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Can We Have An Independent Prosecutor? (1973-11-12)
About this film
As Mr. Buckley recounts in his introduction, the Watergate hostilities, which had already been in the headlines for more than a year, had just escalated with the Saturday Night Massacre. Our guest had been fired for refusing to fire Independent Prosecutor Archibald Cox, and he here speaks knowledgeably about the legal and moral ramifications and the probable next steps. WFB: "I should like to begin by asking Mr. Ruckelshaus whether he believes there is any question about Mr. Nixon's right to fire Mr. Cox." WR: "I think there's some question about his right to fire him. There is no question about his power to do so." WFB: "Would you elaborate on the distinction?" WR: "Yes. I think 'right' implies some correctness of action, which I thought was questionable, and that was why I refused to execute the order. I think that acting through a presidential appointee [such as the] attorney general, he would unquestionably ultimately have the power to do so." Currently there is only a digitized transcript available for this episode.
Directors & creators
Southern Educational Communications Association
Subjects
public broadcasting, AAPB, Watergate Scandal, Saturday Night Massacre, Richard Nixon, William Ruckelshaus, Archibald Cox, Special Prosecutor, Department of Justice, Executive Power, Obstruction of Justice, Separation of Powers, U.S. Constitution, Alexander Haig, Robert Bork, White House Tapes, Constitutional Law, John Sirica, Judicial Independence, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, Legislative Branch, Presidential Accountability, Rule of Law, Political Crisis, Impeachment Inquiry, Attorney General
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