Joseph Planta's Commentary - thecommentary.ca

Monday, 21 March 2005

Revealing Deep Throat

By Joseph Planta

VANCOUVER - Last month, former counsel to President Richard Nixon, John Dean reported in his Los Angeles Times column that he had gotten word that Bob Woodward had informed his former Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, that the infamous Deep Throat informant, whose identity has been perhaps the greatest secret ever kept, was gravely ill. Dean reports that Bradlee is preparing an obituary, which in all likelihood when run will reveal what media and political viewers have been speculating on for over thirty years now, as to who helped bring down Richard Nixon.

One suspects, unless they're interested in matters political and journalistic, that few care about who Deep Throat was. The informant, a high-level government aide, gave Woodward the necessary information in exchange that his identity not be revealed until his death. The fact it's been secret for so long has to do with the fact that the informant himself has lied to co-workers in the government and his own family thus the necessity that till death is he revealed.

The name incidentally, if you didn't know, was said to have been derived from the journo term 'deep background,' which is when high level government officials provide information that is not for attribution to them-meaning they'll tell you some information for publication, but you can't say from whence it came. The name Deep Throat was also from the popular pornographic film of the era-which Brian Grazer's company has just had a noteworthy documentary release about.

Dean, in his column, made a very interesting point. In light of the events revolving around Judith Miller and Philip Shenon of the New York Times, who risked going to jail in order to protect their right as journalists to protect sources, Dean wonders shouldn't Woodward and Bernstein, not to mention Bradlee go to prison for covering up for Deep Throat. Dean also alleges that Deep Throat misled with some of the information he gave to Woodward in the course of Woodward's reporting of the story.

The question of who Deep Throat was is perhaps as pertinent now as who shot J.R. Nevertheless, there is some great significance in who he was and his place in not only journalism history, but also American history. Never forget that Woodward and Bernstein would never have gotten the story, or their notoriety, had they not reported vigorously about what officials had then described as nothing more than a third-rate burglary. Moreover, never forget that Nixon's downfall was necessitated by the damning stories as writ by Woodward and Bernstein.

Ever since Watergate, the identity of Deep Throat has been one oft debated. Dean himself has tried to figure it out coming out with a new candidate every other year. The University of Illinois's journalism program has had an ongoing project trying to figure out who Deep Throat was by doing interviews of their own, not to mention analysing everything about Watergate they could get their hands on, including a draft of the Woodward and Bernstein book All the President's Men. In one of the last paragraphs of the book, a scrawled note in the margin by Bernstein seemed to alert the students at Illinois that Deep Throat is perhaps conservative firebrand, Pat Buchanan, who was a speechwriter to Nixon. Buchanan, of course, has long denied being Throat, and having seen him regularly on MSNBC, he doesn't look like he's at death's door.

Who then is sick? Cindy Adams in her New York Post column reported recently that Mark Felt, a former FBI agent, was ill in California. If we're to believe Mrs. Adams, then it's probably Felt. William Rehnquist, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is ill with cancer, he's Deep Throat.

Another contribution to the conspiracy theorising about Deep Throat comes from Adrian Havill, who claims that Deep Throat is George Bush, the 41st President of the United States. Havill proposes that Bush had a motive in bringing down Nixon because of supposed bitterness at not being offered the Vice-Presidency when Spiro Agnew resigned. In addition, despite the fact that during the time when Deep Throat was meeting with Woodward Bush was Ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Bush still had a Washington residence and was frequently in the nation's capital. But if we're to believe Bradlee, and frankly, I would over Havill, Bush doesn't look deathly ill enough to be Deep Throat.

In a world where few secrets are kept and where privacy is a luxury, it's a bit comforting that somehow the identity of journalism's greatest source has been unknown heretofore. It's also been amazing to realise just how consequential this informant has been. Were it not for Watergate, one would think that Presidents since would have gotten an easier ride from journalists and the public. Were it not for Watergate, perhaps cynicism towards politicians would not be so high. Were it not for Watergate, as Oliver Stone supposes, Nixon would have made great strides in international politics, and bridged peace with Russia, thus there wouldn't have been the Reagan era, and the great arms build-up seen worldwide during the 1980s. It could have been; it should have been. What a fun game it is though. Perhaps the greatest question to be asked once we know who Deep Throat is, is how much a resemblance he actually bore to Hal Holbrook.

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One thought crossed my mind seeing the "aged" Demi Moore comedy-it up on Saturday Night Live this weekend was that she looked awfully like Elaine Stritch.

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And don't forget, tonight is the 25th Annual Genie Awards. If you heard my chat last week with the producer, Dan Hughes, it appears to be a fun evening will be had. And why not, go on and support Canadian films. It's on Citytv here in Vancouver, and on Bravo! and Star!

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