THE JOHN BONSIGNOR INTERVIEW (Part 2 Special Edition) A Rebroadcast of BIG TALK with Paul Gable and Guest: Former Congressman John Jenrette

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Hi everybody, this is Randall Wallace, your host for uh Randy Grand Politics, and this is a real treat.
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We've just got John Bond Sr.
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Allowed us to use uh two uh episodes of Talking Politics, and so we thought we would start out with this episode featuring John Jenrett, the former Congressman for the 6th District, which is now the 7th District of South Carolina, and Congressman Jinrett, we featured on our sister podcast, the Randall Wallace Presents podcast in season 10 um a look at John Jinrett's life and his connections to Jimmy Carter and also Jimmy Carter uh in that episode said it's probably about 35 episodes if you count everything.
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But it looks at Jin Red's entire career, his um his involvement, of course, in Absgam, the fact that a lot of people don't realize that that the government in um Washington, D.C., the city government, is there today because John Genrett won the 1972 Democratic primary for Congress and beat John McMillan, who was the third longest serving federal uh political figure in the history of the state, uh, behind uh John Thurman and Ernest Hollings and then John McMillan.
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And John McMillan was the chair of the committee in Congress that ran the District of Columbia, and uh he refused to let them have anything other than uh school board seat.
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And when he was defeated, the new chairman was from a northern state, and he stepped in and allowed the city government.
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So John Jenrett, and that's how John Jan Red got to know people like Muhammad Ali and uh Frank Sinatra and all this, because those folks were um helping in that effort because McMillan had been so difficult to deal with as far as this situation going on in DC about the city government.
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Then Jen Red comes back two years later and defeats Ed Young, who was the congressman, the Republican congressman.
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And uh and who only served one term really in a district that was it was not a Republican district at all.
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Uh it was just Ed Young in a his unusual situation that developed because McMillan was upset and uh undermining Jin Redd uh in his run in 72.
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So in 74 Young is a guy to face basically a Democratic electorate and Watergate is has just uh happened.
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So John Jen Red ended up in Congress and he served there from from 1974 to 1980.
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Uh and uh he it was a fascinating interview that these guys gave with him.
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Um and Paul Paul Gable and John Monsignor.
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Uh this is really good and because of Jin Redd, this is Patrick's willingness to do it, they did two parts with him.
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And we're gonna let you hear in their entirety both uh segments from Big Talk with John Jen Red.
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And uh we can't recommend you enough to go back to the back catalog of our sister podcast and to season ten.
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And and then if you get a chance to get a copy of Congressman Jin Red.
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It's a book.
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It was actually written by um two of his aides, John Clark and uh Mrs.
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Van Syden.
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Um and uh it it's the rise and fall, improbable rise and fall of John Jen Reddit is a great, great book.
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And it's really one of the few sources that talk about all the good things that John Jin Redd did, and not just the game that brought him down.
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But with this, I tell you the big talk the grandfather of all political talk shows here in Ory County with Paul Gable and John Bond Senior.
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And there he has John Jen Redd.
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I'm here with my good friend and co-host John Bond Senior.
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Thank you.
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And today at the Brothers Grill at 5900 North Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, we are welcoming former U.S.
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Congressman John Jenrett, a true legend.
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We'll be back in a moment.
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Who uh both Democrats and Republicans in this state will tell you that was the most talented politician that South Carolina ever produced.
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John, let me ask you something.
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You grew up in the little town of Loris, which is even littler than when I lived in it.
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How did a guy, a poor kid, from a small town in rural South Carolina, wind up in the U.S.
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Capitol?
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Well, I think probably going back to it, I remember the first job I had, and it was here in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, that I had it, and it was a horse racetra.
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We had never had, nobody knew about it, but where all the places are uptown right now, the banks are.
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At one time that was a racetrack.
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Wealthy people from north would come down, and so I got a job early on, and my job was picking up manure.
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And so that's where I decided.
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But if I I leave Lloyd, it's a little pick up manure, but it's not good.
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And I guess that helped me get started.
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It didn't change a lot when you got to Washington.
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I don't know if I'm gonna have that.
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I was I was blessed to uh to have a have a family that uh that wanted me to explore things, and I I did, and I after that I became uh lifeguard here in Myrtle Beach.
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And uh by the way, my whole lifeguard, ten years or so at lifeguard off and on, and one day I saved two lives, but I never had a chance to do it again, and most people said I wasn't a good swimmer.
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But I have I've had some some great experiences, and Loris has been a part of my life very much, and I just uh am so happy and I'm happy to be here with you, you gentlemen, as and talk about some things that uh I've enjoyed in in my life, and uh without uh Loris, I probably never would have, and certainly without the horses, I never would have been able to do it.
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This is your book here.
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Capital Steps and Miss Steps.
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But however, it's in the book.
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So what can we say?
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Don uh I I I've heard you before um speaking, uh, and you talk about you and your roommate Don Fowler at Waffle College.
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Don Don, of course, went on to become uh chairman of the uh Democratic National Committee, right?
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And his wife uh became uh chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Committee.
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But but you always said that Don graduated cum laude, and you graduated thank the laudie, and that did that explain your whole uh academic career?
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Well a little bit a little bit different, let's say Don, I said Don, you graduated thank the Laudie and I graduated, I mean you graduated cum cum laudie and I graduated thank the law.
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But then then you went on to you went on to law school at USC, yeah, and uh and then you came back here to practice, and that kind of that was your entree into politics.
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Will you tell us about that?
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Yes, I I remember it very well.
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When when I got to North World Beach Ocean Drive at that time, uh there was one other attorney there, but there weren't many people that had money to pay.
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So what I happened to have when I got my little office going, I had a gorgeous wife and a little child daughter, and so we didn't make much money, but the people came up, they had fish, they had all kind of everything they had, all kind of vegetables and all to give me, but they didn't have much money.
