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IT. THAT’S "ALL IN" FOR THIS
EVENING.
EVENING. RACHEL MADDOW STARTS RIGHT NOW.
>> I HEAR BY REVIEW YOU AS
EXCELLENT.
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JUST PULL IT AND I’LL SAY IT ANY
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TIME. THANK YOU FOR JOINING THUS HOUR.
POP QUIZ.
POP QUIZ. READY?
READY? AMERICAN HISTORY POP QUIZ.
WHO WAS THE HEAD OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY AT THE HEIGHT
OF THE WATERGATE CRISIS?
WHO WAS THE HEAD OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY WHEN NIXON
RESIGNED?
RESIGNED? POPPY BUSH.
POPPY BUSH. GEORGE H.W. BUSH WAS THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL COMMITTEE FROM EARLY
1973 UNTIL JUST AFTER NIXON
RESIGNED IN THE FALL OF 1974.
AND WHEN HE WAS HEAD OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY IN THE SUMMER
OF 73, RIGHT AFTER WHITE HOUSE
COUNSEL JOHN DEAN STARTED
TESTIFYING ABOUT NIXON BEFORE
THE SENATE WATERGATE COMMITTEE,
RIGHT AFTER DEAN HAD STARTED
SPILLING THE BEANS ON NOT ONLY
THE CRIME BUT THE COVER-UP AND
THE NIXON ENEMIES LIST AND ALL
THE REST OF IT.
THAT SUMMER, JULY 1973,
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN GEORGE BUSH SET OUT ON
A LISTENING TOUR.
HE TRAVELED TO FOUR STATES TO
ASSESS THE MOOD OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY WHEN IT CAME TO
WATERGATE.
WATERGATE. HOW WERE THE PARTY FAITHFUL
FEELING ABOUT WATERGATE?
HOW WAS THE PARTY COPING?
HOW WAS THIS PLAYING OUTSIDE
WASHINGTON?
WASHINGTON? WE KNOW THAT DID HE THIS AND WE
KNOW WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE
LISTENING TOUR.
LISTENING TOUR. WERE BECAUSE GEORGE BUSH WROTE
THIS MEMO ABOUT IT.
DATE, JULY 2, 1973.
MEMORANDUM TO GENERAL ALEXANDER
HAIG, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF
STAFF.
STAFF. YOU SEE THE INITIAL THERE’S GB.
I PRE FARED ATTACHED MOOD OF THE
PARTY MEMO FOR THE PRESIDENT.
AND THEN HE GIVES THE BOTTOM
LINE.
LINE. QUOTE, WE’RE IN FAIR SHAPE.
I EXPECT WHEN WE GET BY THOSE
WITNESSES DRAGGED IN BY DEAN,
WE’LL BE DOING OKAY.
ALL BEST.
ALL BEST. AND INDEED THERE’S THIS TWO-PAGE
MEMO THAT’S ATTACHED.
AND IT IS ADDRESSED TO BOTH
GENERAL HAIG, CHIEF OF STAFF,
AND TO PRESIDENT NIXON HIMSELF.
IT IS LISTED AS CONFIDENTIAL BUT
NO ACTION REQUIRED.
HERE’S WHAT POPPY BUSH SAYS.
I HAVE JUST RETURNED IF A
FOUR-STATE VISIT.
FOUR-STATE VISIT. SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE, TO SHOW
TYPES OF EVENTS.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE
STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
WASHINGTON, THE OTHER MEETINGS
WERE PARTY AND PRESS MEETINGS.
THE PRESS QUESTIONS HE SAID
WERE, 95% ABOUT WATERGATE.
AND IT WASN’T JUST THE PRESS
WITH THAT FIXATION.
QUOTE, HE SAYS, THE PARTY PEOPLE
ASKED ME ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY
ABOUT WATERGATE.
ABOUT WATERGATE. HE THEN GOES ON TO DESCRIBE THE
OVERALL FINDINGS.
