My interview should actually be called an "interview", as detailed below.
First some press coverage of the day's events:
From the Event Program:
"University of Maine - Tenth Anniversary Celebration - In 1997 the William S. Cohen Papers were donated to the University of Maine and the William S. Cohen Lecture Series was established. - October 5, 2007 - William S. Cohen Center for International Policy & Commerce - William S. Cohen Papers Raymond H. Fogler Library...
William S. Cohen Papers Raymond H. Fogler Library - Presents - Watergate: A Conversation with Secretary William S. Cohen and Journalist Bob Woodward - 2:00 p.m....
William S. Cohen Center for International Policy & Commerce - Presents - The 2007 William S. Cohen Lecture - State of Denial: The Inside Story on the War in Iraq - 7:00 p.m....
Introduction of 2007 Cohen Lecturer - Secretary William S. Cohen -
Lecture - Bob Woodward, Assistant Managing Editor, The Washington Post...
Previous Cohen Lectures -
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (1998)
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (1999)
Senator John Glenn (2001)
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (2003)
Dan Rather, CBS News (2005)
And here is some of the Maine media press coverage of the events:
Cohen reflects on Nixon, Watergate years - Kennebec Journal
Excerpt:
"Former U.S. Rep. William Cohen of Maine, who played a key role in the impeachment hearings of President Nixon, said he was sitting in Lewiston watching a hockey game when he realized his early years as a congressman would be largely shaped by the Watergate scandal."
Woodward criticizes Bush in speech at UM - Bangor Daily News
Excerpt:
"Acclaimed journalist and Washington insider Bob Woodward targeted the leadership of the Bush Administration on Friday, saying the president and top officials mishandled the lead-up to war and continue to be in denial about the dire situation in Iraq.
Woodward told a packed house at the University of Maine that, based on his hours of interviews with Bush, he believes the president feels a strong idealistic "duty" to spread democracy to other nations and to end tyranny.
But Woodward suggested that the president and other top officials have allowed that idealism and zeal to cloud their recognition of the stark realities in Iraq. As a result, President Bush and Vice President Cheney have been unwilling to change course in Iraq."
Introduction:
Friday was my first opportunity hearing former Defense Secretary and Senator William Cohen speak in person, much less to meet him. Of course he is a Maine political legend, as he should be. His comments in the conversation with Bob Woodward were phenomenal. I've heard a fair amount of accomplished and polished public figures and speakers in my life, but not a single one better than him.
My impressions were of a very warm and engaging individual with a superior intellectual gift accompanied by immense knowledge (I know that sounds like a lot, but it's true).
After the afternoon event (and before the evening one) I was fortunate to be at the press conference limited to a small number of journalists. During that event I was personally able to ask Senator Cohen a single question (along with Bob Woodward, who was also present). Trying to touch on the Senator's Maine background I asked him about what today's event meant to him personally in the context of his history and activities in Maine and overall.
As my notetaking ability is slower than his ability to answer the question I won't attempt direct quotes but will summarize:
Senator Cohen indicated that he and Bob Woodward have known each other since 1974 and that today's event, and the plane ride to it, provided a unique opportunity for the two of them to review Watergate, that in the past they had always been looking forward and that today now provided the opportunity to look back.
Although brief, it was a lot of fun to meet and pose an interview question to former Defense Secretary and Senator Cohen, and if you're out there Senator Cohen somewhere reading this somewhere, I'm ready for my next question!
Excerpt from the Program:
"Secretary William S. Cohen - For 24 years Secretary Cohen represented Maine in the United States Congress... A three-term U.S. Senator (1979-1997), Secretary of Cohen chaired the Armed Services Committee's oversight of tens of billions of acquisition dollars for naval vessels and U.S. security policy in East Asia, the Middle East and the Persian Gult...William S. Cohen served as Secretary of Defense during the second Clinton administration. It was the first time in modern U.S. history a president named an elected official from the opposition party to a cabinet position...Currently the Chairman and CEO of The Coohen Group, a Washington-based firm providing international consulting services, Secretary Cohen has served on several national boards and sutdy committees including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Brookings Institute, Empower America, and CBS Corporation. A published author of eleven works of nonfiction, fiction and poetry..."
