Deep Throat was an American Hero.

[spanone]

He went to the press because the Attorney General was John Mitchell & they'd have buried Watergate deeper than hell. God Bless ya Deep Throat - You brought down Nixon. We need you today!

[rzemanfl]

1. But he authorized warrantless searches, which Reagan gave

him clemency for, so don't put too much polish on his halo.

[spanone]

2. He brought down Nixon....Hero IMHO

[HEyHEY]

3. SO the ends justify the means?

[spanone]

5. just talkin about watergate....for that he's my hero.

Nixon was scum. This guy took him OUT OF OFFICE.

[headin_south]

4. i agree with zee...

this guy is akin to the attempt on hitler. couldn't have happened to a more deserving turd but the assassins were still nazis.

felt was a disgruntled lawyer who was pissed cuz he didn't inherit j. edgar's crenoline wardrobe. hardly altruistic.

[jobycom]

8. It was more complex than that

Welcome to DU, BTW!

Felt wanted the job, and was bitter he didn't get it. But there was more to it. The White House appointed an outsider to head FBI specifically to interfere with the FBI. Felt felt the FBI was being compromised, and made a political tool of the corrupt Nixon administration. Felt believed that Nixon was interfering with the honest job of the FBI, and thus with the true job of government. Which he was. So Felt turned informant.

Not a perfectly altruistic reason, but not a petty one, either.

[yankeedem]

6. He is a lesson to pukes

See, it wasn't a do gooder that brought down Nixon, it was someone who WAS EVERY BIT the A-hole that Nixon and the Repukes are. Someone just as amoral as the current crew is (in fact, they are the same people).

This guy sold out the President over a JOB PROMOTION. Who in the current White House would do the same thing? They all would. And the fact that Republicans in the White House are ALL snakes mean that NONE of them can sleep at night.

[DURHAM D]

7. I think it would be more correct to say the FBI brought down

Nixon - Felt did not act alone. The White House and the FBI were in a big power game after Hoover died. A good old turf battle like that would be good for the country right now but it ain't gonna happen. However I am not sure that I like the results - that's how we got the Bush crime family as rulers.

Also, don't forget Woodward is a former spook - probably planted at the Post by whatever intelligence group he worked with. Perhaps the Felt family has started talking to reduce the hanky panky from the White House, the spook world and the media crap.

[spanone]

9. If Deep Throat hadn't talked to Woodward & Bernstein

Watergate would have gone on unoticed. He did act alone.

[DURHAM D]

11. Why are you so sure ?

Problem was that Nixon put a political hack from justice in charge of FBI the day Hoover died. The bureau was in a fight for their lives - meaning their way of doing things without check by the executive branch.

Nothing is ever what it seems in Chinatown.

[goclark]

10. Thanks for reminding us that Woodward was a spook

I now recall that there were lots of discussions about Woodward being a plant. He is no angel.