Addressing the White House staff the day after his re-election, President Nixon made clear that in his approach to government reform,
“There are no sacred cows.”
Subsequently, President Nixon directly challenged institutionalized Democratic opposition, which began in the New Deal, and cemented itself through the expanding programs of the New Frontier and Great Society. President Nixon knew that his proposals would come as a “shock to the establishment,” but he could not be dissuaded from pursuing necessary reforms because of ruffling a few congressional feathers.
President Nixon modeled leadership both sides of the aisle can learn from, especially as the nation approaches the fiscal cliff.