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And after a while it got to be where I was in some trouble and I needed to have have uh some money, so I didn't know what to do with the situation, so I decided that that uh the the attorneys that at this time in the life of South Carolina, the attorneys could not uh advertise.
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You couldn't advertise at all like they do now.
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So what at that time, in order to be in an office, I thought that the best thing I could do was run for a position, and I did.
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And blessed my heart, I couldn't believe it.
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But I won! I won to try and make take care of my family with food.
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I won, and so from that I got my interest in politics, and I went from that to uh as as you know now, I went to the legislature of South Carolina.
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I did a what year was that when you first started?
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Well let's see, I'm so old now I can't remember.
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Come on, you're gonna be.
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I was 28 when I was in the state legislature.
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62?
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I was like, I was in the state legislature, and from that I went uh went to the first thing I did, I guess, was to John F.
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Kennedy asked me to be.
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You were also the chairman, weren't you?
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Because you got the most votes.
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That's the important thing.
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I've got about you're known for bridges.
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I was the general's known for bridges here in Ory County.
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When I won the the place in from the uh earlier, that we what we had was whoever had the most votes would be the chairman.
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Right.
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And I was 28, and there were five guys there that were in the 50s and 60s and everything, but I enjoyed it.
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I took over and and I did some things that we hadn't done before.
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I did some roads and things that went on, but that was an interesting part.
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I went in to take care of my family, and I came out as a as a as a member of the United States out of the legislature and enjoyed that.
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And one of my first things was the Kennedys invited me to be John F.
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Kennedy's uh youth advisor in in South Carolina, and that's the last time we won election was when I was heading up to lose.
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I wish I could take credit for all of it, but it was a great.
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But you got to tell us earlier stories about you, about the bridges and how hold that thought a second.
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We got to cut so our advertisers can have their say.
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Everybody else, welcome back.
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We're talking with John Jenripp, and frankly, we're in kind of the early days of his uh legislative career in the South Carolina General Assembly.
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But but let me go back just so people understand.
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When you were elected and you got the most votes, and and you became chairman of the legislative delegation out of here, there was no county council.
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You guys were the county council.
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We were the county council.
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And uh and you had the one senator, James Paul Stevens, that kind of acted as chairman of the county council, right?
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But you guys, yeah, the whole county, yeah, Mr.
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Chairman.
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But any question about that.
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He was a cousin, but he he sure took over.
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And thank uh he taught me an awful lot, and I blessed to have known him.
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Tell us a little bit about how you guys ran the county before there was a county council.
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Well, I guess I guess the uh what what we tried to do after we started was that we would try to get the monies that we accumulated, we would try to get it to each of the members in a certain area so that we could do X VR, do Y there and get the things going.
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And it it would before that it had been just waiting to see what was gonna happen, what was happening.
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And as as chair, I said, man, we I'm I'm too old at 28 to be here too long, we got to get some things going.
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So we we started building and building roads, we built bridges, we did things that brought people to the beach.
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You know, in the early years, we had a drawbridge.
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It here in in in in North Myrtle Beach and in Myrtle Beach, we had draw bridges, and if you if a if if a if a boat was coming down, people would have to sit here for an hour almost to get over to see where we had money, needed money.
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So we had to change that.
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So we had to start making some moves on making it.
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We started blocking some of the boats that came through, and they had to come by at a certain time of the day, which were one of the first things that we got going.
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But that put us into some businesses and people that were coming in.
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My father, we were farmers, and I would bring daddy down and ask him, said, Daddy, let's let's let's buy some land here.
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He said, son, you can't be you you can't grow a darn thing here.
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Any thing you can grow on the beach.
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You can't grow anything.
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Why am I gonna spend money and I can't grow a thing?
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So that was a so what you're telling us is your father didn't foresee the growing of uh hotels and condos on the ocean front that sold that that went for a whole bunch of money each night.
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It was it was but that was true of Ory County residents in general.
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I mean Myrtle Beach was a forgotten place.
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Absolutely.
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Myrtle Beach, we went way back when I was a lifeguard, when things, when day came along, uh Memorial Day, we would go to the one place, the voting alley, we would get the voting balls, and we'd go down Main Street and roll the voting balls down Main Street because there was nothing else to do.
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Really?
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We'd hadn't had balls like that.
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We didn't have balls like that, but we that was the time we got to play, and that was a part of it.
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And that went down to North Myrtle Beach, and you know, there were four little towns in North Myrtle Beach at that time.
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And all of them, all of them ran around, had uh mayors and all to each one.
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And being in the chair, in the chair as I was in, it was a tough time trying to handle those guys on the side.
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I mean, that was their business.
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Uh, and I remember them uh all of them uh just just as good, and they were so happy when I got elected.
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They wanted me to get the hell out of there.
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Tell us the episode with uh the judge over in Conway.
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Oh my god.
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Judge in Conway was Bubba, he was really tough on you, wasn't he?
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Judge Bubba Ness was a dear, dear, dear friend, but when when uh I was the fraction lawyers, I went back, we still had to draw bridges.
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And either, and I was in there, I had to go over a bridge.
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And it had to be a drawbridge at that part of time.
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And sometimes I'd have to wait an hour or so when I was supposed to be in court, I'd have to wait because I didn't have a way to go.
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And Bob and S, being the judge he was, when I finally got to court one day, he had the office secretary come up there and they wrote up an order for me to be there on time.
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Period.
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Didn't give a damn what you didn't give a damn how I got there.
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I just had to be, I had to be there.
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So it was became an interesting thing, and at that time, uh I I I had I'm still doing uh uh legislative stuff, and in that time we had some money that we could do.
