'Deep Throat' uncut

Washington Times ^ | June 3, 2005 | By Gary Aldrich

[Jim Robinson]

"Deep Throat" has at last come forward. Arguably the most notorious informant in recent history is former FBI official W. Mark Felt, and it's been confirmed by The Washington Post.

Mr. Felt was second-in-command at the FBI during Watergate, and is now 91 years of age. In stepping forward, he not only destroys his reputation, but he takes a chunk out of the reputation of the agency that supported him and his family in a comfortable lifestyle for so many years.

Had Mr. Felt used the lawful route to voice his concerns about the Nixon administration he might be remembered with a modicum of respect, if not admiration. Some in the Nixon administration were misusing their powers but not because they were feathering their own nests like Mr. Felt was. For their sins they got lengthy trials and prison sentences. Mr. Felt broke numerous federal laws, but received immunity from prosecution by hiding behind the skirts of two reporters at The Washington Post. They made their careers, and he made a clean getaway.

[Enterprise]

I think you might be right. And I don't think Woodward and Bernstein are particularly bright. As a poster noted, this isn't the 70's. There's a whole lotta history instantly accessible to millions of people, and thousands of bloggers.

Woodward and Bernstein
waiting, waiting, waiting,
a storm is coming!

[SkyPilot]

The early footage, right after this story broke a few days ago, was of Woodward leading Bernstien into his G'town home. All I could think was they had to spend some time together to get their stories straight.

I saw that footage. It struck me, because everyone know Bernstein and Woodward are not close. Carl Bernstein has been angry with Woodward for years, jealous over his journalistic and literary success, and skeptical of his motives. They had to reunite to "get their stories straight" as you stated.

Pat Buchanan took a shot at Bernstein's lack of writing ability here. It was a not so subtle dig at the beltway's knowledge that Bernstein couldn't write a review of 3rd grade soccer game. He is talentless. All the attention Woodward is receiving has got to inflame old feelings of inadequacy. Woodward is teller of tall tales, but at least he can string two sentences together. Bernstein was about to be fired from the Washington Post for incompetence right before the Watergate scandal took off.

[leadpenny]

I caught part of the Woodward interview on the Imus program the other day. It may have been due to the lag time because Imus was at the ranch but Bernstein got on the horn in the middle of the interview and did nothing but interrupt Woodward. I don't know which one is more annoying?

[SkyPilot]

It may have been due to the lag time because Imus was at the ranch but Bernstein got on the horn in the middle of the interview and did nothing but interrupt Woodward.

Ha. That must have been fun.

[elcid1970]

A ringing, eloquent manifesto that should stir the patriotic spirit of our citizenry. Bravo, sir.

But is anyone listening besides us Freepers? The people seem to be more stirred by Paris Hilton and Runaway Bride.

[GOPJ]

An informant for The Post, Mr. Felt avoided cross-examination. He appeared before no grand jury, gave no oath to congressional committees as legitimate whistleblowers often do, nor was he questioned or attacked by political opposition. No one in authority had a chance to examine his motives or credibility. No other media could interview Mr. Felt to look for inconsistencies, or probe critical data. No federal jury ever weighed his evidence.

When the porn peddler Larry Flynt offered a million dollars to anyone who would tell of sexual escapades with a congressmen it caused a flurry in the MSM. Hundreds came forward with stories about democrat infidelities. Flynt was forced to announced the payment was only to catch Republicans. The MSM looked the other way -- and now we know why.

Felt chose Woodward and Bernstein for several reasons but the most important was lack of experience. He assumed inexperienced reporters wouldn't ask too many questions about secondary agendas. Felt knew the elders at the Post wouldn't get involved in the early stories. He wouldn't want his motives questioned by seasoned reporters. But it was an unnecessary concern.

The Post, like Larry Flynt, didn't care as long as the information hurt Republicans. Seasoned reporters, not seasoned reporters, it didn't matter. It was dirt on a Republican and that's all that mattered.

