OFFICE. I’M NOT EVEN SURE HOW TO
RECOGNIZE THAT LET ALONE DEFINE
IT.
IT. >> LET ME GO WITH A FEW EXAMPLES
AND SEE IF YOU AGREE WITH ME.
LYNDON JOHNSON DIRECTED THE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY TO
PLACE A SPY IN BARRY GOLD
WATER’S CAMPAIGN.
WATER’S CAMPAIGN. THAT SPY GOT ADVANCED COPIES OF
SPEECHES AND OTHER STRATEGIES.
DELIVERED THAT TO THE JOHNSON
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. WOULD THAT BE IMPEACHABLE
CONDUCT ACCORDING TO THE OTHER
PANELISTS?
PANELISTS? >> BROADLY SO.
>> HOW ABOUT WHEN PRESIDENT
JOHNSON PUT A WIRETAP ON GOLD
WATER’S CAMPAIGN PLANE, WOULD
THAT BE FOR POLITICAL BENEFIT?
>> I CAN’T EXCLUDE ANYTHING
UNDER THAT DEFINITION.
>> I’LL GO TO A FEW OTHER
PRESIDENTS.
PRESIDENTS. CONGRESSMAN DEUTCH INFORMED US
THAT FDR PUT COUNTRY FIRST.
FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT
DIRECTED THE IRS TO CONDUCT
AUDITS OF HIS POLITICAL ENEMIES,
NAMELY HUEY LONG, WILLIAM
RANDOLPH HIRST, FATHER COUGHLIN.
WOULD BE IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT?
>> I THINK IT ALL WOULD BE
SUBASSUMED TO DO IT.
>> HOW ABOUT WHEN PRESIDENT
KENNEDY DIRECTED HIS BROTHER,
ROBERT KENNEDY, TO DEPORT ONE OF
HIS MISTRESSES AS AN EAST GERMAN
SPY, WOULD THAT QUALIFY AS
IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT?
IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT? >> I CAN’T EXCLUDE IT.
>> HOW ABOUT WHEN HE DIRECTED
THE FBI TO USE WIRETAP ON
CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS WHO
OPPOSED HIM POLITICALLY, WOULD
THAT BE IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT?
>> IT WOULD SEEM TO BE, FALLING
WITHIN IT.
WITHIN IT. >> AND LET’S GO TO BARACK OBAMA.
WHEN BARACK OBAMA DIRECTED -- OR
MADE A FINDING THAT THE SENATE
WAS IN RECESS AND APPOINTED
PEOPLE TO THE NATIONAL LABOR
RELATIONS BOARD AND LOST 9-0,
RUTH BADER GINSBURG VOTED
AGAINST THE PRESIDENT ON THIS
ISSUE, WOULD THAT BE AN ABUSE OF
POWER?
POWER? >> I’M AFRAID YOU HAVE TO DIRECT
IT TO OTHERS BUT I DON’T SEE ANY
EXCLUSIONS UNDERTHY DEFINITION.
>> HOW ABOUT WHEN THE PRESIDENT
DIRECTED HIS NATIONAL SECURE
ADVISER AND THE SECRETARY OF
STATE TO LIE TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ABOUT WHETHER THE
AMBASSADOR TO LIBYA WAS MURDERED
AS A RESULT OF A VIDEO OR WAS
MURDERED AS A RESULT OF A
TERRORIST ACT, WOULD THAT BE AN
ABUSE OF POWER WITH POLITICAL
BENEFIT 17 DAYS BEFORE THE NEXT
ELECTION?
ELECTION? >> NOT ACCORDING TO MY
DEFINITION, BUT OTHERS WILL HAVE
TO RESPOND TO THEIR OWN.
>> WELL, YOU HEARD THEIR
DEFINITION.
DEFINITION. >> I HAVE A HARD TIME EXCLUDING
ANYTHING OUT OF --
>> HOW ABOUT WHEN ABRAHAM
LINCOLN ARRESTED LEGISLATORS IN
MARYLAND SO THAT THEY WOULDN’T
CONVENE TO SECEDE FROM THE
UNION?
UNION? VIRGINIA HAD ALREADY SECEDED SO
IT WOULD PLACE WASHINGTON, D.C.,
THE CAPITAL, IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE REBELLION.
THE REBELLION. WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN ABUSE OF
POWER FOR POLITICAL BENEFIT?
>> IT COULD BE UNDER THAT
DEFINITION.
DEFINITION. >> YOU MENTIONED GEORGE
WASHINGTON A LITTLE WHILE AGO AS
PERHAPS HAVING MET THE STANDARD
OF IMPEACHMENT TO YOUR OTHER
PANELISTS.
PANELISTS. LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING,
PROFESSOR TURLEY.
PROFESSOR TURLEY. CAN YOU NAME A SINGLE PRESIDENT
IN THE HISTORY OF UNITED STATES,
SAY PRESIDENT HARRISON WHO DIED
32 DAYS AFTER HIS INAUGURATION,
THAT WOULD NOT HAVE MET THE
STANDARD OF IMPEACHMENT FOR OUR
FRIENDS HERE?
FRIENDS HERE? >> I WOULD HOPE TO GOD JAMES
MADISON WOULD ESCAPE, OTHERWISE
A LIFETIME OF ACADEMIC WORK
WOULD BE SHREDDED.
ONCE AGAIN, I CAN’T EXCLUDE MANY
OF THESE ACTS.
>> WHAT YOU AND I AND MANY
OTHERS ARE AFRAID OF IS THE
STANDARDS THAT YOUR FRIENDS TO
THE RIGHT OF YOU, AND NOT
POLITICALLY, BUT TO THE RIGHT OF
YOU SITTING THERE, YOUR FRIENDS
HAVE DECIDED THAT THE BAR IS SO
LOW THAT WHEN WE HAVE A DEMOCRAT
PRESIDENT IN OFFICE AND A
REPUBLICAN HOUSE AND A
REPUBLICAN SENATE, WE’RE GOING
TO BE GOING THROUGH THIS WHOLE
SCENARIO AGAIN IN A WAY THAT
REALLY PUTS THE COUNTRY AT RISK.
>> WHEN YOUR GRAPHIC SAYS THAT
YOUR BETRAYAL IS NATIONAL
INTEREST, I WOULD SIMPLY ASK, DO
YOU REALLY WANT THAT TO BE YOUR
STANDARD?
STANDARD? >> ISN’T THE DIFFERENCE,
PROFESSOR TURLEY, THAT SOME
PEOPLE LIVE IN AN IVORY TOWER
AND SOME PEOPLE LIVE IN A SWAMP,
AND THOSE OF US THAT ARE IN THE
SWAMP ARE DOING OUR VERY BEST
FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
IT’S NOT PRETTY.