Session: 1234567891011121314         Page 640641642643644645646647648649650651652653654655656657658659660661662663664665666667668669670671672673674675676677678679680681682683684685686687688689690691692693694695696697698699700701702703 of 763

--a defection, in effect.

Yes.

Did you develop any, to the extent that you followed this testimony and the public comments these Senators made, did you hypothesize as to whether they were perhaps compensating for the fact that they voted for Edwin Meese, and finally came down and said, “Reagan can't have it all. We gave him Meese. Now, we're going to talk this one away from him.”

That was not my interpretation. I think they were reacting specifically to Reynolds' civil rights' record, and his distortion--

Distortion or omission?

Both.

Both. [laughs]

But actually he said one thing that was against the fact there, and that could be checked. That was a little too much. These men really considered credibility without regard to ideology an important factor in the high officials in the Justice Department. Now, that comes back to your question about Meese. But the Meese thing would seem to make possible differences of interpretation as to whether he did or did not violate ethics in terms of loans from