Transcripts For CSPAN2 QA 20160815

State started to adopt statutes and gave more discretion. Certainly commonlaw, certainly at the time of the founding the court noted that typically the verdict came after the sentence. That is just not true. We do not have the right to change history. It isnt true. Isnt true. If you look at the very first criminal provisions that were inactive by congress, congress, the first congress, it was not determined. Your honor, for many crimes serious crimes, even for some that today we would consider not so serious, usually the penalty was death. So there was this close relationship. The court has called it a close relationship between the verdict and sentencing. We look at that together with the way the process was conducted shows that the right was created to cover the whole proceeding through the imposition or pronouncement a sentence. There are no further questions. Thank you counsel. The case is submitted. Tonight on book to be a prime time, words and comments about the structure. Beginning at 8 30 p. M. In america infrastructures back in the lead. At 9 30 p. M. , and infrastructure discussion at the los angeles festival of books. At 10 30 p. M. , the history and future of americas infrastructure. All of this tonight a book to be in prime on cspan2. This week on q a, author and investigative journalist sally talks about her book, the pop the profiteers. Host sally, author of the profiteers, in your note section in the back you write this, i was denied access to weinbergers papers, why . I was really kinda shocked about that and it shows that it was not really shocking at all, a lot of Public Officials who give their papers to the library of Congress Come with restrictions that keep them from the public as long as the family wants. It was the library of congress who purely made the arrangement with weinbergers family and maybe with him personally. That they would be restricted in the sun would determine who would be able to view them. I was really surprised at that. But as we have learned through my friend at the National Security archive that it is kind of a usual thing. I thought maybe youd put personal papers in a situation like that. Not papers relating to your position as secretary of defense or secretary of state. Cspan what difference does that make to this book . Guest i think it wouldve created a treasure trove of documents for me leading to weinbergers role as as secretary of defense. I was looking specifically for his relationship with the sentence a memorandum for the jonathan powered case. Cspan why did that relate your book . Guest jonathan was spying for israel, as we all now know. He had given back in 1985, one of the things he gave these really was evidence of American Companies building chemical plants in the middle east for israels enemies. And weinberger wine the and became interested in wanting to make sure that he did not get an easy sentence. Cspan further in the notes you said neither did the department of energy or. [inaudible] helpful or forthcoming what is that. Guest National Nuclear security agency, its actually a taught him his Agency Within the department of energy. It it is in charge of the maintenance of the Nuclear Weapons laboratories which figure prominently in my book because the company that i am writing about manages most of the Nuclear Weapons at this point. Their 17 labs. Labs. I was focused primarily on Lawrence River more and los alamos which are the weapons labs. Cspan vectors what . Guest it is the first major multinational mega company from the American West which is why it interested me. I am from the west and fourth generation from nevada and i grew up in a town where the company town from hoover dam which was really their signature project way back in the 30s. But it was the quintessential Multinational Company that is involved in all aspects of construction and engineering. Throughout the world on every continent. Cspan how cooperative was vector with your project . Guest i initially contacted them early on when i was first researching it and they directed me to their company website. Actually ive been there before a wrote my book proposal to simon schuster. As for millers website. Website. They directed me to their online test kit which i went to and then when i got to i found everything i needed was not only available on the website but there are three corporate histories that are very intensive and dating back through several generations. So between that we didnt really need any more from the corporate spokes person. I did apply for a Media Fellowship at the Hoover Institute where i had been for my previous two books. Specifically im interviewing and i was denied that fellowship cspan why . Spee2 they they said it was because my project did not really relate closely to the scholars there. I cannot imagine a book project that was more relevant to the Hoover Institute which is a very supported, longstanding support from the effect of family. And Henry Kissinger was also there at the time who had been a consultant. So i just kinda figured if i, if this book is a relevant i will never write a book that is apparently. Cspan is a george still attached to hoover . Guest yes. Cspan lets go back to 1982 and he is being confirmed and joe biden is in the chair, lets watch a little bit of his confirmation hearing at that time. Are you going to go back to vector . Have no plans or no invitation to go anywhere. I have not given any thought to what i will do. Let me tell you why i asked. You will receive a number of questions for my colleagues have done a lot of research