Word: millers
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...Taxi was common knowledge in Iran, and that this fact had been called to the attention of top executives of Textron's Bell Helicopter division in the mid-1960s. The executives, however, testified that they had considered the talk "cocktail-party rumor," unworthy of reporting to Miller. That seems plausible enough. At the time Bell officials were allegedly informed of Khatemi's interest in Air Taxi, Iran was a very minor client. Bell had sold only 15 helicopters to all of Asia during a four-year period in the mid-1960s, in comparison with 2,000 helicopters...
...weakness of Proxmire's case was one reason for Miller's confirmation, another was Miller's own coolness under fire. On the eve of his final appearance before the committee, the usually jovial Textron chief turned uncharacteristically snappish with his aides and prepared a 50-page statement in his defense. Once on the stand, however, he found no need to quote from it; his impromptu answers to Proxmire's queries were enough. When Proxmire opened by saying that to him "the facts ring loud and clear; Textron bribed Khatemi," Miller responded that the Senator was making...
...Proxmire's badgering tone cost him control of his own committee, whose members had received phone calls the day before from Vice President Walter Mondale and Trade Negotiator Robert Strauss urging Miller's confirmation. Illinois Democrat Adlai Stevenson III complained that the committee was asking Miller to prove his innocence rather than confronting him with evidence of guilt. Conservative Republican John Tower of Texas grumbled that "this type of inquiry is how we get our jollies in the Senate. It is easy harassment...
...Proxmire noted that the Securities and Exchange Commission had opened an investigation into alleged past bribery and false billing practices by Textron in Jamaica and half a dozen other countries around the world in addition to Iran. Then he repeated an editorial suggestion by the New York Times that Miller voluntarily withdraw his nomination. At that, Michigan Democrat Donald Riegle Jr. exclaimed: "This committee has taken every shot we could at Mr. Miller and hasn't touched him in the slightest. Now you're saying to him: 'You take the gun and shoot yourself!' " Miller himself...
Proxmire did not, but Miller won over everyone else, even though the SEC's investigation may continue to put a burden on him. Miller responded to that with sangfroid: "Only my sleep has been inhibited by the investigation in the past few days. My ability to function at the Federal Reserve won't be." In any case, he can now turn his attention to money supply, interest rates and the dollar, subjects that could benefit from the precision he demonstrated during the hearings...