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So I started, it was a uh Highway 17 out here now was on the other side, was a a log log road pulling out tree trips or logs.
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And so I got over there and I started having he he told me to get my butt over there, so I had started by putting rocks and all on that dry on that dirt road in order to get to court in time.
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And then finally everybody started building out there, and it turned out that way.
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But it was an interesting experience for me because every day I'd walk in there, he'd have that girl with having that thing saying, Judge said for you supposed to be here, and you're late again.
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Bubba Ness.
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Wow, what an well with the Bubba Ness story.
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Well, again, it's time for us to take a short break.
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We'll be back in a moment.
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We've talked about John Jen Rettin's early years in politics, and now I want to go a little bit to how you decided to run for Congress, the U.S.
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Congress.
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What brought you to that decision?
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I I guess uh I guess I thought that the gentleman that was then the Congressman from Ori County and from this area of the uh 10 counties had been there about 30 years, and during during a good bit of that time, I had been his top person in in this county, and he kept telling me that uh I'm gonna run one more term and then you can take over one more term and you can take over one more term and you can take over.
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Well, I got tired of taking over.
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I got tired of taking over like he did.
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So I told him, I said, I'm just Mr.
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Mac, uh I just uh don't think that that you're doing me right because you said it and I've taken you and doing everything you've ever wanted me to do, and said I'm gonna run.
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He said, Huh, man, what do you mean?
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You're wasting your time.
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You're wasting time.
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Don't do that, John said, I'll promise you next year.
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I said, Mr.
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John, you've been pretty promised.
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Buffalo's name John now, but he said, I've been you've been promising me that four years, and I'm gonna run.
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Anyway, it it it got to be that that uh he had the money.
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I had a a strong African-American troop group that before me.
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I've been the chairman of an of a uh of a couple of clubs, and I was commander of the National Guards here in in this county.
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And it was that group of people that got together to help me, and and uh my wife was uh was very good.
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I had a lot of people around the beach and all, and I decided that we could win, and it was a hard work.
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We finally did, it was a massive thing.
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Uh we had uh courts all for a month or two because it was all undecided, we never knew for months whether or not won or not.
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But I I was successful at the end, and it brought about a change in the community.
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And I think one of my one of my African-American friends tells this statement about it said, John Jenrett is not the only congressman the six districts ever had.
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But excuse me, but John Jenrett is the only congressman some people in this district ever had.
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But to take on an incumbent like Mr.
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McMillan, you as a young whippersnapper, young attorney, you say you attack him, you you you run against him.
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What did you beat him by?
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What what was the uh results?
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Was it close?
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Was it big or yes?
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Yeah, oh it was less than a thousand votes.
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Less than a thousand.
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Yeah.
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And he must have been devastated that you beat him.
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Couldn't believe it.
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Because you're telling you not to not to run, you're not gonna get anywhere.
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I have all this money.
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Sent me letters, sent me letters all all the time.
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And now your desired you your desire was to go forward because you wanted to represent the people, and you didn't you didn't think he was doing that.
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Is that correct?
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That was that let me just wipe this off a little bit a little bit.
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I couldn't, thank you.
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I couldn't have said that any better.
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Well, no, of course not.
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But however, tell you you've uh have such vast experience you go uh to the war with the uh Israelis and the Arabs in 1973, you butt heads heads with the uh Secretary of Agriculture at that time, Earl Butts, who was a really tough guy, and didn't was a no-nonsense guy, and you there you are, a congressman, you butt heads with him.
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Then you go on from that and you get to Jimmy Carter, and you have an interesting story about Jimmy Carter, so you just have such a vast, vast experience.
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I'm sitting here and I'm eating this delicious breakfast, and at the same time says, Why am I eating this breakfast when John has such interesting antidotes to tell us?
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Tell us about it.
00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:33.200
Tell us your Jimmy Carter story.
00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:34.160
Jimmy Carter.
00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:46.079
I uh when I was I was had been in Congress and uh Jimmy Carter uh came to have do a lunch for me in Florence, South Carolina.
00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:52.319
And he was he had been the he had been the head of the governor's conference before.
00:20:52.559 --> 00:21:00.480
And we had a lunch in in uh Florence and I put him in my little airplane and we were flying to Florence from Florence to Myrtle Beach.
00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:04.640
We were gonna have a dinner that night at Pine Lakes Country Club.
00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:06.160
And this is when he was running for president.
00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:08.559
Yeah, he was running for president, but no, he hadn't told anybody.
00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:09.680
This is a story part.
00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:17.920
When he came, when we got in the airplane with me and we got up in the air, he said, John, I'm gonna tell you something I haven't told anybody except my family.
00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:20.880
He said, I'm gonna run for president.
00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:34.640
And uh we were at 3,000 feet as I recalled it, something about that, that height, then all of a sudden, uh uh uh I look around, I'm looking at him, and I'm he's looking at me kind of strange, and I wonder why.
00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:37.680
And he said, John, John, we're low, we're going down.
00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:41.279
So I dropped about three, I dropped about 1,500 feet.
00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:46.880
Just with the shock of him telling you this one for president.
00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:47.279
Yeah.
00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:57.680
So uh he pulled me, I pulled back up and everything was fine, but even to this day, when I run into him or he calls me or vice versa, he said, What?
00:21:57.920 --> 00:21:58.799
Did you pull up?
00:21:58.960 --> 00:21:59.599
Did you pull up?
00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:04.319
And that's the way it was.
00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:18.960
But from that, uh I I I led the his his uh I was his first member of Congress to endorse Jimmy Carter, uh became one of his top people, and I had uh absolute uh wide open to the White House.
00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:29.599
I say that with great honor because he let gave me do things and wanted me to have an office, but by the legislative times you cannot take an office there in the White House.
00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:29.920
Right.
