So in today's
column, Novak drops this stunner:
Felt unquestionably provided an invaluable service to Woodward and Bernstein in pointing them in the right direction. But his motivation may not have been as noble as his family now makes it out to be.
He then proceeds to spend the rest of the column talking about Felt's misdeeds at the FBI, and how his motivation was that he was passed over for the top job at the FBI.
This from the man who published the name of an undercover CIA agent divulged to him as pure political payback? I think my head hurts.
More of what I think is after the jump.
Different wingnuts have different motivations here. Liddy is simply pissed because Felt put his ass in jail. His commentary is simply irrelevant.
But Novak and Buchanan and Scarborough and the like are on a different mission, and a more dangerous one. They're not refighting Watergate, they're warning the next generation of potential Deep Throats that they will be exposed. Cross THIS administration and YOU will be the target, not Bush/Nixon or any of his henchmen. The media whores of the right, now comfortably ensconced in their perches screeching their nonsense, will make sure that if there ever is another Deep Throat, that it won't take 30 years to expose him or her, and it won't be pretty.
Novak is saying, in essence, that if you're not pure of heart in your desires, forget having the substance of your claims as a whistleblower heard. Of course, if you're a White House insider with an axe to grind over Joe Wilson, come on over and see Novak. He's more than happy to help.
This is where we've come in 30 years. Whistleblowers are to be examined for their motives, unless they're on Bob Novak's side. Then he'll publish whatever you want. Others will be threatened with jail time for his malfeasance, and the rest of the media will give Novak a pass in embarrassed silence while he writes tripe like this. Does anyone think he's really gonna get called on this?
I don't. The heyday of the whistleblower and the investigative journalist is over. Bob Woodward went from meeting Deep Throat in a parking lot to sitting in the corner listening to Bush and preparing a hagiographic "insider" book. Pathetic. And right wing shills are all over television coverage warning anyone thinking about taking the same course as Felt that it's a new day, boys and girls, and you will feel their wrath if you even think about stepping out of line. "Liberal media," my ass.
Deep Throat was a product of a historical moment in time, and that moment is over. That's sad. And dangerous. Not that the media gives a shit.
Update [2005-6-2 12:2:30 by jsmdlawyer]: Two very good points in comments. First, I think we have a good talking point from all of the bloviating right-wingers. In attacking Deep Throat, "Republicans put party before country." Second, this "go up the chain of command" bullshit is just complete tripe. Who should Felt have complained to? Mitchell? Haldeman? Ehrlichman? Who wasn't in on the conspiracy and the coverup? I mean really, if the whole system is rotting, the only answer is to go public. And that, if I didn't make myself clear, is what makes the current Administration shit its pants. These talking points are designed to scare anyone even THINKING about blowing the whistle on Bush Administration malfeasance into cowering compliance. I admire the vast majority of you who have voted "yes" in my poll -- I gotta tell you, I'm not sure I'd do it.
Update [2005-6-2 13:12:28 by jsmdlawyer]:One more point that should not be forgotten. Have you ever seen a situation where the criminals are presented with a microphone and asked their opinion of the informant who got them convicted? Neither have I -- think about that for a minute. Should a drug dealer be asked what he thinks of the informant who took down his operation? Or a murderer what he thinks of the snitch who ratted him out to the cops? Of course not. Why then are Liddy, Barker & Co. being asked what they think of Felt? What possible motivation, other than the purely political, is there for even handing Liddy a microphone and allowing him to speak at all?