July 7 1970
Page 22910
USE OF TELEVISI0N BY BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES
Mr MUSKIE. Mr. President a most perceptive editorial appeared in the San Francisco Examiner on Monday June 29, 1970, commenting on the nationwide address of June 24, 1970, by the distinguished majority leader (Mr. MANSFIELD). Not only did the editorial agree with the substance and the spirit of cooperation reflected by the address, but further appreciated the significance of the majority party of Congress having the opportunity to respond to the growing use of television by the executive branch to advocate positions upon important national issues.
The coequal status of Congress under the Constitution with the executive branch was fully intended by our Founding Fathers. As the editorial states–
Similar rebuttals on a regular basis would result in a better informed public, and thus a sounder democracy.
I ask unanimous consent that the editorial be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection the editorial was ordered to be printed in the RECORD as follows
TV REBUTTAL IS HELP TO PUBLIC
There is no denying that President Nixon, thanks to television, enjoys a tremendous political advantage over his critics. As the nation’s chief executive he, like his recent predecessors, gets free network time whenever he desires to explain and defend the activities of his Republican Administration.
A belated attempt to correct this basically unfair situation got under way last week. At the request of Democratic lawmakers, NBC-TV gave equal time to Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield for a reply to the President’s noontime address on the economy exactly a week earlier.
Sen. Mansfield, a man we always have respected even while often disagreeing with him, came across just fine as spokesman for the loyal opposition. In disputing Mr. Nixon’s assessment of the economy and telling why, he gave the public a broader understanding of controversial issues than otherwise would have been fully presented.
It was the President’s view that the Nation’s economy, while admittedly unhealthy, is slowly responding to his tight money policies. Everything will be all right, he claimed, if the public has patience and if Congress gives him more cooperation in passing legislation he recommends.
Senator Mansfield was far less sanguine. In his view, and that of his colleagues, the economy not only is unhealthy but definitely in a worsening recession. Instead of hopefully waiting for good news, he said, the President should exercise far more vigorous leadership to halt inflation, and promised him every Democratic assistance if he would do so.
The Mansfield rebuttal, in our opinion, was a much needed response to Mr. Nixon’s too optimistic report. It echoed our own conviction that the President could be taking firmer measures to ease the country’s economic pains. It also helped correct the President’s partisan innuendo that Democratic inaction is largely responsible for those pains.
We hope that the Mansfield broadcast will turn out to be a pilot program for similar rebuttals on a regular basis – a possibility now under discussion with the networks. Giving the President’s responsible opposition equal time to reply to his broadcasts would result in a better informed public and thus a sounder democracy.