Wendell Ford: “the Senator from New York has, from time to time, come to the floor--and I cannot place it in any kinder words--and…”

“the Senator from New York has, from time to time, come to the floor--and I cannot place it in any kinder words--and damned this present administration. I think when Mr. Fiske was appointed, the most eloquent approval of Mr. Fiske was given by the junior Senator from New York--thorough, honest, all of the accolades and things that you need. We learned a real lesson in Iran-Contra here in the Senate. The lesson was that we gave immunity for testimony. Those who gave the testimony were convicted, they appealed their conviction, and the circuit court ruled. In the ruling of the circuit court--and I am not a lawyer so I take my advice and counsel from what dad would tell me, ``Get a good lawyer and stay with him,'' and I have tried to do that--the rules of the game have been changed because of that decision. It is not that we are trying to not hold hearings, but we want the special counsel to do exactly what the junior Senator from New York wants him to do--make a thorough investigation without being impeded; second, if he finds wrongdoing in that investigation, to prosecute it vigorously. You cannot ask for much more than that from the special prosecutor who has been given the highest accolades anybody can give. He even made a trip to Capitol Hill to say, ``Please do not do this to me; let me complete my investigation.'' Yet we come out here and hear the chest thumping and desk pounding of why we are not getting it done.…”