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[SOURCE: 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for Thursday, April 24]

KEITH OLBERMANN, HOST: When Barry Goldwater Jr. and his roommate at school discussed someday writing a book about Barry Senior, the legendary Arizona senator and conservative icon, neither of them guessed that the roommate would go on to become an icon himself, White House council, who became a household name during Watergate, only to be resigned 35 years ago next week. In our third story tonight, that roommate John Dean and Barry Goldwater Junior, who himself grew up to be a member of Congress in his own write, have finally written that book, containing newly discovered journal entries and correspondence of the late senator, including a series of letters chronicling a dispute Goldwater had with John McCain after McCain succeed Goldwater as senator from Arizona, and a tantalizing reference to the political skills of one Hillary Rodham in her capacity as a Republican campaigner back in 1964, when Goldwater ran for president.

Goldwater himself underwent some well chronicled political conversions or perhaps remained stoically the same as his party changed around him. Portrayed and defeated in 1964 as a right wing extremist. By the ‘80s and ‘90s, he had became a moderating force in his party, pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-medical marijuana, pro-freedom, pro-honesty. Even on occasion, pro-Democrat. Leaving us to wonder whether Goldwater‘s newly revealed writings revealed anything about what the man known as Mr. Conservative would say about today‘s politics.

Joining me now is John Dean, author of “Broken Government” and now “Pure Goldwater,” as co-author of that book with Barry Goldwater Jr.. John, good evening.

JOHN DEAN, “PURE GOLDWATER”: Good evening, Keith. Nice to be interviewed by a giant.

OLBERMANN: It‘s just—I don‘t know what he means to this day. Let me start with something that did not make it into the book, something we haven‘t heard before about Senator McCain and his race for the Senate; after seeing these never-released documents from Goldwater‘s files, can you tell us now what you know about his role in McCain‘s run in ‘86?

DEAN: I think I can. I tried not to make this book overly political, because I was collaborating with somebody who was a very good member of the Republican party, Barry Goldwater Jr., my long-time friend. I did see correspondence along the way and I have talked to the senator‘s staff.

First of all, McCain was viewed when he came to Arizona as a carpet bagger. The senator‘s letter, which we didn‘t put in the book, where he endorses McCain to have his Senate seat when he‘s retiring in ‘86, looks to me very much like a nod to Admiral Jack McCain, who was a good friend of the senator and who he greatly respected. I‘m not sure he had the same feelings towards John McCain.

OLBERMANN: If they started there, where did Goldwater‘s assessment of John McCain go from there?

DEAN: They went downhill. After the Keating Five scandal, with Charles Keating, the savings and loan mogul, whose investigation was blocked by the efforts of a number of senators, McCain being part of the group, Goldwater really cooled on him, not that he was that warm initially. But I think he held him in minimal high regard, as diplomats might say, at that point. They got quite distant in their relationship. In fact, it got chilly when the name was misused by McCain, when he started using Goldwater‘s name. I put a couple letters in because I thought they were important historically to show that Senator Goldwater pulled up Senator McCain pretty short.

OLBERMANN: All right. Obviously he has this unusual connection to another candidate still in this race. We hear a lot about Hillary Clinton‘s 35 years of experience in politics. Obviously it goes back further than that. What was she up to in 1964? How did she come to Goldwater‘s knowledge and what did he think about her?

DEAN: I think the knowledge that she was a Goldwater Girl came many years later. I think it initially came when Bill Clinton called Senator Goldwater and said, Hillary Clinton is having a 40th birthday and we‘re having a surprise party. Would you call her because you initially attracted her to politics? The senator did. It actually started a very warm and extended relationship, right up to the senator‘s death, between the Clintons and the Goldwaters.

The Clintons wanting nothing out of this man, but fascinated by this icon and exemplary public figure. They really visited with him in Phoenix, visited with him when he was in the hospital. There was a very wonderful relationship. I think he would look pretty friendly toward Hillary Clinton‘s campaign right now.

OLBERMANN: I know your co-author, Barry Goldwater Junior, has endorsed Senator McCain and says his father would have done so as well. Is that your assessment, based on what you researched? How would he feel also about Senator Obama?

DEAN: Barry Junior and I have been talking about the book. He really initially endorsed Ron Paul. He thinks his father would have been attracted to Ron Paul as well. He‘s looking at McCain as the presumed nominee and he would vote for him, he says. He wouldn‘t leave the party over it. But I don‘t sense in my former roommate any great enthusiasm for this cause.

OLBERMANN: And as to senior?

DEAN: As to senior, unpredictable. I think he would like all those candidates except McCain, frankly.

OLBERMANN: What an irony there. John Dean, whose new book, with Barry Goldwater Jr., is entitled “Pure Goldwater.” As ever, John, many thanks.

DEAN: Thank you, Keith.

OLBERMANN: Take care.

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