Orlando, Fla, Nov. 17 -- Declaring that "I am not a crook," President Nixon vigorously defended his record in the Watergate case tonight and said he had never profited from his public service.
"I have earned every cent. And in all of my years of public life I have never obstructed justice," Mr. Nixon said.
"People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got."
In an hour-long televised question-and-answer session with 400 Associated Press managing editors, Mr. Nixon was tense and sometimes misspoke. But he maintained his innocence in the Watergate case and promised to supply more details on his personal finances and more evidence from tapes and presidential documents.
