course that is a coverup, not just for political purposes, but is a clear coverup of a crime. And so whoever is involved is participating in a criminal conspiracy.
Archer W.: That was Bob Woodward from The Washington Post.