OVERALL FINDINGS. I WOULD SUMMARIZE THE MOOD AS
FOLLOWS.
FOLLOWS. A, THE PRESS.
HE DESCRIBES THEM AS SKEPTICAL.
AND KEEP IN MIND HE’S TALKING
ABOUT THE PRESS THAT HE HAS
ENCOUNTERED ON THIS FOUR-STATE
LISTENING TOUR OUTSIDE THE
BELTWAY.
BELTWAY. HE SAID THE PRESS OUT THERE IN
THE COUNTRY IS MORE CIVIL THAN
WASHINGTON, D.C. AND NEW YORK
PRESS CONFERENCES.
PRESS CONFERENCES. FOR THE MOST PART, WILLING TO
ENTERTAIN THE THESE MISS PARTY
IS NOT THE LOSER OUT OF THE
SCANDAL.
SCANDAL. MEANING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AS
A WHOLE IS NOT BEING TARNISHED
TOO MUCH BY THE WATERGATE
SCANDAL.
SCANDAL. B.
B. GEORGE BUSH THEN ASSESSES THE
MOOD OF THE STUDENTS WITH WHOM
HE MET.
HE MET. QUOTE, UNWILLING TO ACCEPT AT
ALL MY CONVICTION THAT PRESIDENT
IS UNINVOLVED IN WATERGATE.
QUOTE, REASONABLE ACCEPTANCE
THAT PARTY SHOULD NOT SUFFER
BECAUSE OF THE WATERGATE.
CIVIL IN ATTITUDE.
GOOD QUESTIONS.
GOOD QUESTIONS. AND THEN HE GIVES HIS ASSESSMENT
OF THE MOOD OF THE PARTY PEOPLE.
SO THIS IS THE CHERYL OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY AT THE TIME,
1973, TALKING ABOUT THE BASE.
TALKING ABOUT HOW THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY FAITHFUL OUT THERE IN THE
COUNTRY, HOW THEY’RE FEELING
ABOUT THIS WASHINGTON SCANDAL.
THIS WATERGATE SCANDAL.
AS JOHN DEAN IS TESTIFYING AND
AS THE SCANDAL IS REALLY
STARTEDING TO CONSUME OFFICIAL
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. ACCORDING TO GEORGE BUSH, SUMMER
OF ’73, IN HIS ASSESSMENT, THE
PARTY PEOPLE HAVE A, QUOTE,
ALMOST UNANIMOUS DESIRE TO
BELIEVE THAT THE PRESIDENT IS
TELLING THE TRUTH.
ABHORENCE OF ENEMIES LIST, THE
ENEMIES LIST THAT JOHN DEAN HAD
TESTIFIED ABOUT, IMMENSE
FRUSTRATION ABOUT CHP, THE
COMMITTEE TO REELECT THE
PRESIDENT, BETTER KNOWN NOW AS
CREEP.
CREEP. ALL THAT MONEY SITTING THERE AND
ITS CONTINUED EXISTENCE.
REMEMBER, THIS WAS IN THE MEMO
OF 1973.
OF 1973. AFTER THE ELECTION.
SO NIXON HAD ALREADY BEEN
REELECTED.
REELECTED. HE IS SAYING THE PARTY FAITHFUL
ARE FRUSTRATED THAT IT STILL
EXISTS WITH ALL THAT MONEY
SITTING IN IT.
ESPECIALLY IF IT WILL TURN OUT
TO BE A SLUSH FUND RELATED TO
THE WATERGATE SCANDAL.
ACCORDING TO POPPY BUSH, THE
WHITE HOUSE FEELS THE PRESS IS
PLAYING UP WATERGATE TOO MUCH.
HE SAYS THE PARTY PEOPLE HAVE
UNANIMOUS DISTRUST OF JOHN DEAN
BUT SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO HIS
TESTIMONY.
TESTIMONY. THE PARTY PEOPLE GENERALLY WANT
THE PRESIDENT TO HOLD A PRESS
CONFERENCE OR SPEAK OUT.
