My $.02 on the Deep Throat furor

[neadods]

Who knew that anyone could really keep a secret in this town? Particularly an explosive one like the true identity of Cigarette Smoking Man Deep Throat? Turns out there are three people: Woodward, Bernstein, and Felt.

Woodward and Bernstein swore they'd keep the secret until Felt died, and they were well on their way to keeping their word until Felt himself stepped forward.

Which would be fine by me, except for the fact that this doddering old guy has handprints in his back. Y'see, he didn't come forward due to his own conscience. His daughter outed him, saying she needed to he could "make enough money to pay some bills, like the debt I've run up for the children's education".

The debt SHE ran up. She chose to have the children. She chose to spend money she didn't have. And now she's chosen to sell her father for 30 pieces of silver. (Money she probably won't even get.) We can - and will - argue for months over whether Felt himself is patriot or traitor, but as far as I'm concerned, Joan just bought herself a front-row ticket in the lowest circle of Hell.

Comments

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

Personally, I never really understood why it was a secret once he retired from the government. Big deal, sez me. Good for old Deep Throat, but I couldn't care less if he did it now to help out his kids or grandkids. Why not? What's a better reason?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I couldn't care less if he did it now to help out his kids or grandkids. Why not? What's a better reason?

It would be a perfectly good reason if he was the one who'd made the decision. As far as I can tell from the articles I'm seeing, it was her decision, which she talked him into and then tried to capitalize on herself. So I'm seeing this not as someone coming out, but as someone who has been outed by another person who expects to personally profit.

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

He's not complaining, nor does he appear senile.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

True, and true.

But the whispers of "traitor" are already starting - I hear that O'Reilly had Buchanan on the show to whip up a little righteous indignation and Liddy has already dubbed Felt unethical. (!!!)

If Felt stays safe, if reports start to focus more on what Felt has done and why he came forward and less on what his daughter hoped to gain, I'll probably start to feel better about it all. But right now I'm following Deep Throat's own dictum to follow the money, and I don't like where the path is leading.

[lagilman]

From what I've heard, he long felt that what he did was less than honorable, and only 'came out' to his own family a few years ago. They've spent the time since then trying to convince him that he was, in fact, a patriot.

Me, I think he was motivated less from patriotism and more from the sulks at territorial wars of the times, but the truth is that very few historically 'patriotic' acts bear close examination as to motivation...

[neadods.livejournal.com]

very few historically 'patriotic' acts bear close examination as to motivation

Pretty much none of 'em, depending on how you're looking at them. Patriotism, like pornography, tends to be in the eye of the beholder.

[shawan-7.livejournal.com]

Well, given the opportunity, maybe in a press conference, it can be asked: How much did you sell your father for?

For once, 4 inside pages in the Wpost on how Woodward got to know Felt isn't enough.