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Originally Posted by The_Jazz
host, I think you're reading them with the intent of deriding Thompson. I'm reading them with an open mind. When I see
that says to me that Thompson was intrumental in uncovering and revealing for the committee one of the most valuable pieces of information about the whole Watergate affair. Taking Armstrong at his word that Thompson "collaborated" with Nixon et al, he certainly didn't do them any favors by revealing the existance of the recording system and I suppose some could argue that he worked more for the welfare of the nation than Richard M. Nixon's interests. Hell, Thompson described himself as a Nixon loyalist in 1975, so it's not like this is really news.
Baker and Thomspon walked a fine line between what was best for the United States and what was best for the Republican Party. In the end, revealing all of the incriminating evidence in open testimony pretty much sealed the deal on Nixon.
In other words, I think that Thompson worked well with the White House and then turned around and fucked them for the betterment of the country. Your evidence proves my point just as well as it proves yours. In fact, given the end result (including the fact that Baker was ready to impeach Nixon in 1974), I think that it supports my position much better than it does yours.
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There is nothing to CLEARLY support your
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Originally Posted by The_Jazz
... I think that Thompson worked well with the White House and then turned around and fucked them for the betterment of the country. ...
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I suggest that you listen to the recording of yesterday's NPR broadcast. My "take" matches the conclusion in the AP reporting, and is supported by the recorded Nixon tapes conversations. Your opinion is not supported by the reporting or by the evidence. There is no record that confirms Thompson giving his "old memo" to Scott Armstrong. There is a record of Thompson's denial to Dean that he, Thompson, had been coached by the white house.
...and, consider this:
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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=3447219&page=2
The Fred Thompson Watergate Myth
Was GOP Candidate More Friend Than Foe to Nixon?
.....The Tip-off
Dash's decision was especially generous considering what Thompson was doing behind the scenes to help the Nixon White House prepare for the question.
In Thompson's 1975 book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/that-point-time-Watergate-Committee/dp/0812905369">"At That Point in Time: The Inside Story of the Senate Watergate Committee"</a> he writes that after learning of the existence of the tapes he "wanted to be sure that the White House was fully aware of what was to be disclosed so that it could take appropriate action. ... I believed it would be in everyone's interest if the White House realized, before making any public statements, the probable position of both the majority and minority of the Watergate committee."
Thompson wrote that "[e]ven though I had no authority to act for the committee," he called Fred Buzhardt, the White House counsel on Watergate matters.
"'Fred,' Thompson recalls saying, 'the committee is aware of the fact that every conversation in the White House is on tape. I know you realize the significance of this. It's not my place to give you advice, but I think that if I were you I'd start making plans immediately to get those tapes together and get them up here as soon as possible.'
"There was a short pause. Then Buzhardt said, 'Well, I think that is significant, if it is true. We'll get on it tomorrow.'"
Scott Armstrong, the senior investigator for Democrats on the Watergate Committee, said he didn't know until Thompson's book was published that Thompson had tipped off Buzhardt about Butterfield's pending testimony, but it didn't surprise him, since Thompson had tipped off the White House about the explosive testimony of former Watergate conspirator John Dean.
A staffer on the committee, Armstrong said, provided him with a copy of a document Thompson had written to Republicans on the committee with Buzhardt's instructions as to what to ask Dean about. "This was after Thompson told them what Dean was going to testify to," Armstrong told ABC News. During his closed-door interview with Butterfield, Armstrong asked the White House counsel about the document, "and my assumption was over the weekend we were going to see the resignation of Fred Thompson, since he was subverting the Watergate Committee."
"There was nothing more secret than what Dean was going to testify to," Armstrong said. "Ervin said, 'Don't share anything with Baker and Thompson, because they're not trustworthy."
But instead, Armstrong said, "Ervin very generously gave Baker the nod to go ahead and do the Butterfield question. And rather than ending Thompson's career for all time, it seems to be something Thompson now feels he can brag about." <h3>But in reality, Armstrong insisted Thompson "was a spy for Richard Nixon on the Watergate Committee." ...</h3>
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In quoting Armstrong in it's July reporting, it appears that AP made an effort to "tone down" Armstrong's opinion of Thompson's intent. Armstrong also told ABC that
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....A staffer on the committee, Armstrong said, provided him with a copy of a document Thompson had written to Republicans on the committee with Buzhardt's instructions as to what to ask Dean about. .....
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It is not supported by the record that Thompson gave the overall committee anything. It is established that Armstrong was given info by a "A staffer on the committee", that was clearly embarassing to Thompson...that he was receiving and passing, Nixon's attorney, Buzhardt's instructions to Thompson's fellow republicans on the committee.These republicans all outwardly gave the apperance of earnestly working on a bi-partisan, congressional committee investigation of the Nixon white house.
It is a testimony to the success of their duplicity that, 34 years later, you interpret Thompson to have been doing the exact opposite of what the evidence of his actions, and intent was.