Watergate's Deep Throat Revealed

richlevy · 05-31-2005, 09:08 PM

Identity of 'Deep Throat' Source Revealed

Quote:

In a statement issued later, Watergate reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein said, "W. Mark Felt was 'Deep Throat' and helped us immeasurably in our Watergate coverage. However, as the record shows, many other sources and officials assisted us and other reporters for the hundreds of stories that were written in The Washington Post about Watergate."

The reporters and Bradlee had kept the identity of Deep Throat secret at his request, saying his name would be revealed upon his death. But then Felt revealed it himself.

I wan't sure I would ever know this secret. I don't ever remember this guy's name being even mentioned as a candidate for "Deep Throat", but I was wrong.

Quote:

The identity of the source has sparked endless speculation over the last three decades. Nixon chief of staff Alexander Haig, White House press aide Diane Sawyer, White House counsel John Dean and speechwriter Pat Buchanan were among those mentioned as possibilities.

Felt himself was mentioned several times over the years as a candidate for Deep Throat, but he regularly denied that he was the source.

It's actually pretty historic.

If they ever gave a medal for whistleblowing, this guy earned one. I'd love to see Bush have the balls to recommend this guy for the Medal of Freedom. Of course, considering the secrets probably roaming the halls of our current adminstration, I think he'd be afraid to encourage someone.

Griff · 05-31-2005, 09:10 PM

I really thought it would be someone we all knew...

lookout123 · 05-31-2005, 10:10 PM

i saw this earlier but figured it was a gag. i didn't realize it had been confirmed.

i remember my high school history teacher telling us that we would know who deepthroat was but he would probably go to his grave not knowing. i should follow up and see if the teacher is still alive.

Gwennie! · 05-31-2005, 11:21 PM

Well, this is certainly a big week for coming out of the closet.

Richlevy is right. W. Mark Felt is the whistler blower of epic proportions. It's good that he could enjoy talking about it before he passed. Good for him.

tw · 05-31-2005, 11:45 PM

Many -especially those who only know Watergate from the movie "All The President's Men" - don't realize how severe and endangered the US Government really was at that time. As the Supreme Court was deciding US verses Richard Nixon (a 9-0 vote), the court was also considering what to do should the president order troops to occupy the Supreme Court building. Yes, Washington was becoming that scary back then. Nixon's own people, by this point, had ordered the military to ignore any presidential request to launch missiles until confirmation came from a select group (which included the Sec of Defense). Yes, they even worried that Nixon might go berserk.

One must also remember that outside of Woodward and Bernstein, litteraly no one was doing any serious reporting on Watergate. As Nixon was parading in his second inauguration, jurors who were deliberating the Watergate burglar trial watched the Nixon motorcade go past. Hardly any news sources were reporting on Watergate then. And yet the crisis could have (doubtful but some still worried about the possibility) developed into a coup.

When were the last time there was no network TV and no commercials for continuous weeks for every minute of the Senate Watergate hearings. Literally no commercials and no TV during those weeks. Same with the impeachment hearings. It was back then that serious a threat to the US Constitution. And as we all well know, Nixon was a crook. He even lied about being a crook on national TV.

IEEE Spectrum reports on the man who led a study on those missing 18.5 minutes on those tapes - James Flanagan of the Bell Labs. The tape had been erased in at least five segments. Erasures that required hand operation of keyboard controls (at least 5 times) and definitely not by the foot pedal or by accident as Nixon's secretary Rose Mary Woods had speculated. The tape has been preserved so that some day a technology might recover those 18 minutes where the Watergate conspiracy is said to have been discussed in detail.

But there is no doubt people like Deep Throat and Judge Sirica are classic examples of what a Medal of Freedom winner are suppose to be.

However who would want it. A man who even violated principles well taught in 500 BC, Ambassador Bremmer, and who created the Iraqi insurgency, is a Medal of Freedom winner. Clearly the Medal does not deserve such stellar American heroes such as Mark Felt.

A remaining question is how important was Felt to Woodward and Bernstein - who have said so little about Felt. It is quite possible that Woodward and Bernstein would have been removed from their Watergate investigation had not Mark Felt come forward. The 'powers that be' back then were so adverse to suggestions that Watergate existed - which was why Watergate was so little reported outside of the Washington Post. Back then, the US could unilaterally attack any nation and that other nation "must have been wrong". The mentality of those times - the president was never wrong. Never.

Again, most don't realize how severe and endangered the US Government really was at that time. Few have any idea of the balls it took for Ms Graham to permit those Watergate stories be reported. Washington had become a very scary place in Nixon's time.

Lets also not forget when the US came closest to all out Nuclear war. Not during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was during the height of the Watergate scandel.

tw · 05-31-2005, 11:57 PM

Meanwhile, where is Jimmy Hoffa? Maybe Elvis will come out of hiding to tell us?

elSicomoro · 06-01-2005, 12:04 AM

I was almost certain that it was Pat Buchanan.

Gwennie! · 06-01-2005, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sycamore

I was almost certain that it was Pat Buchanan.

Me too!

tw · 06-01-2005, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sycamore

I was almost certain that it was Pat Buchanan.

My bet had been on the assistant presidental console - the Attorney who was second in command to John Dean. I don't even remember seeing Felt on a list of potential suspects.

Troubleshooter · 06-01-2005, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lookout123

i saw this earlier but figured it was a gag.

How did you guys pass on this one?

Deep Throat... gag...

Or was that one even to low for you guys?

melidasaur · 06-01-2005, 09:28 AM

it's sort of a let down... i was expecting a huge name!

mrnoodle · 06-01-2005, 09:38 AM

Conspiracy theories will need to be rewritten. Can't wait to see the new batch.