THEY GENERALLY DO NOT FEEL
PRESIDENT SHOULD APPEAR BEFORE
THE SENATE COMMITTEE.
AND THEN HE GIVES HIS SUMMARY.
QUOTE.
QUOTE. SO THIS IS GEORGE BUSH, THEN
HEAD OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
EXPLAINING, HE HAS THIS PERSONAL
CONVICTION THAT THE PRESIDENT
WAS UNINVOLVED IN WATERGATE,
EVEN IF PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE
HIM.
HIM. HERE WAS HIS CONCLUSION FOR THE
WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF.
QUOTE, THE PARTY PEOPLE NEED
SHORING UP.
SHORING UP. THEY WANT TO BELIEVE IN THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. THEY ARE HURT AND EMBARRASSED BY
WATERGATE.
WATERGATE. THEY FEEL BETRAYED BY WATERGATE.
WHEN TOLD WE WILL OVERCOME BASED
ON THE PRESIDENT’S RECORD AND
PARTY PRINCIPLES, THEY REACT
ENTHUSIASTICALLY.
ENTHUSIASTICALLY. THE PARTY PEOPLE NEED SHORING
UP.
UP. TONIGHT AFTER ANOTHER DIFFICULT
DAY IN HIS OWN SUMMER OF
ESCALATING SCANDAL, THE CURRENT
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
DEFINITELY SET OUT TO SHORE UP
THE PARTY PEOPLE.
TONIGHT THE PRESIDENT IS IN
INDIANA HOLDING WHAT THE WHITE
HOUSE DESCRIBED AS A MAKE
AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY.
PROMOTING SUPPORT FOR A
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE WHO IS
TRYING TO UNSEAT DEMOCRATIC
SENATOR JOE DONNELLY.
MUCH LIKE PRESIDENT NIXON IN THE
SUMMER OF 1973, THE WHOLE
COUNTRY KNOWS AND THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY ITSELF KNOWS THAT A
CRUCIAL FACTOR IN HOW THIS IS
ALL GOING TO WORK OUT FOR THE
PRESIDENT AND FOR THE PARTY IS
THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT AND
ENTHUSIASM AND TRUST THAT THE
PRESIDENT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE
FROM THE REPUBLICAN BASE.
FROM THE PARTY PEOPLE, RIGHT?
WHO GEORGE BUSH SET OUT TO
SURVEY IN THE SUMMER 45 YEARS
AGO.
AGO. AND BOTH WITH NIXON 45 YEARS AGO
AND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
TONIGHT, EVERYBODY LOOKING AT
THIS PRESIDENTIAL SCANDAL IN A
CLEAR-EYED WAY KNOWS THERE’S A
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF
SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT CAN
CONTINUE TO COUNT ON FROM THE
PARTY FAITHFUL.
PARTY FAITHFUL. THERE’S A CONNECTION BETWEEN
THAT AND THE EXTENT OF HIS OWN
LEGAL JEOPARDY.
LEGAL JEOPARDY. YES, THE PRESIDENT APPEARS
PROVERBIALLY BULLET PROOF IN
TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT THIS
SCANDAL WILL DENT HIS STANDING
WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE
REPUBLICAN BASE WHO LOVE HIM THE
MOST.
MOST. BUT EVERYBODY KNOWS, FROM
AMERICAN HISTORY.
AMERICAN HISTORY. EVEN FROM THE HISTORY OF THIS
PRESIDENT, THAT YOU CAN ONLY
TAKE SO MUCH BEFORE EVEN THE
PARTY FAITHFUL START TO WITHER A
LITTLE BIT IN THEIR SUPPORT OF
THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT. AND THAT MAY BE CRUCIAL AS TO
HIS FATE AND THE FATE OF THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS PARTY
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. RIGHT?