on vector tone and its relationship with the arab world. Everyone is aware of the policy among others with regards to whom whom they deal, if they deal with the israelis. If in fact someone would suggest to you that if in fact you are required to take a position in the interest of the United States of america that was viewed as being very supportive of israel and against the interest of saudi arabia, that you might very well be reluctant to do so because you would know that would prevent you from ever being able to reassume a position affected . Oh no. I dont have any such concern in my mind at all. Spee4 that was 1982. Theres love in. Theres love in this task about. He became secretary of state until 1989, did he ever go back . He went immediately back and remains there. Hes quite elderly now, but he went immediately back and was an active participant in the company says that. Cspan does that make a difference to you . Guest i think with the main thrust of this book and what this kind of surprising to me, this is not a gotcha story, its the company is particularly interesting because its one of largest privately held companies. It companies. It does not have the same transparency as other corporations do. But i think that kind of revolving door, is the shelton weinberger, that kind of revolving door has become now so doesnt seem unusual anymore. At the time it was kind of the beginning, i would argue still that vacco created the revolving door. Theres never never company more integral with the u. S. Government and the coolingoff period that is now kind of standard, that is almost a joke. Nobody pays attention anymore, the lines are so blurred that i mean to see joe biden, senator biden talking about it at that time, i can can imagine that it been a discussion these days. Its so rare on capitol hill for someone to question a nominee about his corporate ties. Cspan George Scholz in 1969, 1970, 72 Director Office management and budget, 74, 75 executive Vice President avenue backed out. And then president of acta, 82 through 89 secretary of state and then director and senior counsel at two through 89 secretary of state and then director and senior counsel at bechtold. Is he still on the board . Guest i dont know. Everything related to the board of directors of the shareholder, all of that you have to take at face value because they are required to file anything with the securities and Exchange Commission or shareholders reports are private. So what his relationship is or his familys relationship is just not declared. Guest on weinberger who is secretary of defense 69 to 70, w 580 general Vice President and the secretary of defense. You focus on both weinberger and scholz on the book. Tell us more about why. Guest not really. I dont think i focused my focus a lot on that era, the reagan revolution as it relates to the expansion throughout the world. The expansion of the American West is a power center. So both men as you said have been in the next administration. Also a California Political figure. The theme here of the book beginning with hoover dam which really was the first megaproject in creation of a public, private development that really make california possible. Meet the the american southwest possible. The cities that never wouldve came up if it not for hoover dam. So its really just a few chapters of that era. But the reagan era for me represented a shift in economic power to the west. It was a sagebrush rebelling, much of what we see now going on with cliven bundy it is just impulse on just underneath the surface. It really came came to the forefront during the reagan revolution. For him to tap the executive to come into the cabinet was really newsworthy. Before we go on with the story, one time in your life you work for Jack Anderson. Guest i sure did. Cspan i got some things you said about him but before i get there why did you work for me and when . Guest i work for him in 1977 in 1978. I have been with a little newspaper northern new mexico was just starting out in journalism and had done a series of explosive stories about the murders of young women that were tied to a drug conspiracy. Jack brought me to washington as an intern initially and then hired me as a staff reporter. Cspan how long did you work form . Spee2 a thing close close to two years. Then i went to kentucky. Cspan explain this but alas like all great mortals Jack Anderson had a fee to clay, he entered into business relationships and squandered protected sources were manipulative him, he allowed allowed his ego to dictate his judgment and abandon those word most of auditory. Guest when i arrived there it was legendary. Most people dont even remember who he was. I had grown up, my father was a lawyer and drew pearson who was jack was june pearsons protege. He was actively involved in supporting hang green when joe mccarthy was taking him on or when they were taking joe mccarthy on a joe mccarthy was trying to get hank indicted for murder. There is a longstanding longstanding relationship between the drew pearson, Jack Anderson, washington merrygoround column in las vegas nevada. But when i arrived here in washington to work for jack he was in 1000 newspapers. He had Good Morning America three days a week. Mutual week. Mutual broadcast radio five days per week. It was a wonderful empire. I was was just thinking the other day it was astounding for the interns. We had every week there it be huge gunnysack mail bags full of letters from people all over the country saying you need to come to my town and look at the corruption here. My city council, my commission, my