Page 744 - Commitments News Today

Mr. richardson said it was necessary to create the maximum possible degree of public confidence in the integrity of the process. i have never forgotten that. i think the integrity of our institutions is just as much at risk today. president trump has been declaring views of the justice department to the extent of his political power. he has called on it to target his opponents. he obsesses over the russian investigations which looms over his presidency and may define it. he attacks the special c...

>> good to see you gagain. senator grassley and i were here at your hearing a number of years ago. let me go back before that. 46 years ago, i wasnt on the senate. i was states attorney in vermont. i watched with great interest at the elliot richardson hearings. he had been nominated to be attorney general in the mid of watergate. he made several commitments to the committee, including appointing a special prosecutor. he promised to protect his independence. as one who had total independence as ...

Through federal government. you just faced some questioning from senator cruz about your own confirmation hearing back into 1991. i would like to to get back to previous confirmation hearing which was that a more similar time to today then 1991. 1973. senator lee he asked you about the confirmation of elliot richardson. president nixons nominee to be attorney general. that confirmation took place in the context of a similarly divided. in american history there, great it was great concern at that...

Previous confirmation hearing that is more similar to today than 1971. senator leahy asked you about the confirmation of richardson. pr nixons nominee to be attorney general. that confirmation took place in the context of a similarly divided period in american history where there was great concern over the -- at that point ongoing watergate investigation. richardson reassured the country by making some important commitments during his confirmation hearing before this committee. then senator stro...

Design of the committee right now is that the more effective questioners are at the bottom of the dais, probably starting with sheldon whitehouse on down. theyve been listening to this very closely. a number of them have their own impulses. you know, given what booker and harris plans might be in the future. so that may color what theyre asking questions of. at the end of the day, this process is inherently flawed because it allows nominees to do what barr is doing, which is sort of not really a...

Grassley and i were here at your hearing a number of years ago. let me go back in before that. 46 years ago i was not in the senate. i was states attorney in vermont, and i watched with a great of interest the elliot richardson hearings. nominated to be attorney general in the midst of water gate. he made several commitments to the committee including appointing a special prosecutor, and he promised to protect his independence, and i -- it was one who had total independence as elected prosecutor...

But ultimately, i agreed to serve because i believe strongly in public service. i revere the law. i love the department of justice and the dedicated professionals who serve there, and i believe i can do a good job leading the department in these times. if confirmed, i will serve with the same independence i did in 1991. at that time when president bush chose me, he sought no promises and asked only that his attorney general act with professionalism and integrity. likewise, president trump has so...

Know what the special counsel finds. manu raju is on capitol hill. manu, the democrats made clear this would be a central issue of their questioning tomorrow. have they reacted in any way to what theyve seen previewed? >> not in these written reviews, but this is how barr was getting behind the scenes to democrats last week when he was making visits to capitol hill. at the time democrats want to hear much more than what he was saying. they were not satisfied at that point. richard blumenthal, th...

With top aides who he picked to help him do foreign policy. >> and the whole point of heads of state talking to each other is they make commitments to each other about their policy, but if no one else knows the commitments that donald trump makes, why have the meeting at all unless there is something he doesnt want anyone else to know, which is a pretty extraordinary -- >> or that he doesnt trust his own advisers. >> right. >> on russia. his national security advisers. all of whom have top-secre...

Dog or lackey, would be a violation of that trust and clearly those conversations and the distribution of that memo that says in effect the presidents above the law, is profoundly disturbing and damaging. >> have you already decided how youll vote on this confirmation? >> i have not. i want to know whether william barr is going to provide ironclad, specific, strong commitments to protect the special counsel and to make public his report. even if the president orders him otherwise. hes provided t...