RIGHT? AND THE PRESIDENT’S LEGAL
JEOPARDY, THE EXTENT OF THE
PRESIDENT’S LEGAL TROUBLES, THE
EXTENT TO WHICH HE WAS DRAWN
INTO THE SCANDAL PERSONALLY,
1973, THAT WAS NOT YET CLEAR FOR
NIXON EITHER, RIGHT?
JOHN DEAN WAS JUST STARTING HIS
TESTIMONY.
TESTIMONY. THE REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN WAS
TELLING EVERYBODY HE WAS
ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED THAT NIXON
HAD NO PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT OR
THE CRIME OR THE COVER-UP, THIS
IS A LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY TODAY
AS WELL ABOUT HOW MUCH THE
PRESIDENT WILL BE PERSONALLY
IMPLICATED IN THE SCANDAL THAT’S
CONTINUE TO SURROUND HIM.
TODAY "THE NEW YORK TIMES" BROKE
OUT ANOTHER STORY ABOUT THIS.
IT STARTED ENSNARING HIS
CAMPAIGN AIDES AND HIS BUSINESS
ASSOCIATES, INCLUDING THOSE NOW
FLIPPING AGAINST HIM.
A LA JOHN DEAN.
THE PRESIDENT’S PERSONAL LAWYER,
MICHAEL COHEN, PLED GUILTY LAST
WEEK TO EIGHT FELONY FEDERAL
CHARGES AND IN SO DOING IN COURT
UNDER OATH, THE PRESIDENT’S
PERSONAL LAWYER IMPLICATED
HIMSELF IN OF THE TWO FELONIES
TO WHICH MR. COHEN PLED GUILTY.
BOTH OF THOSE INVOLVED A TABLOID
COMPANY CALLED AMERICAN MEDIA
AND ITS FLAGSHIP PUBLICATION,
"NATIONAL ENQUIRER."
"NATIONAL ENQUIRER." TODAY THE PRESIDENT WRITES,
"TIMES" REPORTS THAT COHEN AND
TRUMP ALSO MADE AN EFFORT TO BUY
UP ALL OF THE DIRT AND
INFORMATION THAT THE "NATIONAL
ENQUIRER" AND ITS PARENT COMPANY
HAD STOCKPILED ON DONALD TRUMP
AS A PUBLIC FIGURE DATING ALL
THE WAY BACK TO THE 1980s.
YOU MIGHT REMEMBER LAST WEEK THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED THE
AMERICAN MEDIA KEPT A PHYSICAL
SAFE, A VAULT IN WHICH EVERYBODY
KNEW THEY SAFEGUARDED ALL THEIR
INFORMATION ABOUT CELEBRITIES
AND PUBLIC FIGURES THAT THEY HAD
OBTAINED BUT NOT YET PUBLISH,
INCLUDING INFORMATION ABOUT
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. WELL, TODAY’S REVELATION FROM
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" IS
ESSENTIALLY THAT THE PRESIDENT
AT LEAST TRIED DURING THE
CAMPAIGN TO BUY THE CONTENTS OF
THAT SAFE.
THAT SAFE. AGAIN, TWO HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS
RELATED TO THAT COMPANY IS THAT
PAID OUT DURING THE CAMPAIGN
HAVE ALREADY RESULTED IN FELONY
CHARGES FOR THE PRESIDENT’S
PERSONAL LAWYER.
PERSONAL LAWYER. FELONY CHARGES IN WHICH THE
PRESIDENT HAS BEEN NAMED AS A
CO-CONSPIRATOR.
CO-CONSPIRATOR. THE PRESIDENT’S LAWYER HAS SAID
UNDER BOTH THE PERSON WHO
DIRECTED THE COMMISSION OF THE
FELONIES WAS THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS IS
APPARENTLY IMPLICATED IN THE
BUSINESS OF THE FELONIES
ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION
FILED IN COURT ALONGSIDE MICHAEL
COHEN’S GUILTY PLEA.
