Richard Nixon was one of the most intriguing and enduring political figures of the twentieth century. Shortly after World War II, Nixon, a Republican from California, was elected to the House of Representatives and then the Senate, where he made his name as a staunch opponent of communism both at home and abroad. In 1952 Nixon became Dwight Eisenhower's vice-president, a position he held for the duration of Ike's two terms. He went on to become president in 1968, but eventually was forced to resign that office over his participation in the Watergate scandal. The speech that follows comes from the 1952 presidential campaign. In it, Nixon responds to media revelations that a group of supporters had provided him with $18,000 over the previous two years, while he was in the US Senate. Nixon argues that this money was used for political purposes, not personal ones, and that no special consideration for the contributors was ever asked or given. He also acknowledges, however, a gift from a…