Posted on 12/18/2008 10:07:11 PM PST by re_tail20
Mark Felt, the FBI official who as the anonymous journalistic source "Deep Throat" helped bring down President Richard M. Nixon, died on Thursday at his home in Santa Rosa, Calif. He was 95.
Felt suffered from congestive heart failure but the immediate cause of death was not known on Thursday night.
"He was an important person for the history of our nation, but also such a gem and such a treasure to our family," said his grandson Nick Jones, who confirmed the death. "He was a great man."
Jones said the family would issue a formal statement on Friday.
In 2005, more than 30 years after his whistle-blowing helped topple a presidency, Felt held a press conference on the front steps of his Santa Rosa home.
Felt, then 91, revealed that he was "Deep Throat," the anonymous source who in 1972 leaked information to the Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein about the Watergate scandal that eventually led to Nixon's resignation in 1974.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Whoops, of course I meant more “harm”.
Felt was despicable and cowardly sneak.
Nixon might have been a Republican, but he was a lefty through and through: deficit spending, the birth of the EPA and OSHA, cuddling up to China, a belief in government’s ability to set market prices — they were hallmarks of his time in office.
Nixon was on the right only in the sense that that he was for Nixon first and last.
throat cancer?
“He (Nixon) was a Great President.”
Everything I’ve heard about him with regard to domestic policy suggests he was a liberal.
First, the Conservative movement you know and that you probably grew up with did Not Exist then. People have struggled for decades to bring Conservatism to the point it is today.
Second, Nixon had to deal with a Democratic Congress defying and denying him at every turn.
Third, as others have pointed out, he was dealing with domestic riots, rebellion and treason every day. He did what he needed to to save the Nation.
Fourth, his focus (as most Americans then) was on foreign policy - the Cold War, Viet Nam and the struggle to against Communism. You might want to attack him for recognizing Red China too, but that was part of his strategy. Nixon realized the historic rivalry between China and Russia.
Nixon had greatness in him, but the Dogs brought him Down.
“John Dean snookered John Mitchell into letting him do the Watergate.”
I still think the real reason behind Watergate was John Dean. IIRC, his fiance (later wife) Maureen was rooming with a hooker who was (?) working for the DNC. Now, I don’t know how it goes now, but in 1972 if your roomie was a hooker, it tainted your rep too. I wonder if John was wanting to keep tabs on Mo ?
"The final nail in Richard Nixon's political coffin was when gutless Republicans turned on him under the guise of "upholding the law"."
The removal of Richard Nixon was a coup détat of an elected President of the United States.
There's a book setting on my desk right now,"Silent Coup; The Removal of a President" by Len Colodny and Robert Gettlin, available on Amazon, or through the local library.
Search engines can provide a synopsis, and here's a website to peruse at your leisure.
I have a First Edition hardcover of that book that I bought and read the week it came out back around 1991. It is one of the best non-fiction books I ever read - - a poignant snapshot of early '70s culture and a political thriller at the same time. Simply excellent.
My copy is a First Edition hardcover, too. Dated June 1991 and recently given to me by a FReeper whom I’ve never met in person.
Good riddance to a no-good coward rat-f*ck b*st*rd. He provided America’s enemies a great victory.
Calling this man a no-good coward rat-f*ck b*st*rd is an insult to no-good coward r*t-f*ck b*st*rds everywhere.
The truly sad part about Nixon is that many folks only know what thy learned about him in our liberal education system. Today Ayers, Malcolm X, the anti-war movement, the anarchists and the like are solid citizens, and Richard Nixon is viewed as the criminal. Jane Fonda has less stigma today than Richard Nixon. It’s just a real shame.
How many people here know that school busses were parked bumper to bumper around the White House at one point to keep it from being stormed by protesters in the Nixon years? Those protesters were riled up by soviet agents intent on bring anarchy to the U.S. These are the people who spit on our troops when they came home. They are the people who cast those returning troops as crazies, and made it almost impossible for them to find jobs. They are canonized, and Nixon is vilified.
Nixon was guilty of bout 1/25th the crimes of Bill Clinton. And look how far removing Clinton went. Nixon should have continued in office. He probably would have, but good old Barry Goldwater turned on him. Our side can never find real backbone when it is needed. And that’s a shame.
How many bodies popped up around Nixon? How many popped up around Clinton? Did any of Nixon’s staff in the White House get rubbed out in Fort Marcy or another local park or location? Under Nixon, did the BATF trump up charges on a farm in Texas, and collude with the FBI to destroy 90 people?
Nixon was no saint. He was handed a nasty war in Vietnam. He tried to do the right thing to win it. He could have done so if it hadn’t been for the Democrats in Congress, absolute traitors of the highest order.
Those who spout off about Nixon really don’t quite get the age old struggle we have been engaged in for the last seventy years or so. The communist/marxist/socialist groups have been trying to take this nation down for a long time. And while we self-loathe people on our own side, they have no conscience at all, and are marching across our great nation at full speed.
Nixon opened up relations with China in an effort to cause Russia to have to worry about it as much as us during the cold war. It was a stroke of genius. It was never intended to become what it is today, but folks just don’t quite get it.
Today Russia has teamed up with China and folks seem to understand that. But if it’s our team who uses China to play off against Russia, it’s a terrible idea. Good grief.
South Vietnam went down the drain because of Mark Felt and Watergate which led to the election of an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress which cut off all military aid. I wonder if his family is “proud” of the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese killed as a consequence. Moreover, he did his backstabbing not out of conviction but out of revenge for having been passed over for a promotion; his family thought they deserved money for it.
Mark Felt is dead.
GOOD.
1. He took over in the middle of a monster long-distance war against a 2 million-strong enemy that was fully supported by the Soviets and the Chinese. He also had to contend with a fully-developed and well-financed pro-enemy movement that was backed by all of the media.
2.The US had a hugely expensive "space race" going to the moon.
3. We had the massive Civil Rights transition going on, with the fires of major cities still smoldering.
4. The Arab-Israeli conflict was in major combat and threatened to go nuclear (thanks to Soviet intervention in 1973). We also got the Arab Oil Embargo out of the deal.
Despite all this, Nixon began the process of improving the relationships with Russia and China, beginning the process that defeated Communism. He was a good and talented president that was hated and opposed by the Left.
In that context, is the EPA and OSHA all you have? Gimme a break!
You are either unread, or forgot the sarcasm tag.
He knew that sooner or later he would have to close out the DT scam and get himself off the spot, so he used a demented Felt for that purpose. One of the great liberal lies of the 20th century.
That is precisely what I have believed for years.
I was quite surprised when they trotted Felt out and he said he was the guy. I thought Deep Throat would ever be identified. But, I remain skeptical and doubt it is true.
Thanks
A very plausible scenario. How many times have we caught the Drive-By Media just making it up as they go along?
Watergate was a media coup détat.
I am old enough to remember Watergate, and the whole process was a dim based premeditated lynching. Nixon on the other hand was loyal to his subordinates, ultimately taking the fall for their bad judgment. Now days, politicians will throw their loyal followers under the bus at the first sign of a problem. Nixon had principals. Too bad history books have taken an overt liberal bias.
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