across america gets that from this movie. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. friday night bites. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with the theater of the absurd now known as the republican-led u.s. congress. you thought "house of cards" was bad. at least on that show they get things done. here in the nation's capitol on august 1st, 2014, they stay up late. they stay up late on a friday evening for the most ridiculous of reasons. start with making it look like they're working. they're here showing that they're here, got it? so i and other commentators
can't attack them for truancy. next reason, call it feeding time at the zoo. some of the hard vicious right need to have votes they call their own, in other words, votes that cast scorn on the president. cast them in a safe position having done nothing to help barack obama, only to keep him from doing anything. why? because any and every action by this president serves to upstage them and their refusal to do anything at all. it's a sorry performance we're watching tonight as the u.s. house of representatives prepare to vote -- prepares to vote on an urgent so-called measure to help the kids at the border, a measure that will never get to the senate much less the president's desk. it will be a waste of time, a waste of paper, and a waste of representing the government and that matters. but don't give up. if the congress fails to act on the 58,000 young people at the border, he will. from "mother jones" magazine and an msnbc political analyst. they slammed house republicans for catering to far right in order to pass what he called
extreme and unworkable legislation. well, let's watch. >> instead of working together, instead of focusing on the 80% where there is agreement between democrats and republicans, between the administration and congress, house republicans as we speak are trying to pass the most extreme and unworkable versions of a bill that they already know is going nowhere, this can't pass the senate and that if it were to pass the senate, i would veto. they know it. they're not even trying to actually solve the problem. this is a message bill that they couldn't quite pull off yesterday so they made it a little more extreme so neighbor can pass it today. just so they can check a box before they're leaving town for a month. >> i'm not sure the president's entirely sad, by the way, that the house of representatives led by republicans is making fools of themselves. the president also said that while congress is out on vacation, putting in the knife, he's going have to act on his
own in resolving the crisis at the border. so what are they proi posing today after they failed to get enough votes yesterday to pass something? the new version would provide the same funding as yesterday's bill did but would also give $39 million to border state governors to pay for national guard troops and it would treek the 2008 anti-trafficking law that would make it easier to deport unaccompanied minors from central america back to their country. and republicans plan to take a separate vote that deters deportation of children brought to the united states by their parents. the far right tea partier steve king. he told "roll call," quote, the changes brought into this are ones i've developed over the past two years. it's like one i order off the menu. davi david, i think we have a prb. they're capable of doing something. what are they doing?
what are they doing? >> the question is whether you're doing this for governance or whether you're doing it for show, for politics. if you're doing it for your governance, you pass the bill. even though the president might veto it. you go in a conference, you bring the senate in and you get a conference. as we know, the house gop compromise is a dirty word, so as far away as any compromised position as the gop bill was yesterday that boehner couldn't pass, he had to make it even further away from a compromised position to get the house -- his own people and the tea parties folks to support it. the most frightening thing i saw today on twitter about an hour or two ago, someone tweeted out a picture, steve king and representative michele bachmann sitting at a table looking over the final version of the legislation as if to approve it. we go from yesterday, ted cruz is speaker of the house to today steve king and michele bachmann, king and queen for the day. john boehner has to kiss their
rings. >> what's scary is that this is a recognized national problem. >> yes. >> now, maybe its would be tragic for most people to see those young people sitting down at the border who were basically sent up here by other people. they didn't make a big decision in life fr. a scary place to place they thought might be heavenly've. yet nobody wants to take responsibility entirely for what to do. the president should have offered, i believe, some modification of the previous law that was a magnet for all these people coming up here. he doesn't want to do that. the congress, worse than him, doesn't want to do anything. this bill, as you pointed, was not meant for passage. >> what the house gop wants to do is give some money, not enough, some money for border security. they want to take way the right of half a million youngsters who would otherwise be deported to stay in this country, people who were brought here through no fault of their own, dreamers as we call them. >> why are they doing that? explain? >> because they don't like, you know, immigration reform. this is a version -- a backdoor
version of immigration reform that gives people the right to sort of find a pathway here. your kids who are brought here, maybe have been here for ten years, have nobody to go home to and yet they still want to send these kids back. >> let's bring in u.s. congressman and congresswoman donna edwards. congresswoman, thank you for joining us. this is a bizarre night. exchange the situation to all the democrats and whatever, what in the world is going on in the republican-lead house of representatives this friday night? >> well, i wish i could explain what's going on. what i will tell you is that house republicans have decided to do the most inhuman and most inefficient thing ever, not really dealing with the difficulty of unaccompanied minor children, not affording them due process, and then saying to 700,000 or so young people that we said you've lived here, you're going to school, we want you to stay, that we're going to come after you and
