Watergate Template?: No, Real Watergate News
Yes, a couple of weeks after Newsweek falls flat with its Vietnam/Watergate templated “Koran flushing” story, we have..real Watergate. (Courtesy MSNBC.) Conspiracy? Of course not. Former FBI-number 2, W. Mark Felt, was Woodward and Bernstein’s tipster– and that’s a high quality source (as the MSNBC story notes).
Key quote:
The identity of the source has sparked endless speculation over the last three decades. Nixon chief of staff Alexander Haig, White House press aide Diane Sawyer, White House counsel John Dean and speechwriter Pat Buchanan were among those mentioned as possibilities.
Felt himself was mentioned several times over the years as a candidate for Deep Throat, but he regularly denied that he was the source.
“I would have done better,” Felt told The Hartford Courant in 1999. “I would have been more effective. Deep Throat didn’t exactly bring the White House crashing down, did he?”
Felt had expressed reservations in the past about revealing his identity, and about whether his actions were appropriate for an FBI man, his grandson said.
According to the article, Felt once told his son, Mark Jr., that he did not believe being Deep Throat “was anything to be proud of. … You (should) not leak information to anyone.”
His family members thought otherwise, and persuaded him to talk about his role in the Watergate scandal, saying he deserves to receive accolades before his death. His daughter, Joan, argued that he could “make enough money to pay some bills, like the debt I’ve run up for the children’s education.”
But conspiracy theorists of another era would have a field day with a J. Edgar Hoover protege bringing down a president.
Likewise, there’s a bet to be made that if the president involved were anyone other than Nixon, the “pay some bills” angle of this revelation would get tons of negative media attention. I don’t brook the old man his notoriety or reward for his story.
But there is this richly ironic note, one worthy of a Greek tragedy:
Felt was convicted in the 1970s for authorizing illegal break-ins at homes of people associated with the radical Weather Underground. He was pardoned by President Reagan in 1981.
It’s interesting how Felt’s daughter thinks the old man should make some money to pay for the education of HER children. Typical tired old Liberal “I’m entitled” crap.
Comment by Ron — 6/1/2005 @ 3:58 am
The last point — that Felt himself needed a pardon — might also explain the timing of his confession. He needed to wait until Ronald Reagan died. Had he gone public at any point before last June, the press would have been all over that detail, which would have been sad for everybody.
Comment by TigerHawk — 6/1/2005 @ 6:11 am
Hypocrisy thy name is money grubbing liberal. This story doesn’t pass the smell test. There has to be a lot more to it.
Comment by erp — 6/1/2005 @ 8:10 am
I saw Felt’s attorney on Nightline last night and was very, very creeped out. Felt is not just post-stroke, he was said to have no real memories of the details of that time. The vibe I’ve gotten off of his family’s statements is that _they_ pushed this, hoping to make money. Woodward had apprently talked to Felt about co-writing a book about his experiences as Deep Throat, but it didn’t go forward.
Comment by ech — 6/1/2005 @ 10:33 am
Ron, you’re full of crap. It is “liberal” for people to expect government to help them with tax money. In the family is an entirely different thing. Yours, Tom Perkins molon labe montani semper liberi para fides paternae patria
Comment by Tom Perkins — 6/1/2005 @ 11:46 am
Felt was a career Republican. Served Republican’s. Thus, he was pardoned by a Republcian. Sorry to squash your Liberal bashing mood. But, facts are facts. If you are going to criticize Liberals, at least get it right.
Comment by Danton — 6/1/2005 @ 1:06 pm
Felt was not a career Republican. He cut his teeth as an assistant to a variety of Dems
Comment by blackminorcapullets — 6/1/2005 @ 1:12 pm
“cutting your teeth”, working for Dems or Republicans, does not make you one. Felt was loyal to Hoover, and to the Republicans. He was rewarded by Reagan for being loyal. Like most of the suspected persons who could have been “deep throat”, Felt was loyal to the Republican’s.
Comment by Danton — 6/1/2005 @ 1:17 pm
It seems to me that Felt was not loyal, to Republicans or to America, that is why he got convicted of breaking into peoples homes for the FBI. Had Reagan known he was ‘deep throat’ he would not have pardoned him. I think that he should have come forward earlier if he really thought that what he did was right. If you are right then why hide it? He knew it was sneaky and underhanded and that was why he did not come forward. All I see is someone concerned more with himself than anything else. BCN
Comment by BCNemmers — 6/1/2005 @ 2:53 pm
It was a good bet that Felt was Deep Throat. It was a very short list. So, speculating that “if Reagan had known” is nonsese, really. Felt was always on that very very short list of people. You have to consider it from another perspective… Leaks, even those that were on the side of the law, and the leaker being one who was also disobeying Consitutional law, were a power play. And, ultimately, the identity of Deep Throat was kept secret, (although, most in the know understood that Felt was on a list of about five people who it would have been) for a number of reasons. Deals were made for starters, between The Wash Post and leakers. It was a touchy situation legally as well. But, most importantly, it was a situation dealing with oppossing sides within the GOP, within the FBI and within the Nixon Administration. And, at stake was great power. So, keeping ones identity secret was also a matter of staying alive…
Comment by Danton — 6/1/2005 @ 3:24 pm