One of the biggest regrets in my life

[DFW]

3. My Dad knew Nixon

As a member of the Washington print press, he was on the 1959 trip to Russia with Nixon and Eisenhower. Years later, after Nixon's comeback brought him all the way to the White House, my dad was in Mexico with the rest of our family while I was in school in Spain, and saw Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau at the pool at his hotel. My dad went up to him, said he was a Washington reporter, that he had recognized Trudeau, and that he would not interrupt Trudeau's vacation with even one question, even though his paper was in a town on the Canadian border. Trudeau thanked him profusely, and they struck up an informal friendship.

A few months later, there was some big deal on the St. Lawrence Seaway that my dad had to cover, and accompany Nixon up there. Nixon saw Trudeau, brought my Dad over, and trying to play the big host, asked my Dad if he had met the Canadian Prime Minister? My Dad and Trudeau both laughed and said, yes, we know each other. Disappointed that he wasn't controlling the situation, Nixon said, "oh," and slunk away.