Jonathan Alter: Panama Treaties Are Very Much in the National Interest of the U.S., So the Idea that Trump Is Now Reopening This ‘Is Quite Alarming’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT The second ░░░░░░░░ might have shown whether ░░░░░░░░ not some of those ░░░░░░░░ bore out One of ░░░░░░░░ things you read about ░░░░░░░░ is we think about ░░░░░░░░ Carter in saintly terms ░░░░░░░░ guy had a bit ░░░░░░░░ a potty mouth and ░░░░░░░░ known to be a ░░░░░░░░ tough on his staff ░░░░░░░░ He didn t actually ░░░░░░░░ people the way we ░░░░░░░░ in our current politics ░░░░░░░░ would stare his icy ░░░░░░░░ eyes into them and ░░░░░░░░ temperature would go down ░░░░░░░░ 30 degrees and you ░░░░░░░░ know you were in ░░░░░░░░ or give you a ░░░░░░░░ lipped smile rather than ░░░░░░░░ big smile that we ░░░░░░░░ all familiar with So ░░░░░░░░ wasn t known as ░░░░░░░░ especially hard on staff ░░░░░░░░ he did not suffer ░░░░░░░░ and he was not ░░░░░░░░ warm and fuzzy guy ░░░░░░░░ he maybe seems in ░░░░░░░░ He could be cold ░░░░░░░░ it s also there ░░░░░░░░ so many myths about ░░░░░░░░ like this idea that ░░░░░░░░ he never got his ░░░░░░░░ with Congress Just to ░░░░░░░░ back to the Panama ░░░░░░░░ which you mentioned so ░░░░░░░░ thirds of the country ░░░░░░░░ against ratifying the Panama ░░░░░░░░ treaties and Ronald Reagan ░░░░░░░░ to national prominence really ░░░░░░░░ on the Panama Canal ░░░░░░░░ bought it We paid ░░░░░░░░ it It s ours ░░░░░░░░ said So Carter had ░░░░░░░░ convince two thirds of ░░░░░░░░ Senate to vote for ░░░░░░░░ treaty two thirds of ░░░░░░░░ public opposed and nearly ░░░░░░░░ dozen senators lost their ░░░░░░░░ Everybody told him don ░░░░░░░░ do this now It ░░░░░░░░ a political disaster and ░░░░░░░░ said because it s ░░░░░░░░ the national interest to ░░░░░░░░ it The joint chiefs ░░░░░░░░ him that if they ░░░░░░░░ t ratify these treaties ░░░░░░░░ would be sabotage of ░░░░░░░░ canals the main artery ░░░░░░░░ commerce in the western ░░░░░░░░ and that we would ░░░░░░░░ to have 100 000 ░░░░░░░░ there permanently We would ░░░░░░░░ a festering vietnam in ░░░░░░░░ America and Carter said ░░░░░░░░ have to avoid that ░░░░░░░░ have to turn the ░░░░░░░░ over and later after ░░░░░░░░ was elected I asked ░░░░░░░░ senior Reagan official why ░░░░░░░░ t you abrogate the ░░░░░░░░ which is what Trump ░░░░░░░░ talking about doing now ░░░░░░░░ he said because Reagan ░░░░░░░░ when he got to ░░░░░░░░ that these treaties are ░░░░░░░░ much in the national ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ the idea that Trump ░░░░░░░░ now reopening this is ░░░░░░░░ alarming and we just ░░░░░░░░ to hope that this ░░░░░░░░ one of his passing ░░░░░░░░