August 4, 1994 - Part 10
August 4, 1994 - Part 10
(20:30:17) Hearing resumes: Senator SARBANES we have yet another witness this evening if that-Mr. Nussbaum will be coming in. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Senator SARBANES. And I want not to use my time in an effort to be able to move on, otherwise we're going to be here until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. I do think, though, at the outset that if he wishes, I should yield some to Mr. Stephanopoulos. Mr. STEPHANOPOULOS, Thirty seconds, sir, just very briefly. Senator SARBANES. Whatever time you need. I know you were seeking before to say something. I think you ought to have that opportunity to do so. Mr. STEPHANOPOULOS. Just very briefly for the record. I mean,. there was a lot made of the diaries, you did point out, but when Mr. Steiner was asked under oath about this exact same sentence, his reply under oath to this Committee was I don't recall him saying that, no, on the matters that Mr. D'Amato was questioning me about. That was all I need to say. I don't need to take up any more time. Senator SARBANES. That's a very important point. I'm glad you had the opportunity to put that into the record. Could I ask the Chairman, is it the intention that once we complete this panel, which I take it we hope will be in the not too distant future, we then will go to Mr. Nussbaum and we will stay with Mr. Nussbaum until we finish, in other words, however late that goes this evening? The CHAIRMAN. That's right and I've discussed that with Senator, D'Amato who has discussed that with his side of the aisle and that is our agreed-upon operating plan. When we finish with this panel, 435 we'll probably take a brief recess, or we may not, but in any event Mr. Nussbaum will come on and we will stay with him until we finish tonight. Senator SARBANES. Mr. Chairman, I won't use the balance of my time. I don't know if any colleague has a point they want to make at this point or whether they want to wait their turn with respect to the balance of my time. Senator DODD. Who's next? The CHAIRMAN. Senator Kerry was actually, I think, next in the order on our side, but Senator SARBANES. Do we go back to that side? The CHAIRMAN. We will go back to this side unless someone wants to use the balance of your time, Senator KERRY. Mr. Chairman, Id be happy to use the balance of the time, I'm just afraid I won't get through the point I want to make Senator SHELBY. Mr. Chairman, I wonder if the Senator from Maryland would give me 20 seconds of his time. Senator SARBANES. Certainly, certainly. Senator SHELBY. It was pointed out earlier before we had a break, the Senator from Maryland said something about the diaries, you know. They've been in vogue up here and in evidence and been talked about for all week and maybe before then. I think they are central as to what was going on regarding Roger Altman, regarding this whole thing, I think they're very important. They have a lot of probative value, a lot of probative value. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Shelby. Senator SARBANES. Mr. Chairman, I made the point earlier, I don't know if Senator Shelby was here and I don't altogether agree with that. I mean, I don't know that the Senator SHELBY. My response was to your comment. Senator SARBANES. Oh, all right. I didn't realize you were here. I want to make it very clear. I mean, I'm not sure how much probative value the diaries ought to be given and I think there is a certain flair, freelance quality to these diaries, In fact, I wrote earlier that it-that, well, the author may be given to dramatizing, I think that might be a kind way, a kind way to put it. Mr. Chairman Senator SHELBY. I think the author was dramatizing trying to explain them and he didn't do it. Senator SARBANES, I'll yield back the balance of my time and let you go back to the other side. The CHAIRMAN. Very good, Senator Bond. Senator BOND. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There were a few comments, seems like minutes, maybe it was hours ago about the Fiske Report that brought to my mind that when we had the session on Friday we found that there were a number of areas where it appeared, at least to me and to several others, that maybe the investigations by Mr. Fiske had not been as complete as needed. I asked specifically that the FBI provide us any other interviews that they had conducted, particularly as it related to Little Rock, and they assured us they would do so. I have not seen any response, and I thought perhaps if Counsel hasn't received them that it might be helpful to urge them to comply with that request. 436 The CHAIRMAN. I'll make an inquiry, but when you say "Little Rock , what is the reference you're making? Senator BOND. We were asking questions about who they interviewed in the U.S. Attorney's office. They had provided us with one interview with an Assistant U.S. Attorney and that interview was, frankly, very weak because the person interviewed had the wrong day, had made several suppositions that really raised more questions than it answered.