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Kurt: And as the new Chief of Staff and with the Presidency weakened by Watergate, Dick Cheney wanted to find out exactly how much power did the President have.Dick Cheney:I would like to reinstate Executive Authority... How?Kurt:Antonin Scalia, a young lawyer with the justice department who would later go on to serve on the Supreme Court, rocked Dick's world.Antonin Scalia:Interesting you should ask. Are you familiar with the theory of the unitary executive?Dick Cheney:No. Tell me about it.Antonin Scalia:Uh... it is an interpretation that few like myself happen to believe, in Article II of the Constitution that vests the President with absolute executive authority. And I mean absolute.Kurt: The Unitary Executive Theory. Certain legal scholars believed that, if the President does anything it must be legal, because it's the President. To hell with checks and balances, especially during times of war. This was the power of kings, pharaohs, dictators.Dick Cheney:This is perfect.Kurt:Dick Cheney was a foot soldier in the power games of Washington DC. But with the Unitary Executive Theory, he could become Galactus, devourer of planets. But then, it was election night. And there was one big problem...Barbara Walters: the winner with two hundred and seventy two electoral votes... we have wondered which of us gonna make this announcement James Earl Carter, the next President of the United States.Kurt:And just like that... it was all over.Barbara Walters:Dick Cheney, the president's chief of staff, ah... he does not have a job. At one point, he was a brokerLynne Cheney:It can't be. It's got to be some sort of a mistake, or miscalculation.Donald Rumsfeld:There goes the neighborhood.Gerald Ford:Well... thank you all.Reporter:The Republicans have lost the Presidency. They are the minority in Congress in most states. With America demanding change...Reporter 2:The GOP is a party in disarray. Clearly Watergate, the Vietnam war
Full Transcript
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And as the new Chief of Staff
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and with the presidency weakened by Watergate
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Dick Cheney wanted to find out
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exactly how much power did the president have
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I would like to reinstate executive authority
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How
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Antonin Scalia
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a young lawyer with the Justice Department
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who would later go on to serve on the Supreme Court
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rocked Dick's world
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Interesting you should ask
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Are you familiar with the theory
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of the unitary executive
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No Tell me about it
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Uh it is an interpretation
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that few like myself happen to believe
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in Article Il of the Constitution
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that vests the president
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with absolute executive authority
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And I mean absolute
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Hey baby Yep
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You wanna take Cole to the high chair
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Come on buddy
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I've gotta try and explain
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this thing to the people
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Oh aren't you hungry
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The unitary
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executive
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theory
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Certain legal scholars believe that
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if the president does anything
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it must be legal
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because it's the president
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To hell with checks and balances
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especially during times of war
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This was the power of kings pharaohs dictators
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This is perfect Mm hmm
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Dick Cheney was a foot soldier
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in the power games of Washington D C
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But with the unitary executive theory
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he could become
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Galactus Devourer of Planets
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But then it was election night
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and there was one big problem
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The winner with 272 electoral votes
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we had wondered which one of us
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was going to make this announcement
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James Earl Carter
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the next president of the United States
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And just like that it was all over
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Dick Cheney the president's Chief of Staff
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he does not have a job
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At one point he was a broker
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It can't be It's got to be some sort of a mistake
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A miscalculation There goes the neighborhood
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Well
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thank you all
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The Republicans have lost the presidency
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They are the minority in Congress and in most states
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With America demanding change I don't see
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The GOP is a party in disarray
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Clearly Watergate the Vietnam War
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Movie Summary
George W. Bush picks Dick Cheney, the CEO of Halliburton Co., to be his Republican running mate in the 2000 presidential election. No stranger to politics, Cheney's impressive résumé includes stints as White House chief of staff, House Minority Whip and Defense Secretary. When Bush wins by a narrow margin, Cheney begins to use his newfound power to help reshape the country and the world.