really encourage deportation and the most harsh, treatment for our immigrants, for our children. and think it's really unfortunate. there's been a complete breakdown in the republican party. we thought that what they tried to put on the floor yesterday was bad, but what they have done today, what they're doing today is even worse. >> will any democrats vote for this thing tonight when it comes to a vote? >> i think our democratic party really has been for the most part unified, frankly, on the humane treatment of children, of making sure that our borders are secure, and really calling for a comprehensive solution, and that means a comprehensive solution for immigration reform. the fact is that republicans have left on the table for more than a year now a bipartisan bill that passed out of the senate, bipartisan support in the house, and they refused to do it. and then they want to blame the president for their failure. this is a classic colossal gop republican failure and think the american people are going to hold the republican party responsible. >> well, after yesterday's vote,
congresswoman, failed, the republican leadership put out a head scratcher of a statement. in it they had this message for the president, quote, there are numerous steps the president can and should be taking right now without the need for congressional action to secure our borders and ensure these children are returned swiftly and safely to their countries. remember, by the way, this is the same house leadership, congresswoman, as you know that voted to sue the president the day before. certainly the irony here is they want the president to make decisions even though they say they'll get him if he does. here's come on the an surfty of the situation. >> look, you can't say on one hand the president's overreaching by acting without legislative authority and direction and then refusing to give him legislative authority and dekz in another area. >> damned if you do and damned if you don't. >> it is ridiculous to sue the
president on a wednesday because he oversteps the law as he has done a dozen times illegally and unconstitutionally and then on a thursday say he should overstep the law, contradict the law he passed in 2008 and deal with this himself. >> well, the president today also hammered out that point. he e hammered it home. let's watch. >> even though yesterday they were sitting on a bipartisan immigration bill for over a year, house republicans suggested that since they don't expect to actually pass a bill that i can sign that i actually should go ahead and act on my own. keep in mind a few days earth ler they voted to sue more for acting on my own and then yesterday they put out a statement saying i should act on my own. >> sometimes i wonder about the
president and think he's a little bit aloof but maybe that's the only way. they're basically telling him go break the law and then we'll grab you. it's so an seward what they're doing. they want him to make a decision on the 58,000 kids and then they'll be talking impeachment again. >> i don't think the president is aloof. he's thinking it's ridiculous. voting to sue him a couple of days ago, now saying he needs to act without his authority. they can't figure out what they want to do. and as a result they've left the american people sitting weight in the balance. it really is incredibly irresponsible and i hope the american people are going to take note. this is the same party that shut down the government. this is the same party that refuses to fund transportation and this is the same party that refuses to deal with immigration. they are a colossal failure, #colossalfailure.
>> tell me if this is wrong. it's not going to go to the senate. there's not going to be any compromise or any bill. the president will be leaving this weekend. he'll be dealing with this decision single-handedly, is that right? >> that's right. we'll boo here until 10:00 tonight wasting the american people and taxpayers' money and voting for something they want to have a message on but the fact is they don't have a message because they failed the american people. i think the president needs to go out and tell the american people exactly what a failure these republicans are, that they aren't dealing with this. i mean they're going to blame him for it and then fail to act. >> thank you so much, congresswoman donna edwards of maryland. thank you for joining us this friday night. >> thank you. >> i want to get back to you, david. so people want you to understand. the purpose of all this is nothing but message sending as the president said to the hard right. >> right. and actually if they wanted to send a message earlier that they were doing something that would
help all republicans, that message has now become just a message of the hard right. and the real thing to remember here is if john boehner put the senate bipartisan -- >> what's his job exactly? >> i don't know. he's not acting like a public servant. if he took the senate bipartisan immigration reform bill and put it on the house floor, it would pass with a bipartisan majority, namely democrat. but some republicans would go for it and the country would move forward. he can't do that because then he's afraid of losing his caucus. so this really about being controlled by the tail, the tea party tail controlling government. >> the 60 votes in the senate, you can't get anything done and the new rule, you can't get anything done that doesn't have the majority vote of the majority party. these new rules are killing the workings of this government. ing their you, david corn. congressman peter king said it best. the house immigration bill died because of senator ted cruz.
