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- This is One-On-One.

- I'm an equal American just like you are.

- The way we change presidents in this country is by voting.

- I'’m hopeful that this is the beginning to accountability.

- Life without dance is boring.

- I don't care how good you are or how good you think you are, there is always something to learn.

- I did do the finale, and guess where my trailer was?

A block away from my apartment, it couldn'’t have been better!

- People call me 'cause they feel nobody's paying attention.

-_ It'’s not all about memorizing and getting information, it'’s what you do with that information.

- (slowly) Start talking right now.

- That's a good question, high five.

(upbeat music) - Hi everyone, I'm Steve Adubato.

My colleague, Jacqui Tricarico with me.

She's the Executive Producer of this series called "Remember Them," you see the graphic up on your screen right now.

She's the Executive Producer and the co-host of the series.

Jacqui, today we're looking at the extraordinary, the incomparable, iconic Millicent Fenwick, the late Millicent Fenwick.

She was United States' Congresswoman, from New Jersey Ambassador to Italy.

Look at that picture Jacqui, over my shoulder.

Do you know the year, Jacqui?

- That you did the interview?

- Yes.

- 1991, and she passed away just in 1992 just the year after that.

- Yeah.

I sat down with Millicent Fenwick and remember them for those of you who've been watching the series, you know.

Well, Jacqui and I have been doing really Jacqui's doing the leg work with our team.

We're trying to remember people.

We are remembering people who are connected to New Jersey in one way or another, who have made an extraordinary impact not just on the State, but on the nation, in some cases the world and in Millicent Fenwick case it is the nation and the world.

And I remember that interview.

I went to her home Jacqui, I believe in Bernardsville and sat down with her for a long time.

What did you take away from it as people were about to see that interview?

- Well, I'll be honest.

I didn't know much about her before we started delving into this new series that we're doing, "Remember Them".

And you know, you let me know about this amazing interview you did with the Congresswoman back in 1991.

So I went back and watched the interview and I have to say, looking through it and listening to her.

She's one of those people, when she speaks you're listening, you're hanging onto every word.

You wanna hear what she has to say next and her life's journey, just not in politics but just overall, the stories that she told you is just it's phenomenal where she started, where she ended it and where she ended up and all the ups and downs in between.

And she does talk about her relationship with former governor Tom Kean, Senior, of New Jersey, - Jacqui, they ran a race against each other for Congress I believe.

It was one of the few and last civil debates and campaigns where people may have disagreed on the issues, but they're always said such nice things about each other.

- Right, that's hard to see these days, right.

But she did talk about the relationship there and how they had a great relationship.

And I saw this quote from him that I thought really kind of summed her up.

- From Tom Kean about Fenwick.

- Yes, exactly that.

I wanted to read to you and he said, "you couldn't invent Melissa Fenwick she was unique, "the best writers of fiction might have struggled "to make her believable and they would've failed."

And I think that's just a great way to sum up, her, her personality, her journey, her life's work.

And we see that in this interview you did with her from 1991.

- And to Jacqui's point, I maybe could not make up Millicent Fenwick, but once she was there the great Garry Trudeau created the "Doonesbury" a comic strip and Lacey Davenport is in, look this up, Lacey Davenport was a character based on, it was Millicent Fenwick.

Did you know Jacqui, we talked about the pipe smoking.

She smoked the pipe, did you know that?

- Yes, well, I didn't know that before I watched this - And she was a model before she even got involved in local politics.

She was a single mom, extraordinary.

Jacqui, we're gonna be back on the back end.

- We are, yep.

- So without further ado from 1991.

Wow, have I gotten old.

That was 1991, Millicent Fenwick, extraordinary woman and leader in this country in the United States Congress.

let's check her out.

[UPLIFTING MUSIC] >>YOU SAID THAT ELEANOR ROOSEVELT HAD A GREAT IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE.

WHY?

>>WELL, IT THE FIRST TIME IT EVER OCCURRED TO ME TO THINK ABOUT SOMEBODY IN PUBLIC LIFE IN THIS WAY.

I REMEMBER IT CAME LIKE A SHOCK INTO MY MIND MY LORD, SHE REALLY MEANS IT!

SHE REALLY MEANS IT!

>>MEANS WHAT?

