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Matthews: "Hoover Was Wiretapping Dr. King," Compares to Bush Wiretapping
NewBusters.org ^ | 2/8/2006 | NewsBusters

Posted on 02/08/2006 5:09:35 PM PST by Mike Bates

On Tuesday's Hardball, the discussion turned to Jimmy Carter's remarks at the funeral of Coretta Scott King. The former president had brought up wiretapping. Host Chris Matthews observed: "Of course that‘s hot because J. Edgar Hoover was wiretapping Dr. King and feeding all the dirty to LBJ, you know?"

The former FBI chief had indeed wiretapped the late civil rights leader, but not on his own authority and initially not for President Lyndon Johnson. King biographer David Garrow wrote in a 2002 Atlantic Monthly article:

"On October 10, 1963, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy committed what is widely viewed as one of the most ignominious acts in modern American history: he authorized the Federal Bureau of Investigation to begin wiretapping the telephones of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Kennedy believed that one of King's closest advisers was a top-level member of the American Communist Party, and that King had repeatedly misled Administration officials about his ongoing close ties with the man."

Earlier in the program, Matthews had said that at Mrs. King's funeral, "Senator Ted Kennedy reminded us of the role his brothers had played with Dr. King, getting him out of jail back in 1960." This role included Bobby Kennedy inappropriately calling the sentencing judge in the case. There's strong reason to believe the Kennedys' sudden interest was politically motivated. Kennedy's call took place only days before the 1960 presidential election. So grateful was Dr. King's father that he announced, "Because this man was willing to wipe the tears from my daughter (in-law's) eyes, I've got a suitcase of votes, and I'm going to take them to Mr. Kennedy and dump them in his lap."

It's understandable that Teddy Kennedy wouldn't bring up his brothers' role in wiretapping Martin Luther King. But why wouldn't Chris Matthews mention their widely known involvement?


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: chrissyhissyfit; fbi; kneepads; kneepadsmatthews; spying
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To: AmishDude

There is still hope that Pennsylvania does not regress into New York.


41 posted on 02/08/2006 5:41:43 PM PST by new yorker 77 (FAKE POLLS DO NOT TRANSLATE INTO REAL VOTERS!)
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To: muawiyah
For the record, do you happen to remember this advisor's name? I'd like to know in case I run across it again.

A lot of commentators have been saying that the FBI actually wanted extramarital dirt on MLK and, to my recollection, that ended up being an afterthought, but I don't know.

42 posted on 02/08/2006 5:43:58 PM PST by AmishDude
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To: AmishDude

James R. Matthews--Thomas Jay Ellis, Esq.--Ruth S. Damsker
43 posted on 02/08/2006 5:44:54 PM PST by new yorker 77 (FAKE POLLS DO NOT TRANSLATE INTO REAL VOTERS!)
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To: AmishDude

44 posted on 02/08/2006 5:46:49 PM PST by new yorker 77 (FAKE POLLS DO NOT TRANSLATE INTO REAL VOTERS!)
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To: new yorker 77

Pennsylvania will be the state to watch this year. The Gov. race plus the Senate race (the only one that the GOP could lose) make it worth watching.


45 posted on 02/08/2006 5:46:50 PM PST by AmishDude
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To: AmishDude

I think Santorum will pull out a win.


46 posted on 02/08/2006 5:48:05 PM PST by new yorker 77 (FAKE POLLS DO NOT TRANSLATE INTO REAL VOTERS!)
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To: Wiseghy

"Why did Nazism and Stalinism spring from the Left side of the spectrum? Yeah, its an extreme example, maybe unfair, but I feel it was no coincidence historically"

It is because Communists and Socialists exalt the collective and deny the rights of individuals. The right believes in individual rights and that governments exist to defend these rights.



47 posted on 02/08/2006 5:49:28 PM PST by Panzerlied ("We shall never surrender!")
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To: Mike Bates
he authorized the Federal Bureau of Investigation to begin wiretapping the telephones of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Kennedy believed that one of King's closest advisers was a top-level member of the American Communist Party

As I understand it, one of King's top people in fact had been a Communist. Whether he still was one I don't know, but I doubt it.