00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:33.920
But uh I he was very nice to give me all kinds of things.
00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:44.319
And one time I I voted against him, and uh I don't know which of us cried the most, but it was a hard thing because he he wanted something and I didn't think uh it would help us.
00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:59.279
So but anyway, he's he's a great person, and uh people now know more better than they did before what he really what he really did and how much he's helped America, and I'm honored that I've had opportunity to work with him.
00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:00.319
Well, thank you, John.
00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:04.960
Again, it's time for us to take a short break, and we'll come back with some more Washington stories.
00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:06.240
Welcome back.
00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:08.319
We uh we have John Genret here.
00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:14.799
He's been talking about his time in the South Carolina legislature, but more importantly, his time as a congressman in Washington.
00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:16.400
And let me say this.
00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:25.359
I I I know I read someplace uh reading your background before I ever did that profile on you, but way back in 2000 or 2001, whenever we did that.
00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:36.559
Um Rita, your second wife, and the one that you met in Washington in Wyatt, Rita said that going around with John Jenrett was like going around with a rock star at that time.
00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:40.880
I mean, there was that much, there was that much notoriety, there was that much press interest.
00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:42.079
You know what I'm saying?
00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:44.079
And let's let's take it there.
00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:47.119
Tell us the story about you and the meeting with the Shaw of Iran.
00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:50.319
Well, first let me tell you about Rita.
00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:50.880
Okay.
00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:55.759
Rita was a was a Republican.
00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:11.119
And she came to from Texas, as Miss Texas, she came to uh Washington because that year 74 freshman Democrats were elected and 23 Republicans.
00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:17.039
Jack Kemp was char head of the Republicans, and I had the 74 freshman Democrats.
00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:17.599
Wow.
00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:33.599
And they brought Rita in to do to do uh to look at look after everything, and I think it's called uh uh anyway, she her job was to take care of uh the 74 freshman Democrats, i.e.
00:24:33.839 --> 00:24:53.440
by checking on everything they did, pulling all the stuff up, and it's called uh, I f I apologize, but anyway, there's a name for it, and so she had this whole thing that she was working to make sure that 74 freshmen Democrats were not did not do like they were wanted to do, i.e., anything that they did wrong, she was able to put it in and all.
00:24:53.519 --> 00:25:07.519
So anyway, I had uh uh a freshman member with me, and we flipped the coin to see who would who would uh make sure that she didn't didn't do right with us.
00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:17.039
And I won, I guess, because we started dating, and if and the Republican five people found out we were dating, so they fired her.
00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:26.319
And uh so we decided to get married, and we had uh she was miss, she was Miss Clairol at the time.
00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:28.559
She traveled the world with Clairol.
00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:33.839
Uh she just did a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, beautiful lady.
00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:36.799
Uh it was a great, great experience.
00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:38.640
Did you help her with Clairol?
00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:40.400
Did you help her to that title?
00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:40.799
I think.
00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:42.480
You must have a little influence.
00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:43.519
Didn't you have a little influence?
00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:48.400
She had she she was in New York and I would go with her sometime, and they didn't fix my hair.
00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:50.400
But didn't have to be a good one.
00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:51.200
Well, let me let me ask you.
00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:57.359
Did the uh did the show of Iran want to meet you or did he actually want to meet Rita?
00:25:57.759 --> 00:25:58.079
Both.
00:25:58.240 --> 00:25:59.920
Oh, he wanted to meet Rita for sure.
00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:09.279
An interesting thing with the Shaw of Iran, uh, we we some of us were there as his guests, and uh Were you in Iran?
00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:15.920
In Iran, we were we were his guests, and uh they did not it involve an alcohol.
00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:26.160
We had we had a few drinks waiting on the party, but when when uh we were waiting on the shawl, they would bring out a a plate of block of ice.
00:26:39.359 --> 00:26:41.119
Welcome to Talking Politics.
00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:42.319
I am Paul Gable.
00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:45.119
I'm here with my good friend and co-host John Bond Sr.
00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:48.960
And we're back for our second show with Congressman John Genrett.
00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:57.759
He there's too much to talk about with John to compress it all into 23 minutes, so we decided to do two shows, and we're here back with Park Till.
00:26:58.000 --> 00:26:59.279
We'll be back in a moment.
00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:09.119
Let me ask you.
00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:15.359
Did the uh did the Shaw of Iran want to meet you or did he actually want to meet Rita?
00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:16.000
Both.
00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:17.839
Oh, he wanted to meet Rita for sure.
00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:27.279
An interesting thing with the Shaw of Iran, uh, we we some of us were there as his guests, and uh Were you in Iran?
00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:33.920
In Iran, we were we were his guest, and uh they did not it in involving alcohol.
00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:44.160
We had we had a few drinks waiting on the party, but when when uh we were waiting on the shawl, they would bring out a a plate of block of ice.
00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:56.480
Oh and in the little holes in the ice would be vodka or whatever that had had, and on the front of the front of the block of ice was the shawl's uh silk, coat of arms.
00:27:56.640 --> 00:27:57.119
Coat of arms.
00:27:57.359 --> 00:27:58.000
Coat of arms.
00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:11.759
And I remember everybody was talking and he and he was coming in down the road, and some and one of the people of the people came and looked at me and saw a little piece of ice, water, coming along over his position.
00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:25.680
He pulled the thing out, ran and got another one for me just as the shawl was sitting down, which meant I had alcohol in front of me at that time because the guy, the gentleman did it, but you know, he had to put it back in before the shawl got there.
00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:29.599
And we got to be friends from that, and then he he he lost, went out.
00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:32.079
You remember everybody knows about what happened, I think, at that time.
00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:32.880
The revolutionary.