>>MEANS WHAT SHE'S SAYING SOMEONE SAID, BUT MR ROOSEVELT WHEN HE WAS GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK, PLEDGED TO UPHOLD THE LAW, WOULD SERVE MARTINIS IN HYDE PARK BEFORE DINNER MRS. ROOSEVELT WOULD LEAVE THE ROOM.

SHE REALLY MEANT IT.

AND YOU SEE THAT BECAME A SORT OF BENCHMARK FOR ME THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED ME TO FIRST NOTICE AND BE RESPECTFUL OF, AND EVENTUALLY FOND OF BELLA ABZUG SHE REALLY MEANT IT >>YOU'RE COMPARING BELLA ABZUG THE CONGRESSWOMAN, FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN FROM NEW YORK FROM MANHATTAN, WITH ELEANOR ROOSEVELT?

>>SURE.

THEY HAD...

THEY SHARED THE SAME MARK THAT I CONSIDER ONE OF THE GREAT IMPORTANT FEATURES ANYBODY CONNECTED WITH PUBLIC LIFE REALLY TO MEAN IT.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT JUSTICE AND RULE OF LAW THAT PROTECTS EVERY CITIZEN EQUALLY YOU OUGHT TO REALLY MEAN IT.

AND BE PREPARED TO PUT UP WITH SOME INCONVENIENCE AND DIFFICULTY IF NECESSARY.

>>YOU SAID ONCE THAT YOUR FATHER AND YOU WERE VERY VERY DIFFERENT, YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE OPPOSITES, IN MANY WAYS THAT YOU WERE AMAZED THAT HE COULD LIVE HIS WHOLE LIFE AND NOT BE INFLUENCED BY IDEOLOGY YOU ALSO SAID THAT HE WAS A GENTLEMAN.

YOU SAID HE WAS VERY DIFFERENT THAN YOU.

YOU WERE MUCH MORE POLITICAL, AND YOU CALLED YOURSELF... YOU SAID YOU HAD A TEMPER IN A LOT OF WAYS AND THAT WAS VERY DIFFERENT... >>MY BACK UP I'M GOING TO SAY IS EVEN AS A VERY SMALL BABY I HAD A VERY BAD TEMPER.

AND IT'S BEEN HARD FOR ME TO LEARN TO CONTROL IT, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT >>YOU?

>>MM HMM, YUP.

DADDY WAS A WONDERFULLY GENTLE LOVEABLE MAN, EXTRAORDINARY.

I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST WHEN INTO POLITICS SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGE HERE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, I WAS A CADDY ON THE GOLF COURSE WHEN I WAS YOUNG.

AND YOUR FATHER WAS MY FATHER MOST POPULAR MAN OF ANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CLUB.

I MEAN EVERYBODY LIKED HIM.

HE HAD A STUNNING, WARM UNDERSTANDING WAY, HOSTS OF FRIENDS WHEREVER HE WENT.

>>YOUR MOTHER DIED WHEN YOU WERE FIVE YEARS OLD >>MM HMM >>IN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT >>ABOARD THE LUSITANIA >>LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT >>SHE DIED AT SEA.

WELL SHE WAS DETERMINED TO GO TO ENGLAND AND FRANCE, SHE THOUGHT EVENTUALLY.

MAYBE A HOSPITAL FOR SOLDIERS OR FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE DISPLACED.

AND THE FAMILY DIDN'T WANT HER TO, BUT DADDY, OF COURSE, COULDN'T LET HER GO ALONE, SHE WAS A VERY HEADSTRONG PERSON I GUESS I HARDLY KNEW HER, CAUSE I WAS ONLY 5 AND 3 MONTHS OR SO WHEN SHE DIED.

BUT SHE INSISTED ON GOING.

AND THEY TOOK THE LUSITANIA, AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE >>YOU LEFT SCHOOL AT 15 >>YEAH >>WHY?

>>WELL, MY SISTER AND I WERE AT A BOARDING SCHOOL IN VIRGINIA CALLED FOXCROFT, AND DADDY WAS NOMINATED BY MR. COOLIDGE >>CALVIN COOLIDGE?

>>CALVIN COOLIDGE, TO BE AMBASSADOR IN SPAIN.

WHICH HE ACCEPTED.

AND WE LEFT IN JANUARY 1926, WHEN I WAS STILL 15.

AND THAT WAS THE END OF WHAT MIGHT BE CALLED FORMAL SCHOOLING FOR THREE MONTHS THAT SPRING MY SISTER AND I WENT TO A WONDERFUL CONVENT, ABSOLUTELY ADORED IT!