48 posted on 02/08/2006 5:51:50 PM PST by Zack Nguyen
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To: Mike Bates
Don't think so. On the same show he said, ". . .Martin Luther King, the great man of all times. . ."

Most worshipful.

Yeah, but some people feel the same way about Osama bin Laden, and he's a terrorist. Since Chrissy says that intercepting King's phone calls is like Bush intercepting calls between terrorists, I think he's saying that King was a terrorist.

49 posted on 02/08/2006 5:52:52 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: new yorker 77
I do too. When Pennsylvanians see the name "Casey" they think they're getting a MiniMe of his father. I saw him in the primaries against Rendell and he as all the charisma of a wet sponge. And for a pro-life candidate, he doesn't mention it on his website. He's only pro-life to the extent that people will use it to associate him with his father.

The best thing he can do is not campaign. At all. Santorum will have to work, but based on voting patterns, the Nelsons look a lot more nervous than Rick.

50 posted on 02/08/2006 5:55:26 PM PST by AmishDude
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To: AmishDude
For the record, do you happen to remember this advisor's name?

Stanley D. Levison

51 posted on 02/08/2006 5:55:37 PM PST by Mike Bates (Irish Alzheimer's victim: I only remember the grudges.)
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To: new yorker 77
He is a mentally unstable, disgruntled, lying, leftist, propagandist with no desire for ratings or truth.

and he drools

52 posted on 02/08/2006 5:56:50 PM PST by SMUfriendoflaura
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To: SMUfriendoflaura

I believe there is a distinction to be made here.

I consider it more a froth and spittle combo.


53 posted on 02/08/2006 5:57:49 PM PST by new yorker 77 (FAKE POLLS DO NOT TRANSLATE INTO REAL VOTERS!)
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To: Mike Bates

Is he STILL on?? Don't suppose he mentioned we are spying on Terrorists like the 911 Commission screamed for?? Of course not because that would be the Truth.

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters


54 posted on 02/08/2006 5:58:55 PM PST by bray (Conservatives want Keifer Sutherland to fight terrorists while Liberals want his Dad!)
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To: bray
Is he STILL on??

Not only is he still on, but he's actually - once in a while - stopped fixating on Karl Rove's grand jury testimony.

55 posted on 02/08/2006 6:00:32 PM PST by Mike Bates (Irish Alzheimer's victim: I only remember the grudges.)
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To: Mike Bates

It still is amazing that a show with as bad a ratings as his finds it necessary to Offend 60% of his potential viewers. Haven't watched him for a year, quicker to just go to the DNC website!

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters


56 posted on 02/08/2006 6:03:59 PM PST by bray (Conservatives want Keifer Sutherland to fight terrorists while Liberals want his Dad!)
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To: Mike Bates

True, most Kennedy escapades are wiped from the history books.


57 posted on 02/08/2006 6:13:03 PM PST by satchmodog9 (Most people stand on the tracks and never even hear the train coming)
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To: AmishDude; Mike Bates; muawiyah
Yes, Levison, and also Hunter Pitts "Jack" O'Dell, later foreign policy advisor to Jesse Jackson (this is apparently how Jackson got involved with the PLO--more info in Kenneth Timmerman's Shakedown) and associated with Mary Francis Berry at Pacifica Radio in the 1990s. There's an FR thread with detailed info here:

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. - Congressional Record - CPUSA

King himself was not a CP member, according to former FBI official Cartha DeLoach, but it was his association with Levison and O'Dell that led the Kennedy administration (not just LBJ, contra Matthews) to place him under surveillance.

58 posted on 02/08/2006 6:19:08 PM PST by Fedora
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To: keithtoo

Robert Kennedy and Hoover were worried about the communist influence on MLK.


59 posted on 02/08/2006 6:20:39 PM PST by OldFriend (The Dems enABLEd DANGER and 3,000 Americans died.)
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To: rdcorso

MLK was a notorious womanizer as well as his penchant for associating with known communists.


60 posted on 02/08/2006 6:22:00 PM PST by OldFriend (The Dems enABLEd DANGER and 3,000 Americans died.)
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