Posted on 06/22/2005 6:34:03 PM PDT by CHARLITE
One of the main culprits of the Watergate scandal, John Dean, who spent 4 months in prison, surfaced as a media hero. He has also surfaced as an expert on the alleged scandalous behavior of the Bush Administration. He wrote the book, Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush. But the facts, which have survived several challenges in court, indicate that Dean had a much bigger role in Watergate than reported by Woodward and Bernstein. The book Silent Coup argues that the Watergate break-ins were really meant to cover up embarrassing information about a call-girl ring whose "Madame" was a roommate of John Dean's wife, and that John Dean ordered the break-ins. Watergate, as Watergate figure G. Gordon Liddy maintains, was "a Dean Operation."
To the credit of MSNBC's Chris Matthews, he had Liddy on his June 1 show to comment on the naming of Mark Felt as Deep Throat. Liddy said it didn't add up. Liddy explained, "One, Woodward wrote about how Deep Throat, he had a long friendship with Deep Throat. There's no evidence that he ever had any kind of friendship with Mark Felt. Secondly, why would the number two man at the FBI choose to confide in a young metro reporter for 'The Washington Post' who had only been there for nine months? Three, Deep Throat is given credit by Woodward with the story of the destruction of the tape. How would Mark Felt have known about that?
(Excerpt) Read more at aim.org ...
I had heard years ago that Dean's wife Maureen was a working call girl herself in that ring and there was documentary evidence to that effect at DNC HQ in Larry O'Brien's office and that is why Dean ordered the breakin
I'm old enough to have been watching the news in those days, and I seem to recall that some thought Dean was in it lots deeper. This makes sense.
Dean seems slimy to this day.
I'd trust Liddy for more truth than Felt or W& B.
Dean was the main reason why Watergate happened. And that is why he's the one liberals treat as a hero.
Liddy has been consistent with this for decades. John Dean is scum.
I don't know if Liddy has ever said it, but I'm sure he regrets his gun-ho attitude and "following orders" because I'd have thought, given his brilliance, that he'd have questioned Dean. Or Dean's orders were, which were lies, sensible.
And I realize Liddy was the type of guy to really enjoy these "dirty tricks" because, as we all know, they are common place from both sides. Especially back then when the post-Vietnam political era started. But that doesn't excuse the fact he got caught.
I agree. Liddy is a straight shooter. I believe that he knows the whole truth, and I think that it's exactly as this article indicates. Dean set it all up to expunge his wife's record before it got out into the open. The result was the destruction of a Republican president - all because of an immensely criminal, dishonest and disloyal act on the part of that particular little man - John Dean.
I was willing to relegate him to the shadows, but after he wrote his abominable anti-Bush book before the last elections, he lost all credibility with me.
He had some nerve attacking the truly splendid character of George W. Bush, when his own character is sorely lacking any redeeming features.
Char
IMHO a top level FBI official like Felt understood methods of human manipulation. He would know the dark side of our nature and how to exploit it. For example to bribe someone, start with something small and worthless -- and work your way up. Everyone knows it's wrong the first time. You have to gray out a person. After a while they won't know the difference.
Felt knew these ways of manipulation and much more. And he knew the stakes were high. How high we might never know, but we do know he chose reporters who wouldn't challenge his motives. He chose smart but inexperienced journalist. Young men with ambition and strong competitive urges.
I'll bet the first few leads he gave W & B were small -- but accurate. Not big enough to alert the more seasoned journalists. Not big enough to bring in top editors who might ask the wrong questions before the hook was set. But big enough to commit them to him. ( If you want someone to commit to you, offer them just enough so it's a hard choice - if you offer too much to soon, your "mark" won't have to internally rationalize his decision). It's why "A" students are harder on a teacher - and why the first time a man kisses some woman other than his wife it's more difficult than the last time he was totally unfaithful.
Compromise is always by degree.
Felt, with the position he held, would know some of the top news men of his day. And have easy access to them. They weren't what he wanted. Woodward was picked because he was young and somewhat inexperienced, not in spite of it.
Dean was playing both ends against the middle.
Liddy thought his orders were coming from the President thru Dean.
Dean was also telling the President things that he said was coming from Liddy and the gang, but it really was just Dean covering his A$$.
bump
IMHO a top level FBI official like Felt understood methods of human manipulation. He would know the dark side of our nature and how to exploit it. For example to bribe someone, start with something small and worthless -- and work your way up. Everyone knows it's wrong the first time. You have to gray out a person. After a while they won't know the difference.
Felt knew these ways of manipulation and much more. And he knew the stakes were high. How high we might never know, but we do know he chose reporters who wouldn't challenge his motives. He chose smart but inexperienced journalist. Young men with ambition and strong competitive urges.
I'll bet the first few leads he gave W & B were small -- but accurate. Not big enough to alert the more seasoned journalists. Not big enough to bring in top editors who might ask the wrong questions before the hook was set. But big enough to commit them to him. ( If you want someone to commit to you, offer them just enough so it's a hard choice - if you offer too much to soon, your "mark" won't have to internally rationalize his decision). It's why "A" students are harder on a teacher - and why the first time a man kisses some woman other than his wife it's more difficult than the last time he was totally unfaithful.
Compromise is always by degree.
Felt, with the position he held, would know some of the top news men of his day. And have easy access to them. They weren't what he wanted. Woodward was picked because he was young and somewhat inexperienced, not in spite of it.
Liddy was on his son's radio show in Phoenix the day that Felt made his claim and I have to say that Liddy made a lot of sense. I was astounded that no one, not even the conservative radio hosts gave Liddy's opinion any weight.
Felt may have been the source for the original tip about the break-in, but I don't think that he did much more than that.
"Liddy thought his orders were coming from the President thru Dean.
"Dean was also telling the President things that he said was coming from Liddy and the gang, but it really was just Dean covering his A$$."
This is the best short, accurate summary I've ever read. I believe it's exactly the nub of the thing.
Great reply, chaosagent!
Thanks!
Same here.
'Silent Coup' is one of the best books I have ever read. I HIGHLY recommend the book to readers who grew up in the '60s and '70s (as I did). 'Silent Coup' presents a genuine artifact of that time period - - takes you right back to those days. An amazing book.
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