>>A CONVENT?

>>CONVENT OF FRENCH NUNS WHO HAD MOST THEIR HEALTH IN MADAGASCAR, AND HAD BEEN SENT TO MADRID TO RECOVER AND IT WAS ADORABLE, THERE WAS MOTHER SUPERIOR, THE HEAD OF THE GROUP, AND THESE LOVELY NUNS, I WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED IT FOR THE WORLD.

THAT WAS THE END OF OUR... >>FORMAL EDUCATION?

>>...FORMAL EDUCATION >>WHAT IMPACT... WHAT IMPACT DID THE LACK OF FORMAL EDUCATION HAVE ON YOUR ULTIMATE GOVERNING STYLE?

>>I DON'T THINK ANY.

I REALLY DON'T I CANNOT SEE... MAYBE PEOPLE WOULD SAY, WELL, I MEAN THE REASON SHE NEVER GOT ANYWHERE WITH HER HOME HEALTH CARE BILLS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, WAS THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE FORMAL EDUCATION THAT COULD HAVE PRESENTED...

BUT MY OWN VIEW IS THAT MY FAILURES WERE NOT BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE FORMAL EDUCATION, THERE WAS SOMETHING LACKING IN EGO, I THINK >>EGO?

>>YES >>IN YOU?

>>YES >>HOW IS IT THAT SOMEONE WHO SAYS SHE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF EGO POSSIBLY NOT A LOT OF CONFIDENCE HOW WAS IT THAT YOU GOT INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS?

>>HITLER!

SUDDENLY, THIS EXTRAORDINARY NATION, BRILLIANT IN SCIENCE AND MUSIC AND MEDICINE AND PHILOSOPHY LITERATE, FAR MORE LITERATE THAN WE WERE, SUDDENLY THEY HAD HITLER, AND HE STARTS THIS HIDEOUS INJUSTICE.

THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT IS JUSTICE.

BUT LOOK AT HIS INJUSTICES.

IT ALERTED ME.

I WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIED >>BECAUSE OF HITLER?

>>BECAUSE OF HITLER.

I HATED THE IDEA OF "ALL JEWS ARE THIS" AND LUMPING PEOPLE IN GROUPS AND IT WAS TO ME DEEPLY OFFENSIVE >>YOU GOT VERY INVOLVED IN CIVIL RIGHTS >>YES >>EARLY ON IN YOUR PUBLIC CAREER WHY?

HOW AND WHY?

>>WELL, NOW I WAS INTERESTED ON ACCOUNT OF HITLER IN... YEAH IN TERRIBLE TREATMENT OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, AND THE HORROR OF TREATING PEOPLE IN GROUPS LIKE THAT.

AND I JOINED THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS AND BY 1951, I WAS ON THE BOARD OF THE BLACK SELF HELP GROUP IN NEWARK CALLED THE LEAGUERS A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION >>IN NEWARK?

>>IN NEWARK >>A WEALTHY REPUBLICAN WOMAN >>NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT >>FROM BERNARDSVILLE IN POLITICS INTERESTED IN THE POLITICS, OR THE LIFE, OF THE CITY OF NEWARK?

>>LOOK, OUR PEOPLE, OUR COUNTRY OUR SYSTEM, INJUSTICE, THAT'S WHAT.

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY INTOLERABLE TO ME.

HOW DID I HAPPEN TO GET INTO REPUBLICAN POLITICS?

WELL REV PINE WHO WAS OUR STATE SENATOR, SAID, YOU'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT POLITICS AND HITLER, SEE.

AND WHY DON'T YOU GET BUSY AND DO SOMETHING SO HE ENCOURAGE ME TO BE ON THE LOWEST FORM OF STATE ORGANIZED POLITICS, THE BOROUGH.

I WAS A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL, I MET A WONDERFUL MAN, OUR MAYOR MICHAEL J NOVINE, GREAT GREAT FRIEND, AND HE TAUGHT ME A LOT >>HOW DID THE STATE LEGISLATURE COME UP?

>>MICHAEL J NOVINE WROTE TO OUR COUNTY CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN AND SAID, YOU OUGHT TO RUN, MILLICENT, FOR COUNTYWIDE OFFICE, FREEHOLDER OR ASSEMBLY AND... >>HAD YOU BEEN THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR HIGHER OFFICE?

