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1. So today, de facto impeachment hearings open with the testimony of John Dean, White House Counsel for Nixon during Watergate. In the ‘70s, Dean “flipped” & pleaded guilty for his participation in the Watergate cover-up. He testified and served time. I am of two minds about...
2. beginning the hearings with Dean’s testimony. On the one hand, he can bring an important historical perspective to issues such as presidential crimes, obstructing justice by covering up said crimes, the duties and responsibilities of a White House Counsel (WHC) . . .
3. the pressures that can be brought to bear on a WHC by a president desperately attempting to cover up his own misconduct/abuses of power, and how difficult and perilous a decision it was for Dean to cooperate against a corrupt administration and a criminal president. . .
4. Indeed, there are powerful parallels between Dean and WHC Don McGahn, whom Trump is trying to block from testifying. Of course, based on what we know from the Mueller report, there is one dramatically important difference between Dean and McGahn . . .
5. Dean committed crimes for Nixon, whereas McGahn stood up to Trump and refused to commit the crimes that Trump urged/ordered McGahn to commit. Indeed, McGahn told Mueller about how Trump ordered him to fire Mueller and, when he refused . . .
6. Trump directed McGahn to lie and say Trump NEVER told him to fire Mueller. These are both criminal and impeachable offenses. So, on the one hand, as a run-up to the inevitable testimony of Don McGahn (who ultimately will testify, IMO, notwithstanding Trump’s attempts to...
7. obstruct the Congressional inquiry by preventing McGahn’s testimony), Dean can bring an important historical perspective on the parallels between Watergate and Trumpgate. However, on the other hand, I question whether Dean is the best “first witness.” In a criminal trial...
8. it’s important to set the tone & frame the jury’s expectations. Similarly, in impeachment hearings it’s important to frame the American people’s perceptions & expectations. “Open strong” is a good rule of thumb in such hearings. I have a lingering concern that opening w/...
9. a witness so far removed (at least in time) from the presidential crimes currently being investigated could backfire. It feels a bit like going to the theater to see a John Wayne movie but once you settle in and the lights go down they run a Pee-wee Herman flick...
10. On balance, though, I hope and believe that opening the hearings with Dean’s historical perspective will be an effective way of both previewing and giving context to the issues to come. Time to make a run to the concession stand for the popcorn and settle in . . .
