John Tower 1989: Senate Debates Defense Secretary – And Alcohol

During the first two weeks of March 1989, the U.S. Senate debated President George Bush's nominee for Defense Secretary, John Tower.   Among the Senators who spoke about former Senator Tower – one of his former colleagues -- Alaska Republican Ted Stevens …    "my mind went back again to some Senators I have known here in the Senate who have been impaired. I saved one Senator one day who almost fell in the path of a subway, he was so intoxicated. I have spent time in the steam room with Senators who were intoxicated. One of my great friends from the past, who is now deceased, the first day I was in the Senate, he was so intoxicated he had to lean on my shoulder to walk over to the other building, to the Senate Office Building."   Why did Senator Ted Stevens talk about drunk Senators during debate over John Tower? Which other Senators talked about alcohol during floor debate over the Defense Secretary nominee? Which legendary Washington DC watering holes were mentioned during the debate? And why did Senators repeatedly cite Winston Churchill? Find out in the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" – As we prepare for Senate debate over Donald Trump's nomination of Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, it's a look back at the lengthy and angry debate in 1989 over George Bush's pick … Senators citing reports of John Tower drinking ––asking whether it was relevant to his nomination – and pointing fingers at each other. Find C-SPAN's "The Weekly" wherever you get podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices