Watergate now looks like the last gasp of Hoover

[theboss]

I've always been a bit of an amateur Watergate hobbyist and had heard Felt's name thrown around before. So the revelation yesterday was exciting though not shocking.

However, one new angle has come to me. Watergate was really Hoover's revenge on

Richard Nixon for politicizing his FBI. Hoover was a reactionary but he was not loyal to any party. He was loyal to himself and to his fiefdom of the FBI. And he clearly had created a culture where most of the G-Men felt the same.

If you read "Will" by G. Gordon Liddy, you will see that one of Liddy's first tasks in the White House was to report on Hoover. The White House was trying to find a way to get Hoover out of the FBI simply because they could not control him. Liddy's report was that the Old Man was not long for the world so it would be better to wait it out. (Of course, there are other theories that Liddy may have sped Hoover's departure; I believe it was in one of the JFK books).

Anyway, Hoover dies and Grey is appointed. Felt gets angry. And...in classic Hoover style....he leaks information to destroy his enemies.

The Old Man taught his troops well. It's just funny that it came around to bite another right-winger in the ass.

[EVDebs]

1. Hoover was afraid of losing domestic intel powers to the WhiteHouse

via the (Tom) Huston Plan. He needn't have worried, as the McCord group that eventually became FEMA in 1979 is essentially the same thing: martial law.

Both Felt and Woodward have intelligence backgrounds. "Old Friend"...begs question how naval lt. j.g. Woodward would have met Felt in the first place. Possibly doing domestic intel on anti-war groups ?

Someone should ask Woodward, who seems to be covering for Bush these days due to what his book says about Bush and the Downing St. Memo saying differently.

BTW, the CIA was essential in keeping the story going. Alexander Butterfield who was CIA working in Australia prior to his WhiteHouse gig, leaked the info on the taping system. Don't forget that, you wouldn't have had an impeachment without the info coming from their own mouths.

[tk2kewl]

2. Where are the pissed off G-men and spooks now?

The asshat-in-chief has done a Nixon on both the FBI and CIA. Where are the guys who want to bring down bushCo?

[Lannes]

3. Its amazing how Hoover still has people scared

Despite all we know about him now,noone has had the guts to take his name down from FBI headquarters.

[gman16]

4. Hoover

I don't think Hoover had much of anything to worry about. He had all the goods on everyone who's anyone. Nixon did not have the balls to ask Hoover to step down, he needed him to "control" and protect.
If Hoover did not die, I don't think we would have had a Watergate as we know it today.
Hoover did not have anything to do with Watergate as he was dead. I do agree with you that the FBI (at least L. Patrick Grey and Felt), were not going to let Nixon run the FBI out of the White House, and you might consider that "revenge".
The story of Felt getting revenge for not being promoted is what I consider "the spin" being put forth today.
When G. Gordon Liddy speaks (or writes), it's as good as dog poop. Liddy thinks he can operate like he still is a "spook", he enjoys that, he thinks what he say's is important. He was used by the Administration and is in denial over it.
Bottom line, with Hoover dead, Nixon needed total control of his files. When he tried to act upon this, the FBI reacted and we had the exposure of Watergate.

[Dr.Phool]

7. I knew a guy who was Liddy's cellmate at Allenwood

Said he loved Nixon more than life itself. I guess he was a bit of a discipline problem there, and they tried to transfer him elsewhere. As he was being shipped out, he told the Warden, "I'll be back tomorrow".

He was.

[coda]

5. Reminds me of a Nixon quote when Hoover died.

"Jesus Christ! That old cocksucker!"

-- President Richard Nixon on hearing that J. Edgar Hoover died.

[bunkerbuster1]

6. oh, how I long for an mp3...

but maybe it's more fun to imagine the SOB saying it.

[applegrove]

8. Of course the fact that the WH & the CIA and John Mitchell's Justice

department were all trying to shut down the investigation into who funded the break-in - has nothing to do with it! Tapes show that Nixon knew Felt was the leak and couldn't touch him because he was worried felt would call a press conference.

So Nixon knew he was the leak but didn't attack him because he was afraid that would lead to the truth coming out. Nixon's choice!

Do you think the WH should shut down FBI investigations into criminal activity directed at governance?

[theboss]

9. Talk about reading too much into a post....

Why do you think I am in favor of the White House shutting down any investigation? I never said that or suggested it.

I'm just pointing out the irony that Hoover's ghost basically brought down Nixon.

[applegrove]

10. It is what it is. I was an attempt to shut down a criminal investigation

using two arms of the government.