Episode 13: The Purpose of the Truth

April 7, 2021

The immortal Bob Woodward takes time out from taking down a President for the second time for a wide-ranging discussion of the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and the truth.

Akhil and Andy welcome “the greatest reporter of all time” – Bob Woodward – to Amarica’s Constitution.  Fresh off his 19th book and 14th number one best-seller, “Fear” – having reported on nine presidents – a discussion of the Presidency would seem to be in order.  Anecdotes and insights flow, and Akhil even gets in some queries on the Supreme Court.

Show Notes:

Bio of Bob Woodward

From bobwoodward.com, a comprehensive review of the truly remarkable career of this American treasure.

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The Nixon Tapes

The Nixon Tapes consist of thousands of hours of often astounding listening from President Nixon’s White House.  The National Archives has processed and re-released many of these, following decades of litigation and controversy.  The Nixon Library has a useful resource which provides access to an extensive collection.

View the Nixon Library - Tapes webpage

Ford's Pardon of Nixon

President Gerald Ford’s notorious pardon of Nixon was accompanied by background and an attempt at explanation.

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FDR Fireside Chat Following Pearl Harbor

Bob Woodward contrasts FDR’s frank leveling with the American People following Pearl Harbor, as heard in his Fireside Chat  #19, with Trump’s misleading minimizing of the pandemic in 2020.  On the webpage linked here, you can listen to FDR.

Click here to access the webpage with the recording

Rage, by Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward’s 19th book, “Rage,” contains much more than Trump’s notorious admission of hiding the seriousness of the pandemic at a time when, Woodward argues, hundreds of thousands of deaths might have been prevented.  It is a searing portrayal of a nation and a world endangered by a man who, he concludes, was “Trump is the wrong man for the job.”

Rage - at amazon.com