i know what kind of a dream franklin delano roosevelt and harry s. truman and john f. kennedy would dream if they were here tonight. and i think that i know what kind of a dream you want to dream. tonight, we of the democratic party, confidently go before the people offering answers, not retreat, offering unity, not division, offering hope, not fear or smear. we do offer the people a choice, a choice of continuing on the courageous and the compassionate course that has made this nation the strongest and the freest and the most prosperous and the most peaceful nation in the history of mankind. to those who have sought to divide us, they have only helped to unite us. to those who would provoke us, we have turned the other cheek. so as we conclude our labors, let us tomorrow turn to our new task. let us be on our way. >> with live coverage of the house on c-span, and the senate on c-span 2, here on c-span 3, we complement that coverage. it is the home of american history tv, including six unique series. museums andifacts, historic sites to discover what artifacts reveal a

this is presented by the harry s truman my very and museum and the truman the white house. it is about 2.5 hours. >> the first panel today is going to talk about truman's decision to use the atomic bomb. in 1999, a poll of journalists ranks the bombing is the top new story of the entire 20th century. beating out the landing on the moon, the attack on pearl harbor, and other prominent stories and events that occurred in the last century. the importance of a story of the atomic bombings of japan, has come over the last five decades or so, a enormous and highly acrimonious controversy, both among scholars and among the general public. it is safe to say that the issue of the atomic bombing is arguably -- and it is a strong argument -- the issue of the atomic bombings of japan is the most contentious debate in all of american history. i don't think we are going to settle it today. but i hope we will advance our knowledge of the subject and shed some light on some important issues and perhaps lower the volume of ill will at all to often has been a prominent part of this controver

this event was co-hosted by the harry s. truman library and museum. 's about two and a half hours. >>> the first panel today is going to talk about truman's decision to use the atomic bomb. in 1999, a poll of journalists ranked the atomic bombing of japan as the top news story of the entire 20th century, beating out the landing on the moon, the attack on pearl harbor, the wright brothers first flight, and other very prominent stories and events that occurred in the last century. along with the importance of the story of the atomic bombings of japan has come over the past five decades or so enormous and often highly acrimonious controversy, both among scholars and among the general public. i think it's safe to say that the issue of the atomic bombings is arguably, and i would say, it's a strong argument, the issue of the atomic bombings of japan is the most contentious debate in all of american history. i don't think we're going to settle it today, but i hope we will advance our knowledge of the subject, shed some light on some important issues, and per

and to speak on behalf of harry s. truman.t's my job to provide i think an overall summary of where we were in 1945. and to do that, we have to go back first of all to 1943 when president franklin roosevelt articulated the american allied aim for the war as the unconditional surrender of the axis powers. now, when that policy was first articulated, it was with a mind towards germany, and not japan. but in the policymaking process that extended from basically that moment to 1945 that resulted in the plans for the occupation of germany and japan, unconditional surrender became the fundamental foundation as the state department lawyers pointed out, because it gave the u.s. and its allies authority to do things in the occupation reforms in both germany and japan that it would not have been able to do under the normal international law of military occupation. so unconditional surrender, my first message is, was not a dispensable aspect about the events in 1945. it is fundamental to what eventually transpired as a free, democratic a

the state department is named for harry s truman, and there has been a bill introduced in name union station because he needs a building. well, he has a building. i don't know. i don't remember exactly. abouttalking to someone the jefferson memorial, and fdr that memorial. apparently, it is because jefferson was a democrat, and there had been a huge memorial to lincoln, the republican. there is a little bit -- when the state department was named for harry truman, the executive office building was named for eisenhower, and that's a real mouthful. i try to adhere to that, but it is a real mouth full. four-term president, and i think you probably have to go back and look at which party controlled congress. >> we have another question, yes, in the back. >> from time to time, the l'enfant plan is disrupted by some tacky office building. how does this happen? it'sll, you know, i mean, true, but even mentioning the and iower memorial -- have not followed all the ups of downs of that, but one the latest revisions is apparently to take down this huge metal curtain that would have obstructed t

