Does the President Have Too Much Power? - John Dean

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2007/10/01/John_Dean_Broken_Government

Goldwater conservative and frequent Bush Administration critic John Dean argues that the office of the President has become far more powerful than it was originally intended to be.

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"Broken Government" with John Dean speaking at The Commonwealth Club of California. Jerry Lubenow moderates.

Respected political commentator and Goldwater conservative Dean presents a view of what he sees as the dysfunctional chaos and institutional damage that the Republican Party and its core conservatives have inflicted on the government. - The Commonwealth Club of California

Before becoming Counsel to the President of the United States in July 1970 at age thirty-one, John Dean was Chief Minority Counsel to the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives, the Associate Director of a law reform commission, and Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States. He served as Richard Nixon's White House lawyer for a thousand days.

John has long written on the subjects of law, government, and politics, and he recounted his days in the Nixon White House and Watergate in two books, Blind Ambition (1976) and Lost Honor (1982). He lives in Beverly Hills, California with his wife Maureen, and now devotes full time to writing and lecturing, having retired from his career as a private investment banker.

In 2001 he published "The Rehnquist Choice: The Untold Story of the Nixon Appointment that Redefined the Supreme Court"; in early 2004, "Warren G. Harding," followed by "Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush." In 2006, John publihsed "Conservatives Without Conscience."

His newest book is "Broken Government: How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches."

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[Col316Sing]

BE completely honest, Mr Dean, this is NOT about Republicans, it's about ALL POwer Hungry men who seek to have more power in the office. Ths same socialists, who have been trying every way they can think of to usurp our gov't from the people, have been using each of the branches to break free from the constitutional chains, making the slavery of the American People complete once again. Dont give us just 1/12th of truth. There are at least 3 - 6 political party's as well as all 3branches.

[ScottLanter]

Where does John Dean get off by coming off as an authority of right and wrong?! The little weasel was a mastermind in the Watergate coverup. And, only after he feared getting caught, he ratted out his friends and colleagues, who paid the price that Dean should have paid, as well. I have no respect for John Dean, and never will.

[EasTcALi]

EastCAL

[classic14rider]

This is an important insight. The "unitary executive" notion is embraced by the mis-named "Federalist Society," which is an elite legal organization of which a critical mass of Supreme Court Justices now belong: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, and Alito. Some people worry about their position of abortion (personally, I am "pro-life"), but the real threat they pose is their support for a "unitary executive."

[Rickdeckard2020]

"corrupt(or powerless) washington is"

I wanted to say elected officials in washington (congress)

BTW for those who still dont know how theater like congress is with respect to the dictatorial excecutive, the FBI has denied congress's request for information on the Anthrax attack investigation.

'look at hilary'

correct, different actors, same stage, same script

[rckbttm14]

it doesn't have to be another republican president to pick this up. look at hilary, if she knew then what she knows now she would have never voted to go to war in iraq. now she knows and agreed to attack iran so it doesn't matter whos in office as long as its the person they put their regardless of party

[Rickdeckard2020]

I agree this is very serious but doubt that voting will solve it, as can be seen by the vote for an End-to-War democratic congress that has revealed just how corrupt(or powerless) washington is. The fact that its hardly mentioned in mainstream media also shows that democracy is jeopardized when the media is concentrated and has an homogenous ownership