Posted on 02/09/2005 4:43:27 AM PST by MindBender26
On first segment of GMA, Charlie Gibson reported that Bob Woodward told his former WaPost editors that Deep Throat is seriously ill.
This is important because "Woodstein" have always promised to reveal the identity of Deep Throat on his death.
Various rumors have circulated about the real name of the man who brought down the Nixon administration. Fred Fielding, Al Haig, L. Patrick Gray, even a young G.H.W.B. have all been mentioned, along with dozens of others.
There was even some specualtion that Deep Throat might have been former DOJ offical William Renquist.... and we all know he is ill.
The only other public persona known to be ill is the Pope.... and I think we can rule him out.,,, but of course someone else from that era might be ill without the public knowing about it.
So, will we soon know the identity of Deep Throat?
Stay tuned to your local FReeper station!
Add in the "journalists" hatred of Richard Nixon and their mission to end the "illegal war." (The American press was later praised by North Vietnam Communist General Giap as his "most valuable guerrilla".)
Let's forget about that and talk about "Deep Throat".
One writer nails it, "Deep Throat has become a convenient means of journalistic self-congratulation, a way the media reminds us of its place at the center of the Watergate constellation."
Truth is, deep throat was a cheap-trick name for deep background briefings, leakers, rumors, and just plain made-up stories MSM employees hoped "would make a difference."
I'm thinking Rehnquist. Not only is he ailing and probably dieing. He is also someone who has not been suspected a trait I associate with DT. He was on the Supreme Court at that time. But he was one of the Arizona crowd. Also a friend and fellow Arizona crowd member was Kleindienst who was Attorney Gen. at the time of water gate and was convicted. They probably talked and Kleindienst probably confided with Rehnquist. i suspect that is how DT had connections with the FBI,through Kliendienst. I don't know if Kleindienst, or who, had connections with the Campaign.
Also Rehnquist had been the White house chief lawyer prior to having been appointed to the court. He could of well maintained connections to that office.
I don't know why Rehnquist would turn on Nixon (after all he appointed him to the Supreme Court.) But, Woodward said the person was motivated by conscience. That is about the best guess I can come up with. Rehnquist abstained from the Nixon case when it got to the Supreme Court. Possibly an act of conscience by someone who was more involved in the case then thought. Serving on the Supreme Court would also be a motivation by DT to keep his identity secret for the balance of his life (and his SCOTUS term). Also in only confirming the info,DT could be showing a judicial temperment in not geting to involved.
Dole's a good candidate for DT.
There could be one complication, though.
Suppose DT was fed the info by someone else.
Do you think he could actually be a lowly functionary
serving as a middleman?
It could be that even Woodstein doesn't know who the REAL source was.
Secretary? hmmm. Secretary's know EVERYTHING going on, so you may be onto something.
That's possible. With additional people in on it, keeping it secret would have been tougher, though.
Rehnquist?
So how do we know Woodward is telling the truth? The alleged "Deep Throat" will be dead and unable to confirm or deny the assertion.
Al Haig is also a lifelong smoker or at least he was heavy smoker back then.
Ford was the House Minority Leader when Watergate broke. He wasn't close enough to the White House to know anything.
Woodstein's boss, Bradlee was notorious for this sort of thing. Another WaPo reporterette won a Pulitzer for a fictional "boy of the streets who's Mom was a crack addict" story.
Why were Woodward and Bernstein chosen to head this story? If they were caught it would be no big loss.
After years of watching these two in interviews, one can only conclude that if they were the brightest bulbs in the WaPo fixture, the other "lites" couldn't even make a decent imitation of a firefly's butt.
Having been involved on the periphery of Republican politics at the time, I have been persuaded that DT in fact existed--some of the material attributed to him was speculation on his (or her) part and thus may have proved less than accurate.
I also believe that it was not common knowledge, at least in 1968, that Nixon was taping the Oval Office--DT may not have known in the early stages; may have learned later. Although almost everyone who did know about the tapes assumed until the matter got into the courts that they would be destroyed before they were revealed--they weren't viewed as a particular exposure because everyone though Nixon would simply take them out and burn them.
An agreement not to reveal until after death meets a number of legitimate interests, depending on the individual. If Rehnquist or Dole were DT, publication of the fact would have impacted their future political career. Or, someone with aspirations, might have been concerned that revelation would have an adverse impact. But, it would not surprise me, if in addition to an obituary, we also get a deathbed confession.
Len Garment's book, "In Search of Deep Throat" nominates John L. Sears, III (Deputy Counsel to the President). On the other hand, the suggestion that Garment himself was DT was widespread at the time he wrote the book. Sears is a good candidate if he is still alive although I have not seen or heard of him for several years.
There is a good story I heard from an old lawyer in MO who was following the 1976 primaries. During the primaries Reagan looked like he would be competitive. As if on cue, the media stopped showing Ford falling down. Then, when Reagan lost, literally the next night the media had him falling down again.
Ford only lost to Carter by a million votes, which considering the circumstances under Nixon, was pretty well.
That being said, I think Ford was a weak Republican from a different era - the era of "Check Pants Republicans".
I'm not sure whether Haig is alive. If so, then he must be in his late 70's or 80's.
WJC is not "Deep Throat" He was the recipient.
I guess I was out of the loop on this one. Really didn't know she was gone.
Woodward has previously denied Sears was DT.
Ditto Haig.
I remember something like that. But I think he would excuse lying in the negative about a specific individual on the grounds the speculation is designed to elicit a true identification. Further, as to Sears, not that I necessarily think he is it, I thought Woodward's denial was in the nature of a "I'm not going to get into talking about possible candidates" or some such rather than a specific, "he is not it" denial although my memory may be wrong.
Although also I am not so sure Sears is still alive.
Lots of people on the inside still thought it was Garment the last time the subject came up.
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