INSIDE THE PRESIDENCY WITH BOB WOODWARD
Featuring interviews with Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, Vice President Dick Cheney and others
Friday, Jan. 21 at 10pm ET/PT on The History Channel
New York, January 19, 2005 – From the shame of Watergate to the fall of Baghdad, the office of the United States President has grown to a position of power that makes it the focal point of many of the hopes and fears of today’s world. Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and Vice President Dick Cheney headline a group of past and present American leaders who join veteran journalist Bob Woodward to take an intimate look at the current state of the American presidency and its evolution over the past thirty years. The one-hour world premiere of The History Channel special presentation INSIDE THE PRESIDENCY WITH BOB WOODWARD, produced in conjunction with The Washington Post and Docere Palace Studios, debuts Friday, January 21 at 10pm ET/PT.
Woodward explores history with Presidents Ford and Carter, uncovering the behind-the-scenes details that fueled their decision making. What is the role of personal religious faith in the presidency? How does one accept sole responsibility for a decision that may defy popular opinion and carry a huge political cost? What is the correct way to use force as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Military? Ford, Carter, Cheney, and others reflect candidly on Vietnam, Watergate, the Iran hostage crisis, the fall of Communism, The Persian Gulf War, and the performance of current President George W. Bush amid war, the threat of terrorism, and political divisiveness in the United States.
Key points examined by Bob Woodward and his subjects include:
- The option of using military force to curb the rising tide of fundamentalist Islam in the Middle East: President Carter says, “I could have killed 10,000 Iranians in one air strike. We do that these days, as you know. But I decided that I wouldn’t do that.”
- How would past presidents have handled the current situation in Iraq? President Ford says, “I think we have an obligation to be a leader on a global basis, but I don’t say that means every time we don’t like somebody, we have to go to war about it.”
- After having its powers limited in the wake of Vietnam, does the American presidency have enough power today? Vice President Cheney says, “I would say generally yes. I think in fact there has been over time a restoration, if you will, of the power and authority of the president.”
By taking a look through the eyes of those who know it best, INSIDE THE PRESIDENCY WITH BOB WOODWARD examines how the power of the presidency has grown over three decades and helped make the United States the world’s most powerful presence.
INSIDE THE PRESIDENCY WITH BOB WOODWARD is produced for The History Channel by The Washington Post and Newsweek Productions in association with Docere Palace Studios. Pat Butler is the executive producer for The Washington Post & Newsweek Productions; Timothy Smith is the senior producer for Docere Studios. The Executive Producer for The History Channel is Susan Werbe.
Now reaching more than 87 million Nielsen subscribers, The History Channel ®, "Where the Past Comes Alive ®," brings history to life in a powerful manner and provides an inviting place where people experience history personally and connect their own lives to the great lives and events of the past. In 2004, The History Channel earned five News and Documentary Emmy® Awards and previously received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's "Save Our History ®" campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel web site is located at www.HistoryChannel.com.
Press Only: For more information and photography please visit us on the web at www.historychannelpress.com.
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