IF THAT PART OF IT NOW ALSO
TURNS OUT TO INVOLVE A GREATLY
EXPANDED UNIVERSE OF DEROGATORY
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRESIDENT,
BUT THE CAMPAIGN MAY HAVE BEEN
TRAFFICKING, OR TRYING TO BUY
FOR THE THAT YOU RECALL OF
INFLUENCING THE ELECTION, WELL,
WHO KNOWS WHERE THAT WILL GO?
WHEN THINGS CAME TO AN HE SAID
IN THE WATERGATE SCANDAL IT WAS
BECAUSE OF A SUPREME COURT
RULING.
RULING. A UNANIMOUS RULING FROM THE
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
WHICH ORDERED THE PRESIDENT TO
COMPLY WITH A COURT ORDERED
SUBPOENA TO TURN OVER THE WHITE
HOUSE TAPES.
HOUSE TAPES. THAT’S WHAT RESULTED IN THE
PUBLIC RELEASE OF THE TAPES.
IT WAS THE PUBLIC RELEASE WHICH
BROKE THE DAM.
REALIZING THAT HE WOULD LIKELY
BE IMPEACHED AND REMOVED FROM
OFFICE, PRESIDENT NIXON
RESIGNED.
RESIGNED. THAT CASE WITH THE SUPREME COURT
IS LEGENDARY BECAUSE HIT SUCH
PROFOUND CONSEQUENCES.
PROFOUND CONSEQUENCES. BUT AS A MATTER OF LAW, THAT
SUPREME COURT RULING IS NOT SEEN
AS CONTROVERSIAL.
AS CONTROVERSIAL. IT WAS A UNANIMOUS RULING, FOR
ONE, INCLUDING FROM JUDGES WHO
HAD BEEN APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT
NIXON.
NIXON. SINCE WATERGATE THAT RULING HAS
COME TO BE SEEN AS A BED ROCK
PART OF MODERN JURISPRUDENCE
THAT PROVES IN AMERICA, EVEN
U.S. PRESIDENTS CAN’T BREAK THE
LAW OR DEFY LAW WITH IMPUGNITY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF CASES WELL
KNOWN BECAUSE OF CONTROVERSY.
U.S. V NIXON IS VERY WELL KNOWN
BUT NOT BECAUSE IT IS THE SOURCE
OF CONTROVERSY.
OF CONTROVERSY. IT IS NOT A CONTROVERSIAL
RULING.
RULING. THAT THAT, BRETT CAVANAGHKAVANAU
SAID THAT MAYBE U.S. V. NIXON
WAS WRONGLY DECIDED.
NOW TODAY, DEMOCRATS IN THE
SENATE HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT ONE
OF THE WITNESSES THEY WILL CALL
TO TESTIFY NEXT WEEK AT THE
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS FOR BRETT
KAVANAUGH WILL BE RICHARD
NIXON’S OLD WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL,
JOHN DEAN WHO CAME QULEEN THE
SENATE WATERGATE COMMITTEE AND
TOLD THEM ALL ABOUT THE CRIME IS
THAT BALL THE COVER UP AND THAT
ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN THE
DOMINOS STARTING TO FALL WHICH
RESULTED IN THE END OF THE
PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENCY. JOHN DEAN WILL TESTIFY ON
KAVANAUGH.
KAVANAUGH. SPECIFICALLY ABOUT DERIDING THE
RESULT OF U.S. V. NIXON.
IF THIS WHITE HOUSE IS AT ALL
TRYING TO SWIM ITS WAY OUT OF
THE COMPARISONS BETWEEN THIS
SCANDAL AND WATERGATE, AND THE
UNFAVORABLE COMPARISON TO THE
NIXON WHITE HOUSE IN THE
WATERGATE ERA, IT TURNS OUT
THEY’RE SWIMMING AGAINST VERY,
VERY STRONG, VERY FAST HIS, TOAL
CURRENTS HERE.
CURRENTS HERE. WE’LL HAVE AN INTERVIEW TONIGHT
WITH THE REPORT HERE FIRST BROKE