The Rehnquist Choice, John W. Dean
The Rehnquist Choice, John W. Dean
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The Rehnquist Choice
The Untold Story of the Nixon Appointment that Redefined the Supreme Court

Author: John W. Dean

Narrator: Boyd Gaines, John W. Dean

Abridged: 5 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/26/2001


Synopsis

The explosive story of how William Rehnquist became a Supreme Court Justice, told by the only person who could have revealed this information—John W. Dean.

In 1971, William Rehnquist seemed the perfect choice to fill a seat on the United States Supreme Court. He was a young, well-polished lawyer who shared many of President Richard Nixon's philosophies and faced no major objections from the Senate. But in truth, the nomination was anything but straightforward. Now, for the first time, former White House counsel John Dean tells the improbable story of Rehnquist's appointment.

Dean weaves a gripping account packed with stunning new revelations: of a remarkable power play by Nixon to stack the court in his favor by forcing resignations; of Rehnquist himself, who played a role in the questionable ousting of Justice Abe Fortas; and of Nixon's failed impeachment attempt against William Douglas. In his initial confirmation hearings, Rehnquist provided outrageous and unbelievable responses to questions about his controversial activities in the '50s and '60s—yet he was confirmed with little opposition. It was only later, during his confirmation as Chief Justice, that his testimony would come under fire—raising serious questions as to whether he had perjured himself

Using newly released tapes, his own papers, and documents unearthed from the National Archives, John Dean offers readers a place in the White House inner circle, providing an unprecedented look at a government process, and a stunning expose of the man who has influenced the United States Supreme Court for the last thirty years.

About The Author

Former White House Counsel John Dean is a regular guest on national television, discussing matters related to the Nixon presidency but also legal, political, and government issues in general. He writes a regular column for CNN.com and "Writ," a popular legal website (www.findlaw.com), and frequent book reviews for The New York Times Book Review, The Chicago Tribune, and Salon.com. He is currently producing a television docudrama (which he also wrote) for Turner Television, entitled The Pentagon Papers, starring Alec Baldwin and directed by John Frankenheimer.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Evan on December 09, 2017

While an interesting look at the internal dynamics of choosing Supreme Court Justices in general, and President Nixons in particular, this book suffers a bit from being a bit too reliant on the insertion of parenthesis to fill in thoughts. It breaks the narrative, and makes it difficult to determine......more

Goodreads review by Lukasz on June 15, 2017

"There ought to be a woman judge. Lots of women, and it's economic. I'm not for women, frankly, in any job. I don't want any of them around." (R.M. Nixon, according to transcript of recorded conversations) John W. Dean was one of the crucial figures in the Watergate affair of the early 1970s, the affa......more

Goodreads review by Jean on December 20, 2015

With the release of the Nixon Tapes more books are coming out based on new information revealed in the tapes. This book is one of those books. The book is based on 420 hours of the recently released tapes that cover the 34 days in 1971 when Nixon filled two Supreme Court vacancies. Dean used the Tap......more

Goodreads review by James on November 22, 2013

This book reads like the strident ramblings of a defensive and bitter old man. It took 40 years for him to come out with this story. Undoubtedly Nixon had some practices that wee would not like, and the fact that every conversation was recorded hurts his reputation. But that is not news. This book a......more

Goodreads review by John on March 31, 2016

This was an interesting, if tediously dull, book. But it is important as it gives an insider account of how a corrupt Chief Justice managed to get past the senate judiciary committee while holding views not in harmony with the US constitution.......more