Crawford Law Offices

06/24/2026

Today in history. Nixon recorded his "Smoking Gun" conversation to cover up Watergate scandal on June 23, 1972. Nixon had just returned from a successful summit meeting in Moscow in which he met with Soviet leaders. His re-election seemed assured.

The Moscow summit was a genuine triumph for Nixon and was the apogee of his presidency. He signed the SALT I and the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaties while he was in Moscow. The landmark SALT I and ABM treaties were the first real limitations placed on the superpowers' nuclear arsenals and demonstrated improving relations between the two countries.

Nixon returned to rave reviews in the wake of the Moscow summit. His approval ratings increased from 49 percent to 61 percent in the Gallup polls. Nixon's re-election seemed assured.

While Nixon was dominating the world stage and soaring in the polls, his dirty tricks operation was still scheming to destroy his political opponents. On June 17, Nixon's thugs broke into the DNC headquarters at the Watergate building. Nixon did not know about the "third rate burglary" beforehand but he began to cover it up as early as June 21. The seeds of Nixon's destruction were sown within a few weeks of his greatest triumph. Nixon biographer John Farrell wrote: "Victory seemed assured. The cover up, in retrospect, was ruinous overkill."

06/21/2026

To all the dads and father-figures, we wish you a happy !

More photos of the Kennedy family: https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/media-galleries/the-first-family

06/20/2026

John F. Kennedy's big win in the 1960 Nebraska primary.

Kennedy’s early start and hard work paid off, and Nebraska became one of his biggest victories in the 1960 election cycle. Kennedy won the Nebraska primary with 91.6 percent of the popular vote. Even though it was non-binding, Kennedy’s showing in the popular vote was very impressive. In the all important delegate contest, Kennedy secured eighteen delegates to six for all his other opponents combined. By winning so decisively, Kennedy made a strong case for his electability in the general election cycle.

This kind of blow out victory for Kennedy in a Protestant majority, farm state was never guaranteed. Kennedy showed up early and often, and simply outworked his opponents. In addition, the Kennedy campaign had built the most comprehensive county organization in the history of the Nebraska primary at the time. By late 1959, Kennedy’s early campaigning in Nebraska had essentially cleared the field of active rivals. Even then, Kennedy and his family continued to campaign vigorously in the Cornhusker State.

On the same night, Kennedy achieved a decisive victory in West Virginia that knocked Humphrey out of the race. The West Virginia primary was a bitter contest with Humphrey and ultimately proved to be the most important primary during the 1960 election cycle. This was because Kennedy had defeated a serious rival in a majority Protestant state. Humphrey had taken a pass on Nebraska to contest West Virginia.

While Kennedy was in West Virginia to celebrate with his supporters, Ted Sorensen took in the returns in Lincoln. Sorensen claimed that Kennedy’s twin victories in West Virginia and Nebraska had largely wrapped up the nomination for his boss. “There is no way to prevent Senator Kennedy from getting the Democratic nomination now,” Sorensen said.

Kennedy narrowly won the Democratic nomination in Los Angeles on the first ballot. He did not go over the top until Wyoming was called, the last state in alphabetical order at the convention.

Kennedy secured 765 votes, just clearing the necessary 761 votes to clinch the nomination. Nebraska mattered, Robert Kennedy told Nebraska’s delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. If his brother had been defeated in Nebraska, Kennedy said, “he would have been finished.”

06/18/2026

This book covers Robert F. Kennedy Sr.'s 1968 presidential campaign in Nebraska. While books have been written about his campaigns in other states, this is the first book to cover his campaign in Nebraska. The Road Not Taken follows Kennedy's iconic whistle-stop tour through the state, and shows ...

06/16/2026

"For twelve years this Nation was afflicted with hear-nothing, see-nothing, do-nothing Government. The Nation looked to Government but the Government looked away. Nine mocking years with the golden calf and three long years of the scourge! Nine crazy years at the ticker and three long years in the breadlines! Nine mad years of mirage and three long years of despair! Powerful influences strive today to restore that kind of government with its doctrine that that Government is best which is most indifferent.

For nearly four years you have had an Administration which instead of twirling its thumbs has rolled up its sleeves. We will keep our sleeves rolled up.

We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace—business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.

They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.

Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me—and I welcome their hatred.

I should like to have it said of my first Administration that in it the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match. I should like to have it said of my second Administration that in it these forces met their master."

Franklin D. Roosevelt on October 31, 1936

06/16/2026

From a piece I wrote in January 2017 about President Obama:

“Since the ACA has been implemented, 20 million formerly uninsured Americans now have insurance. The uninsured rate has been reduced from 18% to a record low of 8.6%. Lifetime limits in policies have been abolished and insurance companies can no longer discriminate against the sick and the injured.

Since the end of the Bush recession, the unemployment rate has been reduced from 10% to 4.7%. In 2016 alone, the economy added 2.15 million jobs. Moreover, since the end of the Bush recession, the economy has added 12.2 million jobs. That is the best record of job creation since Bill Clinton’s second term. In contrast, a net 3 million jobs were added during the eight years of the Bush Administration.

Beginning in 2015, the economy began to create good jobs and working families experienced real wage growth for the first time since the Clinton Administration. According to the Census Bureau, real median household income increased by 5.2% between 2014 and 2015, while the official poverty rate dropped from 15% to 13.5%. The 5.2% growth was the largest, in percentage terms, since the 1960s. In 2016, hourly pay increased 2.9% from a year earlier, the biggest increase since 2007.”

06/14/2026

Nebraska mattered in 1960 because it was one of only sixteen states that held a presidential primary. (1) The other thirty four states held…

06/13/2026

06/10/2026

McFarland Publishing is currently editing my new book on the 1983 Nebraska football team. It will be published early next year.