Then Haldeman delivered a resounding pep talk—when he lets loose he can be an emotional marvel—about the importance of launching a counterattack against our enemies. | must say at this point that Rose Mary Woods deserves a Medal of Honor for the way she was willing to humiliate herself by taking full blame for accidentally erasing those first five minutes rather than stand by while my public image was being destroyed. Moreover, when General Alexander Haig learned from Haldeman’ s notes that during those additional thirteen-and-a-quarter-minutes there was a discussion of how to deal with Watergate, thereby proving that | was involved in the cover-up only three days after the break-in, Haig attributed the erasure to “sinister forces.” He said this under oath in Judge John Sirica’ s courtroom. Now that is loyalty above and beyond the call of duty. kok # In retrospect, | realize that H.R. Haldeman was part of the plot against me all along, always trying to ingratiate himself—anything to impress me, when actually he w as trying to hurt my political career. Not that he was against me personally; | was just his particular assignment as HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_015124