But following my post on this John Dean op-ed I received an E-Mail from the author of this piece entitled:
THE DEEP THROAT BRIEFThe research is thorough, and the arguments made are rather convincing. A teaser
An unorthodox solution to the greatest mystery in American politics.
Wittgenstein usually applied his ideas on liguistics to philosophical issues, but I think they can be of use in solving this puzzle. Consider the following passage from ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN:The linked screed is long, but compelling. I skimmed it for entertainment purposes, as I have always written off Ben as a candidate. I have stayed with the mainstream choices, with L. Patrick Gray being my front runner.
"Deep Throat was already there, smoking a cigarette. He was glad to see Woodward, shook his hand. Woodward told him that he and Bernstein needed help, really needed help on this one. His friendship with Deep Throat was genuine, not cultivated. Long before Watergate, they had spent many evenings talking about Washington, the government, power."
This passage has been the basis for what has been assumed to be the most fundamental clue of the mystery - that Woodward and DT had been friends long before Watergate. But is this clearly stated in the above paragraph? Read it again carefully. Does the word "his" in the fourth sentence refer to Woodward? Could it refer instead to Bernstein, whose name appears in the preceding sentence? Does "they" refer to Woodward and DT? Or to Bernstein and DT? Before answering, consider this: Ben Stein and Carl Bernstein grew up literally next door to each other in Montgomery County, Maryland. Ben's father was an economist and active Republican. Carl's parents were self-professed Communists who went through some difficult years during the 50s and 60s. And yet these two were best friends and remain close today. They certainly spent many evenings talking about "Washington, the government, power" over the years. Many people feel that Deep Throat must be a composite character created by Woodward to protect various sources. Wouldn't it be interesting if the opposite were true - if Woodward disguised himself in ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN by making the readers assume that he had known DT for many years, in effect making himself into a composite character. For years people have been trying to connect Woodward to various Deep Throat suspects by investigating his years at Yale, in the Navy, etc. with no results. I think they've been barking up the wrong tree. And it wouldn't have been the first time that Woodward played tricks like this on his readers. On page 26 of Adrian Havill's DEEP TRUTH he describes a novel Woodward wrote during his college years. It was never published, but the manuscript still seems to be floating around. In the final chapter the reader learns that the four major characters are actually a single individual. Woodward seems to have a taste for these little games.
But back to the John Dean Op-Ed. The recent flurry began brewing when Dean posted in an LA Times' article that Deep Throat was ill. Reminiscent of the old Post Office game, by the time the story hit the Main Stream press, Deep Throat's death was imminent, eventhough Dean only used the word 'ill' and never implied the seriousness of the illness. The most popular search hits I have been getting recently have been inquiring of the health of several particulars in this saga. I thought nothing of it, till yesterday. I received another E-Mail from the author. It pointed me to this website stating:
January 11, 2005All I can say now is . . . Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm *scratching head*
Actor, Writer, and Political Commentator Ben Stein to Speak at SLU
Ben Stein's visit to Saint Louis University will be rescheduled due to his continued illness. Keep watching this story for updated event time and location.
Have a GREAT weekend!
Flash
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