>>NO.

I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS THINKING ABOUT IT.

>>IS THAT WHERE WE GO BACK TO THE QUESTION OF EGO?

OR... >>I DON'T KNOW.

YOU SEE, I THINK IT'S A HAND OF THE GOOD LORD >>YOU'LL RUN... YOU'LL AGREE TO RUN FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE >>YEAH >>IN 1969?

>>RIGHT >>YOU GET ELECTED?

>>YUP >>YOU'RE IN THE MINORITY PARTY?

>>YUP >>GOVERNOR CAHILL IS THE GOVERNOR?

>>YUP >>WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR LEGISLATIVE CAREER?

WHAT STANDS OUT?

>>I REMEMBER FEELING, OF COURSE A LITTLE BIT WELL WHERE ARE THE WOMEN AROUND HERE?

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN BUT AND THERE WAS A VERY BIG BILL, THIS WAS MY FIRST MOMENT OF TRIUMPH.

IT WAS A BIG BILL WHICH WAS TRYING TO CHANGE THE LABOR LAWS.

WOMEN WERE PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM WORKING BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 8 AM ALTHOUGH IT WAS THE HIGHEST PAID SHIFT AT THE TIME, AND I HAD CONSULTED MY FRIENDS IN THE NAACP, AND IN FOCUS AND SP AROUND THE...

BUT ANYWAY... AND I HAD TELEGRAMS FROM THE HEADS OF THOSE LOCAL NEW JERSEY ORGANIZATIONS IN FAVOR OF CHANGING THIS TO ALLOW WOMEN TO WORK BETWEEN 12 MIDNIGHT.

AND OF COURSE, THE BOYS WERE AWFULLY AGAINST IT >>THE OTHER ASSEMBLYMEN?

>>YES.

AND MANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, I THINK MOST OF THE LABOR ORGANIZATIONS WERE AGAINST IT AND THEY SAID HOW DO WE SAY THAT THEY CAN GO RISK THE STREETS TO GO AT ELEVEN THIRTY FOR THEIR TWELVE O'CLOCK SHIFT I SAID I'M THERE TO TAKE THEM HOME AT MIDNIGHT WHEN THEY FINISH 8... 12... TO MIDNIGHT SHIFT AND THEN, ONE OF THEM SAID AND HOW CAN YOU SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ALL THIS WOMEN IN INDUSTRY?

WHEN YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IN...

WORKED IN A FACTORY YOURSELF?

AND I SAID, I HAVE NOT DISQUALIFIED YOU BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER BEEN A WOMAN [LAUGHTER] AND IT WAS MARVELOUS.

I WAS TERRIFIED CAUSE THE WHOLE ROOM BURST INTO LAUGHTER AND CLAPPING AND ALL THIS, AND IT WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE PAPER THE NEXT DAY AND I WAS TERRIFIED, I THOUGHT THIS...

I'M GONNA HAVE AN ENEMY FOR LIFE.

NOT AT ALL!

HE RUSHED UP TO ME, AND HE SAID, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT THANKS TO YOU, THE OTHER DAY, WHAT YOU SAID, I'M ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEWARK EVENING NEWS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE [LAUGHTER] >>[LAUGHTER] DURING YOUR CAREER IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY, THERE WAS A FLOOR DEBATE ON AN EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, SOME VERSION OF IT.

ONE OF YOUR MALE COLLEAGUES GOT UP AND STARTED TALKING ABOUT WOMEN... >>OH HE WAS ADORABLE I'LL NEVER FORGET HE WAS AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CHAMBER BUT HE STOOD UP AND HE HAD HIS HANDS WERE GRIPPED LIKE THIS TOGETHER, AND YOU COULD SEE THE KNUCKLES WERE WHITE.

HE WAS TALKING FROM THE HEART.

AND HE SAID YOU KNOW I JUST DON'T LIKE THIS.

I DON'T LIKE THIS BILL.

I'LL TELL YOU WHY.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT WOMEN AS BEING KISSABLE AND CUDDLY AND SMELLING GOOD WELL, IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE SHOCK AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO KIND OF BRING IT DOWN FROM THIS PASSIONATE LEVEL.

AND BRING IT SORT OF LESS... AND CAUSE THE ONLY ANSWER TO THAT KIND OF THING IS, I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT WAY ABOUT MEN, I ONLY HOPE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN DISAPPOINTED AS OFTEN AS I HAVE [LAUGHTER] >>[LAUGHTER] >>BUT I'M... >>SO YOU GOT UP AND SAID THAT?