governors correct cropped it was so rampant it was stunning. In in the end when i say that he squandered it, he there was so much talent when i was there, james grady, les whitten, jos be her, it was this hotbed of really great journalistic mines at a time when journalism was actually respected and at the forefront of investigative reporting on the heels, jack and drew had been doing it for years. This was at the heels of bernstein and watergate. It was really heavy stuff. Jack was unable to really delink wish in the control to talent that was there. He was hanging on and ended up losing all of the many papers that he had in the syndication just fell apart. It was just a sad delink wish me. It seemed like i read somewhere that you were critical about board work . I dont think so what was the original title supposed to be. Guest the original title was the but he must. It wasnt until it while the whole book change. Im a fourthgeneration nevada who grew up in boulder city. When i first started exploring the book i had done a a cover story for science and technology magazine. On the 75th anniversary of hoover dam. And i let boulder city in 1970 other than going home to visit family and had not been back. So when i started looking at it as a book project i had no idea they had gone on for five generations and expanded throughout the entire universe basically now theyre doing asteroids. So i call it but he missed. Then i got deep into the research it was four years of research and writing, once i got deep into the research there is a quote from the gao about the profiteering and i cant remember the exact quote but Something Like never before have so few men made so much money at the taxpayers expense. I just started thinking this is more about profiteering than it is about anyone company. Cspan have ever done anything illegal . Spee2 i dont think so. Thats one of the other stunning things that all this is legal. This is all i write. Its really, really not a biography of this family as much as another thing that i found going in was the family was really not interesting. There are interesting for they represented, not for themselves as characters. There are representative of a larger trust and philosophy of American Business in american politics and foreign policy. Cspan where did stephen senior fit . Guest he was the first, the company starts with warren who was an oldfashioned road grader in the American West. Hoover dam was really his project with his protege, kaiser and it was called Six Companies but there are eight companies. This was a big hoover project to channel the raging Colorado River to provide water and irrigation and electricity primarily to southern california. He got the contract with theres actually a companies for the column Six Companies after the chinese in San Francisco, the chinese crime but it was because there is no company in the American West that was big enough to tackle this job. Arguably it really wasnt a company in the east either. So you talk construction, all of these, they all came together to put up the money and to get the beds to build the stand. Guest is kaiser the same kaiser that built the car . The hj kaiser automobile . Guest i think so and also the panama canal. Cspan here some video of stephen senior, sam sam is not alive anymore. Lets watch the. Considerable ps about what work and he get out whats gonna happen, discuss it with my father and with henry, meanwhile my father have in talking with his friends at the utah construction company. I believe they approached him on it and dad dropped it who is a you euchre partner about whether we are to be interested in it or not. We all knew it was a big job and an important job in a had to be done well. Everybody felt we had a certain amount of expertise that they probably had not had before, from that group of people that were there came some of the strongest men that they had in the Construction Industry speak for what was he like . Guest i think he was important in taking the company to the next phase. All of these generations, their five generations of men and they do that in their own way. His father died quite young and under mysterious circumstances in moscow in 1933. Stephen senior, its really just stephen but then he names his son stephens i designate between junior and senior and others do too. He is the one that after the dam was built, warranted not to not live to see the damn belts. When he died there is a struggle for control throughout the family for the fortune and company and stephen, the middle son ended up taking charge. It was his relationship with john mccone who was a College Classmate from uc berkeley who really signifies his relationship with john, who had worked for consolidated steel which provided all the silver hoover dam which was a massive contract. Also a relative of his wife, a man named johnsons and was partners with the dallas brothers and the Schrader Farm in new york. Those relationships with mccallum and simpson really launched a vector from a relatively small American Company into the International Entry leading up to world war ii. Cspan he ran the atonement Energy Commission and what else. Cspan he was director of cia under john f. Kennedy. He is not there very long. Lbj didnt keep them on for a short time after the kennedy assassination. Cspan was he republican or democrat, or did that matter . Guest he was a republican. Im not sure that it matters. They all kind of been forged from this radically reactionary anticommunist russian containment policy that was driving american foreignpolicy. At the time his very