The New York Times is mourning the loss of one of it’s heroes… [1]
W. Mark Felt, who was the No. 2 official at the F.B.I. [2] when he helped bring down President Richard M. Nixon [3] by resisting the Watergate cover-up and becoming Deep Throat, the most famous anonymous source in American history, died Thursday. He was 95 and lived in Santa Rosa, Calif.
As you may have figured by my opening line, I’m less than sure the man should be lauded as a hero. After all, his response could only be considered political payback for Nixon not naming him FBI director when Hoover died. Nothing heroic about that.
The one thing I’m sure about is that the Times wouldn’t have regarded someone doing the same thing with Bill Clinton, as a hero, whatever their motivation.
Irony:
While Watergate was seething, Mr. Felt authorized nine illegal break-ins at the homes of friends and relatives of members of the Weather Underground, a violent left-wing splinter group. The people he chose as targets had committed no crimes. The F.B.I. had no search warrants. He later said he ordered the break-ins because national security required it.
Yes, that would be the same Weather Underground as Obama’s freinds, Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dorn were members of.
Addendum: (David L)
I come not to defend the late Mark Felt, bur rather remind the reader that the so-called Deep Throat was fictional creation of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The fictonal Deep Throat knew things that Felt could have never known. The indespenable Blondie [4]:
Of course, in Felt’s defense, he wasn’t Deep Throat. There was no Deep Throat. Now we know.
[…]
Now that Woodward and Felt are both claiming Felt was Deep Throat, the jig is up. The fictional Deep Throat knew things Felt could not possibly have known, such as the 18 1/2-minute gap on one of the White House tapes. Only six people knew about the gap when Woodward reported it. All of them worked at the White House. Felt not only didn’t work at the White House, but when the story broke, he also didn’t even work at the FBI anymore.
Hat tip: Gateway Pundit [5].