I've been waiting three years for what happened Tuesday: That W. Mark Felt would be named "Deep Throat."Actually, he was outed as Deep Throat by relatives and an attorney who began pitching me the story in June 2002, when I was a regular contributor to People magazine.
There's little doubt that Felt is indeed the super-secret source who helped topple a president. The Washington Post's Bob Woodward and Ben Bradlee confirmed as much Tuesday.
But there's one interview you won't be seeing: Felt himself. The former No. 2 man at the FBI suffered a stroke in the summer of 2000. By his family's own admissions, he suffers from dementia. You will not see Mark Felt going on camera and saying he was Deep Throat.
Thanks for the update. Dementia due to stroke is different from the dementia of Alzheimer's disease. The disabilities from stroke, aka cerebrovascular disease, is much more unpredictable in its effects. Can next of kin be prevented from financial benefit by Son of Sam laws?