Some famous Republican plumbers

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

G. Gordon Liddy -



Charles Colson -



E. Howard Hunt -




The White House Plumbers or simply the Plumbers is the popular name given to the covert White House Special Investigations Unit established July 24, 1971 during the presidency of Richard Nixon. Its job was to stop the leaking (hence "plumbers") of classified information to the news media during the Nixon administration. Its members branched into more nefarious projects working for the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP, or CREEP), including the Watergate break-ins and the ensuing Watergate scandal.

History
The Plumbers were formed in response to the publication of The Pentagon Papers in The New York Times, beginning June 13, 1971. These documents detailed the history of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Initially, White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman downplayed the matter to Nixon, stating that the information mainly made the Kennedy and Johnson administrations look bad. However, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and special counsel Charles Colson advocated a severe response to the massive leak1 in the form of publicly discrediting the leaker of the papers, former State Department and Defense Department analyst Daniel Ellsberg.

On July 1, David Young joined the White House and together with Egil Krogh penned a memorandum to Nixon advisors Haldeman and John Ehrlichman advocating the formation of a White House Special Investigations Unit.2 Haldeman and Ehrlichman agreed to the plan and obtained the approval of Nixon. Young was put in charge of the unit and reported to Krogh. The nickname the "Plumbers" came to being when Young posted his name on his office door which read "David R. Young/Plumber".3


Members
The Plumbers came to include several Watergate figures. E. Howard Hunt was recommended by Colson and G. Gordon Liddy was recommended by Krogh. Liddy coined his own sensitivity indicator for the group in the form of "ODESSA" for "Organization Directed to Eliminate the Subversion of the Secrets of the Administration".4

Another member of the group was its liaison to the CIA, John Paisley. In recent years Paisley's involvement has led to speculation the CIA had a far greater hand in the operations of the Plumbers than originally thought at the time. What is known is Paisley was assigned to the CIA's Office of Security (OS), of which Hunt was once a member. On August 9, 1971, David Young's memo indicates he met with Paisley and OS Director Howard Osborn in which Paisley provided a list of objectives for the Special Investigations Unit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Plumbers

[LisaM]

1. You are brilliant.

That had not occurred to me yet.

[skooooo]

2. Where's Joe??

:shrug:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

18. no mug-shot yet

[gateley]

3. Wow -- no kidding! Good one! nt

[RoyGBiv]

4. Been waiting for this ...

I was unable to watch the debate live last night, and by happenstance the first thread I saw on it was about a "Republican Plumbers," and my first thought was that there was some new irony impaired organization of plumbers for Republicans that might want to check their name again.

Anyway ...

Gordon Liddy is one fucked up individual. Just had to add that.

[RoyGBiv]

11. Interesting sidenote ...

Just read in Krugman's blog that Hank Paulson was assistant to John Ehrlichman in 1972-73.

http://www.charlierose.com/guests/henry-paulson

[BOSSHOG]

5. And today is Chuckie Colson's birthday

What becomes of the intellectual incurious??

[NoGOPZone]

6. Well, at least you didn't link the Liddy speedo picture

Doesn't he ever wear a shirt?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

9. Unfortunately not. nt

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. And of course who can forget our old friend Frank Sturgis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sturgis

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

12. He's dreamy! Todd Palin better watch out

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

14. As a guy I have to tell you neither of them can compete with my boy G.

Come on you know somebody had to do it. :evilgrin:

[Overseas]

8. Excellent !! K&R. //nt

[MaineDem]

10. Brilliant! I gladly recommend this thread. n/t

[Historic NY]

13. pumbers more like an entire firm

[woodsprite]

15. Simple question here - Why do I always see Liddy in gym shorts or a bathing suit?

EEEEeeeeewwwwwwwwwwWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

16. Eeeewwwww is his middle name

[Bake]

17. Pukes probably ought not talk about plumbers!

I salute you!!

Bake