I was arguing that when a government starts targeting political opponents for IRS audits and scrutiny, and when the Justice Department seizes reporters' phone records, then that's Nixonian.
I wasn't implying that Pres. Obama knew about it, but that the government was exercising the type of absolute power that permeated the Nixon Administration, with its law-and-order mentality. (A mentality that has mushroomed into a $70 billion-a-year prison system, and seen the prison population in the country rise from 350,000 in 1970 to about 2.3 million today – by far the largest in the world.)
Most others in the newsroom felt that just saying "Nixonian" does in fact imply that the President knew, like Nixon knew, of wrongdoing and abuse of power in the administration. What's your take on all this? Would like to hear your opinion. One of the conundrums is that we know there are many who will jump on any scent of red meat and vulnerability surrounding the President to attack him. And it's sometimes not rationale. I'm not talking about that kind of political critique here. I'm talking not about the man, but about government, and the abuse of power – and we know most administrations have had abuse-of-power scandals. It's the old "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." I'm just sayin'.
We'll have the latest on the controversies involving the IRS audits of conservative groups, and the Justice Dept. seizures of reporters' phone records, tonight at 11.
We're also following developments in the search for a murder suspect in New Jersey. Cops are looking for Caleb Lawrence McGillivary, also known as the Hatchet Hitchiker. He's wanted to the murder of a flamboyant attorney in Clark. He claims on his Facebook Page that he was drugged and raped by the attorney. You may remember the suspect because he became an Internet celebrity and he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live – when he used a hatchet to attack a man who had run over a utility worker in California.
And how's this for a life-affirming story? Remember the brutal murders of Lulu and Leo Krim, who were killed in the bathtub of their apartment on the Upper West Side? Their nanny was arrested for the murders. Now, some incredible news: the parents, Marina and Kevin, have posted on their Facebook page that they are expecting a baby in the Fall. The surviving sibling, Nessie, "can't wait to welcome her new baby brother. We are filled with many emotions as we look to the future…."
Incredible, right?
We'll also have any breaking news of the night, plus Meteorologist Lee Goldberg's AccuWeather forecast, and Rob Powers with the night's sports, including the Knicks' do-or-die game tonight in the NBA playoffs. I hope you can join Sade Baderinwa and me, tonight at 11.
Subscribe to my page on Facebook at facebook.com/billritter.wabc.
Follow my tweets at www.twitter.com/billritter7.
