THE POWER TO PROBE: A Study of Congressional Investigations

by James Hamilton ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 1976

Hamilton was Sam Ervin's assistant chief counsel during the Watergate hearings. Accompanied by a chapter on historical background, this is essentially a Watergate book, using the case to raise questions about the way Congressional committees proceed and the precedents they have established. From the category of executive privilege to the issue of confidentiality, Richard Nixon got the dirty end of the stick, Hamilton suggests. During the McCarthy period, by contrast, Eisenhower's claim to executive privilege raised protest only from the McCarthy forces themselves, while McCarthy, like the Watergaters, depended heavily on ""leaks"" through a cooperative press, rather than strict juridical channels. Departing from his generally lawyerish tone, Hamilton terms those leaks ""shamefully unfair,"" the gravest abuse of the Ervin hearings. He adds that everyone knew who the leakers were, but never went so far as to expose these shameful persons out loud. And the book stops short of advocating that the targets of Congressional inquiry be granted the rights of cross-examination, exclusion of hearsay testimony, or the opportunity to confront their accusers. Instead, these demands are merely attributed to the right-wing Nixon backer Rabbi Korff, a spokesman hardly geared to arouse liberal second thoughts on the subject. Yet, despite Hamilton's hesitancy to suggest that investigations should meet the standards of a court of law, the book casts a cool light on existing double standards and their toleration by those on the winning side of the moment.

Pub Date: March 17, 1976

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1976

Categories: NONFICTION