Washington Week In Review; 329

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mr yeah ouch more revelations and some resignations in the watergate days what other stories tonight on washington week in review your as moderator robert like new dating it's been an extraordinary week of rumor and revelation and suspense in washington as the ripples from the watergate case continued to magnify there's been intense speculation here that president nixon was preparing a massive purge of white house staff amid all the room and there were these developments l patrick gray resigned today as acting

head of the fbi after stories that he had burned secret documents belonging to one of the watergate conspirators former attorney general john mitchell admitted that he had been present during the early discussions of bonding democratic headquarters vice president agnew expressed his strong support for mr nixon worked in the nixon administration reportedly came nearly to a halt as top white house aides conferred with lawyers and issued competing press releases the turmoil actually obscured the administration's other growing crisis the rich or collapse of the ceasefire arrangements in vietnam to discuss these and other stories tonight we have neil macneil chief congressional correspondent time magazine charles cordray military affairs writer the baltimore sun eater listener washington bureau chief of the chicago daily news and helen thomas the white house correspondent of united press international we'll be joining her shortly at the pieces of the watergate story had been coming so fast and from some new directions it's very hard to kind of pull it all together and see what it adds up to

you can you help us well ahead not too much iranian that i looked at it's the new credible law breathtaking series of events spokane truly tragic and also shameful what we've witnessed in recent days just about jars any one's credulity even more skeptical men in this town we still have what amounts to an administration investigating itself now we have word of the environmental protection agency head bill ruckelshaus named as an acting director of the fbi on one of the reasons mr gray was not confirmed was because the whistle on medical bill ruckelshaus is known as mr clean but he was one of mr nixon surrogates in the nineteen seventy two election when we question about it this at the white house the sea admitted that he was very politically said he wasn't going to let politics entering the listener neil would know what the senate judiciary committee with you about a thing like that while we have

so many incredible things it's difficult really it boggles the man the legitimate roeder has dared stuart mcgruder who was really running the committee to reelect after john mitchell resigned and he has resigned from the commerce department can reach the young i'm a member of the republican national committee has resigned in the day he'd been involved in this whole affair we have great lawyers going in and out of the white house where they have their clients were there talking to their clients and there's a joke going around that you like status at the white house today if you don't own your don't have your own criminal lawyer we have the spectacle of the vice president united states having the president on the head in effect in saying that i have full confidence in the president as integrity and it's even reached of the pentagon papers trial today the judge out there want to know more about a memorandum that the justice department could use that was contained in a defense department report alleging that day that the lady gordon liddy one of the convicted watergate

conspirators and howard hunt another convicted watergate year the co conspirator burglarized the office of the psychiatrists mr ellsberg and the papers that mr gray is alleged to have mind contained allegations about the late president kennedy and his handling of the assassination of the south vietnamese president again it has to do with senator kennedy's chappaquiddick experience and it leaves a lot of questions open the question i think they're left open in this town is how long can the president remained silent about this candy hang onto his top assistants as has been reported he might try a healthy mice the cutting painting house willie try to brazen and others also has been reported and finely why he resists a special prosecutor appointed a special prosecutor for so long is causing one final thing at mealtime a hezbollah the earmarks of a banana republic or a woody allen

movie pete on the lowest point you know the propriety of the administration investigating itself what they're investigating now is their own coverage of the crime morton what confidence that we have in this investigation says the man in charge of the guidance because i gather his himself to testify yet we have grand jury no we had we had testimony of mr gray that he colluded as it were with the presidential counsel john dean and turning over watergate investigation fbi thousand investigations now we have the assistant attorney general henry pearson asking for the transcripts of the grand jury prize and the white house says at that information will not be related to why not be related to the justice department spokesman says of course mr peterson converses with the president very frequently on this matter the question one might ask can anyone believe that was pretty decent we'll

keep all the relevant information to himself and my job in his future really depends upon the president i think he's exactly how grateful i think mr ackman's remarks this week wrote first thing i thought if i understood it we said we don't know anything fact well it's a little group of people been convicted seven man ant man do the details that we know nothing else of course many things have already on the record the protests against the alleged participants have to talk about them and that mr agnew did not deny that he said most of this is hearsay and rumor grand jury since the law and then said to cover himself off some of this may later proved to be accurate in which case we will have to face the right to do it but we have already on the record so much a grade memorandum there's

already been found that he sent information fbi files to the white house and so many other things mr erlichman has already issued statements both the nine charges involving if the law is already on the record what is his game one of one of the vice presidents question interesting question is what the vice president saying to his own constituents and the republican party is that i still think that the president the man of integrity have confidence in getting to the bottom of this out layoff he compelled to make a comment he said so republican officeholders from the president on down are under great pressure to come and so he was making in a way that is in the water behind them rising again as it did before mr nixon felt forced to make the statement added last week i mean now the new chairman of the republican party and abortion as service said the president most say more and former chairman robert dole was making