William Cohen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William S. Cohen Papers at the Raymond H. Fogler Library
The Cohen Group
SecDef Histories - William Cohen
First some press coverage of the day's events:
From the Event Program:
"University of Maine - Tenth Anniversary Celebration - In 1997 the William S. Cohen Papers were donated to the University of Maine and the William S. Cohen Lecture Series was established. - October 5, 2007 - William S. Cohen Center for International Policy & Commerce - William S. Cohen Papers Raymond H. Fogler Library...
William S. Cohen Papers Raymond H. Fogler Library - Presents - Watergate: A Conversation with Secretary William S. Cohen and Journalist Bob Woodward - 2:00 p.m....
William S. Cohen Center for International Policy & Commerce - Presents - The 2007 William S. Cohen Lecture - State of Denial: The Inside Story on the War in Iraq - 7:00 p.m....
Introduction of 2007 Cohen Lecturer - Secretary William S. Cohen -
Lecture - Bob Woodward, Assistant Managing Editor, The Washington Post...
Previous Cohen Lectures -
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (1998)
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (1999)
Senator John Glenn (2001)
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (2003)
Dan Rather, CBS News (2005)
And here is some of the Maine media press coverage of the events:
Cohen reflects on Nixon, Watergate years - Kennebec Journal
Excerpt:
"Former U.S. Rep. William Cohen of Maine, who played a key role in the impeachment hearings of President Nixon, said he was sitting in Lewiston watching a hockey game when he realized his early years as a congressman would be largely shaped by the Watergate scandal."
Woodward criticizes Bush in speech at UM - Bangor Daily News
Excerpt:
"Acclaimed journalist and Washington insider Bob Woodward targeted the leadership of the Bush Administration on Friday, saying the president and top officials mishandled the lead-up to war and continue to be in denial about the dire situation in Iraq.
Woodward told a packed house at the University of Maine that, based on his hours of interviews with Bush, he believes the president feels a strong idealistic "duty" to spread democracy to other nations and to end tyranny.
But Woodward suggested that the president and other top officials have allowed that idealism and zeal to cloud their recognition of the stark realities in Iraq. As a result, President Bush and Vice President Cheney have been unwilling to change course in Iraq."
Introduction:
Friday was my first opportunity hearing former Defense Secretary and Senator William Cohen speak in person, much less to meet him. Of course he is a Maine political legend, as he should be. His comments in the conversation with Bob Woodward were phenomenal. I've heard a fair amount of accomplished and polished public figures and speakers in my life, but not a single one better than him.
My impressions were of a very warm and engaging individual with a superior intellectual gift accompanied by immense knowledge (I know that sounds like a lot, but it's true).
After the afternoon event (and before the evening one) I was fortunate to be at the press conference limited to a small number of journalists. During that event I was personally able to ask Senator Cohen a single question (along with Bob Woodward, who was also present). Trying to touch on the Senator's Maine background I asked him about what today's event meant to him personally in the context of his history and activities in Maine and overall.
As my notetaking ability is slower than his ability to answer the question I won't attempt direct quotes but will summarize:
Senator Cohen indicated that he and Bob Woodward have known each other since 1974 and that today's event, and the plane ride to it, provided a unique opportunity for the two of them to review Watergate, that in the past they had always been looking forward and that today now provided the opportunity to look back.
Although brief, it was a lot of fun to meet and pose an interview question to former Defense Secretary and Senator Cohen, and if you're out there Senator Cohen somewhere reading this somewhere, I'm ready for my next question!
Excerpt from the Program:
"Secretary William S. Cohen - For 24 years Secretary Cohen represented Maine in the United States Congress... A three-term U.S. Senator (1979-1997), Secretary of Cohen chaired the Armed Services Committee's oversight of tens of billions of acquisition dollars for naval vessels and U.S. security policy in East Asia, the Middle East and the Persian Gult...William S. Cohen served as Secretary of Defense during the second Clinton administration. It was the first time in modern U.S. history a president named an elected official from the opposition party to a cabinet position...Currently the Chairman and CEO of The Coohen Group, a Washington-based firm providing international consulting services, Secretary Cohen has served on several national boards and sutdy committees including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Brookings Institute, Empower America, and CBS Corporation. A published author of eleven works of nonfiction, fiction and poetry..."
William Cohen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William S. Cohen Papers at the Raymond H. Fogler Library
The Cohen Group
SecDef Histories - William Cohen
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