Ex-Watergate Prober Misspoke Himself
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WASHINGTON — Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), who will head the campaign finance hearings, was decrying inappropriate claims of privilege the executive branch has used to dodge past congressional investigations, but he tripped over his own history.
The text of his speech read: “President Nixon fought his executive privilege claim all the way to the Supreme Court.” And Thompson should know. He was chief counsel for the Republicans on the Watergate investigating committee in the 1970s.
But when Thompson read the line, he said “President Clinton” instead of President Nixon. He did not appear to notice the error.
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