who elected this bomb-throwing senator speaker of the house. anyway, the spectacle of what happens to a politician after taking office. and former governor bob mcdonnell knows gifts like rolex watches were part of a quid pro quo to help a businessman. is that the situation here? and one more thing about bringing down richard nixon. the hush money. first ever, we're getting information. john dean joins us tonight with that. finally lit me finish tonight with look at john kennedy and a pioneering documentary. what a movie that's going to be. this is "hardball," the place for politics. we never thought we'd be farming wind out here.
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the fastest speed dial. the fastest office plant. so why wouldn't i choose the fastest wifi? i would. switch to comcast business internet and get the fastest wifi included. comcast business. built for business. welcome back to "hardball." senator ted cruz. you know him. his extreme tactics have angered many of his colleagues. he's the preverse pied piper who has rendered or government useless right now. he's described as the witness night gathering in cruz ee senate office where 13 house members ate pizza, drank dr pepper and decided to derail the immigration bill. but he tried to hide his finger prints, quote, careful not to be
viewed as orchestrating action in the house, even though he holds regular fellowship meetings with members, cruz listened quietly and nodded along as his guests laid out their concerns and discussed possible demands for boehner. he agreed that boehner was distracted and said they should stick to their principles. the freshman not also reminded them to be skeptical of promises from house leader, particularly of show votes, legislative action designed to placate conservatives that carry little if any weight. that quite assurance was enough to persuade the conservatives to effectively topple boehner's plan. congresswoman lee, i tlirng must be some lack of what, pride? how about pride? when i worked on the hill, the house members referred to the senate as another body. they didn't even talk about it
hardly except for some vague reference. here you have this character, this, i don't know. he shows up, he starts orchestrating the place like he's the boss. i've never heard of that happen and he's a far right winger. he's so much like joe mccarthy in his attacks on people's character and now he's bringing down the republican speaker of the house. >> but when you worked here, chris, you did not have a hard core tea party republican base really and that's what it is. and i suggest to you that if senator cruz really wants to direct the house of representatives, perhaps he should run for the house of republican representatives and then run for speaker. this is outrageous. he is a member of the senate. and they should develop their own agenda. we develop ours. >> what's his hold on these guys? >> i'm not so sure what his hold is except for the fact that he really speaks to the fringe, to
those who actually want to dismantle government, who want to provide little or no safety net, who want to provide no government protections. i'm not sure what it is. of course, you hear that he perhaps may be running for president. i mean, my gosh, can you imagine? and so there's, you know, a number of people who really believe in that ideology. it's strictly ideology. it's a far right wing ideology. it really does not believe in government by the people by the people and for the people. >> congresswoman, hold on for a minute. i've got jonathan capehart with the post here. you have a right to be whatever you want to be. i don't think people should be driven by identity politics but here's a hispanic guy. he's making his name basically right now going after immigrants. that's what he's doing. in this case, that's what he's doing. >> yes, that's what he's doing. but to answer the question you asked the congresswoman, like why is he able to do this and why are they -- why are they
latching onto him, because he's leading them. there's a leadership vacuum in the house that we have witnessed sirns 2011, since the tea party came in there. these folks -- the folks that ted cruz is leading, that he's leading, they're not fringe. they are powerful. and so now you've got ted cruz who comes in. he was only elected in 2012, chris. >> i know. that's hard to believe. >> he's only been there since january. so he goes over to the house, he's leading people who have been -- who have been causing speaker boehner problems since 2011 and holding up legislation. and so now if ted cruz were in the house and he were speaker of the house, he would be effectively leading his caucus. >> yeah, chris, and let me just say, i agree because if you remember the shutdown, he actually was the one who led this terrible debacle of the government shutdown, and so you're right. he sees himself as a leader and