the moment, you know, there's been discussion about truman, the state department is named for harry s. truman. there's been a bill introduced in congress named union station. i don't know, i don't remember exactly. i think i was talking to someone about the jefferson memorial and fdr pushed that memorial and apparently, it is because jefferson was a democrat and there had been a huge memorial to lincoln, the republican, so there's a little bit when the state department was named for harry truman. the executive office building was named for eisenhower and that's a real mouthful. i try to adhere to that but it is a mouthful. you would probably have to go back an look at which party controlled congress. >> in the back. >> from time to time, the lafong plan is disrupted by some tacky office building, how does this happen? >> well, you know, i mean, it is true, but i mean, even, you know, mentioning the eisenhower memorial and i have not followed all of the ups and downs of that, but one of the latest revisions is apparently to take down this huge metal curtain that would have obstructed the clear

in his diaries the late through pearson says harry s truman turned the irs loose on him at one time. ,hat doesn't make it any better but i think it is important to keep in mind that we have certain hypocrisy in these hearings from time to time. the truth of the matter is we don't have any evidence connected with the president, if you please. hasn't saidt anything about the irs at all. the only thing anyone has attempted to site is the ,onversation of september 15 and as a matter of fact, the president does say in that -- but then interesting thing is all that conversation is is talk anyway. now, it's not good talk. it would be damaging talk if there was something to be shown that the president followed up on it, but i haven't seen anything in this record where the president did follow-up on it. >> the gentleman from texas is recognized. >> i yield to the gentleman from california. >> thank you for yielding. >> within this field of the internal revenue service, there were others mentioned. mr. john dean had authority to work as a liaison between the white house and the internal revenu

i believe, for instance, that in his diaries, the late drew pearson says the late harry s. truman turned the irs loose on him at one time. and that doesn't make it any better if it was done now, but i think it's a good thing to bear in mind, that we have a certain amount of pious hypocrisy in these proceedings from time to time. now, the truth of the matter is that there really isn't any evidence connected with the president again if you please, which we're always sort of sloughing over here. the president did anything out of the way about the irs at all. the only thing anybody even attempts to cite is the conversation of september 15th. and as a matter of fact, the president doesn't refer to the irs in that conversation. he says, we have not used the power in its first four years, as you know, we have never used it. we have never used the bureau, that's the fbi, and we have never used the justice department. he doesn't talk about the irs, as a matter of fact. but the interesting thing is that all that conversation is is talk anyway. now, it's not good talk. it would be damaging t

and to speak on behalf of harry s. truman. it's my job to provide i think an overall summary of where we were in 1945. and to do that, we have to go back first of all to 1943 when president franklin roosevelt articulated the american allied aim for the war as the unconditional surrender of the axis powers. now, when that policy was first articulated, it was with a mind towards germany, and not japan. but in the policymaking process that extended from basically that moment to 1945 that resulted in the plans for the occupation of germany and japan, unconditional surrender became the fundamental foundation as the state department lawyers pointed out, because it gave the u.s. and its allies authority to do things in the occupation reforms in both germany and japan that would not have been able to do under the normal international law of military occupation. so unconditional surrender, my first message is, was not a dispensable aspect about the events in 1945. it is fundamental to what eventually transpired as a free, democratic an

and to speak on behalf of harry s. truman. it's my job to provide i think an overall summary of where we were in 1945. and to do that, we have to go back first of all to 1943 when president franklin roosevelt articulated the american allied aim for the war as the unconditional surrender of the axis powers. now, when that policy was first articulated, it was with a mind towards germany, and not japan. but in the policymaking process that extended from basically that moment to 1945 that resulted in the plans for the occupation of germany and japan, unconditional surrender became the fundamental foundation as the state department lawyers pointed out, because it gave the u.s. and its allies authority to do things in the occupation reforms in both germany and japan that would not have been able to do under the normal international law of military occupation. so unconditional surrender, my first message is, was not a dispensable aspect about the events in 1945. it is fundamental to what eventually transpired as a free, democratic an

this is presented by the harry s truman my very and museum and the truman the white house. it is about 2.5 hours. >> the first panel today is going to talk about