extremely critical statement it is the party beginning to build up more pressures the pressure backstage month liane hanson immense robin we asked about this i would like an ordinary government telephone call to come into the white house and republicans over the country well we asked that question of the year just past week but that was going to lead and sale trying to get the answer for you they add pressure must be intense in and one would think that the longer the president remain silent and more the suspicion the apprehensions of fear turned into a popular burger and whereas humans did that is a way to consume that that the orders to do that from anyplace on one i think you do have to assume it came from the white house because we already know the charles colson will announce the results of an element of this that

it didn't matter i'm wallowing for now and congress has been in its easter recess what senator ervin's committee going to do when it gets that happened since they went away well we're reading really is not yet ready to say the talk the senate yesterday and he's down in the carolinas what they are what they're fighting the watchers are carefully course with the grand jury and the center's very pleased the vigor the season ending grand jury investigation he said if nobody's indicted off non indictments come forward to just proceed on mobile browsers watergate and everything else so ever if you are a substantial number of indictments himself would be quite reluctant even to ask the person's invited to appear before this committee

as you got a similar study investigation by the grand jury as a socialist underground senators whopping forty from charlotte you covered watergate but they cover the entire election period what he would do instead of watergate if the grand jury and watergate defendants he's the only various acts of sabotaging the muskie campaign for example and also the extraordinary on financing of the republican party last year and just to report non concealed from video and that they will be moving very rapidly and we expect to make her mom would call judge record indicated that he wanted the defendants and what it takes to testify

before the urban committee is it because i have been convicted them but they would appear in animals who would be indicted would not appear and there have been convicted there is a question you can question if this case and he demands an effect as to incriminate himself while while he's facing a criminal now and the same goes for anyone dies and as various as innocent as common with homeowners to simply be unfairly persecuted yeah but theres not feel about their five of the defendants pleaded guilty but there are few but not caught as i understand it is a great honor for the earth is when people use these talking with survivors mainly administration you don't know the answer this question you ask why does senator urban feel it

ranger at the movies the great vigor there are impressions iran that the grand jury is acting and somewhat strange ways it has in that for several days and it's not going to meet again until next week in fact not sitting on the edge of her chair egoism center of my mind now in my own mind tells me that the president because of the country because of the imminence of war ii actually surprised when the government this has all come off season news has grown during this is an act that the president hasn't done much that made a statement saying that the major developments the question of course on everybody's mind is how close this goes to the president's knowledge on the word impeachment has begun to be used in some editorials for instance in the washington star paper that has supported mr nixon since such a move is unlikely as it

seems would have to come from the congress is there any serious talk there yet the question i've been listening to missionaries from says the concession on the word impeachment has come up so the first uses of wood were purely neutral innocent counseling is a meaningless words it's in terms of the authority of congress on the wrong questions really academic niche and today you're getting married the mention of it in terms of that he might not turn out is there one thing or what in terms of this big wave of indictments were expecting momentarily from the grand jury that sentenced for the meat almost irresistible brash member of the house representing the movie impeach the president

that they have a tendency to do that this has already happened in nixon's case he remembered the censors turned off the ornate know another area that's getting some talk around town is the question of the printing press is about a grand jury or why the urban community centers availability this doesn't believe in to the question has come up when president is in fact the subject of zipping not a constitutional lawyer but i have read the constitution some cases off that a president has been subpoenaed president jefferson has subpoenaed today making seven by john marshall the chief justice announce that its ruling at the time that the president of course is subject to being subject to question and jefferson without a subpoena and acted on what i would have to ask what would happen

what would have to happen to make yours central number of responsible members of congress think that this was the only course left up and then have to be persuaded to in spite of what the attorney general findings his findings is set in a public meeting in recent weeks ago the colors of the facts or evidence the colors doesn't need facts and evidence and facts and evidence it needs says a proliferation kerry says that the president has committed crimes there's no evidence of that at this time people are wondering whether the president in fact that anytime note was afoot here the cover up it's now being investigated if he did an instance a very big if that would be a temptation neil is you get any sense that they're in the congress or do you think that the administration witnesses now with congress will be a little more respectful of the process a little

less arrogant a little more willing to deal with the congress on the only in the level of amenities of america's finest thing that would give the military for making i don't think so i see the name changed the nature of these men i think this applies also to the way they keep the press i dont think there is a side of the coin is the congress presidents and why is the administration broke i think you know the president spoke in the whole religion frost being heavily damaged and they will get less less less credibility with congress as this thing presumably there's no matter of the white house can really can you describe what that what the

atmosphere and mood of the staff has been wiped away this week well he said it's very disturbing know real cry the beloved country the lower echelon staff aren't that everybody seems to be waiting for the other shoe to fall and we were rather surprised when presenter gareth been called them along with him to mississippi today and we thought that we should read much into this is sort of a show of support on the other hand after we got back then it was all of this flurry of activity knew something was about to break and were all predicting any resignations which didn't come through when he announced the event ruckelshaus was taking over for gray and death while ruckelshaus with it with the president president told him that no matter who was involved in this are going to get rid of them and but that doesn't seem to be the way he's moving ahead we can speculate of stories all week that something imminent with an abrasive and scream off the whole top of the white house when it hasn't happened that all on the other hand i think the president has to move

