1 The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign ...

Washington. So what was going on at the Pentagon was already known to everyone.
After all of the studies known as the Pentagon Papers were put together, nothing to the
satisfaction of one of the authors, Daniel Ellsberg was taking place, or at least rapidly
enough, so Ellsberg started to bring copies of the Pentagon papers to various parts of
official Washington, including The New York Times.
Q: You're talking about Daniel Ellsberg.
MILLER: Yes, Daniel Ellsberg. He came up to the Hill, and he gave copies to various
legislators in the House and the Senate. He gave a copy to Mathias. Mathias immediately
went to Cooper, and it was decided to go immediately to Mansfield. Mansfield took the
copy, they all read it first and then they put it in the safe of the majority leader. Then
Mansfield called up the White House, "I have a copy of the Pentagon papers, and I have
read them. I want you to know that." So that's the way the Pentagon Papers came to the
Senate.
Q: Well, by this period, I mean, the White House had pretty well lots its credibility, would
you say? I mean, as the Watergate thing, the Saturday Night Massacre, the Pentagon
papers and all, I mean, this was ...
MILLER: Yes.
Q: You're seeing ...
MILLER: The balance between the three branches was under attack by Nixon. This was
the main issue of governance. The constitutional balance had to be restored, the
presidency, the executive branch, the legislature and the courts had to have equal strength
and checks on each other's authority in appropriate ways. The balance in foreign affairs,
defense and secret activities had tilted way over to a predominance by the Executive. This
is the reason for war powers debate, and the War Powers Act, the struggle about treaty
making, about who makes war, the efforts to limit the scope of executive orders, and deep
inquiries into what actions require Senate ratification, the extent to which the legislature,
the courts and the public should have access to information, including every aspect of
intelligence. All of this ferment is from the same tapestry, the Gulf of Tonkin being the
beginning, the first big lie that really bothered and shook the foundations of acceptable
consensus between the White House and the legislature. The Vietnam issue, and the logic
and physics of nuclear weapons, and the misuse of power and intelligence in Watergate
all are part of the constitutional debate of the time.
Q: How is the role of Henry Kissinger seen as this whole thing developed?
MILLER: Well, Kissinger was always understood to be and is still seen as a brilliant
person. He was never trusted, certainly not by Nixon – who trusted no one. The White
House, Nixon, and his chief lieutenants and would listen to his theories and presentations
88