Although often criticized (or applauded) as a conservative by his contemporaries, Nixon’s domestic policies often appear centrist, or even liberal, to latter-day observers. As President, Nixon imposed wage and price controls, indexed Social Security for inflation, and created Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The number of pages added to the Federal Register each year doubled under Nixon. He eradicated the last remnants of the gold standard. Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), implemented the Philadelphia Plan, the first significant federal affirmative action program, and dramatically improved salaries for U.S. federal employees worldwide.

Which leads me to quote Michael Moore, from, I think, “Dude, Where’s my Country?”:

If Nixon’s the most progressive president in my lifetime, I’m gonna puke.