Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate Papers

February 3, 2005 5:54 PM

Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate Papers are now available online at the University of Texas web site (press release/about the collection) Deep Throat is still not uncovered (as discussed previously at MetaFilter, including the sale of this collection). [cross-posted from MonkeyFilter]
posted by kirkaracha (14 comments total)

Neat archive. From one of the fan letters written to Woodward and Bernstein:

"We can't blame [Nixon] for everything; he struck me as some sort of glorified errand boy for his buddies in ITT&T and the big oil companies..."

Heh, the more things change, the more the lame perceptions of eeeevil big business cabals secretly pulling the strings remain the same. Nixon was plenty evil enough without having to blame oil companies.

I wonder if we'll ever know for sure who Deep Throat was? Maybe Woodward will randomly call a press conference someday and wow us all. My personal hope, just because it would be so incredibly wacky, is that Deep Throat was Pat Buchanan, who was an advisor and speechwriter to Nixon.
posted by Asparagirl at 6:19 PM on February 3, 2005

hmm.. i wonder if student tickets are still available. the ransom center's a short walk from my last class, and that's quite a panel they've assembled for the symposium. thanks for the reminder!
posted by blendor at 7:06 PM on February 3, 2005

Young whippersnappers wanting a short course on this subject could do a lot worse than to rent All the President's Men this weekend. A fine film and a reminder of the power that investigative journalists could bring to bear before they all became the embedded lap dogs you see today.
posted by spock at 8:11 PM on February 3, 2005

It's Pat Buchanan..

Sorry to let all the steam outa your sails..

(I have no proof)

He's writen some very ineresting stuff lately.

He is the only one of anyone I've seen who has some sembelce of history or at least 'reconning of what has already happened with a given situation, and has given sencible advice toward the same..

(I'm a non-christian and still like the guy...) Go Figure!

There are still two or three possible candidates for Deep Throat...
posted by Balisong at 8:13 PM on February 3, 2005

I expect we'll find out whenever they die, or on some anniversary of their death.
posted by louie at 8:42 PM on February 3, 2005

This is my alma mater, but I've been surprised by the cool stuff they've purchased. They've picked up a complete Guttenberg Bible, Don DeLillo's archived manuscripts, and a Gone With The Wind collection that even includes the curtain dress. I can't find links to the Einstein notes, the Gorey drawings, or the renaissance collection that will apparently be getting its own building. For Austin, that's not bad.
posted by Gilbert at 8:45 PM on February 3, 2005

This class appeared on 20/20 a few years back, and they revealed that they believe deep to be Pat Buchanan. Sorry, I didnt see that mentioned on the above 'uncovered' link...
posted by Kifer85 at 10:56 PM on February 3, 2005

I always hoped it was Ben Stine...

Economics Teacher: Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
Simone: Um, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious.
Economics Teacher: Thank you, Simone
Simone: No problem whatsoever.
posted by Derek at 1:46 AM on February 4, 2005

OH come on, everyone knows that Jimmy James is deep throat.
posted by jaded at 6:16 AM on February 4, 2005

Thanks for the link. Brings back memories.

I was ten when this all went down but I remember watching the hearings on TV with my mom and even thinking back then, how huge the story was. Its funny to see the almost ancient looking mimeographs and typewritten memos as it all still seems so fresh. I'd love to have seen how this would have played out had the internets existed back then.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:22 AM on February 4, 2005

You can make a great case for Buchanan as Deep Throat.

Penchant for bucking the system when he's pissed...talkative...wiskey/cigars...knowledge of DC and its secret meeting places...lived near woodward, was a previous source to woodward on a George Wallace story...was in DC during all the deepthroat garage meetings. and he aint dead yet..

woodward once gave a tell-tale clue that we'd be surprised with what Deepthroat was doing now..that he certianly wasn't lurking in dark garages anymore...

Denials wouldn't prove anything because Woodward has admitted that its likely Deep Throat has lied to friends, family and media...
posted by brucec at 8:37 AM on February 4, 2005

Somebody wrote a letter to Romanesko proposing an interesting new suspect for Deep Throat: George Herbert Walker Bush.

It puts an interesting twist on this, from a Reuters story:

Asked why Deep Throat would continue to want anonymity now more than three decades after the scandal, Woodward said he could not answer the question because it might help reveal the source's identity.

"When you know who it is, when that story's told, your reaction will be 'now I understand' (why the person wants anonymity). And so to answer that question would lead you down that trail, and that's something we're not anxious to do," he said.

posted by pmurray63 at 9:56 AM on February 4, 2005

History (and journalism is merely the first draft of history) without foot notes has always bothered me. If I don't know the source, how can I decide if the guy is honest, delusional, crooked, or simply has an axe to grind?
posted by IndigoJones at 10:06 AM on February 5, 2005

Buchanon would have more than enough to lose from exposure, if not as much as Bush 41, to see why he wouldn't be outed. However, I would be interested to know if Pat has written anything about the Novak/Plame disgrace.
posted by billsaysthis at 1:47 PM on February 5, 2005