where there's a void, he's trying to lead. >> then he told the house republican members to blow up the bill the other night. indeed he took offense saying the suggestion by some that those house members are unable to stand up an fight for their own conservative principles is offensive and belittle to house strifbs. they know what they believe and it would be absurd for anyone to try to tell them what to think. congresswoman that seems to be laying it on a bit paternalistically. i wouldn't be telling these young children how to vote but i did and that would embarrass them. i wonder why they're not embarrassed meeting with this guy. >> i certainly would be. you know, i have to say this moment is a very serious moment. we have a huge humanitarian crises on our border and we have many, many children who need our help. actually the united nations commission on refugees indicated that 60% of these children fleeing these countries are
fleeing violence and deserve international protection. so i don't know why senator cruz is playing with this issue and why he's trying to make sure that the house democrats follow a very hard core nonhumanitarian approach to this issue of the children which is a very grave and very important issue that we're dealing with. >> i want to go to jonathan and then back to the congresswoman with the same last question. do you think the president's going to do this by executive order, deal with this crisis during the next four weeks? >> he's going to do something. the last time he was on the show earlier this week the ap story came out that the president was looking for executive action on work permits. today in the briefing room -- >> this is for your the kids. >> he made it very clear today, because they have not acted i am forced to do something. >> congresswoman lee, i wonder if they're laying request w a mousetrap. a soon as he goes to fix the problem, they're going to hit
him. >> you know what i'm very proud of the president. he recognizes this as a humanitarian crisis. he's the commander in chief and needs to do the right thing and he needs to make sure the rights and the children are afforded the due process and we move forward that the resources are there to provide the type of assistance that we need to provide and that does not mean we don't care about border security or drug cartels, but what is important is that we look at this in a comprehensive way and understand the comprehensive immigration reform is an issue that we still haven't addressed, we have the votes for it and it's because of this speaker who once again is not leaning on this that we have not been able to vote on this where we know we have the votes, and that's the issue. >> congressman barbara lee, thanks for joining us. thanks for joining us on a friday night. and thank you, jonathan capehart, from the "washington post." up next, the late night
comics take on congress. how can they not miss this one. this is "hardball," the place for politics. if energy could come from anything?. or if power could go anywhere? or if light could seek out the dark? what would happen if that happens? anything.
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back to "hardball" and time for the "side show." they delayed their august recess after failing to pass an urgent immigration bill last night. it certainly didn't delay late night comedians for mocking the house for failing to get anything done. hu're was david letterman's reaction to their upcoming vacation last night. >> congress is now getting ready to take a month off. from what? honest to god? from what? i think it's from c-span. this was taken today in congress. take a look at this, ladies and gentlemen. ♪
>> they've got them dropping the ball anyway. but john stuart defended the do nothing congress last night on t"the daily show," sarcasticall, of course. >> when you guys suck, it is not failure. it is just you living up to our extremely low expectations of you. congress is the shark nay douna government. of course -- of course, it sucked. it was supposed to suck. >> anyway, up next, if you ever wondered what happens to politicians once they take office, look no further than what's going on with former virginia governor bob mcdonnell. powerful new friend, so-called, giving lavish gifts. for what. the question is did the governor know it was part of a quid pro quo, you know, illegal. you're watching "hard ball," the
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i'm paige hopkins and here's what's happening. the president says the economy is getting stronger. the sixth straight job growth above the 200,000 mark. two aid workers will be evacuated from africa to a hospital at emory university in atlanta. soldiers resumed fighting. more than 60 people died in gaza. now back to "hardball."