representative of that. Cspan why did he leave the cia . Guest im not sure why he left the cia. I did not really go into, at that time he was no longer so i didnt really shift into that except for when he becomes a director for itt and was involved in the runup to the coup. Guest did any of them ever serving government . Guest no. While they served in different think tank, foreignpolicy advisement. I think steve junior was on the xm on the xm bank or one of the advisory, they are in and out of advisory positions. But not willing government. Cspan i want to read the paragraphs of people have the understanding of the kind of things that he has been can contracted to do. You say that specialize in and what were called multitier megaprojects they received 24 billion in new contracts in 2013. It is 55000 employees, most are subcontractors divided among project in six markets. Similar infrastructure, communications, mining, metals, oil, gas, chemicals metals, oil, gas, chemicals and power. Its website has signature projects that read like a round up of nearly every high profile undertaking in the world. The channel project from britain to france, the dallas quarter metro rail extension in washington cut dc, the bay area transit system, the San Francisco bay bridge . Is that the new one . Guest that the old one. Cspan the transatlantic pipeline, ill give you some more in a moment. But the big dig was to pull neils big project. He was speaker of the house and what happened there that . Guest when i started looking out all of this and i just saw peace and construction magazine yesterday about new projects that various airports throughout the world, i could not keep up with all of these projects. Every single one of them is a complete story in and of itself. The big gay get was one, judith, a journalist and author in boston wrote a book called on real for the city recently which goes pretty deeply into the big dig project. Also some of the things that i think are synonymous with him which is cost overruns, safety violations, the boston globe did a significant expose. It mustve been there spotlight team. So that was one of the i looked at the Public Record at that. I didnt delve into it myself. Cspan one of the tunnels fell and killed a woman. Heres some video that where they had to pay out almost 400 million because of it. We are here to it and announce an agreement has been announced between the United States in the Management Consultants in the central audrey tunnel project which is known as the big dig. As well as several big dig designers. The big dig management consultant, vector have agreed to pay the United States and commonwealth over 407 million to resolve liabilities in connection with the collapse of the n90 collective ceilings. Defects in the walls of the tipple neil tunnels. Cspan at the time is 100 billion plus. You to the fact that they have the cost plus contract, did they start that . Guest i think that steve senior and john, that was their creation. Both the turnkey where you do the complete project and you turn it over and the owner turns it on. Again that is like the revolving door. Its become pro formats and multinational Business Models throughout the world. But i think they were the First Company that came up with that which is as you know. In your book you go on to say the construction of 95 airports the karen in las vegas, it has built the roads, 100 tunnels, 50 hydroelectric we of these projects throughout the world and i kept thinking why arent there rivals selling them . Where are the competitors . You would think five generations of a Major Corporation the courts would be filled with wrongful termination but by i realized in the midst of this because i am very research intensive and this is book number eight with a fantastic fellowship back at the library of Congress Said never had before be we have a partnership he may be interested at the library of congress been so i jumped at the opportunity spee6 teen how did they determine your though one . I dont know it was a relationship he had and the relationship between in the to idea was something that maybe senator harry reid the did it is fantastic but to windsor your question, what was the question . Researching the different projects with be extensive reach when i first applied and i thought i would doing research in nevada by i thought it was a western company but not until i got to the library of congress would kidnap the contracts that not only is the Largest Department does Energy Contractor but the Top Department of defense contractors as well. Cspan he also owned metromedia corporation he gave 60 alien to the library of congress to help fund the project piece sold his company at 4 billion a few years ago where his money comes from so did they have any expectation with they give you that we can you write anything you want . Guest you are supposed to whenever they gave you your award given that for a particular project. If thats the thrust of your scholarly approach changes ensure that is fine but still i am at the Black Mountain institute at u. N. L. V. Looking at the fellowships right now we are selecting everybody there are a lot. Lot of the fellowships are for fiction but i am focused on nonfiction. Cspan what would bechtel be today without United States government . A little firm. [laughter] in northern california. He had a couple of mules and a steam shovel. That is one of the ironies to be so he antigovernment ando your entire fortune. Cspan how are they antigovernment . Basically antiregulation leave us alone they support be freetrade candidates and the rhetoric