00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:48.400
I don't know if it what if I had anything to do with it or not, but his wife, after he died, came to Columbia, South Carolina, bought a place, and spent thousands and thousands and millions of dollars for the University of South Carolina.
00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:49.039
I didn't know.
00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:54.640
But it was your friend Jimmy Carter that got uh uh got him to leave uh Iran.
00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:55.039
That's right.
00:28:55.359 --> 00:28:56.480
Told him to abdicate.
00:28:56.640 --> 00:29:08.559
Yes, yes, and they bring the guy from uh France uh into uh Iran, and he's the one, the uh Ayatollah, yeah, that caused all of the problems.
00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:09.200
Yes, that was.
00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:16.960
However, he played the uh wrong cards.
00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:18.480
You know, you talk about this now.
00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:31.279
John was over on on trips to to be with the Shaw when and the Shaw was, of course, our other than Israel, he was our number one uh certainly uh Muslim ally in the area.
00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:50.480
When the Shaw got bounced out in 1979, and they ultimately took the hostages towards the end of 1979, it was another Ory County guy, Lieutenant General Vaught, who was put in charge of the rescue of those hostages.
00:29:50.799 --> 00:29:51.200
That's right.
00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:55.440
I mean, you talk about this tiny little Orie County, South Carolina.
00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:58.000
Vaught came from Conway, you came from Lawrence.
00:29:58.079 --> 00:30:06.880
There ain't 10,000 people today total between those two towns, and yet that's the the impact that this county has had on U.S.
00:30:06.880 --> 00:30:07.200
politics.
00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:09.519
Well, how long did it take you to write this book?
00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:11.039
This is a fascinating book.
00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:13.440
It's uh Capital Steps and Missteps.
00:30:13.519 --> 00:30:21.119
Here's here's a book here by Well, it says the wild and improbable ride of Congressman John Jin Rett, and I guess that's a fair statement, isn't it?
00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:24.960
But before we get into that, let me say one thing.
00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:28.079
I've I've neglected mentioning it, I should have mentioned it.
00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:35.359
On John's card, he has this statement until you have done something for humanity, you should be ashamed to die.
00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:37.359
And I think you lived by that when you were there.
00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:40.480
You tried to help humanity.
00:30:40.559 --> 00:30:45.680
You wasn't you you weren't in there for just a couple of big oil men or whatever the case may be.
00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:48.480
You tried to help the average guy when you were in Congress.
00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:51.279
That's the only people I really knew.
00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:53.200
Damn it, guys.
00:30:53.279 --> 00:31:02.480
Yeah, it was it's been uh it's been wonderful that I I've had some of the opportunities to help people, and and now it's my charge every every day, every time I could help.
00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:13.920
It's been they they uh they shared with me their lives when I needed them and I and that's great.
00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:16.079
All right, we're gonna take another short break.
00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:27.039
We'll be back to talk more with Johnny.
00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:52.240
Although I've been yeah, I've been running my mouth and having much.
00:31:55.359 --> 00:31:59.519
We were talking to Johnge Eat, so we were talking to John about his years in Congress.
00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:01.759
I'd love to get his impression now.
00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:06.640
The difference between Congress when he was in it, and they were fairly productive Congresses.
00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:10.720
I mean, they you passed a lot of bills and a lot of things got done.
00:32:11.119 --> 00:32:21.279
Today, I'm not sure why we send them up there for they work half a week, they come home all the time, they're trying to raise money, they don't pay what they passed, 20 bills last year or something like that, legislation.
00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:24.960
What do you see is the problem today with with that government up there, John?
00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:44.480
Well, you know, that this is probably way out of line, but I I believe that what has happened happened now is the new 30-minute news, 10-minute news every day, every minute, that something else is happening, somebody else, and you talk about Trump and his false false uh work and everything.
00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:47.680
The fake news business fake news business, yeah.
00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:57.200
And and you've got to think now, these guys are sitting there and all of them got thousands of people that they're pending up depending on them.
00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:23.599
And somebody says something is this way, and 30 minutes later someone else says something else, and they're just so confused about it, and I don't mean they're that aren't they right all of them, but so many of them there, and what what happens, uh I I've been told by look that what whoever hears about a an event the very first time, it stays longer than any other time.
00:33:23.839 --> 00:33:28.400
And and and that's in some some television people have taught me that.
00:33:28.720 --> 00:33:42.720
So the people that get out first on the statement is the one that's the hardest to get back out on because they've already worked and they've got everybody thinking about what John Doe said at first, and Frank Smith said something that's different.
00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:50.079
And I hate to think about that as such a minor thing in it, but that has got them so upset, and you've got to understand.
00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:56.319
I mean, they're they've got to try to represent and help their people every way they can, and then they've been thrown at all this stuff.
00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:58.640
There's such a partisanship there.
00:33:58.960 --> 00:34:02.799
Well, that's such a big divide now in this presentation.
00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:09.280
I mean, John, when you were there, Republicans and Democrats talked to each other.
00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:09.679
Oh, yeah.
00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:12.719
You worked on you you worked on bills together.
00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:22.480
Uh listen, we we were we were Jack Kemp and I had a one-fourth of the United States Congress.
00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:24.159
A hundred members.
00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:34.000
And when we when we were there, well, we took that and went to Tip O'Neill and told them to say, listen, we got a we a hundred people, you're gonna have to change, you have to do some things.
00:34:34.079 --> 00:34:44.719
So we did away, we we had at that first first time, we took away six senior members who'd been there over the years and put in new people on it.
00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:45.599
That's not our channel.
00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:48.079
That's when you change the chairmanship rules.
00:34:48.960 --> 00:34:52.320
Instead of being the oldest guy, it was a guy, maybe the guy that was the best suited.
00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:56.480
But that's that's a common you're talking about 100 people, that's a combination of Republicans and Democrats.