welcome back to "hardball." the corruption trial of former governor bob mcdonnell has dominated the news here in washington because of the soap opera aspect of the defense's broken marriage strategy. but it's also instructive, i believe, for anyone who ever wonders what happens to politicians who come to washington or a state house somewhere and suddenly you're privileged to get these perks and also they're meeting a host of new so-called friends all eager to help them with little pleasures. for instance this rolex watch. this was texted to businessman williams showing him posing with his new rolex watch supplyiied the businessman. and the ferrari. wearing wraparound shades, very cool and a very satisfied smile.
and text entered into evidence today like this from the governor, jonnie, per voice mail would like to see if you could extend another 20 k if possible. tell me who to might out to and address it to fedex. jonnie. joining me right now is robert mccartney and "usa today" paul singer. fill me in. i do think this loan thing and the ease with which -- most people go for a bank loan. it's a little harder than e-mailed a guy, no problem, it's coming in a minute from fedex. >> this was one of three loans. there were a total of $120,000 in loans given to a rental property company owned by bob mcdonnell and his sister. at one point and this is probably the most devastating bit of documentary evidence that's been entered in this
trial or we're going to see is this text message from bob mcdonnell asking for a $20,000 loan from jonnie williams. >> i heard they asked people, do you think congresspeople walk out of the officer night carrying machinery out of their office like typewriters and then hock them somewhere? so people have a pretty dim view. i think this is the more likely stuff that goes on. grey stuff around the edges. it's not a million dollar, but it's substantial money. and the question is why are they using e-mail if they thought it was illegal. why would the governor e-mail a request for money right in his e-mail? >> because they stop thinking about it that way. they just assume that everyone is doing them these favors because they get treated that way all their life in politics. every cup of coffee is free. everyone is glad to give you a ride where you're going. at some point you stop realizing that you're trading on favors. >> cash seems different.
>> cash seems different. this was something where he said, he was doing something for my wife. we're pauling. >> pals. >> you've got to go home to your peers. your uncle or brother-in-law is going to rag on you on this. how do you let the guy go once you see him waving the rolex watch, driving the ferrari, just like that. how could there not be a problem here? >> i think that the jury would have a very hard time explaining to their peers as you say why the mcdonnells were able to accept so much from this businessman. but if they do acquit them, if they let them walk, then what they would go back to, you know, their friends, their peers and say is, look, the law says that there has to be, you know, an overt official act by the governor in order for it to be corrupt and we didn't think it was -- >> how many days left that they
have to wait, that magic moment? i understand bribery or something like it you have to -- it's like common-law marriage. you can't just live together. you u have to say you're married or say to each other you're married. doesn't there have to be a moment where the governor says, if you give me another 20 k i'll do this. >> and there has to be evidence that there's a deal, a quid pro quo deal. i believe if the prosecutors had that clear evidence, we would have seen it already. that's the problem with these kinds of deals. the laws are written not to say did you do the right thing or the wrong thing but is there proof that you traded the favor for this money. >> that could get to a point of absurdity, though. when you're unloading a rolex watch on a guy for 60 k, when you're unloading it and your wife is selling the products with the point of going door to door with every doctor in the state, at some point wouldn't this become an obvious quid pro quo? >> that's certainly what the prosecution is counting on. the defense's problem is jonnie
williams is says there was an arrangement, a broad arrangement, where it was started by maureen but bob got involved with it and the arrangement was that, you know, he would help them with all these things. >> but this guy's squealing for his life. >> that's the defense -- >> jonnie williams was squealing as a state's witness. by the way, wouldn't you be afraid of sonny this and jonnie that? >> he's a larger-than-life -- >> the key witnesses are never clean characters. they're out there for a reason. >> johnny be quick. when are you going to get to this thing? when are they going to decide? >> i think five weeks. >> it's going to be going on that long. >> it seems to be moving quite quickly. the judge is no nonsoens. he wants them moving along very promptly. >> is this selling newspapers? >> oh, sure. we've had video down there. >> "usa today"? >> we have a reporter down there
most of the time. >> i hope your publisher larry cramer appreciates your hard work. up next watergate whistle blower john dean joins us right here with new information about richard nixon owes role in getting hush money. how did he get the millions of dollars to pay off the bug lars. we're going to find out. washington doesn't break every story. this is "hardball," the place for politics. how'd i get this.. [ voice of dennis ] ...safe driving bonus check? every six months without an accident, allstate sends a check. silence. are you in good hands? silence. we (cha-ching!) (cha-ching!) many empt(cha-ching!) it felt like we were flushing money away. mom! that's why we switched to charmin ultra mega roll.
