>> if i had any questions about it i'd call fritz schwartz to help me understand it. no, i think that was a fortuitous development that helped for a smooth transition from the recommendations of the church committee to the incorporation of those recommendations in the executive policies. and president carter agreed with that. attorney general agreed with that. we -- i talked -- spent time talking to the head of the agencies. they agreed to it. and when our executive rules went into place, there was i would say almost unanimity within the executive branch and the congress about where we wanted to go. and that unanimity, i think, worked for about five years and then slowly it went else where. and if i would -- i know we're going to talk about this. but i would say, our proposal was based on the idea that there has to be a separation in checks and balances. while trying to keep this information secret. it hadn't been really tried before. and we gave it the college try. and i would say it's worked fairly well. but with some -- with time, some disappointments. i think the

staff, bill miller, fritz schwartz curt smothers who i don't think is here. how did you get a committee like that? my answer is mike mansfield. he wanted this to succeed. and he wanted to set up a committee that he thought could go through this huge explosive hearing, these process, and do what he knew would have to be done to work together and sustain bipartisanship. that worked. this committee was working together. there was a single staff. we didn't have a republican staff and a democratic staff. bill miller came off the staff john sherman cooper, one of the saints of the senate and also a republican. and he had enormous prestige in that senate as a gifted staff member. and he was able he knew exactly what had to be done. he was an old hand. then i think you'd have to say that the executive branch maybe with a little time but they ended up in effect supporting what we were all doing. you have to give some credit to president ford who was not an idlog probably afraid of the concept but he wanted it to succeed. you had attorney general levi from university o

and as staff, bill miller, fritz schwartz, kurt smothers -- who i don't think is here. how did you get a committee like that? and my answer is, mike mansfield. he wanted this to succeed. and he wanted to set up a committee that he thought could go through this huge, explosive hearing, this process, and do what he knew would have to be done to work together and sustain bipartisanship. and that worked. this committee was working together. there was a single staff. we didn't have a republican staff and a democratic staff. bill miller came off the staff of -- >> senator cooper. >> john sherman cooper, one of the saints of the senate and also a republican. and he had enormous prestige in that senate as a gifted staff member. and he was able, he knew exactly what had to be done. he was an old hand. and then i think you'd have to say that the executive branch -- maybe with a little time -- but they ended up, in effect supporting what we were all doing. you have to give some credit to president ford who was not an idealogue, probably a little afraid of the process but wanted, i