Posted on 06/01/2005 10:01:40 AM PDT by areafiftyone
Former Nixon aide Pat Buchanan said Wednesday that the same mainstream reporters who paint newly revealed "Deep Throat" source Mark Felt as a hero couldn't find a good word to say about Linda Tripp, whose secret tapes led to the impeachment of President Clinton.
"The only reason Mark Felt is a hero now [is because he helped] destroy was Richard Milhous Nixon," Buchanan told WABC Radio's John Gambling.
But when it came to President Clinton, he noted, reporters suddenly developed a distaste for whistleblowers. "I mean, did they make Linda Tripp a hero?" the former Nixon speechwriter asked plaintively. "At least she was public about it."
Buchanan said that when Felt leaked information about the FBI's ongoing Watergate probe to the press, he set a dangerous precedent that should concern reporter and citizen alike.
"Let's realize that the FBI has secret files from full field investigations on everybody that served in the highest offices of government," he noted. "And if they start deciding who and what investigations they're gonna leak to the Washington Post - you've got a police state."
One could argue that because Nixon was the president, anything he did was worse, but Felt's actions just seem so much more sleazy to me.
"Let's realize that the FBI has secret files from full field investigations on everybody that served in the highest offices of government," he noted. "And if they start deciding who and what investigations they're gonna leak to the Washington Post - you've got a police state."
Hitlary realized this. Hence the FBI files found in her closet.
I wouldn't call either of those two "heroes." Tripp secretly taped a young girl who thought Tripp was a friend. Disgusting. I hated Clinton, but I would not touch Tripp with a ten foot pole. Ben Stein's article sums up my thoughts on Felt.
Wasn't it written by Sorensen?
Any one know why Reagan pardon him ?
I don't think the analogy is Linda Tripp. The analogy is Gary Aldrich.
Gary Aldrich resigned his position in the White House. He went public with what he knew. He did not remain inside a flawed administration. He did not access secret files or things he shouldn't, to alert the public to what the Clinton White House was all about.
It is startling to me, to know the things that Aldrich revealed, and see much of the American Public not even stop picking their noses long enough to take notice.
As someone mentioned, the FBI files alone should have brought this administration down. Gary Aldrich revealed that White House interns even had access to them.
It didn't take a violation of trust to reveal that Clinton obstructed justice, witness tampered and more. This man was vile, yet he got a free pass from the MSM and the very people who brought down President Nixon.
I think Nixon was flawed, but Bill Clinton was not just flawed, he was mostly one massive bundle of flaws with intermitant instances of non-flawed behavior, few and far between.
Clinton wasn't fit to shine the shoes of Richard Nixon. Name one person in the MSM that realizes this. That's the lesson of Watergate vs the myriad of scandles surrounding the disbared child.
For "proof", you'll have to read Dr. Parmet's 1960 book on JFK which concludes that Sorenson wrote it and that while JFK contributed some notes with ideas for the book, Sorenson was its author. No, I wasn't in JFK's hospital room and I doubt you were either. The first time in history a Pulitzer Prize was awarded for a ghostwritten book.
MUCH MORE............. she was AFRAID for her life from the Clinton GOON squads! This *ss hole's (Felt's) worst position would be of the lame-o Daniel Ellsberg! No comparison............ Linda's is cool........... 'Deep Throat' belongs in a Shallow Moat!
Does Daniel Ellsberg draw a pension........ another big time *sshole!
The FBI could offer several recollections.
***
Because Linda was being asked to BREAK THE LAW!!! Big EFFIN difference!
First, Felt was a coward not a hero. Second, Tripp was courageous, but also not a hero.
Let's consider some of the favorite arguments.
1) The information was to come out eventually due to a letter written by one of the burglars whose hush money wasn't sufficient.
I don't know when such a letter was written, but Felt could not have been confident that such a thing would happen and that the conspiracy would be revealed.
2) Nixon didn't commit a serious crime.
Nixon knew of the break-in within days. He was a co-conspirator with those who worked to cover this up. The mission of the CIA was compromised by suggesting that the investigation of Watergate could reveal an important CIA mission. Over sixty people were eventually convicted of felonies for their parts in this corruption. Nixon received a pardon from Ford which didn't even name the particulars but basically pardoned him for any crimes committed whatever.
3) Felt should have just turned his information over to the prosecutor.
Really? Which one of the several. Those who were fired during the "Saturday Night Massacre"? Felt was able to steer W&B in the right directions but it is not clear to me that he ever had anything which in and of itself would have constituted convincing evidence of the conspiracy.
Let's remember that the Attorney General of the United States, Mitchell, was the one who had control of the secret cash which had been used to finance the break-in. The movie portrays Deep-Throat as having told W&B to "follow the money". They did that and tied a political donation check to the Committee to Re-Elect the President" (CREEP) to the orignal payments to the burglars. I have never seen anything to convince me that this wouldn't have been covered up otherwise.
4) Felt should have resigned and told his story to Congress.
Sure. Just like John Dean did. Dean was called a liar. It was suggested that Dean could not possibly have so clearly recalled the details to which he testified. Only when later verified by the tapes was it realized that what Dean described had happened.
5) The tapes themselves.
Prior to Butterfields admission that there was a taping system, it had never been revealed that there existed compelling evidence concerning the scope of the conspiracy. Without the tapes, this was just a case of over-zealous underlings. With the tapes, it becomes apparent that the corrupt approach to solving problems was the rule not the exception. Is there anyone so naive as to believe that the Watergate break-in was the first? What of the forging of documents to smear opposition candidates? What about Nixon's "Enemies List" and the use of the IRS to harass opposition?
6) Felt owed his allegiance and loyalty to his President.
Nonsense. Felt's oath was to defend the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic, not to protect the President from accountability for crimes. The illegal search of the Democrat headquarters and the illegal attempt to seize telephone conversations is a clear violation of the Constitution. This crime was enabled by the President of the United States. We will never know what was on the 18-minute gap in the Nixon Tapes. But it must have been pretty impressive to justify such an amateurish erasure process and Wood's attempt to make it seem innocent.
I read the book years ago. It was good, but thinking back now, do you think it was Pulitzer Prize quality? I mean, how much money do you think changed hands under the table, to seal the award for JFK?
I agree with your post. Reasonable, rational, and patriotic. Thank you.
As for the letter written by one of the burglars, that is a reference to the letter James McCord sent to Judge Sirica in March, 1973. I believe it was at the time of sentencing, and McCord pretty much said he wasn't taking the rap when higher-ups were involved. He blew the whole thing open, and Butterfield's testimony four months later was the final nail in the coffin. The investigation could not be stopped, once the existence of the tapes was known.
Felt had been feeding Woodward hints since the previous summer, which kept the Post on the story until fall '72, when CBS and other outlets finally figured out that it was not just a petty crime. Still, it was not widely reported until the following spring.
Felt probably should have gone to Sirica or the grand jury. I don't know. He was caught in a bind, and he probably also had selfish motives. Now he's old and senile and being used for financial gain by his family.
At this point, it's all history. I'm just appalled at how little people know about the extent of the scandal and how easily they try to dismiss the criminal aspect of it. This is not about Republicans or Democrats or politics at all, but about serious abuse of power. God grant that we learn from the past and not let it happen again.
He is on Hannity right now about this. "Felt is Linda Tripp without the courage."
I agree.
It has been said that "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". The President of the United States should obey the Constitution because he will and not because he must. There is simply too much power inherent in the office to permit those without integrity to hold the office, whatever their character flaws might be.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.