>>YOU SEE...

YES, BUT YOU SEE THE THING IS A LITTLE COMMON SENSE KIND OF TO BRING A LITTLE BRING US DOWN TO EARTH A LITTLE BIT IN ALL OF THIS HIERARCHY CAUSE THE TRUTH IS YOU SEE THAT IF WE HAD WOMEN IN POSITIONS OF POWER LIKE MEN, THERE WOULD BE THE SAME PROPORTION OF CORRUPTION AND EGO DRIVE AND ALL OF IT >>WOMEN WOULD NOT GOVERN DIFFERENTLY THAN MEN?

>>NO, CERTAINLY NOT >>IT'S 1974 >>MM HMM >>YOU ARE SERVING AS THE HEAD OF THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS DIVISION HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY?

>>RIGHT >>WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO RUN FOR THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AT 64 YEARS OF AGE?

>>IT'S THE SAME OLD THING LIKE THE RUNNING FOR LEGISLATURE SOMEBODY ELSE SUGGESTS IT I WAS IN TRENTON, AND SAW A FRIEND OF MINE, A JOURNALIST HIS NAME WAS JOHN DAVIES A REPORTER FOR THE CAMDEN PAPER.

AND HE SAID TO ME, YOU KNOW, MILLICENT YOU BETTER LOOK AT MY COLUMN TOMORROW AND SO I THOUGHT, THAT'S INTERESTING, I WONDER WHAT HE'S GONNA SAY.

AND I GOT THE PAPER AND READ IT WITH GREAT CARE, IT SAID THAT PETER FRELINGHUYSEN WHO HAD BEEN REPRESENTING THE 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT FOR 22 YEARS, WAS NOT... WAS THINKING OF NOT RUNNING AGAIN AND EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT MILLICENT FENWICK RUNNING >>BUT YOU WEREN'T THINKING ABOUT IT?

>>I NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING I DIDN'T KNOW PETER WASN'T GONNA RUN, I DIDN'T KNOW ANY OF THESE THINGS, I NEVER THOUGHT OF RUNNING FOR CONGRESS.

I WAS PERFECTLY HAPPY IN MY DISTRICT REPRESENTING SOMERSET COUNTY AND TRENTON.

IN FACT, I HAVE A PICTURE OF ME, TAKEN IN THE LEGISLATURE, AND I THINK IT'S THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE, I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT I HAD BEEN SENT BY MY FELLOW CITIZENS TO REPRESENT THEM IN THE STATEHOUSE >>YOU WEREN'T THINKING ABOUT WASHINGTON?

>>NEVER IMAGINED SUCH A THING >>SO YOU GET TALKED ABOUT IN THIS COLUMN?

>>YUP >>EVERYONE ELSE STARTS TALKING ABOUT MILLICENT FENWICK RUNNING >>EXACTLY >>FOR CONGRESS, AND YOU GET SWEPT UP INTO...?

>>YUP.

AND I LEFT THE CONSUMER DIRECTOR POSITION APRIL 4TH IN ORDER TO BE LEGAL QUALIFIED LEGALLY FOR THE PRIMARY IN WHICH TOM KEAN AND I HAD A VERY PLEASANT FIGHT >>LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS TOM KEAN FIGHT WITH MILLICENT FENWICK >>YEAH, TOM WAS SO NICE, YEAH >>HE WAS A YOUNG ASSEMBLYMAN >>HE WAS SPEAKER >>HE WAS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE >>AND YOUNG AND AWFULLY NICE AND A FRIEND, AND A... >>IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY?

>>YEAH, AND THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE ELECTION WE MET AND I TURNED TO HIM AND I SAID, LOOK HERE, TOM THIS IS THE KIND OF PRIMARY THAT OUGHT TO BE HELD ALL THE TIME >>CLEAN?

>>WE DIDN'T FIGHT EACH OTHER PERSONALLY, WE HAD SOME DIFFERENCES.

I THINK I WANTED NIXON TO BE IMPEACHED AND HE DIDN'T, BUT THAT WAS THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS A DIFFERENCE OF ISSUES, REALLY PROFOUNDLY >>AND YOU WON BY 83 VOTES >>WAS IT THAT?

