Who was Deepthroat?

[genius]

Tonight, John Dean told a crowd that, based on his research, Deepthroat appears to have been Ray Price, Bill Saphire or Pat Buchanan. He based this on who would have had known the information and been in DC at the right time to talk to Woodward.

So here's the question. Which of the following do you believe is Deepthroat?

[maveric]

1. Poppy Bush

[gandalf]

13. Yes! Here is more on this idea:

http://www.onlinejournal.com/02-05-04_Hasty.pdf

Just past Watergate’s thirtieth anniversary, Bush’s comments here bring several observations to mind that have been generally ignored. One is that there had been growing dissatisfaction among the nation’s uling class with the presidency of Richard Nixon, whose environmental and social legislation has led some revisionist commentators to refer to him as “the last liberal president.”

More importantly, Nixon was also seeking to reorganize the intelligence services. These facts have inspired some out-of-the-mainstream journalists, like Doug Henwood and the late investigative reporter Steve Kangas, to suggest hat Woodward’s “Deep Throat” contact was actually someone in the CIA. Kangas had also suggested hat the semi-conscious and dying William Casey, director of Central Intelligence in the Reagan administration and Woodward’s controversial leading “source” for his book, “Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987,” was in actuality the “alter ego” of Woodward’s real source: George H.W. Bush.

[blm]

41. I've been saying the same for years. That is why Woodward gets SO MUCH

access to the Bushes. They can rely on him.

Notice Woodward never found anything wrong throughout IranContra or BCCI scandals? He said on LKL that he doesn't see a story in Enron, either.

Woodward is pure BFEE. Even his so-called revelations are meant for cover. Like with his Tenet/Iraq/Bush story.

[AntiCoup2K4]

2. Linda Lovelace

:evilgrin:

[Swamp Rat]

5. Damn! you beat me to it!

[guitar man]

9. Beat me too!

I saw the thread title and thought for sure I would get to post the smart-ass answer. Foiled again!

[Connie_Corleone]

24. She was my first guess

n/t

[wuushew]

3. I thought Deepthroat was to be revealed in 2000

any truths to these rumors? It has only been what 30+ years.

[calico1]

20. The agreement, as I understand it is that

Woodward or Bernstein can reveal the name upon Deep Throats death.

By the way, I think it was Fred Fielding, who was not on the list of choices.

[genius]

26. Not until he's dead.

That's what Woodward and Bernstein have said. It makes sense. The Republicans would kill Deepthroat if they found out who he was.

Dean ruled out Fielding because he was not in DC at the time when some of the critical meetings with Woodward occurred.

[tcfrogs]

4. Hal Holbrook

Come on - didn't you see the movie???

I swear, Woodward will not tell anyone until he's on his deathbed. If ever.

[genius]

27. Good answer.

[TheMightyFavog]

6. I saw an episode of Dateline once

Where a bunch of journalism students, using original manuscripts of All the President's Men and other clues deduced that Deep Throat was Pat Buchannan. Hell, he had motive. He wasn't too thrilled about Nixon going to China.

BTW, the Deep throat's identiti will not be released unitl Deep Throat dies.

[genius]

30. Dean said Buchanan was slow to deny it when Dean asked him.

[newscaster]

7. Here is a best guess

By Lisa Todorovich
washingtonpost.com
Friday, June 13, 1997
T he identity of Bob Woodward's deep background source during the Watergate investigation remains simply the best-kept secret in American politics and journalism. Only four people on the planet are known to have the name -- Woodward; his partner, Carl Bernstein; Ben Bradlee, the former executive editor of The Washington Post; and of course, Deep Throat himself.

In "All the President's Men," their 1974 account of the Watergate scandal, Woodward and Bernstein describe their source as holding an extremely sensitive position in the executive branch, and as one "who could be contacted only on very important occasions." Dubbed "Deep Throat" by managing editor Howard Simons after a popular porn film at the time, the source encouraged Woodward and Bernstein to "follow the money" and confirmed or denied reports from other sources. "Deep Throat had access to information from the White House, Justice, the FBI and CRP ," Woodward and Bernstein wrote. "What he knew represented an aggregate of hard information flowing in and out of many stations."

Woodward has kept his 1972 promise to protect his source's identity because he says Deep Throat wishes to remain anonymous. But some bits of information have been disclosed over the years: Deep Throat is one person, not a composite of several sources, he is a man and he is still living. Woodward noted that Deep Throat was a smoker and that he drank Scotch. "Aware of his own weaknesses, he readily conceded his flaws," the reporters wrote. "He was, incongruously, an incurable gossip, careful to label rumor for what it was, but fascinated by it. ... He could be rowdy, drink too much, overreach. He was not good at concealing his feelings, hardly ideal for a man in his position."

The most-cited Deep Throat suspects include Nixon administration members Henry Kissinger and Alexander Haig; CIA officials Cord Meyer and William E. Colby; and FBI officials L. Patrick Gray, W. Mark Felt, Charles W. Bates and Robert Kunkel.

