where's that cheery face we've come to know and love?
as usual, that keen mind of yours has pegged the situation perfectly. except it wasn't local democratic headquarters, it was national democratic headquarters-- --and these weren't just any idiots, these were special idiots, seeing as when they were arrested at 2:30 this morning, they were all wearing business suits and playtex gloves and were carrying-- --a walkie-talkie, forty rolls of film, cameras, lock picks, pen-sized tear gas guns, plus various bugging devices. not to mention over two thousand dollars, mostly in sequenced hundred dollar bills.
two o'clock, work the phones 'til you go.
go on, go on.
don't know; who the hell's howard hunt? it's probably nothing but check it out. just go easy, it could be crazy cubans.
woodward's onto a new wrinkle with the break-in thing--absolute page one stuff--
could develop.
ok, get on this w.house guy and do a better job then you did on mccord.
then how come the associated press were the ones found out that mr. mccord is security coordinator for the committee to re-elect the president, otherwise known as creep?
mr. john mitchell, the head of creep, says it means nothing. ". this man and the other people involved were not operating on either our behalf or with our consent. these is no place in our campaign or in the electoral process for this type of activity, and we will not forget it or condone it."
as a rough rule of thumb, as far as i can throw bronco nagurski, that's how much i trust john mitchell.
what'd you get on w.house?
i can't sell hints to simons-- --you called everyone you know? call someone you don't know.
i would liken your query to being in russia half a century ago and asking someone, "i understand who lenin is and trotsky i got too, but who's this yokel stalin?"
the most powerful man in america is president nixon, probably you've heard his name.
the second most powerful man is robert haldeman. just below him are a trio: mr. erlichman is haldeman's friend, and they protect the president from everybody which is why they are referred to as either the german shepherds or the berlin wall. mr. mitchell we've already discussed. mr. colson is the president's special counsel.
just that on his office wall there's a cartoon with a caption reading, "when you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow."
whaddya got, whaddya got?
so?
i think we got a white house consultant linked to the bugging.
reading an article by bernstein's desk. woodward sits on an adjacent desk.
you got accurate notes on the white house librarian? ok, we'll leave space for the white house denial and we should be set.
benjy, we got a present for you. above the fold on page one for sure. it may not change our lives one way or the other. just a good, solid piece of american journalism-- --that the new york times doesn't have.
at the water fountain on the 5th floor. he chews up a few maalox tablets, notices bernstein steaming up.
--so?
i'm the one sent you to toronto, bernstein--
--"i think it might be helpful if you'd send me to toronto." that was your spiel then. "the lifestyles of deserters." i'm still waiting for it.
you're the fella who forgot he rented a hertz car, do i have to tell you they didn't forget to send us the bill?
i can predict the next words you're gonna say: "anyone but bernstein." i want to send a reporter to miami.
howard--
that was awhile ago.
i know, i did, but damnit howard-- for the first time since i've known him, i think he's really humping.
--woodward's talking to him know.
creep financed the watergate break- in, jesus christ.
--you are ignoring the importance of the dahlberg repercussions--
--quit equivocating, say what you mean-- --our story got government accounting to start an audit on creep's finances--
--correction--when you were drinking your lunch at the bar of the sans souci--
ask him what he's really saying--he means take the story away from woodstein and give it to his people at the national desk--
--absolutely--and that's all they do, sit sit sit--every once in a while, they call up a senator, some reporting--
--you got more than one source?--
--political, personal, sexual, anything at all against mitchell?--
--who you got?--
speak.
and?--
--listen, we didn't make them do these things--once they did, it's our job to report it--
--listen, i love this country, you think i want to bring it down?--i'm not some goddamn zany, i was a hawk--
--maybe i'm tense--
one senator just gave a speech slurring us 57 times in 20 minutes.
we're not printing a retraction?