Betraying The Betrayers

Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez says that Mark "Deep Throat" Felt will not be prosecuted.

Well, that's nice. But the more important question is: Who was the freakin' moron who even considered the possibility in the first place? Is the Bush Administration so unbelievably out of touch with reality that they would go after a frail 91 year old man that most Americans consider to be a hero?

In reading various letters to the editor in a number of papers, it's apparent that most people do admire Felt for what he did. But even so, there is still a sizable percentage that think he somehow betrayed the FBI.

Uh, excuse me, but doesn't the FBI work for the American people? Or doesn't that matter? Don't agents have to take some kind of oath to uphold the Constitution, or doesn't that matter? (USAToday: FBI Agents Reflect on Ethics and Obligations)

Bob Woodward has written a piece for the Washington Post describing how he first met the man who would eventually come to be known as Deep Throat. While Felt never fully explained his actions, it's apparent that the FBI had been under enormous political pressure from the Nixon White House. But Hoover--and much of the old line Bureau hierarchy (including #2 man Felt)--were able to resist those pressures.

But then Hoover died in May of 1972, and Nixon appointed L. Patrick Gray as his replacement. Gray was a longtime political flunky of Nixon's, and suddenly the White House was in control of the FBI. This created a lot of resentment among the remaining old line agents like Felt. Not necessarily just anger at being passed over for promotions, but also for what this meant for the future of the FBI's independence. And anyone who doubts this should keep in mind that Gray was forced to resign in 1973. He had been giving files about the Watergate investigation to the very same White House officials that were being investigated! Is it any wonder Felt didn't trust them?

The fact remains that it was Nixon and his cronies who had betrayed the trust the American people had placed in their government officials.

Thank God someone had the balls to "betray" them.