OnyxCougar · 06-01-2005, 10:26 AM

OK, I guess I'm just not old enough or politically savvy enough, but can someone tell me why this is such a huge deal? Does it matter who did the telling or that it was told? Is it just a matter of "Oh! Didn't see that coming!" type of interest, or does this shake the country's politicos to their knickers?

glatt · 06-01-2005, 10:30 AM

I think people are just excited that the answer has been revealed, and not excited too much about what the answer actually is.

dar512 · 06-01-2005, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrnoodle

Conspiracy theories will need to be rewritten. Can't wait to see the new batch.

Don't give up on this one yet. From the AP story via Yahoo:

For some, it raises new questions.

"I never thought he was in the loop to have the information," John Dean, counsel in Nixon's White House and the government's top informant in the Watergate investigation, told The Associated Press. "How in the world could Felt have done it alone?"

05-31-2005, 09:10 PM	#2
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	I really thought it would be someone we all knew... __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

05-31-2005, 10:10 PM	#3
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	i saw this earlier but figured it was a gag. i didn't realize it had been confirmed. i remember my high school history teacher telling us that we would know who deepthroat was but he would probably go to his grave not knowing. i should follow up and see if the teacher is still alive. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

05-31-2005, 11:21 PM	#4
Gwennie! Not Female at Birth Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Anaheim Posts: 166	Well, this is certainly a big week for coming out of the closet. Richlevy is right. W. Mark Felt is the whistler blower of epic proportions. It's good that he could enjoy talking about it before he passed. Good for him. __________________ Only The Crumbliest Flakiest Gwennie!

05-31-2005, 11:45 PM	#5
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	Many -especially those who only know Watergate from the movie "All The President's Men" - don't realize how severe and endangered the US Government really was at that time. As the Supreme Court was deciding US verses Richard Nixon (a 9-0 vote), the court was also considering what to do should the president order troops to occupy the Supreme Court building. Yes, Washington was becoming that scary back then. Nixon's own people, by this point, had ordered the military to ignore any presidential request to launch missiles until confirmation came from a select group (which included the Sec of Defense). Yes, they even worried that Nixon might go berserk. One must also remember that outside of Woodward and Bernstein, litteraly no one was doing any serious reporting on Watergate. As Nixon was parading in his second inauguration, jurors who were deliberating the Watergate burglar trial watched the Nixon motorcade go past. Hardly any news sources were reporting on Watergate then. And yet the crisis could have (doubtful but some still worried about the possibility) developed into a coup. When were the last time there was no network TV and no commercials for continuous weeks for every minute of the Senate Watergate hearings. Literally no commercials and no TV during those weeks. Same with the impeachment hearings. It was back then that serious a threat to the US Constitution. And as we all well know, Nixon was a crook. He even lied about being a crook on national TV. IEEE Spectrum reports on the man who led a study on those missing 18.5 minutes on those tapes - James Flanagan of the Bell Labs. The tape had been erased in at least five segments. Erasures that required hand operation of keyboard controls (at least 5 times) and definitely not by the foot pedal or by accident as Nixon's secretary Rose Mary Woods had speculated. The tape has been preserved so that some day a technology might recover those 18 minutes where the Watergate conspiracy is said to have been discussed in detail. But there is no doubt people like Deep Throat and Judge Sirica are classic examples of what a Medal of Freedom winner are suppose to be. However who would want it. A man who even violated principles well taught in 500 BC, Ambassador Bremmer, and who created the Iraqi insurgency, is a Medal of Freedom winner. Clearly the Medal does not deserve such stellar American heroes such as Mark Felt. A remaining question is how important was Felt to Woodward and Bernstein - who have said so little about Felt. It is quite possible that Woodward and Bernstein would have been removed from their Watergate investigation had not Mark Felt come forward. The 'powers that be' back then were so adverse to suggestions that Watergate existed - which was why Watergate was so little reported outside of the Washington Post. Back then, the US could unilaterally attack any nation and that other nation "must have been wrong". The mentality of those times - the president was never wrong. Never. Again, most don't realize how severe and endangered the US Government really was at that time. Few have any idea of the balls it took for Ms Graham to permit those Watergate stories be reported. Washington had become a very scary place in Nixon's time. Lets also not forget when the US came closest to all out Nuclear war. Not during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was during the height of the Watergate scandel. Last edited by tw; 05-31-2005 at 11:51 PM.

06-01-2005, 09:28 AM	#11
melidasaur Traded your soul for pogs. Join Date: May 2004 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 646	it's sort of a let down... i was expecting a huge name! __________________ I love England, what can I say?

05-31-2005, 11:57 PM	#6
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	Meanwhile, where is Jimmy Hoffa? Maybe Elvis will come out of hiding to tell us?

06-01-2005, 12:04 AM	#7
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I was almost certain that it was Pat Buchanan.

06-01-2005, 09:38 AM	#12
mrnoodle bent Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: under the weather Posts: 2,656	Conspiracy theories will need to be rewritten. Can't wait to see the new batch. __________________ Sìn a nall na cuaranan sin. -- Cha mhór is fheairrde thu iad, tha iad coltach ri cat air a dhathadh

06-01-2005, 10:26 AM	#13
OnyxCougar Junior Master Dwellar Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kingdom of Atlantia Posts: 2,979	OK, I guess I'm just not old enough or politically savvy enough, but can someone tell me why this is such a huge deal? Does it matter who did the telling or that it was told? Is it just a matter of "Oh! Didn't see that coming!" type of interest, or does this shake the country's politicos to their knickers? __________________ Impotentes defendere libertatem non possunt. "Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth." ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

06-01-2005, 10:30 AM	#14
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I think people are just excited that the answer has been revealed, and not excited too much about what the answer actually is.

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