If this type of material had been leaked about a Democrat, the story would have been about outing the leaker.

Would the MSM have outed Kennedy if they knew he was jeopardizing national security by working with the Mob or assisting with voter fraud in Chicago? Had an undercover FBI official come to them with that news, they would have ignored the story. Or likes a common porn peddlers, would the MSM invoke a double standard?

[GOPJ]

But is anyone listening besides us Freepers? The people seem to be more stirred by Paris Hilton and Runaway Bride.

The people who matter are listening.

[Saundra Duffy]

Felt's destruction of Nixons ability to lead caused massive death in Vietnam and Cambodia as Nixon was forced to close the Viet Nam war

Yikes!

[SouthCarolinaKit]

Any story that lets the journalists tald about themselves 24/7 will have legs. Unfortunatley their egomaniacal ODing doesn't make for very interesting news. . . Thank goodness at times like this for Netflix and old DVD's of '24!'

[bert]

....AMERICA DOES NOT RESIDE IN THEM.....

Great sentence. A concise statement of the leftist view that America must be forged into a Euroclone.

The leftist coalition is in agrement on only one course...... destroy W, eliminate conservatism, wallow in past glory.

[Jim Noble]

Ben Stein suggests that Felt's destruction of Nixons ability to lead caused massive death in Vietnam and Cambodia

The questions, was Nixon guilty? and Should he have been removed? are separate from the other questions about Felt.

I'm inclined to think the answers to the first two questions are yes and yes.

But this does not make Felt a hero.

Felt was a high-ranking and loyal servant of J. Edgar Hoover, who died two weeks before the break-in.

He therefore knew very well that Johnson and Kennedy were both guilty of similar, or worse, crimes.

Why not remove Johnson?

Why not remove Kennedy?-Oops! There's that old "Bay of Pigs" stuff again!

Where was Mark Felt on November 22, 1963?

[leadpenny]

I think this story could have a silver lining for the GOP. A Republican President was forced out of office and 25 years later a democrat president escaped being thrown out on his ear for lying under oath. Don't forget that Hillary was a member of the majority counsel on, I believe, Rodeno's committee. She may know a lot more than she has ever let on, and others in the dem party may know she knows.

[cynicom]

Felt was a very ambitious little man. Had he had a glimmer of hope of replacing Hoover, he would have had his shovel out trying to bury the Watergate investigation.

Ironic that MSM does not mention his conviction for authorizing illegal breakins after Watergate.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

You're right about Woodward's sleazy style -- it has also become formulaeic in his books:

1. Demand access to all the senior policy makers in the new administration.
2. Tell them all that you plan to write a book giving the definitive "insiders" account of this Administration.
3. Promise to glorify one or two as long as they'll deal the dirt on three and/or four.
4. Go to press.

Pretty disgusting that this seems to work every time.

[Mark was here]

I saw a Leave it to Beaver episode where Beaver's parents were proud of him for not being a tattletale.

Deep Throat was a tattletale.

[advance_copy]

The Washington Post is a gossip rag dedicated to leftist propaganda. Felt hated Richard Nixon, this he had in common with WaPo.

[spanalot]

"Remarkably, Mr. Woodward sleepwalked through eight years of Bill and Hillary Clinton"

Duranty covered up the communist genocide and received a Pulitzer.

Duranty, Woodward, Blair, Rather - its all the same MSM and Thank God we have an alternate source for information.

[Right_in_Virginia]

BTTT

[B.Bumbleberry]

Richard Nixon one of the greatest presidents? Please. He was poison on so many domestic fronts, Watergate totally aside. Start with a decade of rampant inflation unparalleled in the nation's history (floating gold and trying to stimulate the economy by creating money) and go on from there. His foreign policy triumphs are nothing compared to the damage he did to this country. I'm leaving, so no time for a debate, but please get a grasp of history.

[syriacus]

The white hot spotlight may attract more bugs to [Woodward's] little garden party than the adoring attention he so richly craves.

Nicely put.