Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (1/2)
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (1/2)
[00.38.07] LEHRER tells WILL and MURPHY that there is a break coming up, and asks them to prepare a list of nominees for Floor Manager for both the pro-impeachment and anti-impeachment sides in the FLOOR VOTE. [shot of empty committee room] LEHRER [v.o.] describes the order of business for the night as a vote on the MEZVINSKY article charging TAX FRAUD. LEHRER introduces LEWIS at Capitol Hill, to discuss her daily work during the hearings. LEWIS notes that she always stands for the camera at a mark designated for NPACT reporters, which is next to similar marks for the other stations in an entrance of the Rayburn Building that has been taken over by the electronic media. Notes that some print photographers are around and "bump into us when we're on the air", [camera pan over the area to shoe show the several cameras and reporters, loud sound of conversation.] LEWIS discusses the RAYBURN building infrastructure in detail, calling a "white elephant" in political circles because of its extreme ugliness. [DUKE/LEHRER in studio] DUKE corroborates the ugliness of the Rayburn building, notes that the Committee members have not yet arrived to begin, speculates that some of the members may be late because they are attending the annual CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME in Baltimore, noting that Rep. COHEN is the star pitcher for the REPUBLICAN team, and that COHEN shut out the DEMOCRATS in the last year's game. LEHRER says that NPACT staffer David WEINER has provided a report on the mail and phone activities of Committee members and their staffs. Discusses the results, saying most members reported a fifty-fifty split in response from constituents. Mentions Rep. SARBANES as reporting a 50-50 split, but says SARBANES reported the negative calls and letters he received [pro-NIXON] as "overwhelmingly obscene and abusive". Says that Rep. WALDIE reported a 3-1 ratio of approval in his mail, but that WALDIE, like other members, has received letters containing small stones and the Gospel admonition that "he without sin shall cast the first stone". Notes that WALDIE and his staff have been issuing Scripture rebuttals. LEHRER notes some geographical disparities in the responses. Says that Rep. RANGEL'S district in New York City and including Harlem, has given approximately 95% approval to the votes, while Rep. WIGGINS' suburban Los Angeles district reported a 2-1 ratio in favor of NIXON, but was not without some strong Anti-Nixon sentiments, including an accusation that WIGGINS was "a crook if you defend a crook". Notes that Rep. RAILSBACK has had to split his mail into national and local piles, with a national ratio of 5-3 in favor of his position, and 60-9 from his own district. Says RAILSBACK also has reported a fluctuation in the ratio, with weak pro-Impeachment majority giving way to Pro-Nixon majority, giving way since June 15th to a 60-40 Pro-Impeachment majority. LEHRER says that most committee members have indicated that mail or phone calls will not influence their votes, but that that has not prevented people from writing. Says that Rep. SANDMAN reportedly needed four hours to open his mail earlier in the week. DUKE says public opinion does have a role, although he himself believes that most members will vote on the basis of their own personal opinions and convictions. Notes that a couple of weeks ago, House REPUBLICAN leader John RHODES of Arizona said that he was unsure of how he would vote on the issue if the chance arose, and subsequent mail to RHODES' office ran at a ratio of 8-1 in favor of NIXON. Now, it is assumed that Rhodes would be a great defender of the President, has not publicly made a stance, and declined to attempt to influence other REPUBLICAN Congressmen. States that this must be regarded as a setback for NIXON. LEHRER asks whether it is also true that RHODES had planned to set up some small-group debates among HOUSE REPUBLICANS, offering a chance for a clash between Pro-NIXON REPUBLICANS and Pro-IMPEACHMENT ones. Reintroduces WILL and MURPHY to comment on their "nominations" for floor managers for the HOUSE vote on the Pro-NIXON and Pro-IMPEACHMENT side. MURPHY disclaims his predictions since he is a lawyer and not a political pundit, but he thinks that most effective for the Pro-NIXON side would be a team of WIGGINS, the articulate advocate of NIXON's interests as "captain", Rep. DENNIS for his more aggressive and confrontational speeches, and Rep. LOTT as an effective Southern spokesman. For the Pro-IMPEACHMENT side, MURPHY picks a bipartisan group with some sectional considerations consisting of COHEN, FLOWERS, and MANN. WILL says that it seems fairly safe that Chairman RODINO will not be among the spokesmen for the ARTICLES on the HOUSE FLOOR, but there will be different managers for different ARTICLES. For Article I, says that Rep. SARBANES, as the author, is a logical choice, since the DEMOCRATS chose him to take the lead in the Committee debate. ARTICLE II would be well served by Rep. BUTLER as a proponent, and Rep. McCLORY would be vital to the passage of ARTICLE III. [00.49.19]