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well, eric cantor is giving his farewell speech and now he's leaving congress early. the majority leader who was beaten by david brat will resign early. a special election, it would mean that brat would be seated immediately during the lame-duck session if he wins. we'll be right back. works anywhere in the house. even in the garage. max what's going on? we're doing a tech startup. we're streamlining an algorithm. we're going public! [cheering] the fastest in-home wifi for your entire family. the x-1 entertainment operating system. only from xfinity. and cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure.
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john robert dean iii fired by nixon told the cincinnati
committee the president was involved in watergate wrongdoing. >> when he broke ranks with the nixon white house and testified before a senate judiciary committee in 1973 he explained how the president was involved in the watergate coverup. he told them to protect them and pay them off for their silence, a conversation that was famously recorded by nixon's secret taping system. >> a million dollars. now for first time, the anniversary of the resignation, that's coming next week. in his new book he's uncovered
information about nixon's personal role including previously unreported details about where the president obtained some of that white house hush money. in his research, dean found that a nixon campaign contributor a man by the name of tom pap pass was willing to give money to the white house for the watergate defense provided he reappoint the current ambassador to greece who was set to be removed from service overseas. here's the audio tape with the president and his chief of staff discussing the terms of the agreement arranged by tone general john mitchell to take munch in exchange for the ambassadorship.
>> i just love that. john dean, the former white house counsel to president nixon. nixon is whatever you think of him. he is one of the most fascinating pretties. he and kennedy. the rest are a boring lot. but nixon, when he's in that room talking to halderman, the doppelganger, the guy that was like him, why did they use that clever language what he was saying. why didn't they say the hush money. why didn't they talk in english? >> well, they had their own code. they sort of cleaned up their -- they don't use harsh terms. in fact, when halderman is
explaining watergate he's talking about the vague other -- >> the problem area. >> the problem area, yes. and they -- they understand between themselves what they're saying without actually saying it. >> one man in the room surely knows he's being taped. >> both of them. >> they both knew they were being taped and yet they kept banging away on a cover-up. >> chris, it's clear 90% of the time they forget they're being recorded. 10% not often at the same time they remember they're being recorded and they're being very careful and they're setting a record. you know at the end of the game -- because i transcribed all these damn tapes. halderman is so clever he knows they haven't taken the system out, although he wanted it out and nixon wanted it out. so he says let's meet in the lincoln sitting room where there's no room recording. >> i was like you. spent hours, days, weeks at the archive. you had to use a pencil, not a pen. that was hard to do.