is all about privacy letting the company do what is in their best interest they are antifirst amendment me with any type of exposure or transparency. Cspan would you be transparent . No waiting thats the reason that they are. One of the obvious cypriot questions if not bechtel then who collects who else will they get to build these projects throughout the world . Bid is time to be bechtel but then they should have some access to information about contracts or the amount of money and worker safety and the political relationship. Cspan where is the main headquarters . Guest San Francisco. Offices all over the world i just read yesterday. Cspan this will move the subject to the middle east but. Get was jobs like the hoover dam the top them to think big. That meant. International and in 1940 bechtel built a pipeline and a road through a venezuelan juggle for the call for global work during a time of crisis be. In the 40s from bechtel gave the saudi prince a tanker of the of oil and related project would soon wondered taken in saudi arabia. One of the first job was the trans arabian pipeline to help fuel the postwar recovery. Cspan , edged today make . Guest i dont remember the profits but that is president besetting that this is the First Company to go into the of the least when it is just being developed. After the food for damn and then they got the first government contract and they needed more oil for the of vehicles. For that whole industrialization of america. Those relationships that bechtel going toward american expansionism. They also built houses and then to move into kuwait and yemen bathrobe of italys. In the middle east. There are some quotations about ambassadors they say first comes bechtel then comes the u. S. Government. I started to think that bechtel was the corporate arm of the u. S. Government that the hoover dam overtook the army corps of engineer and by the end of the book generations later i thought the government was like a Public Policy arm of bechtel cspan what impact did the George Shultz have to get government contracts quite. And if not direct influence and with people like at bet the government in the foreign land but that government is behind them. Cspan we would see this man in the Reagan Administration usaid administrator with him 2003. We will see and approve meant of their iraqi people in the next two months with electricity, of water, critical parts of the and air it climate. You have to have electricity. Now we made n agreement for the heather contractors to provide the overall management the with the accountability system and the purchase of equipment like generators. Cspan he worked for bechtel first . Guest he oversaw some of the project i did know if he worked directly of the payroll but there was a relationship. Cspan also called bremer worked with bechtel . Guest i dont think that he worked for bechtel but he did oversee the distribution of the Major Contract that turned out to be disastrous barco the inspector generals report was devastating back toward the results of the iraq deconstruction. Cspan were they penalized . Guest i dont think so. They kind of abandoned after losing several employees who had been killed be, it was not the success that they had helped they didnt get the profits they were expecting related to the childrens hospital. Cspan how many of their contracts are a the only ones that compete and get that directory . At it is impossible looking in department of energy and department of defense. You have to take at that phase bellevue because many projects because of us nature of National Security we dont know me exactly how much they are for. They have to have classified clearance and the contract to respond have to have their own security clearance. Much is so shrouded been especially dowsons post 9 11 in the whole National Security realm. Cspan do you know matt . Guest from the wall street journal . He said my sources for a parade of leftwing. Cspan there was a lot of session on the left with the profiteers that there are various leftwing obsessions. Guest i dont know for those that our relevant to bechtel surely others have made appearances but we pointed out and and accuracy i did point out why jurists was a capital National Security staff number and i actually wrote a letter to be editor the years i was married to bill roger moret he always referred to himself as a National Security adviser i use the primary source. Cspan when redo married to him quick. 1996 through 2001. Cspan he worked in the johnson and Kennedy Administration by. Guest johnson and eisenhower not kennedy. He left the government but he worked with kissinger on the National Security council and left over the invasion of cambodia long before i was married or even n washington. Cspan i will read dave little more. Winning the governments success although with the Conspiracy Theory critics rarely acknowledged the expertise of the company they are attacking bob cspan he worked report george w. Bush . What is your reaction . I think he is right focusing on the military industrial prototype band all americans should be i dont agree that they dont address the works much upon the ground i have several chapters of the ground up many of the chapters in projects dating back to the hoover dam and the working conditions all the way through got massive layoff and the disaster is cleanup and there is many chapters relating back to what i did not address. Cspan what was the laboratory controversial . Guest the laboratory of george w. Bush and most americans dont know this better Nuclear Weapon in contract were privatized