00:34:56.559 --> 00:34:56.639
Yeah.
00:34:56.800 --> 00:34:57.280
Oh yeah.
00:34:58.400 --> 00:35:01.199
We had I've had 74, and Kimp had 23.
00:35:01.599 --> 00:35:04.880
And but uh anyway, but why don't you look at it now?
00:35:05.039 --> 00:35:07.360
You just you can see that they don't get along.
00:35:07.440 --> 00:35:07.599
Yeah.
00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:12.000
I mean, and at least when you were there, there was a a regular order.
00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:15.840
Uh Tip O'Neill was able to work with the Republicans.
00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:20.639
Uh the Republicans were able to work with Kim, although the majority was of Democrats.
00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:31.280
Now, there's an interesting story that I I can tell about you that Tip O'Neill admired you so much that when he was about to retire, he wanted you to be the Speaker of the House.
00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:33.119
Uh that's how much you were admired.
00:35:33.280 --> 00:35:43.119
And not only that, but I read somewhere that Jack Kemp from Buffalo, the congressman from Buffalo, said that the way you work with Democrats is go through John Jenret.
00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:46.800
Now, is that right or is that is that was incorrect.
00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:48.800
Well, uh, now don't don't be modest.
00:35:50.079 --> 00:35:52.000
Kemp was a very nice Republican.
00:35:52.239 --> 00:35:53.519
Okay, well, there you go.
00:35:53.599 --> 00:35:54.719
See, you have a Democratic.
00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:55.519
No, but go ahead.
00:35:55.599 --> 00:35:56.639
Go expand on that, John.
00:35:56.880 --> 00:36:06.320
Oh well, I mean, it it's uh we had the power, we had the power to get things done, and I was honored to have that a few more members than he did.
00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:09.360
But we we we worked together every evening.
00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:13.360
We'd sit out and talk and and try to and try to work it out, and we could.
00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:29.360
And everybody, we could, we were in the position of getting somebody newer members to come in after that, after the second year even, and it was uh it was a a thing that you could work like the devil all day about, think about all night, but the next day you could get it solved.
00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:33.519
Well, and and but here's here's I guess one of the things that you're talking about.
00:36:33.840 --> 00:36:41.280
You and Jack Kemp could say go have dinner someplace and talk, talk uh an issue or a piece of legislation.
00:36:41.760 --> 00:36:42.480
You'd never see that now.
00:36:42.559 --> 00:36:43.119
You never see that.
00:36:43.440 --> 00:36:57.920
No, because what you would have if you had a Democrat and Republican got photographed and got up on the internet, and the next thing you know, the Republican Party would be drumming out the Republicans because they ain't supposed to talk to Democrats, and the Democrat Party would be doing the same thing to the Democrat because they ain't even supposed to talk.
00:36:58.000 --> 00:36:58.639
And that's insane.
00:36:58.880 --> 00:37:00.559
The government doesn't work when they don't talk.
00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:02.719
All we have to do is look and see, and it doesn't work.
00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:09.519
I mean, we have a lot of guys now who are excellent at getting elected and don't have a clue how to govern.
00:37:10.159 --> 00:37:21.519
Well, Nancy uh Pelosi's father was in the legislature in Congress, his name was Delisandro, and he was from Maryland, Baltimore, and he was able to get along with the Republicans.
00:37:21.599 --> 00:37:26.159
But Nancy, his daughter, she's completely outside the box.
00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:32.639
She doesn't want to uh do anything with respect to Republicans, and uh they're frightened to do anything because of her leadership.
00:37:32.880 --> 00:37:34.880
Well, and and let's let's take it the other way too.
00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:41.760
What he just said is that we're able to break bread or have a breakfast like we're having here at the Brothers Grill.
00:37:41.840 --> 00:37:43.119
This beautiful breakfast that we're having.
00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:43.920
What a nice thing.
00:37:44.639 --> 00:37:46.320
Here I'm a Republican, he's a Democrat.
00:37:46.400 --> 00:37:51.599
We're able to talk and break bread, and you see I finished my my my meal already, and he's your leading.
00:37:51.840 --> 00:37:53.280
Well, like every good Republican, you break bread.
00:37:53.599 --> 00:37:57.679
Well, no, no, because the Republicans are Republicans do the best thing they possibly can.
00:37:57.920 --> 00:37:58.239
Eat.
00:37:58.480 --> 00:38:03.519
And that's to share their opinions with the public out there.
00:38:03.920 --> 00:38:04.880
That's what makes a difference.
00:38:05.280 --> 00:38:11.679
However, when you see a Democrat like him that writes a book like this, you gotta say, congratulations.
00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:12.880
It's really a great book.
00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:16.960
Quick little statement on not getting together.
00:38:17.199 --> 00:38:22.480
There is a there is a dining room in the Capitol that not many people know about.
00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:24.079
It's only available to members.
00:38:24.159 --> 00:38:26.559
No, you can't take anyone else in there with you.
00:38:26.800 --> 00:38:34.320
But now it is so bad that if a Republican is sitting in there first, a Democrat won't go in, and vice versa.
00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:39.679
They will not go in, they won't sit in that room that you're supposed to be able to talk privately and everything.
00:38:39.840 --> 00:38:45.519
They will not go in that room with it unless it's all Republicans or all Democrats.
00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:46.480
Isn't that amazing?
00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:47.280
Is that amazing?
00:38:47.840 --> 00:38:56.719
A beautiful little building, beautiful little place, great food, and nobody, there's nothing, nothing can be nothing can be gone outside there.
00:38:56.880 --> 00:38:58.079
You can talk any way you want to.
00:38:58.239 --> 00:39:00.320
They won't even sit down and talk in that building.
00:39:00.639 --> 00:39:04.000
Before we we hang it up today, here's your book.