you had to dereceiver by going over it over and over again. why did nixon cover up. we're not for sure. they never nailed him for ordering that particular bright in the watergate. why is he always covering up? >> he's covering up for mumtle reasons. first of all he's worried over the initial that he might have ordered the damn break-in. he's not sure. he might have told collison something that led collison to do it. when he get over that, he next worries about john mitchell. halderman once told me richard nixon believed he was president because of john mitchell. when they were partners in new york, practicing law. mitchell left and helped him and used always his political contacts around the country combined. it worked. so he never forgave -- or he never forgot. in fact, nixon brings mitchell to washington when mitchell really didn't want to be attorney general. so -- >> so he's covering for
mitchell. but isn't he also covering for his '73 when i tell him. >> does he know there are plumbers, so-called, burglars out there? >> he knows there's a unit that was set up but didn't know illegally until i told him about that. in fact, halderman all but tells him, that's where he says their strings will run out. >> you make it sound like, i know you're not a nixon fan pure and simple. you give him a chance here. are you saying he did this on a loyalty to a friend? >> in the early stage, for sure. what i do is i just trace the conversations that come out in the tapes. i start with the first conversation. i go to until they pull the plug. i let the story tell itself. i don't try to make -- i give enough information so the reader knows, you know, this is outright untrue, but i really just let the story roll on its own without commentary. >> let's listen to more of what you looked at here, just four
days after his conversation with halderman we just heard, nixon met with papis, offering the money, hush money and acknowledge he knows papis has been providing the money, assuring papis those handling the transaction are in fact clean. nixon goes on to mock the watergate burglars as well. morey is his financial campaign manager. let's watch. >> i am aware of what you're doing to help out on some of these things that maury's people and others are involved in. i won't say anything further but it's very seldom that you find a friend like that. believe me, and frankly let me say, maury is as clean as he can be. >> i know. we were so shocked. hear such a stupid thing. mainly because if you're going to bug somebody, well first you
shouldn't bug, second if you're going to do it, don't do it in the [ bleep ] national committee. >> that's right. >> i always thought it was the most stupid thing. >> lawrence o'donnell, a big kennedy guy, his nemesis was sitting over there and had the hughes money deal he was working on and nixon was always angry. >> he was, indeed. trying to have his taxes audited. that comes up throughout the story as it unravelled. >> so in history, what do you make of nixon? was he a fraud most of the time? great man at some points? how do you mix it up having thought of him all these years? >> i come away after particularly listening to all this is that his character is the weakness. he -- there's really no moral line for him. the other thing is, his decision-making, chris, i always thought, you know, he was carefully considering option papers. he had his legal pad where he'd write the pros and cons out. it's not true. it's all seat of the pants and he makes decisions that are, you know, deadly wrong and he tries to influence the facts after he
has made a bad decision and twists them to make them meet his bad decision. i think it couldn't be isolated. the other thing is he becomes literally obsessive-compulsive about watergae gate. he drops the rest of the presidency to worry about it and had to go on for months and months an months. >> he had his relationship, china's relationship, the toughest opponent we ever faced since hitler and interesting other parts to this story. thank you. i love reading this stuff. called "the nixon defense." great read especially for watergate nuts like me. john dean. if you want to understand american history, you have to know this story. we'll be right back after this. we never thought we'd be farming wind out here. it's not just building jobs here, it's helping our community. siemens location here has just received a major order of wind turbines. it puts a huge smile on my face. cause i'm like, 'this is what we do.' the fact that iowa is leading the way in wind energy,
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let me finish tonight with the worthy testimonial to robert drew, pioneering documentarian who just died at age 90. our first close-up look at u.s. politicians in action. his portrait of the 1960 wisconsin battle between john f. kennedy and hubert humphrey is a classic. let me show you something now something truly unique, a look at jack kennedy in the oval office in the midst of a crisis. the june 1963 sbe fwrags sb int. you see, kennedy, the president, resisting, but his brother, robert kennedy, the attorney general pushing hard for that speech. what i like here is for the only time i can recall, we catch a glimpse of jack kennedy caught somewhat off guard.
>> i don't think so. it really depends whether we have something on the university. otherwise i didn't think we would at this point. >> i think it would be helpful. i think if there's a reason to do it, i think you don't talk about the legislation and talk about employment and talk about education. do it for 15 minutes i think would alleviate a lo t of problems. >> i don't think we wan to do the on out. >> i think we take away a lot of the problems we're having at the present time. >> here's another close-up look at history. justice department official preparing the two students, vivian malone, and james hood, for the expected confrontation with governor george wallace as they're being admitted to the university of alabama. vivian, by the way, is the sister of sharon malone, the wife of the current attorney general, eric holder.
>> meetings will be held in this particular area. and you should dress as if you were going to church, for example, modestly, neatly, or like you're going to school the first day and you should remember that it's a very dignified, orderly procedure, and it won't take very long, and i'll be there, undoubtedly the governor of the state will be there. >> finally, here's the nation-changing speech president kennedy gave on national television that very evening. a speech and a moment many americans, especially those still being denied their civil rights, will never forget. a u.s. president putting his full moral authority behind the cause. >> we are confronted primarily with a moral issue. it is as old as the scriptures