Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
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Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
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Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
title sequence
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Hosts Paul Duke with Cokie Roberts and Linda Wertheimer. Duke introduces topics on the show: commentary on the troubled nomination of Ed Meese to Attorney General, Senate Races and Women in the military.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Paul Duke introduces segment on Meese. He says Ed Meese is in more trouble, raising questions about the Senate and the bounds of its role in screening White House appointees.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
DO NOT USE Clip from feature film Advise and Consent . Title graphic of Capitol, with Dome tilted like an open lid, words Advise and Consent under Dome. Scene from film in which a man, asked by a friend, comments that the President must be nuts to try to appoint a controversial man to office. Further scenes from the film of phone calls and meetings.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
DO NOT USE Still photo of Louis Strauss, Eisenhower nominee for Commerce Secretary.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Senator Charles Mathias (R - Maryland) interviewed on Capitol lawn. Clearly at the beginning of the Reagan administration, President Reagan had the benefit of the so-called honeymoon. And I think the nominations were approved, largely, simply because the President wanted them approved.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Senator Patrick Leahy (D - Vermont), I made the comment, somewhat facetiously, that the Senate had reacted the point where it would confirm Jack the Ripper for Surgeon General. And we d really gotten that way. And now at least they are saying, wait a minute, maybe it should be that way.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Senator Joe Biden (D - Delaware) There s only 3 things as a Senator, that I can justify voting against a nominee, 1) if they are intellectually incompetent, 2) if they re morally incompetent or 3) if in fact they re being put into a position for the purposes of dismantling that position.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Senator Max Baucus (D - Montana) A President who sends up a nominee, should have that nominee confirmed unless there s significant questions of integrity or unless the nominee is incompetent
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Interior of a Senate chamber, Senators seated at a long curving desk around an open floor. Zoom in on Senator Howard Metzenbaum (D - Ohio). Ed Meese testifying before Senate Judiciary Committee. I fully recognize the heavy responsibility which is placed upon the Attorney General by the Constitution and the statutes of this nation. And I appreciate the confidence which has been placed in me, as shown by the President in nominating me for this position. Longer view of Senate chamber, showing curved table with Senators and small table on floor with Ed Meese and others.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Senator Max Baucus (D - Montana) I think the nomination is slipping. It hasn t been handled very well, sloppily put together, sloppily sent up to the White House, too many odds and ends not coming to light.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
DO NOT USE image of front page of Washington Post, March 14, 1984. Comments that Meese was hurt by a revelation of an unreported $15,000 loan from a friend who later got a White House job. The loan was used to purchase stock, also unreported, raising questions about the thoroughness of the Senate Committee investigation.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Senator Joe Biden (D - Delaware) I would say in the case of Mr. Meese, we have not done a thorough enough job. Quite frankly, I was embarrassed that the Committee did not learn for any source other than the press, about a $15,000 loan that had been sitting out there, that was interest free. Again, I think the integrity of the committee is at stake.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Senator Charles Mathias (R - Maryland) We have a serious responsibility because this is one of the most important offices in the country, to be Attorney General of the United States. And we want to be as nearly right as humanly possible to be.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Senator Patrick Leahy (D - Vermont), There s too many unanswered questions, questions that weren t there at the beginning of the confirmation hearing, questions that came out solely as a result of the confirmation hearing.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Senator John East (R - North Carolina) I simply am asking that we preserve an atmosphere of openness and fairness so that we can get all the evidence on the record, weigh it and vote our individual consciouses.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Ed Meese seated in Judiciary Committee hearing room. Pullback from Meese at table to show Senators at edges of room in semicircle around Meese.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Senator Patrick Leahy (D - Vermont), There s a real concern, I think one is a concern that maybe the committee might have started moving a little bit too fast to begin with. Some of the Republicans that thought the Democrats were just being partisan at the beginning are now saying well wait now maybe there was a reason to do that and maybe we ought to look more carefully at how we handle confirmations.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Reporter, If one more thing damaging to Mr. Meese comes out, would that really finish him off? Senator Charles Mathias (R - Maryland) Well of course it would depend on what that one more thing is, but I think that clearly this process of cutting off the dog s tail inch by inch is a painful process and it gets more painful the closer you get to the end of the tail. And I think it would probably have a very serious, probably fatal impact.
Lawmakers, March 22, 1984
Paul Duke concludes the segment. He says that Meese launched a counteroffensive by appointing a Special Prosecutor to look into his affairs.