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Debra Oaks Coe: True leadership includes courage and integrity

(AP file photo) In this Aug. 3, 1973, file photo, the Senate Watergate Committee hearings continueon Capitol Hill in Washington.. From left are: Sen. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr; Sen. Edward J. Gurney, Fred Thompson, Sen. Howard H. Baker, Jr; Rufus Edmisten, Sen. Sam Ervin; Sam Dash, Sen. Joseph M. Montoya, Sen. Daniel K. Inouye was absent. Testifying is Lt. Gen. Vernon Walters. In 1973, millions of Americans tuned in to what Variety called "the hottest daytime soap opera" _ the Senate Watergate hearings that eventually led to President Richard Nixon's resignation. For multiple reasons, notably a transformed media landscape, there's unlikely to be a similar communal experience when the House impeachment inquiry targeting Donald Trump goes on national television starting Wednesday

The summer of 1972, before my junior year of high school, we were living in Alexandria, Va., just two miles from George Washington’s Mount Vernon. In the shadow of this historic place, my classmates and I were unusually interested politics and the current presidential election. The voting age had recently changed from 21 to 18, the Vietnam War and the draft were still on.

With great excitement I took a bus to downtown Washington, D.C., and volunteered at the national headquarters for the Republican Party to help get the presidential candidate I believed in reelected. I stuffed many envelopes, excited to be helping. In the end, my candidate won the election. By some miracle I was able to secure a ticket to the Inaugural Ball. It was a great way to end my first political involvement.

By my senior year of high school, heartbreaking news of potential scandal escalated as details of the Watergate break-in unraveled. Each school day at lunch we gathered around copies of The Washington Post to read and discuss the latest revelations. Throughout the year, students got occasional permission to miss school and attend the Watergate hearings in person. Most of us were the children of people in government service so it was of special interest.

I was devastated by the actions and cover-up of those I had worked to get reelected, especially President Nixon. But as the Watergate hearings moved forward, the courage and integrity of Republicans is what stood out.

Alexander Butterfield, key White House staff who courageously revealed the existence of the White House tapes, lived in our area and his daughter was in my graduating class. His critical testimony fundamentally changed the entire Watergate investigation.

Sen. Howard Baker, a Republican and ranking minority member of Senate Watergate Committee, asked the most important question, “What did the president know, and when did he know it?” John Dean, the White House counsel, came clean and revealed what he knew. Once Butterfield revealed the existence of the tapes, Baker further pressed for the truth.

The American public, who had given Nixon a landslide victory, gave Baker widespread praise and national attention. The public wanted to know the truth and liked seeing courage and truth over party politics. As a young person, the way these and other Republicans handled the Watergate investigation gave me confidence on our Constitution and our political process of checks and balances. I have remained a Republican ever since.

We need the Republicans today to show the same courage and interest in revealing truth. If there is no wrongdoing, then witnesses and records will confirm that and there is no need to fear uncovering the truth. It is disturbing that many Republican senators do not want key witnesses to testify under oath, that many subpoenas have been ignored, and that the lead senator, Mitch McConnell, has openly admitted that he is not an impartial juror.

We hope Republicans will have that same desire to simply press for the truth. The American public deserves leaders of integrity and courage. The American public deserves to know the truth. We shouldn’t be left to wonder if the right decision was made or if it was simply a political vote.

I personally hope the impeachment allegations are not true; but the seriousness of the allegations requires that we be sure. This time it is our national security at risk which is much more serious than what happened in Watergate. We need our senators to vote for key witnesses to give testimony under oath and key documents to be turned over.

Debra Oaks Coe

Debra Oaks Coe, Lehi, works as a volunteer on suicide prevention and is a Realtor.