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Tuesday, February 02, 2021

“There's only one way that my party, the Republican Party could be mortally wounded with certainty and that would be for the public to think that we Republicans don’t have the courage, the stamina, the determination to clean our own house."

The Watergate Hearings in 1973 were conducted by the with three Republicans and four Democrats. Below in the MacNeil/Lehrer coverage of the first day of the hearings.  It starts with an introduction to the key players and some context.  There never was an impeachment decision because Republicans told Nixon that it was clear he would be impeached and convicted.  Nixon resigned first.  

There's a striking difference from what we're seeing in the Senate these days.  I think it's very instructive to watch these hearing now as we prepare for the Senate trial of former president Trump.



Republican Sen. Howard Baker, Vice Chairman of the Hearings, talking to Robert MacNeil:

“There's only one way that my party, the Republican Party could be mortally wounded with certainty and that would be for the public to think that we Republicans don’t have the courage, the stamina, the determination to clean our own house.  So, it is not only not embarrassing, it’s an absolute requirement that we pursue every fact, wherever it leads us and that every phase that may emerge from that mosaic of fact emerge.  That we do it with enthusiasm but that we do it even handedly and that we have a fair and impartial exposition of the facts but that we establish absolute credibility as Republicans that we are going to take care of it ourselves.”

The introduction is useful, but if you want to skip it, Sen. Sam Ervin (the senior Democratic Senator from Georgia) calls the meeting to order about 9:27 on the tape.



1 comment:

  1. "Courage, stamina, and determination" misses the root issue. The root issue is wisdom - the lack of it.



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