[sandnsea]

11. It's Rumsfeld

He fits that personality better than anybody else and worked directly with Nixon. And I don't remember his name in connection with Watergate at all. Anybody else?

[calico1]

21. Now why would Rumsfeld do anything good

for his country? No, I don't think it was him.

[morgan2]

16. drunk and rowdy in the 70s?

it was George Walker Bush!

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. Since Pat Buchanan has the most name recognition

I would offer odds that he will win the poll.

[ezod]

10. Fred Fielding?

http://slate.msn.com/id/2082179/

http://www.dailyillini.com/apr03/apr22/news/stories/news_story01.shtml

[Bucky]

18. Yes, Fred Fielding is correct. Fielding may have been a source in 80s, too

Fred Fielding was John Dean's assistant and was in a position to know all the stuff Throat knew--plus shared the love of Scotch that Woodward and Bernstein attribute to Throat. He was the only major suspect around for the whole time that Throat was feeding confidential info to the WaPo and in a position to know all the stuff Deepie knew. He went on to serve in the Reagan White House. During his tenure there Bob Woodward scored a number of scoops whose sources have never been discovered. Fielding may have one of the most interesting personal lives in the shady world of Washington power brokers.

[Awsi Dooger]

19. Definitely Fred Fielding

For all the reasons you mentioned, Bucky. I think it was a University of Illinois class that nailed the answer last year. Everything lines up perfectly.

It's just another non-mystery now, like the certainty of Richard Floyd McCoy as DB Cooper.

[genius]

28. Dean says no. Fielding wasn't in DC at times of critical meetings.

Dean checked not only the access to the right information but also the location of the possibilities at the time of the critical meetings with Woodward. Colson was also a possibility but in South America at the time of one critical meeting.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

38. Fred Fielding eliminated by Dean

at the end of this long article, which Bill Gaines still maintains is it.

http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues03/dec03/presence.html

[newyawker99]

25. Hi ezod!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[alexwcovington]

12. Meh. Just wait until they're all dead.

The arrangements are probably already made to release the guy's name after he croaks. I personally have the time to wait around. By then there should be some historical perspective to work with.

[orthogonal]

14. Bill Saphire?

Bill Saphire?

Who is he? He sounds almost like a real jewel, but I've never heard of him.

I wonder if New York Times columnist and former Nixon speechwriter WILLIAM SAFIRE has ever heard of this guy?

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/11/magazine/11ONLANGUAGE.html

[jerryvov]

15. Deepthroat?

Alexander Haig...by temperament, inclination and operational style.

[Fight_n_back]

17. Alexander Haig

Woodward worked for Haig in Naval Intelligence.

[Gruenemann]

22. I heard it was Haig too,

and I'm surprised he's not on the poll.

[genius]

29. Dean had suspected him but ruled him out after his research.

Dean checked who had the information at the right time and who would have been able to make the necessary meetings with Woodward.

[dissention]

31. Neither of them

It was Diane Sawyer. ;)

[msanthrope]

32. my guess too--who would be "deepthroat", but a female??

[genius]

39. Someone mentioned her last night

Dean's response was that it wasn't longthroat or silverthroat but deepthroat.

[GreenArrow]

23. David Gergen

.

[DarkHorse]

33. Nixon

I think it was Nixon himself. He was deranged and
had multiple personalities. He turned himself in
to the press.

[Pathwalker]

34. I voted Buchanon, but I also think Kissinger is a possibility -

just a guess.

[CaTeacher]

35. Haig and Kissinger

lost their jobs too. Smart money has always been on Dean--that is who Nixon thought it was too.

[Pathwalker]

37. Yes, but Kissinger fits some of the known descriptions of

Deep Throat, plus he has the ego that would take great joy in being such a famous, yet anonymous persona. It would give him great secret joy to have had such an impact on America history. Besides, Henry hasn't worried about money for a very long time. Just my $.02

[bex]

42. deep throat

describes kissinger's absurdly pompous voice

[indigobusiness]

36. Pat Nixon

duh

[nonkultur]

40. Pat Buchanan

Love him or hate him the man is blunt and honest.

I do not agree with alot of his ideas, but he does have a moral integrety and would wistle blow corrupt politics.

[genius]

43. I was impressed with his honesty about the Florida votes

He said that the 40,000 votes he received must have been for Gore.

[Fight_n_back]

44. Students at the University Of Illinois-Champaign believe they've uncovered

http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=1245255

http://deepthroatuncovered.com/bio/


Fred Fisher Fielding, deputy to former White House counsel John Dean during the Nixon administration, emerged practically unscathed from the Watergate scandal. H.R. Haldeman, President Richard Nixon's White House chief of staff, speculated in his book The Ends of Power that Fielding was Deep Throat. Fielding denied he was Throat.

Today he is a respected Washington lawyer with an illustrious past that includes a position as counsel for the Reagan administration. Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward stated that the real Throat has lied to protect his identity.

......

[Fight_n_back]

45. Hal Holbrook

:)

[NewYorkerfromMass]

46. I was enjoying all this speculation

it's an utter waste of time but still fun.