David Brinkley has something to say [View all]
Current history shows the American people will
put up with a great deal even when the demands on them
are outrageous, as they often are. But they will not put up
with anyone who claims to be or tries to be above the law,
immune to the rules applying to everybody else. It seems
to be known instinctively that if anyone acquires that
privilege it will be the end of this country. The public will
not obey laws they dislike if their leaders don’t.
It appears the White House feeling threatened has
long since pulled its wagons into a circle and lost touch with
what was happening outside. There is every evidence they
were surprised by the degree of public anger at the events
of last weekend. So the President backed down said he’d
hand over the tapes, whereas in the past he argued this
was an intolerable invasion of his privacy. Other people’s
privacy is routinely invaded by the Federal Government
and anyone else who tried to withhold evidence that might
bear on a crime would wind up in jail.
It has always seemed doubtful that Congress could
actually bring itself to impeach the President, but since
Saturday night it has seemed they might face up to it. So
the President because he had to.
Transcript from David Brinkley
Commentator
NBC Nightly News
October 23 1973
This commentary follows the Saturday Night Massacre of October 20th.
As 45 slowly edges toward the day of his eventual demise he can look back in history and see how “Tricky Dick” handled things in OUR White House.
= new reply since forum marked as read