with bechtel at the helm. They have of 1 billion contract to manage several of the facilities and this is the crown jewels of that Manhattan Project where the bombs were being made. And it is always managed by the university of california dating back to oppenheimer. Out of private industry. And the first thing they did was fired 450 people. There was up place i could get a window of transparency that i couldnt before because most of la contracts be require arbitration but i remarked earlier with of litigation but then i realize they are all arbitration which is private so you dont have evidentiary discovery. But in this case all of the employees at contracts with the university of california. There was an opening to file a wrongful termination lawsuit which opened for discovery and at was a gold mine of information. Cspan how much money has the bechtel family made . Guest hundred did hundreds of millions and billions. Again they report from time to time on their website that you have to take him at their word. Cspan beside us the bechtel on the front of the book but is, jr. Alive . Guest yes. He is quite elderly as well i am sure he is well retired cspan no to appear of us we are not selling to the public. That is when he gave in response of a request to interview the rizzo reason we are not public so that was just so symbolic of how they view themselves of of and beyond the american taxpayer. Cspan where is the next person to run the company . Guest he step down and turned over to his son. Cspan does he have parkinsons . Guest yes. Cspan we will never be a conglomerate not on my watch with. But under a variety of was more of a conglomerate than ever throughout the world it is exhausting to read the list that i did yesterday but that current project is staggering. Cspan they must do something right. Brendan . Maybe he signifies this sensibility he is the son that has succeeded the company he has an education from middle berger chins unusual for that family and he is young he is 30 banded is the new world. Cspan here is some video of Jonathan Pollard to was still in prison and did you have to change it . Me. Guest i knew there was a release coming in the chances to be paroled were good and that happened in november. After 30 years in prison and a convicted spy will be a free man that now 61 yearold placed on five years probation where he will not be allowed to leave the country a former civilian Intelligence Analyst with dash worked in israel and the 80s and arrested 85 passing secret documents to the Israeli Government his imprisonment has been a bone of contention for decades his supporters say that punishment was too harsh because israel is a u. S. Ally. Cspan what is says relationship antiattitudes . In his own words he had been encouraged or inspired and came upon information of chemical weapons plants being built in syria and iraq and libya and and he went to the navy and said they need to know the enemies are armed for chemical weapons ban so he was told by his boss basically, he laughed and said we cannot tell the jews about this they are sensitive about guest that is the reference to the mustard guest of the 90s so there was an impetus on his part to spy on israel for the next 18 months he pled guilty in respecting to get the twoyear sentence that was the pleabargain but when he did he was given a life sentence the n justification was the sentencing memorandum said he would have been in the defense apartment at the time of the extensive damage done by the information gave to the israelis and the justification was also was that he violated the plea agreement to speak with wolff puts her hair wrote a book. Cspan George Shultz and saddam husseins . Guest get was a time that i think they represent but a direct shift from the American Government away from israel and arabs states and that was built by the israelis at the time and of course, they were skeptical of above unbidden bechtel dating back to the 40s and 50s tran16 so there was a little skepticism that they felt toward bechtel but there ws no projects and in israel. Cspan do you think there was a direct connection with the attitude of George Shultz toward israel . Guest i dont think so may be weinberger be was a rabbit on the subjects dash and George Shultz was a statement and was Going Forward with a policy but i think they were m. Lockstep and he was more of a neocon. Cspan why did they not get along . They both would work for bechtel, the republican administrations. Guest it dates back to the Nixon Administration favored different men and different temperaments and it seemed like it was a legendary battle between the tarot 57 when berger is deceased but George Shultz is 95 per grow our guest is sally denton and her book is the profiteers big. Plus podcast for our Public Affairs and books and history programs. Stay up to date on the election coverage with cspans radio app. Up next on the the communicators, a conversation on u. S. Funded broadcast in the middle east. Then we will hear from harvard profess professor, Rosabeth Moss kanter, her book is move putting americas infrastructure back in the lead and after that a discussion from the Los Angeles Times festival of books on infrastructure, engineering and science. Later, a Duke University Civil Engineer professor talks about the u. S. Highway and road system in his book the road taken washington journal is live with news every day for you. Last week, Hillary Clinton revealed her economic plans and we will discuss those plans on tuesday with the managing director for the economic for for american progress. And steven diamondth