Now you’re in control.
>>> HERE IS WHERE WE STAND. THE PRESIDENT HAS OFFERED A
COMPROMISE DESIGNED TO
CIRCUMVENT A COURT ORDER WHICH
WOULD HAVE REQUIRED HIM TO TURN
OVER THE SECRET TAPES TO A
FEDERAL JUDGE.
FEDERAL JUDGE. HE HAS LOST HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL
IN A DRAMATIC RESIGNATION.
MR. NIXON THEN TRIED TO GET THE
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL TO FIRE
THE SPECIAL WATERGATE
PROSECUTOR.
PROSECUTOR. AND WHEN THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY
GENERAL WOULDN’T DO IT, HE WAS
FIRED.
FIRED. NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER
HAPPENED BEFORE.
HAPPENED BEFORE. >> JOHN CHANCELLOR, NBC NEWS, IN
A STUDIO JUST FEET FROM WHERE WE
ARE NOW.
ARE NOW. THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO
HELD HIS GROUND DURING THE
WATERGATE CONTROVERSY WAS
WILLIAM RUCKELSHOUSE.
WILLIAM RUCKELSHOUSE. HE DIED TODAY AT THE AGE OF 87.
HE HEADED UP THE EPA UNDER TWO
PRESIDENTS.
PRESIDENTS. HE WAS AWARDED THE MEDAL OF
FREEDOM BY PRESIDENT OBAMA BACK
IN 2015.
IN 2015. EVEN THAT SEEMS LIKE A LIFETIME
AGO.
AGO. AS HIS "NEW YORK TIMES" OBITUARY
PUT, IT "FOR MANY AMERICANS THE
DEEDS OF MR. RUCKELSHAUS’S
VARIED CAREER WERE ALL BUT
ECLIPSED BY HIS ROLE IN THE
EVENTS OF A SINGLE NIGHT IN
AUTUMN OF 1973 AS THE POLITICAL
DIRTY TRICKS AND COVER-UP
CONSPIRACIES OF THE WATERGATE
SCANDAL CLOSED IN ON HIS BOSS,
THE BELEAGUERED PRESIDENT
NIXON."
NIXON." WITH US TONIGHT PULITZER PRIZE
WINNER, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN
JON MEACHAM.
JON MEACHAM. HAPPENS TO BE THE AUTHOR OF
AMONG OTHER TITLES
"IMPEACHMENT: AN AMERICAN
HISTORY," TO WHICH HE
CONTRIBUTED WITH TIM NAFTALI,
JEFFREY ENGEL, AND PETER BAKER.
SO JOHN, IN ADDITION TO LEARNING
THAT THE EARLY ’70s WERE A BAD
ERA FOR TELEVISION EARPHONES
THAT STUCK OUT ON CAMERA AND
THAT MR. CHANCELLOR PREFRPD COPY
ON PAPER TO THE TELEPROMPTER IN
FRONT OF HIM, TELL US ABOUT THE
MAN -- I HEARD A HISTORIAN TALK
ABOUT RUCKELSHAUS AS A PATRIOT’S
PATRIOT.
PATRIOT. TELL US ABOUT THE MARK HE LEAVES
ON AMERICAN SOCIETY.
>> THAT’S A GREAT DESCRIPTION.
HE WAS PART OF A VANISHED BREED.
HE WAS A MODERATE REPUBLICAN.
HE WAS OF THE ROCKEFELLER,
PRESCOTT BUSH SCHOOL OF
REPUBLICANS WHO BELIEVED IN
FISCAL PROBITY BUT WANTED TO
PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND
WANTED TO PROTECT THE RULE OF
LAW.
LAW. WHAT I WOULD HOPE TONIGHT AND
GOING INTO TOMORROW IS THAT
EVERY SELF-DESCRIBED REPUBLICAN
SUPPORTER OF DONALD TRUMP WOULD
READ THAT OBITUARY VERY
CAREFULLY AND IMAGINATIVELY
PROJECT THEMSELVES TO THAT
ULTIMATE MOMENT OF RECKONING.
DO YOU WANT SAID OF YOU THAT
WHEN THE CONSTITUTION WAS UNDER
FEROCIOUS ATTACK YOU STOOD IN
THE BREACH AND STOOD FOR THE
WORK OF MADISON, HAMILTON, AND
JAY, OR DO YOU WANT TO BE SEEN
AS SOMEONE WHO TOOK A DIVE?
WHICH EASILY COULD HAVE HAPPENED
ON THAT OCTOBER SATURDAY IN
1973.
1973. BUT RUCKELSHAUS BELIEVED IN THE
RUVELL LAW.
RUVELL LAW. ELLIOTT RICHARDSON, THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL WHO RESIGNED, BELIEVED
IN IT.
IN IT. IT WAS ROBERT BORK, A
CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE IN HIS OWN
RIGHT, WHO ULTIMATELY FIRED
ARCHIBALD COX THAT NIGHT.
