LAWMAKERS
LAWMAKERS
01.20.17-WERTHEIMER notes that GOP in Senate has moved far to the right, first test of RIGHT-WING REPUBLICANS in re-election comes in the fall. BAKER says he guesses things may move back a bit to the middle, says that just because there are more CONSERVATIVES in Senate doesn't mean that the GOP as a whole is getting more conservative. The SENATE REPUBLICANS have demonstrated that they can pass non-conservative programs that need to be passed to run the government. WERTHEIMER asks if BAKER thinks REPUBLICANS can control the SENATE for the next 10 years. BAKER says yes. DUKE asks BAKER if he's advised his daughter on her bid for U.S. CONGRESS. BAKER says it's terrifying to have a daughter running for office, he had no idea she was thinking about running for office. 01.22.41-BAKER tells the story about his daughter telling him. He was afraid that "she was going to marry somebody I don't like and would probably have to support". He hasn't decided whether to be relieved that she's actually running for Congress. Says his daughter is smarter, better with people, a better campaigner, and would make a better member of Congress than he could ever hope to be himself. DUKE asks if BAKER would like to run for Presidency again. BAKER pauses, says he'd like to be President in abstract, but he doesn't plan to run in 1984, particularly if REAGAN runs for re-election; would have to decide whether he could do his job as Majority Leader and also campaign. Working with REAGAN has taught him how difficult it is to be President, and campaigning is absolutely a full-time job, it's a new development that now people basically have to elect a President from among "the unemployed" [that's an interesting scenario]. 01.25.28-DUKE mentions that BAKER is one to keep his inner thought processes secret. BAKER agrees, says it's not necessarily intentional, he's just private. BAKER says he's considering a life after politics. 01.27.17-DUKE signs off. Closing Credits/transcript order information/WETA credit/sponsor credits/PBS ID 01.28.48--OUT