00:39:04.239 --> 00:39:06.880
You wrote it, took you about four years to write, right?
00:39:07.039 --> 00:39:07.360
Yeah.
00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:14.159
In this book, what would you say is the most interesting part of this book that people should turn to that page to read?
00:39:14.480 --> 00:39:17.440
Well, I'm I know it's all every every page is interesting.
00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:18.239
I realize that.
00:39:18.320 --> 00:39:20.800
But is there one particular item in this book?
00:39:21.039 --> 00:39:23.360
I think about 280 or something in that area.
00:39:23.599 --> 00:39:24.320
280, okay.
00:39:24.559 --> 00:39:33.440
Uh it's about uh the people I see on the street now that I that I've known almost a long time, and they say, God, I read that book.
00:39:33.599 --> 00:39:35.280
I didn't know you built a bridge.
00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:39.119
I didn't know that you were in China, I didn't know that you were doing this.
00:39:39.360 --> 00:39:41.360
Hell, what where have you been?
00:39:41.519 --> 00:39:47.599
You know, I've been I've been begging people to know it, and thank goodness that I'm le I'm I've got that out, understand it.
00:39:47.760 --> 00:40:06.719
I was blessed, I was blessed to be able to do that, and it it is uh it's given me some degree of legacy that I I didn't have, but I'm blessed to be here and and uh I hope my grandchildren will be uh thoughtful and wanting to do as much in the United States Congress as I have.
00:40:06.880 --> 00:40:09.280
But I'm blessed, and I thank you two guys for putting up with me.
00:40:09.760 --> 00:40:12.159
I thought you would mention something about John Stapleton.
00:40:12.320 --> 00:40:13.280
John Stapleton was.
00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:19.679
Let me, well, it's time we'll take one more break and we'll be back in a moment.
00:40:19.760 --> 00:40:23.199
We'll let me talk about John Stapleton, and we'll talk a bit more about the book.
00:40:30.639 --> 00:40:31.440
Welcome back.
00:40:31.599 --> 00:40:37.599
We've been talking to John about his legislative career, and of course, some of his stories when he was in Congress and what have you.
00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:47.599
Really, what we want to talk about now a bit is this newest book that's out on John, Capital Steps and Missteps, and it's by his former chief of staff and another staffer, right?
00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:53.039
And um I know when these books get going because I got involved with one with General Vaught.
00:40:53.440 --> 00:41:01.679
It takes a lot longer to write one of these things than you think, and there's a there's a lot of stuff that comes out, and then you edit back and so on and so forth.
00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:05.679
But just tell us a bit about the process of this book.
00:41:06.079 --> 00:41:08.239
And you did tell us about what you like best about it.
00:41:08.400 --> 00:41:22.239
John brought up about there's a pastor here, I believe, minister, top man in the top Methodist in the state of South Carolina that I knew many years ago, about uh three or four months ago after you'd read the book, wrote me this letter.
00:41:22.400 --> 00:41:26.159
And I was scared, I was scared what he's there.
00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:34.239
It was so it's been it's so important to me that I cried all night.
00:41:34.800 --> 00:41:35.280
Is that right?
00:41:35.519 --> 00:41:36.079
Yeah, I did.
00:41:36.159 --> 00:41:36.480
I did.
00:41:37.119 --> 00:41:46.559
You know, there were things that uh that I regret in my life a good bit, but he talked about how good things could be and how he appreciated me.
00:41:46.719 --> 00:42:12.800
In fact, I was head of a church in in uh North Verla Beach when he was a minister, and so I and not that I hadn't seen him in 15 years or so, we hadn't even talked, but he put this, so I I started printing this because uh if if some people and a lot of will see this book and see some things that aren't as as nice as they thought they should be, but this guy's taking it in and say, listen, this guy can do it, and I'm blessed to know him.
00:42:13.039 --> 00:42:16.079
But that's an ex that is not an X-rated book.
00:42:16.239 --> 00:42:18.320
That's what I would consider a PC book.
00:42:18.400 --> 00:42:20.000
You can read it, anybody could read it.
00:42:20.159 --> 00:42:23.039
This this is the most important thing about it, it's fascinating.
00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:25.280
Every every page is a fascinating read.
00:42:25.360 --> 00:42:37.199
And and John, I don't think, I'm I mean, yeah, you know, I we aren't gonna talk about it because I don't think it's that interesting, and many people have talked about ab scan, but that's part of it, and that's included in here.
00:42:37.679 --> 00:42:44.320
But but this is your kind of this is your legislative life, uh a compilation of it.
00:42:44.559 --> 00:42:51.280
And um, and yeah, it's a it's a great read for anybody who's interested in politics, not interested in politics.
00:42:51.599 --> 00:43:02.239
It's just a great read about one guy, you you know, you had you were a rock star, you then you kind of hit bottom, you came back again, and that's really the American way of life.
00:43:02.559 --> 00:43:12.800
The nicest thing you can say about John, the honorable John, he's a good friend, he's sincere, he means what he says, and if you need help, he's there to help you.
00:43:13.039 --> 00:43:13.440
That's true.
00:43:13.519 --> 00:43:16.159
That's that's the nicest thing you can say about him.
00:43:16.480 --> 00:43:17.119
That is very true.
00:43:17.440 --> 00:43:28.400
I guess I guess one of the nicest things that a member said about me is that, you know, you could have said some things about us in the book, but you didn't.
00:43:29.599 --> 00:43:30.320
You know, that's true.
00:43:30.400 --> 00:43:31.760
I mean, well, that's the mystery of the book.
00:43:31.920 --> 00:43:32.719
That's the mystery of the book.
00:43:32.800 --> 00:43:34.159
You don't know what you said in that book.
00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:43.280
You know, they they they all of us have had some problems, and and uh I didn't ever even cross my mind to say that any anything else had happened.
