LAWMAKERS
LAWMAKERS
WETA "LAWMAKERS" 9/09/1982 IN 01.00.00-WETA Credit/Sponsor credits 01.00.23-PAUL DUKE-on program: profile of HOWARD BAKER, Senate Majority Leader. LINDA WERTHEIMER-BAKER will tell how he manages to find consensus. 01.00.43-TITLE SEQUENCE 01.01.18-DUKE/WERTHEIMER-HOWARD BAKER, first REPUBLICAN MAJORITY LEADER in Senate since 1950's, but began his rise during famous hearings in 1970's. 01.01.28-BAKER in ERVIN COMMITTEE HEARINGS asking JOHN DEAN "what did the President know and when did he know it". Still of BAKER in earlier campaign, speaking at podium in front of large b/w photo of himself. DUKE v.o.--BAKER began his career in congress in 1966, TENNESSEE'S first REPUBLICAN Senator since 1913. Stills of young BAKER and HOWARD BAKER Sr., BAKER at wedding to JOY DIRKSEN, father-in-law EVERETT DIRKSEN. Shot of BAKER at podium announcing candidacy for PRESIDENCY in 1979. DUKE v.o.-BAKER'S campaign never got rolling, but REAGAN'S election brought enough REPUBLICANS into SENATE to make BAKER the Majority Leader. 01.03.04-Shot of BAKER with REAGAN at a Senate Republican conference. BAKER at press conference, says first order of business for SENATE REPUBLICANS in 1981 is to work with REAGAN on his new agenda. Shot of a CONSERVATIVE JOURNALIST, says BAKER has compromised too much on TAXES and DEFICITS and INTEREST RATES and the ECONOMY and DEFENSE [it's incredible that these things can be simultaneously NOT REAGAN'S fault, ALL BAKER'S fault, and yet also completely the "leftists" fault]. Shot of BAKER and ROBERT BYRD making a conference call. BYRD tells REAGAN in the conference call that BAKER has done a fine job in his first year as majority leader. 01.04.46-BOB DOLE in committee room, praises BAKER as a great non-partisan leader who has done great work for the REAGAN agenda. Series of still photographs taken by BAKER, stills of BAKER with cameras, DUKE v.o.-discussion of BAKER'S passion for photography. Still photos of campaign and Washington events taken by BAKER. 01.05.47-BAKER in office, DUKE interviewing, asks BAKER how he manages the argumentative nature of the Senate. BAKER says the SENATE sometimes runs itself, it gets a lot of work done in each session with bills, nominations, and treaties. The key is persuasion to get majorities together, since the rules of the Senate allow Senators to kill bills by lengthy debate. However, Senators do take care of business that needs to be done. DUKE mentions some other past Senate Leaders, Mike Mansfield, Lyndon Johnson, asks about the nuts and bolts of getting votes. BAKER says there's no set formula, but he looks for the broadest consensus he can find, holds regular office meetings with leadership and committee chairmen, runs down his regular schedule, chock full of meetings. 01.09.00-WERTHEIMER cuts in, asks BAKER to get specific about, for example, the first run of the TAX BILL, which was passed through REPUBLICAN discipline with no DEMOCRATIC support. BAKER says he calls meetings to fix "trouble spots" of Senators who balk at various points, and through enough meetings, he can get the REPUBLICANS united by the end of the process. Digresses, says that he had a problem in his first meeting as majority leader in his own party, says that he reminded REPUBLICANS that being the MAJORITY PARTY means having the responsibility to take care of the business of government, and keeping other REPUBLICANS mindful of that helps keep unity.