Follow the Money

I am one of the few people who think Richard Nixon was a good president. He ended Lyndon Johnson's war, ended the draft, improved relations with Russia, and opened the door to China. Many of today's environmental programs are directly descended from the Nixon Administration. He presided over a country filled with upheaval and social change and provided visible stability through scary times.

After thirty years, however, it has become clear that his presidency marked the beginning of the end of any degree of civility in the American political process. I suspect that history will show that Watergate is certainly not a high watermark in our political process. But it will also show that Nixon probably didn't do anything more or anything less good or bad than any of his predecessors. Nixon's biggest mistake was to underestimate the righteous indignation of a left leaning press that exercised a virtual monopoly over the sources of information of the American people. Cloaked in moral superiority, the press scorned and disdained greedy politicians, greedy corporations, and greedy Republicans. W.Mark Felt's disclosure that he, the #2 man in the FBI, was the infamous Deep Throat removes that cloak and bares for all the hypocrisy and motivations of Nixon's staunchest critics and enemies.

At the end of the day, all we have to do is take Mr. Felt's advice, and follow the money. Carl Berstein and Bob Woodward made millions as a result of their role in the Watergate investigation. Mr. Felt, contrary to the popular belief that Deep Throat was some high minded, principled individual out to save the United States, was nothing more than a scorned government employee seeking revenge against the duly elected President of the United States because he was not promoted to the position of FBI Director.

While Woodward and Bernstein were off making money, movies and books from Mr. Felt's revenge, Mr. Felt consigned himself to a position of disgrace, not being able to come forward because he violated his oath of office and could not face the shame, much less possible criminal charges, because of his actions. Now, with the media reporting that his family is in financial straits, and at his family's urging, he comes forward to cash in on his place in history before he cashes out his chips for good. His story is not worth a plug nickel if he dies.

Given the trauma that Watergate has caused this country to this day, how disappointing is it that instead of a principled, behind the scenes Nixon politico out to vent his conscience over dirty deeds in the White House, Deep Throat turns out to be nothing more than a disgruntled bureaucrat angry about a promotion? Was it worth the Clinton/Lewinski scandals? Was it worth the hanging chad debacle in Florida? Was it worth the emasculation of the FBI and CIA which directly resulted in 9-11?

Woodward and Bernstein made lots of money as a result of Watergate. Mr. Felt is reportedly entering into a book deal worth in excess of a million dollars. But for the trauma and constitutional crisis that Watergate caused the country, when do the rest of us who endured this farce get to follow the money?