00:43:44.400 --> 00:43:46.800
If I can give you a testimonial, I'll tell you this.
00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:50.079
The breakfast I just had was really delicious.
00:43:50.320 --> 00:43:54.239
It was really very, very good at Brothers Grill.
00:43:54.719 --> 00:43:59.679
Reading this book, there's several pages I wrote read in the book, it's fascinating.
00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:10.400
It's capturing, and it opens up a new dimension as to government, as presented through the eyes of John Generit's two staffers.
00:44:10.719 --> 00:44:12.239
And you want to get a good book?
00:44:12.320 --> 00:44:16.400
I don't know why this is not on number one on the New York Times bestselling list.
00:44:16.559 --> 00:44:17.519
But here it is.
00:44:17.679 --> 00:44:25.119
I would urge you to pick up a copy, read it, and then send John a note as to what you'd think about.
00:44:25.599 --> 00:44:28.239
And as for picking up a copy, it's available on Amazon.
00:44:28.880 --> 00:44:36.719
And I I think there's there's a uh uh chance that we'll have some bookstores in this area that'll be having it in, and you'll be doing some book signings and that kind of thing.
00:44:36.800 --> 00:44:37.920
That's in the process, right?
00:44:38.079 --> 00:44:38.559
I think so.
00:44:39.039 --> 00:44:41.440
But but Amazon.com, you could get them now.
00:44:41.760 --> 00:44:48.559
Capital steps and missteps, the wild, improbable ride of uh Congressman John Generat.
00:44:48.639 --> 00:44:57.760
And it when you think about it, just coming from Loris with a poor kid growing up coming from Loras, it is an improbable ride to get to Washington, D.C.
00:44:57.920 --> 00:45:00.079
and sit at the top of the government for a while, John.
00:45:00.960 --> 00:45:11.920
Well, I know all that I'm going to advertise it on conservative voice, and we hope that you have it in the Grand Strandelli, uh, his book, a copy of the book, and tell people where they can get it and where they can buy it.
00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:13.840
And it's just a great pleasure.
00:45:14.159 --> 00:45:19.760
And really, we didn't go through a whole lot with I I want to ask you to do one more thing before we close this out, John.
00:45:20.639 --> 00:45:30.559
To young people who are thinking maybe they would like to get into politics, and this country, our federal government is a is a mess, in my opinion.
00:45:31.039 --> 00:45:33.440
What what advice would you give them though?
00:45:34.960 --> 00:45:36.320
That's a curveball, isn't it?
00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:48.239
I guess that the nearest thing I've had in my life thinking about that, that I would dream, I would dream that I would that I was gonna be a congressman.
00:45:48.880 --> 00:45:52.320
And I would dream that that I could do something.
00:45:52.639 --> 00:45:59.199
And I would say to anyone now, if you if you want to think, if you think about something like that, dream about it.
00:45:59.679 --> 00:46:01.760
But you you can't just dream.
00:46:01.920 --> 00:46:10.159
You've got to work at it, you've got to you've got to work and dream and dream and dream to make it happen, but you can do it, and you can do it.
00:46:10.320 --> 00:46:19.599
If I did it, it can certainly be done by people that are much more intelligent than I am, but it can be done, dream and live by that dream.
00:46:21.199 --> 00:46:22.000
What advice?
00:46:22.159 --> 00:46:26.559
Oh, it's excellent advice, and I think on that note, thank you so much for coming, John.
00:46:26.719 --> 00:46:27.199
Thank you so much.
00:46:27.360 --> 00:46:28.400
It's always a pleasure to see you.
00:46:28.480 --> 00:46:28.880
I haven't seen it.
00:46:30.079 --> 00:46:35.840
Before you hang up, uh Jay, before we go, Jay, what did you think about this interview, John?
00:46:36.079 --> 00:46:38.400
Oh, I'm not very I'll be honest, what do you think?
00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:47.840
No, I've been listening you know I've I've been going on like a a cow and waiting waiting to get more say more milk, say something more.
00:46:48.800 --> 00:46:50.400
I haven't stopped the bit happen.
00:46:50.719 --> 00:47:09.440
But you're a guy, you're a guy that's been on Meet the Press, and you've been on Capitol Beat or whatever the shows were in those days, and uh uh you know we're just we're trying to have a a show here that deals mostly with with local and state politics, but to get people interested.
00:47:09.679 --> 00:47:16.400
And uh, you know, I'm not saying we certainly don't come up to the meet the press standards, but did you have fun?
00:47:16.800 --> 00:47:17.840
Oh, definitely.
00:47:18.000 --> 00:47:18.880
Yeah, definitely.
00:47:19.039 --> 00:47:21.280
That was enjoyable in every way.
00:47:21.360 --> 00:47:22.960
I really appreciate you guys.
00:47:23.199 --> 00:47:27.920
And I uh I was trying to think in you with the uh Larry Novak.
00:47:28.400 --> 00:47:30.239
Larry Novak from Meet the Press.
00:47:30.480 --> 00:47:33.440
He doesn't Larry Novak can't compare to you.
00:47:33.599 --> 00:47:36.480
You're much better than Larry Novak, in my opinion, Paul.
00:47:36.559 --> 00:47:37.039
Thank you, Jake.
00:47:37.119 --> 00:47:37.920
You're a great eye.
00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:38.719
Thank you, Jay.
00:47:38.800 --> 00:47:43.519
I don't think we have a congressman in Washington that compares it when John Jimrett was there either, so that's my opinion.
00:47:43.679 --> 00:47:44.880
That's my testimonial.
00:47:44.960 --> 00:47:45.599
Thank you very much.
00:47:46.239 --> 00:47:48.559
Thank you, and uh, we'll see you next time.