THAT’S A SEPARATE DEBATE FOR
ANOTHER NIGHT.
ANOTHER NIGHT. BUT I THINK THAT SOMEONE LIKE
RUCKELSHAUS, AND WE’RE ALMOST
EXACTLY A YEAR AWAY ON NOVEMBER
30th FROM THE ONE-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, WHO ALSO
BELONGED TO THAT COMPANY OF MEN
AND WOMEN WHO BELIEVED IN THE
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. THEY BELIEVED IN THE
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. AND THEY KNEW THAT AT SOME
POINT, HOWEVER IMPERFECT THEY
WERE, HOWEVER AMBITIOUS, HOWEVER
MANY THINGS THEY GOT WRONG, THEY
BELIEVED AT THE END OF THE DAY
THAT THE SYSTEM, THE COUNTRY,
WAS THE THING THAT HAD TO COME
FIRST AND THEIR OWN AMBITION,
HOWEVER MUCH THEY HAD SERVICED
THAT AMBITION, HOWEVER MUCH THEY
HAD WORKED AND DRIVEN THROUGH
THE ARENA WITH IT, HAD TO TAKE A
SECOND SPOT.
SECOND SPOT. >> LET’S FAST-FORWARD TO A WEEK
FROM TODAY.
FROM TODAY. SECOND ROUND OF THE HEARINGS AND
A NEW AND DIFFERENT COMMITTEE
FOR TELEVISION VOTERS -- VIEWERS
OPENS UP.
OPENS UP. TELL US WHAT HIGH CRIMES AND
MISDEMEANORS MAY LOOK LIKE IN
2019 BECAUSE THE ONLY THING YOUR
PROFESSION HAS IN COMMON WITH,
SAY, A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE OR
A LEGISLATOR IS TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT THE FRAMERS MIGHT HAVE
MEANT THEN AS IT APPLIES TO NOW.
>> VERY INTERESTING.
GERALD FORD FAMOUSLY REMARKED --
ANOTHER ONE OF THAT COMPANY, BY
THE WAY.
THE WAY. FORD SAID A HIGH CRIME AND NIS
DEMEANOR IS DEFINED AS WHATEVER
THE MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES DECIDES AT ANY
GIVEN MOMENT.
GIVEN MOMENT. ENGLISH COMMON LAW, IT’S AN
ANCIENT PHRASE, ONE OF THE
CHECKS AND BALANCES ON ARTICLE
TWO OF EXECUTIVE POWER.
VERY INTERESTING THAT SO MUCH OF
THE CONVERSATION IN THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE I HEARING
FOCUSED ON THE TERM BRIBERY,
THAT IS THEHE OFFERING OF A FAVO
IN EXCHANGE FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
AND SO -- IN THE CONSTITUTION,
THERE ARE THREE THINGS LISTED
FOR IMPEACHMENT, TREASON, WHICH
HAS TO HAPPEN IN A STATE OF WAR,
BRIBERY, THE EXCHANGE OF THE NOW
FAMOUS QUID PRO QUO, THE FIRST
TIME LATIN HAS BEEN THIS, YOU
KNOW, USED THIS WIDELY SINCE
ROME, SO, THERE IS ONE BENEFIT
HERE.
HERE. OR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMISDEMEA
YOU’RE GOING TO SEE MORE FOCUS
ON THE BRIBERY.
THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE IS WHERE
THE FABLED WATERGATE HEARINGS
UNFOLDED.
UNFOLDED. PETER RODINO, THEN REPUBLICANS
LIKE CHARLES WIG BEGINS OF
CALIFORNIA, WATER FLOWERS OF
ALABAMA, CONSERVATIVES WHO
WANTED TO STICK WITH NIXON BUT
AT THE VERY END OF THE DAY, THEY
WERE MOVED BY THE FACTS OF THE
MATTER.
MATTER. AND THE QUESTION WE’RE
CONFRONTING NOW IS, WILL THE
FACTS OF THE MATTER MOVE THOSE
WHO HAVE PLEDGED THEIR
ALLEGIANCE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP?
>> AND DO YOU SEE, IN THE 30
SECONDS WE HAVE REMAINING, ANY
REASON FOR MOVEMENT AMONG
REPUBLICAN SENATORS PROVIDED
THAT’S WHERE THIS IS HEADED?
>> I DON’T.
I’VE BEEN STRUCK BY THAT.
I LIKE -- I UNDERSTAND THE JUROR
DEFENSE.
DEFENSE. THEY HAVE TO HEAR OUT -- THEY’RE
USING THAT AS A BLOCK TO BUY
SOME TIME, BUT TO GET 67
SENATORS TO AGREE TO GO TO LUNCH
IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE AND TO SEE
THAT SIGNIFICANT A BREAK WITH
THE PRESIDENT AND THE REPUBLICAN
CAUCUS WILL BE HIGHLY UNUSUAL.
HERE’S HOPING THAT THERE ARE