"Checkers" Speech, by Richard Nixon: List 2

In September 1952, Richard Nixon, then a young senator from California, was nominated to run for vice president. Days later, however, he was accused of accepting funds from campaign donors to use for personal expenses. Nixon chose to use the new medium of television to defend himself. In a televised speech, he admitted to receiving one gift — a cocker spaniel named Checkers. He explained that his two young daughters loved the dog and would not give it up. The speech was a tremendous success, and Nixon went on to serve two terms as vice president. Ironically, another television performance, a debate with John Kennedy in 1960, cost him the presidential election that year. Nixon was elected president in 1968, but ultimately resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

This list covers vocabulary from the paragraph beginning "And I would like to tell you this evening..." to the one beginning "Well, that's about it."
15 words 67 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. audit
    an inspection of accounting procedures and records
    And I would like to tell you this evening that just an hour ago we received an independent audit of this entire fund.
  2. pertinent
    having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand
    I am proud to report to you tonight that this audit and legal opinion is being forwarded to General Eisenhower and I would like to read to you the opinion that was prepared by Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher, based on all the pertinent laws, and statutes, together with the audit report prepared by the certified public accountants.
  3. statute
    an act passed by a legislative body
    I am proud to report to you tonight that this audit and legal opinion is being forwarded to General Eisenhower and I would like to read to you the opinion that was prepared by Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher, based on all the pertinent laws, and statutes, together with the audit report prepared by the certified public accountants.
  4. disbursement
    the act of spending or distributing money
    It is our conclusion that Senator Nixon did not obtain any financial gain from the collection and disbursement of the funds by Dana Smith...
  5. reimburse
    pay back for some expense incurred
    ...neither the portion of the fund paid by Dana Smith directly to third persons, nor the portion paid to Senator Nixon, to reimburse him for office expenses, constituted income in a sense which was either reportable or taxable as income under income tax laws.
  6. constitute
    compose or represent
    ...neither the portion of the fund paid by Dana Smith directly to third persons, nor the portion paid to Senator Nixon, to reimburse him for office expenses, constituted income in a sense which was either reportable or taxable as income under income tax laws.
  7. unprecedented
    novel; having no earlier occurrence
    And so now, what I am going to do — and incidentally this is unprecedented in the history of American politics — I am going at this time to give to this television and radio audience, a complete financial history, everything I have earned, everything I have spent and everything I own, and I want you to know the facts.
  8. circumstances
    a person's financial situation
    Our family was one of modest circumstances, and most of my early life was spent in a store out in East Whittier.
  9. enterprise
    an organization created for business ventures
    It was a grocery store, one of those family enterprises.
  10. commendation
    an official award given as formal public statement
    I guess I’m entitled to a couple of battle stars. I got a couple of letters of commendation.
  11. economist
    an expert in the circulation of goods and services
    When we came out of the war Pat and I — Pat during the war had worked as a stenographer, and in a bank, and as an economist for a government agency — and when we came out, the total of our savings, from both my law practice, her teaching and all the time I was in the war, the total for that entire period was just less than $10,000 — every cent of that, incidentally, was in government bonds — well, that's where we start, when I go into politics.
  12. engagement
    employment for performers that lasts for a limited time
    I have made an average of approximately $1,500 a year from nonpolitical speaking engagements and lectures.
  13. policy
    written contract or certificate of insurance
    I have just $4,000 in life insurance, plus my GI policy which I have never been able to convert, and which will run out in two years.
  14. bond
    a certificate of debt issued by a government or corporation
    We have no stocks and bonds of any type.
  15. mortgage
    a conveyance of property as security for repaying a loan
    Well, in addition to the mortgages, the $20,000 mortgage on the house in Washington and the $10,000 mortgage on the house in Whittier, I owe $4,000 to the Riggs Bank in Washington, D.C., with an interest at 4 percent.
Created on Wed Jun 04 14:55:09 EDT 2025 (updated Wed Jun 04 16:13:03 EDT 2025)

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