cautiously because he really does know you know the whole business with the state to move in and many more scandals you can't wait for the next installment reading the newspaper well and there's a story that many people feel that the longer the person waits i touched on this one i have my immediate moment of a lawyer he waits the more suspicious people are going to be about his own role in it and so on so why is he waiting now you say he wants to know what the involvement is can't you call a man might call them in america and in your office if you're president united states bob and john tommy what what's involved here and don't we already know enough about the involvement to wonder why the president would delay making it's interesting that they made great to fall today and they're like mine who were apparently was that it's great is guilty and if the story is true that means the one who handed in the documents and said you know that we should never

see the light of day i don't know i think all of us are we always expect the president to to work most unexpectedly and he certainly isn't giving us lots of course for that a i didn't think he would wait this long and it seems that there's a couch and mouse game going on if the story's true that dean really said ok i'll tell all everybody else has to pay tell all and an intimate cleaned rest of it and that the story as the story goes alabama call them and they can verify all that and i mean there certainly is this this team is falling apart know everything's been prided himself and thought on the line the president has considered brain in some really secularism broadly is melvin laird didn't go over his staff to prevent them log on his telephone calls for the past five days i believe he

really has been trying to consult with everybody that he's ever known you know he needs a few mr clean surround now in the old tried and true friends for mr assange and rogers even on the sequoia with last monday night the night before he made a statement then why i think that we definitely feels a need for friends and and today he got going on now a party given for three hundred white house secretaries national secretary's week inmates and crack or maybe you can depend more new secretary stood near administrator chicago is very telling one minute we're we've been discussing so far only one of three early intractable problems of presidents got indochina and the economy than the others what do you know you're pretty about mr nixon's mood itself as the chairman depressed dizzy glee you does anybody know well when he was on the platform to date someone for the structures inside that you do see that but i thought that he was glad to have stan astaire anyone representing the old

strengthened and ended very friendly crowd and that was very heartwarming for him it looks very tired and you can tell that he's been through this great decision process but yeah i don't i don't see yet that he's going to suddenly become the great compassion and manning and then say well now women have a mate his master on easter sunday said now look any i can be forgiven for anything i can do is make a courageous statement breakup with some of your friends and enemies in that i don't think the president about the fight that they say that this man wilson is a combative bulls who who is the working to work in one hand this is the law there was a very strange because you know ryan gives you a eventually giving president perspectives on the case when they say when you press eastleigh known for the data out there and loses their job and

their soul the station no it was very very standard method would be consulting with a lawyer who are two possible nutrition from julie rose charlie minch and look around and imagine that there is another story about southeast asia the name on the front pages of newspapers week escalated our guest this week about the violations of the cease fire and the whole situation there seem to be deteriorating even further than it was a week ago and where your work what is the situation deteriorate into that their deterioration of the moon mr kissinger is apparently going to paris to try to get to go to help him put this ceasefire back together again i leave libya joe alonso says what good fortune in a home where the

two countries have been exchanging notes about violations of the cease fire and one thing another the key probably is cambodia where things are going from very bad to much worse than a government which is crumbling is certainly unable to inspire us forces in the field fight they're not groups of little rebels are running around cutting roads and moving bomberger tons of bombs and there's absolutely no way that ended in so later senator simonton issue reporter dave to staff investigators are just been there for months who say that unless then they may have something there were speaking in moscow are willing to pitch in and help us get a settlement in cambodia the war there could go on as long as we're willing to bomb in support of an army that is unwilling to defend itself dr henry kissinger says it may

not what can you tell me what american policy what ten fifteen years they'll leg up though what many say it feels like they've got the fire i work on a robbery a bacchanal donate i feel like he's never explain to avoid them replied new york this week and he said what can we do if we can offer of threats or incentives and murdered to had to had practically nothing he can do that it seems to me would cause annoyed to reversing course it's taken my own slot this is not kissinger talking to sell is that probably the only arab vietnamization and get help saying is we're coming down and he would not be a game i thought i was watching the news that that's still clinging to the idea

of the aid group they've never let their maps and center twice a question about the bombing came out today that have been averaging two and forty sorties now bears here a series of questions and this one is just like in a sense to help everyone uses was a plane carrying and i was a comparative wells is heavier one c eyesight it's not as heavily as the various times but to me it's extremely heavy and just the fact that because of famine sixty of these everyday r b fifteen choosing among twenty four your route fifteen times a day if you buy a more areas it makes sense much of the bombing is around montana makes no sense whatsoever what a nice dinners assigned to reporters over using oil

matzo much different held like your nudge or dryness would be back next week with another washington week in review and robert macneil but not the proposal in the eighties this has been a production of embarked on a vision of a greater washington educational telecommunications association

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