Flashback: Alexander Butterfield

[deminks]

http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/special/watergate/tapes.html

WASHINGTON -- It was a Friday afternoon in July, and the witness was just a small fry: Alexander Butterfield, who kept President Nixon's schedule and handled his paper flow. Three staff members of the Senate Watergate Committee were questioning him, preparing for his public testimony the following Monday.

Trolling, one asked whether there might be something down at the White House, some sort of recording system?

Butterfield took a breath.

"I was hoping you fellows wouldn't ask me that," he said.

And with that, history turned a corner. What Butterfield revealed that afternoon in 1973 -- and on television to the senators and the world three days later -- was electrifying news: For 2 ½ years, Nixon had been secretly taping his conversations.

Cue the fog - flash to the present

http://editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003559300&imw=Y

NEW YORK Dr. James Knodell, director of the Office of Security at the White House, told a congressional committee today that he was aware of no internal investigation or report into the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame.

The White House had first opposed Knodell testifying but after a threat of a subpoena from the committee yesterday he was allowed to appear today.

Knodell said that he had started at the White House in August 2004, a year after the leak, but his records show no evidence of a probe or report there: "I have no knowledge of any investigation in my office," he said.

Rep. Waxman recalled that President Bush had promised a full internal probe. Knodell repeated that no probe took place, as far as he knew, and was not happening today.

Knodell said he had "no" conversations whatsoever with the president, vice president, Karl Rove or anyone about the leak.

Asked by chairman Rep. Henry Waxman if he knew this was an issue of concern, he said "yes." Asked if he learned this from the White House or the press, he said, "through the press."

(end snips)

These two men are bookends for the crime and corruption that is the Republican party. (I hope)

[EFerrari]

1. I think you've nailed it.

:)

[karlrschneider]

2. Nice. I don't believe I've had a thought about Butterfield for 30 years.

It was a moment.

[Patsy Stone]

3. I'm hoping you're right

K&R.

[hedda_foil]

4. That was exactly my thought!

I was hoping he'd be asked if he knew why there hadn't been an investigation because I'll betcha there was a directive to keep away.

[deminks]

5. You're right. You know there had to be an order to stand down.

Just like Katrina, septembertheeleventh, Walter Reed, and everything in between.

[benddem]

7. It's really obvious that they didn't

investigate cause they knew exactly who did it. No need. If they investigated they'd have had to reveal what they found.

[JohnnyLib2]

6. Yes! Deja vu!

How can our illustrious legislators back away from this? It would make many of them on both sides of the aisle look weaker than ever.

[Cirque du So-What]

8. I was hoping to see more pounding on Knodell today

I think this is key to investigation into the outing of Valerie Plame. Henry Waxman needs to invite Knodell back for further testimony. I considered it a 'threshhold moment' today when he admitted that no investigation had been conducted whatsoever. I kept hoping I would hear the question, 'who ordered no internal investigation into who leaked the name of a covert CIA agent?'

[Patsy Stone]

9. Paul Hodes

was amazing. His questions were relentless, focused and brutal. All about the NIE and the insta-declassification. Enough to make it crystal clear that they lied and lied some more about any sort of an investigation.

[EVDebs]

10. Psssst. Alexander Butterfield worked for the CIA prior to joining the Nixon WhiteHouse

And much of what Woodward reported on was gleaned from (Sen-UT-R) Robert F. Bennett, of the Mullen & Co CIA proprietary. Hmmmm. The company was abused by Nixon, one of the articles of impeachment charges. But the company also heaped some abuse right back on Nixon justly deserved.

BTW, is Sen Bennett still on the CIA's payroll ? How would we even know ? Just speculating...