DIDN’T HAVE THE IMAGINATION TO OUTSOURCE IT TO A FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT OR INTELLIGENCE
SERVICE.
SERVICE. HERE DONALD TRUMP IS DOING
EXACTLY THAT.
EXACTLY THAT. >> AS PROMISED, I WANT TO TURN
NOW TO RICHARD, HE SERVED AS A
TOP PROSECUTOR ON THE WATERGATE
TASK FORCE AS A FORMER ASSISTANT
ATTORNEY IN SDNY.
ALSO CELEBRATED MEMBER OF THE
9/11 COMMISSION.
9/11 COMMISSION. YOU’VE HELD MANY DIFFERENT
PUBLIC SERVICE POSTS.
APPRECIATE YOU MAKING TIME
TONIGHT, SIR.
TONIGHT, SIR. >> THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
>> I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR
YOU, BUT I BEGIN WITH YOUR VIEW
OF WHAT THE SPEAKER HAS SET OUT
TONIGHT AND WHETHER YOU THINK
THIS IS AN ADVANCEMENT ON THE
ROAD TO ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT.
>> I THINK IT IS.
I THINK SHE HAS PUT THIS POSTURE
OF UTMOST SERIOUSNESS.
IT APPEARS TO ME THAT SPEAKER
PELOSI IS MOVING TOWARD THE
APPOINTMENT OF A SELECT
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN
INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT IN
MOVING THIS ALONG.
AND I THINK WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS
THE -- PERHAPS THE STRAW THAT
BREAKS THE CAMEL’S BACK IN TERMS
OF A DISCUSSION OF IMPEACHMENT.
>> AND IS THAT, IN YOUR VIEW,
SIR --
SIR -- >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> IS THAT STRAW SUBSTANTIVELY
STRONGER THAN THE OTHER
ALLEGATIONS AND INCIDENTS THAT
ARE SEEN AS IMPEACHABLE BECAUSE
THIS IS, AS WE WERE DISCUSSING
WITH OUR EXPERT, SOMETHING THAT
THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE IN OFFICE
RELATING TO HIS RE-ELECTION AND
HE’S ADMITTED PART OF IT?
>> I THINK SO.
I THINK, HOWEVER, THAT THIS IS
ALL CUMULATIVE.
ALL CUMULATIVE. TO THE IDEA THAT THE PRESIDENT
HAS ESPOUSED SOLICITING HELP
FROM FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS IN
CONNECTION WITH HIS OWN PERSONAL
POLITICAL NEEDS, AND TO DO THIS
IS A DEPARTURE FROM THE
NORMATIVE BEHAVIOR OF A
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND IT’S VERY DANGEROUS.
ARE WE CHOOSING UP SIDES NOW IN
OUR POLITICAL PROCESS TO SOLICIT
HELP FROM DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS
AND DIFFERENT COUNTRIES --
>> WELL, YOU SAID --
>> ASKING FOR DIFFERENT THINGS
FROM OUR COUNTRY.
>> YOU SAID NORMATIVE.
LET ME ASK YOU THIS, IN YOUR
VIEW BASED ON WHAT’S PUBLICLY
KNOWN, IS IT AN IMPEACHABLE
ABUSE OF POWER?
>> I THINK IT IS ABUSIVE AND I
THINK IT GOES ALONG WITH THE
DISREGARD THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS
SHOWN FOR THE WAY IN WHICH OUR
COUNTRY --
COUNTRY -- >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> -- HAS OPERATED IN THE PAST
--
-- >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> -- IN TERMS OF BALANCE OF
POWER.
POWER. THE IGNORING OF SUBPOENAS, THE
BOGUS CLAIMS OF EXECUTIVE
PRIVILEGE, THE REFUSAL TO HONOR
SUBPOENAS FOR DOCUMENTS AND
TESTIMONY, ALL THESE THINGS
ALONG WITH --
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> -- THE ADVICE TO WITNESSES IN
THE MUELLER PROBE NOT TO
COOPERATE WITH MUELLER, ALL OF
THESE THINGS ARE CUMULATIVE --
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> -- TO BEHAVIOR THAT IS SO
DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAVE COME
TO EXPECT FROM THE CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OF THE UNITED STATES
AND THE CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER.
OFFICER. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. YOU REMEMBER YOUR CONTEMPORARY
CARL BERNSTEIN?
CARL BERNSTEIN? >> I DO.
>> I DO. >> HERE’S WHAT HE HAS TO SAY
ABOUT THE UKRAINE SCANDAL.
>> I KEEP GETTING ASKED, ARE
THERE ECHOS OF WATERGATE IN
THIS?
THIS? AND THERE ARE IN THE FOLLOWING
WAYS.
WAYS. WATERGATE WAS VERY MUCH AN
ATTEMPT BY RICHARD NIXON TO
UNDERMINE THE DEMOCRATIC
ELECTORAL PROCESS.
ELECTORAL PROCESS. >> DO YOU AGREE WITH THE WAY HE
PUTS IT THERE?
>> WELL, YES, THERE ARE MANY
ANALOGIES TO WATERGATE AND TO
THE BEHAVIORS OF THE RICHARD
NIXON, BUT AT THE END OF THE
DAY, I WOULD NOTE THAT RICHARD
NIXON EXHIBITED A SENSE OF
SHAME.
SHAME. WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN THAT.