>>YES >>AND I... WE EMBRACED IN THE PARKING LOT UNDER THE LAB AND I SAID, IF YOU WIN, WHICH YOU PROBABLY WILL NEXT TUESDAY COUNT ON ME.

I'LL BE QUIET IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SPEAK, I'LL SPEAK IF YOU WANT SPEECHES I'LL CONTRIBUTE TIME OR BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY THE WAY POLITICS OUGHT TO BE >>WHEN YOU GOT ELECTED TO CONGRESS, RICHARD NIXON WAS A BIG ISSUE.

GIVE ME YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT NIXON AT THE TIME >>WELL, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST WITH YOU, I'M NOT SURE I WAS RIGHT, NOW THAT I LOOK BACK AND MAYBE IT WOULD HAVE SHAKEN OUR COUNTRY TOO DEEPLY BUT I THOUGHT HE OUGHT TO BE IMPEACHED.

HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPEACHED BECAUSE MR. FORD TOOK OVER WHEN HE RESIGNED YOU KNOW, WHEN NIXON RESIGNED I WAS TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN WITH A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT >>IT WAS EMBARRASSING TO THE PARTY?

>>OH IT WAS MORE THAN EMBARRASSING IT WAS A TERRIBLE BLOW.

AND I FELT AWFULLY BADLY ABOUT IT.

AND I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE COUNTRY THAT NO MATTER HOW POWERFUL YOU ARE, YOU CAN BE IMPEACHED >>ANOTHER NAME.

ANOTHER FORMER PRESIDENT.

RONALD REAGAN.

>>HE LIKED PEOPLE, AND HE WAS EMINENTLY SELF-RESPECTING FOR INSTANCE, WHEN THEY TOLD HIM THAT WHEN HE WAS GOING TO IRELAND, THERE WOULD BE ALL THESE DEMONSTRATIONS AND DIDN'T HE FEEL BADLY ABOUT THAT?

AGAINST HIM... AND HE LAUGHED, HE SAID, NOT AT ALL HE SAID, THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE ME FEEL AT HOME I HAVEN'T BEEN AROUND THIS COUNTRY IN TWO YEARS WITHOUT A DEMONSTRATION.

YOU SEE, I THINK THAT SOMEONE WITH LESS SELF RESPECT, AND SELF CONFIDENCE, WOULD HAVE SAID WELL, PEOPLE WHO AREN'T VERY INTELLIGENT ALWAYS DO THESE THINGS... SEE WHAT I MEAN?

>>WHAT DIDN'T YOU LIKE ABOUT RONALD REAGAN?

>>WELL WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT RONALD REAGAN WAS THE QUALITY OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT SEEMED...

HE SEEMED TO FEEL WERE PERFECTLY OKAY.

>>AROUND HIM?

>>MM HMM >>GEORGE BUSH?

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GEORGE BUSH?

>>I LIKE HIM.

THE OTHER DAY I WAS SO TOUCHED, AND HE WAS SO RIGHT HIS PROBLEM WITH NEIL BUSH, HIS SON, AND YOU COULD SEE THE AGONY IN HIS FACE, HE SAID, OF COURSE, AS A FATHER, I AM NATURALLY DISTRESSED, I'M SURE ALL OF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT BUT I BELIEVE IN THE HONOR AND INTEGRITY OF MY SON AS PRESIDENT THE SYSTEM WILL WORK AS IT SHOULD, AND IT WILL...

HE WILL FALL INTO ITS EFFECTS AS HE MAY NOW THAT IS PROPER YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN?

I THOUGHT, BRAVO BUSH [LAUGHTER] >>JIM FLORIO, YOU SERVE WITH JIM FLORIO IN CONGRESS >>YES I DID, YEAH >>AND NOW HE'S GOVERNOR WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF FLORIO?

>>WELL, HE MAY DO SOME VERY FINE THINGS AND I'M CERTAIN THEY WOULDN'T CRITICIZE WITHOUT STUDY.

BUT HE'S VERY, IN MY BOOKS MACHO >>DOONESBURY.

HOW DID THE DOONESBURY CHARACTER LACEY DAVENPORT COME ABOUT?

>>I HAVE NO IDEA.

IT WAS FASCINATING.

TELEPHONE RANG ONE DAY, ONE OF MY FRIENDS IN THE PRESS, HOW DO YOU LIKE BEING IN THE COMICS?

