My personal notable moment came during the Watergate hearings, which I was riveted to. Mine will surely be no one else's, but former NM Senator Joe Montoya, a quiet but sincere member of the panel, asked young Haldeman aide Gordon Straughan what he would say to the young people of America. Caught off guard, Straughan nearly broke down and warned all away from Washington and the corrupt ways he'd seen and fallen into. 2/4
Been thinking about Dick lately. This week because he did impoundments & price controls, which Trump is talking about. But
while neither worried too much about how many they killed, I think people would have a hard time believing two things: just how sleazy and corrupt Nixon was, and how much WORSE Trump is.
But a little late, after a lifetime of working for these goals, in pursuit of advancing that more perfect union. A few months before he died, I arranged for a meeting with former Gov. Richardson and Rep. McCloskey, whose presidential campaign had been Big Bill's first, in New Hampshire. The Gov was thrilled, turning into that 22 year old kid before my eyes. He was in discussions with N. Korea to return, and 95 year old McCloskey wanted to join him, for his fallen comrades left behind. I expected we'd be further along in 2024. But I learned from the civil rights movement that success doesn't come in one generation or lifetime. Do all you can, and pass the torch in our intergenerational campaign to realize the promise of justice in a government by and for the people. May all of us contribute to that noble cause. 4/4
😊 I sure did. What prompted me to bring Pete and Joan into the story. Sen. Montoya & Gordon S. would have made it in anyway. I was so young, and responded so viscerally-- against the stream of the time. A few like Pete inspired the young'uns like you, and Bill, and me. 🙏
Just last month I talked to Joan Baez, while attending a moving private memorial service for Pete McCloskey, the decorated Marine veteran who courageously said no to continuing the war. That year, a single delegate from New Mexico denied Nixon's unanimous acclamation at the Convention in Miami by voting for McCloskey. Doonesbury featured the moment for three days running. (Cont...)
It was a popular view in a time of cynicism & disillusionment, but I felt the opposite: that our country must engage, hold to the principles we claimed to stand for. As many were leaving, I was inspired to go IN, to make public officials accountable and push for honesty and ethics in doing the peoples' business. In the Trump Era I confess to times of wondering whether they were right and I was wrong. 3/4
My personal notable moment came during the Watergate hearings, which I was riveted to. Mine will surely be no one else's, but former NM Senator Joe Montoya, a quiet but sincere member of the panel, asked young Haldeman aide Gordon Straughan what he would say to the young people of America. Caught off guard, Straughan nearly broke down and warned all away from Washington and the corrupt ways he'd seen and fallen into. 2/4
Thanks for the Tom T. Hall! Didn't know it
Been thinking about Dick lately. This week because he did impoundments & price controls, which Trump is talking about. But
while neither worried too much about how many they killed, I think people would have a hard time believing two things: just how sleazy and corrupt Nixon was, and how much WORSE Trump is.
But a little late, after a lifetime of working for these goals, in pursuit of advancing that more perfect union. A few months before he died, I arranged for a meeting with former Gov. Richardson and Rep. McCloskey, whose presidential campaign had been Big Bill's first, in New Hampshire. The Gov was thrilled, turning into that 22 year old kid before my eyes. He was in discussions with N. Korea to return, and 95 year old McCloskey wanted to join him, for his fallen comrades left behind. I expected we'd be further along in 2024. But I learned from the civil rights movement that success doesn't come in one generation or lifetime. Do all you can, and pass the torch in our intergenerational campaign to realize the promise of justice in a government by and for the people. May all of us contribute to that noble cause. 4/4
Thanks for this, Geoff. Not sure if you saw an earlier chapter where I mentioned voting for McCloskey in the GOP primary that year so I could be the first kid on my block to vote against Nixon. Here’s the link https://open.substack.com/pub/snazzytalesfromterrell/p/chapter-13-what-are-some-of-the-most?r=9q9ha&utm_medium=ios
😊 I sure did. What prompted me to bring Pete and Joan into the story. Sen. Montoya & Gordon S. would have made it in anyway. I was so young, and responded so viscerally-- against the stream of the time. A few like Pete inspired the young'uns like you, and Bill, and me. 🙏
Well...a deep subject.
Just last month I talked to Joan Baez, while attending a moving private memorial service for Pete McCloskey, the decorated Marine veteran who courageously said no to continuing the war. That year, a single delegate from New Mexico denied Nixon's unanimous acclamation at the Convention in Miami by voting for McCloskey. Doonesbury featured the moment for three days running. (Cont...)
It was a popular view in a time of cynicism & disillusionment, but I felt the opposite: that our country must engage, hold to the principles we claimed to stand for. As many were leaving, I was inspired to go IN, to make public officials accountable and push for honesty and ethics in doing the peoples' business. In the Trump Era I confess to times of wondering whether they were right and I was wrong. 3/4