This Is William Cohen’s Third Impeachment

The New Yorker Radio Hour

WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

Politics, Arts, News, Wnyc, Books, David, Storytelling, Society & Culture, Yorker, New, Remnick

4.2 • 6.2K Ratings

🗓️ 5 December 2019

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The current impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump are only the fourth in American history, and William Cohen has been near the center of power for three of them. First, he was a Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee in 1974, when his vote in favor of articles of impeachment helped end the Presidency of Richard Nixon. Twenty years later, as Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Defense, he had to navigate American military policy around the Lewinsky scandal. Cohen is now a Washington power-broker, and he tells The New Yorker’s Michael Luo the story of both sagas and their relation to today’s news. During Watergate, Cohen received death threats for what was perceived as his betrayal of Nixon, and he says that his chances for a Republican leadership position were “finished.” But Cohen implores his G.O.P. successors in Congress to put Constitution above party; otherwise, “this is not going to be a democracy that will be recognizable a few years from now.”

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's David Remnick here, and I've got a question for you.
0:12.0	You might have noticed some extra episodes of the New Yorker Radio Hour lately in your feed.
0:16.7	We had Dexter Filkins and Rana Ayub talking about India, Robin Wright about the crisis in Iran,
0:23.0	and four of our writers debriefing on the end of Kamala Harris' once very, very promising campaign.
0:29.8	And there's more to come today.
0:31.6	Let us know what you think.
0:32.7	Do you like what you're hearing?
0:34.0	Do you like getting the radio hour delivered a little more often?
0:37.1	I'd appreciate any feedback. So send us an email at New Yorker Radio at WNYC.org. That's New Yorker
0:45.0	Radio, all one word, at WNYC.org. We'll reach out on Twitter at New Yorker Radio. Thanks so much.
0:54.2	Now to this week.
0:55.7	In the course of today's events, it becomes necessary for us to address, among other grievances,
1:02.6	the president's failure to faithfully execute the law.
1:06.8	Sadly, but with confidence and humility,
1:10.8	with allegiance to our founders, and a heartful of
1:13.5	love for America.
1:16.2	Today I am asking our chairman to proceed with articles of impeachment.
1:22.3	Here we are.
1:23.3	Remember the date.
1:25.2	Today the House Judiciary Committee begins drafting articles of impeachment
1:28.3	against President Donald Trump. Four American presidents have faced impeachment. And we're going to hear
1:35.2	from someone who's had a bird's-eye seat for, well, three of them. William Cohen was a Republican
	...

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