I SAID WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

THEN HE SAID, WELL YOU'RE LACEY DAVENPORT IN DOONESBURY!

WELL I SAID, LET ME LOOK INTO IT.

AND THERE WAS ONE CARTOON I TERRIBLY WANTED TO BUY, IT SHOWED THIS RIDICULOUS HIDEOUS LACEY DAVENPORT WITH HER GLASSES AND PEERING DOWN AT A LITTLE BLACK MAN IN A GROUP OF PEOPLE ON STRIKE CARRYING PLACARDS ON STRIKE AND LACEY DAVENPORT WAS SAYING YOU POOR DEARS THAT'S PERFECTLY TERRIBLE.

AND I THOUGHT, MY GOD WHERE HAS THIS MAN HEARD ME SPEAK?

>>[LAUGHTER] >>SO LIKE ME, I WAS HORRIFIED >>HE GOT IT RIGHT >>OF COURSE, I WAS HORRIFIED AND AMUSED, AND I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE BOUGHT THAT BUT I THOUGHT IF I GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM WILL HE THINK THAT I'M TRYING TO ENCOURAGE HIM?

OR STOP HIM?

>>SO YOU NEVER DID?

>>NO >>HOW ARE YOU DEAR?

HOW NICE TO SEE YOU?

>>IN 1982 US SENATE CAMPAIGN EVERYONE SAID YOU WERE A WINNER YOU WERE 20 POINTS AHEAD >>I KNOW >>YOU WERE RUNNING AGAINST FRANK LAUTENBERG >>MM HMM >>PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW HIM WHAT HAPPENED?

>>I DON'T KNOW I DON'T KNOW THE NEXT MORNING I WOKE UP, I FELT IT CAN'T BE.

AND THURSDAY MORNING I WOKE UP AND I SAID TO MYSELF THANK GOD I DID.

I'M NOT GONNA LOOK BACK.

I'M NOT GONNA WORRY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, OR WHY?

IT HAS HAPPENED.

AND I'M NOT GOING TO CONTI... EVERYTHING IS IN THE HANDS OF THE LORD.

AND I BELIEVE THAT, YOU SEE.

So they have it Millicent Fenwick.

And I'll tell you something interesting Jacqui, I don't know if you've seen this back in the day when newspapers are even more important, you can't tell from here.

This is an article from, "The Star-Ledger," March 20th, 1991.

Never mind you can't see it through the glass.

But I remember it was one of the first reviews that were ever done on a program that we did.

And I will tell you the reason we got such a great review was because of Millicent Fenwick.

She was fascinating.

How about the stuff she talked about in terms of Hitler, that Hitler influenced her to get involved in politics, which she saw going on in Germany, she was a big advocate of civil rights, human rights.

Did you take that away?

- Oh, yes, yes, for sure.

And when I listened to that part of your conversation with her, it made me think about what would she think today with what is going on in Ukraine, the war in Ukraine, just thinking what her perspective would be today.

And I could see her getting even more involved than she ever has before because of the terrible horrific war going on in Ukraine right now.

- I do wonder, and again Jacqui and I are not doing political commentary or analysis, but I'll say this given how progressive Millicent Fewick was a Republican, she was progressive.

I'm not even gonna use the word liberal but she was very much involved in the civil rights movement.

She was involved in Newark, very concerned about the experience of African Americans at the time that got her very involved.

Where would be the place for a Millicent Fenwick and quote, "The Republican Party today."

- I'm not sure there will be place.

I don't know.

- Say that again.

- I'm not sure there would be a place for her today.

What do you think?

It's hard to imagine that in today's political world.

- I think it'd be incredibly challenging and it would also be fascinating to hear what MilIicent Fenwick would've had to say about January 6th, about people believing that Joe Biden is not the legally elected president, particularly 60-70-80% of Republicans and Donald Trump, but we'll never know, but we have to remember Millicent Fenwick and she's part of our "Remember Them' series.

So Jacqui to you and the team behind "Remember them."

Thank you so much for doing this great job.

Really appreciate it.

- Thanks Steve.

- That's Jacqui, I'm Steve.

This is "Remember Them'.

I'll get it out.

We'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by PSE&G, NJM Insurance Group.

Hackensack Meridian Health.

The New Jersey Education Association.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Prudential Financial.

Kean University.

And by New Jersey Sharing Network.

Promotional support provided by New Jersey Globe.

And by New Jersey Monthly.