Monday, March 18, 2024

Rudy, we hardly knew ye

 

On Amazon Prime Video right now - two excellent documentary series:

Giuliani: What Happened to America's Mayor?

        and

Watergate: Blueprint For a Scandal

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Both very informative and interesting.


----------- 'What in the world happened to New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani?' is a question I have asked myself a few times, in recent years.  He used to be serious, and a decent politician and leader / manager.  Now he seems like a hostile buffoon, running around like a crazy nut.


This behavior ratcheted up during the Trump-in-spotlight years.  I don't think Trump told him to act like that, but it does seem like Giuliani saw Donald Trump exhibiting crazy behavior and lying and being cheered for it, and he followed suit.

That's the impression I get.


        In the Amazon program they show a scene where Giuliani is appearing in front of a large applauding crowd.  It's during George W. Bush presidency before the Era Of Crazy, and Dick Cheney (vice president at the time) can be seen at the front of one section of the crowd. He is clapping, but not smiling.

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Friday, March 15, 2024

any secret fund

 

-------------- (excerpt from All The President's Men, by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. Copyright 1974. Simon & Schuster) ----------------


        Moore agreed.  It was a breakthrough, the reporters felt: an opportunity to penetrate the committee's haze of anonymous and ambiguous statements.  Magruder called about half an hour later and said it was "absolutely untrue" that he received any money from any secret fund.  "I only received my salary and expense account," he told Woodward.


        Then how did he account for the fact that the federal investigation had determined he had received at least $50,000 from the fund in Stans' safe?

        "I was questioned about it, but it was discarded . . . and it was agreed by all parties that it is incorrect." The FBI had questioned him extensively.  "That's on background," he added as an afterthought.


        Woodward told him he should know better than to try to put something on background after saying it.  Magruder had served as the number-two man in the White House communications office before becoming deputy campaign manager.

        "But you've got to help me," Magruder pleaded.  "I'll get in trouble if I'm quoted."


        Woodward told him he might put that statement in the paper, too.  Then, at Magruder's request, they went on background.  Woodward told him the Post intended to go ahead with the story unless Magruder could come up with a convincing reason to hold it.  

Magruder did not argue.  

But he asked Woodward to write that "government investigators," rather than the FBI, had informed Magruder of allegations against him.  "You've got to help me on some of this."


        It was a small point.  Magruder obviously thought that an allegation attributed to the FBI sounded more serious than "government investigators."  The request didn't seem unreasonable.  Woodward agreed.

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On YouTube, find video:

Paul Simon - Late in the Evening (Official Audio)

---- uploader / channel:  Paul Simon

and play and enjoy!  The song has a sort of reggae-like rhythm.  Or maybe salsa-like, I don't know...


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Thursday, March 14, 2024

when evening falls so hard

 

---------------- (excerpt from All The President's Men) -----------

        A touch of his old good humor returned:  "Let's just say I'll be willing to put the blossoming situation in perspective for you when the time comes." But there was disgust in the way he said it.

        Bernstein was already sparring with the typewriter.  Woodward glanced at the lead:


-------- Two of President Nixon's top campaign officials each withdrew more than $50,000 from a secret fund that financed the bugging of Democratic headquarters, according to sources close to the Watergate investigation. ----------


        Woodward reached Powell Moore, the deputy press director of CRP, and told him in general terms what the Post intended to report in Monday's paper.  Moore was a jocular 34-year-old Georgian who had worked in the White House communications office before the campaign.


        "Thanks a lot," Moore said.  "That's just what I need on a Sunday." He was sure the story was untrue--the reporters were getting bad information somewhere, he didn't know where, but he wished they would come off this crusade and check out these things better before putting them in the paper.


        Woodward saw a lever.  The reporters were sure of their facts, he told Moore.  They had verified the information with sources in enough different places.  

But there was always the possibility of some explanation that they might be unaware of.  If Moore would get Magruder to call him and discuss the allegations substantively, Woodward would agree to hold the story until after Magruder had his say.  


And if Magruder could convince the reporters that the story was in any way wrong, or based on some misunderstanding, they would continue to hold it until everything was checked out.

        Moore agreed.

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On YouTube, listen to this video:

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Audio)

uploader / channel:  Simon & Garfunkel


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Wednesday, March 13, 2024

something was horribly amiss

 

-------- (excerpt from All The President's Men, Woodward and Bernstein.  Simon & Schuster) ------------------

        The call clearly was a mistake. His friend was displeased,  even angry at him. But what struck Woodward even more was how frightened Deep Throat seemed.  The fear had been building, but Woodward had not recognized it until now.  


Only a part of it was personal.  It had more to do with the situation, the facts, the implications of what he knew about.  Woodward had never known him to be so guarded, so serious.   At their last meeting,  he had seemed weighed down.  If Woodward was reading his friend right, something was horribly amiss.


        Woodward told him what he and Bernstein had heard from the Bookkeeper about Magruder and Porter.


        "They're both deeply involved in Watergate," Deep Throat responded.  He sounded resigned,  dejected. 

        Woodward asked him to be more exact. 

        "Watergate," he repeated.  Then he paused and added, "The whole thing."


        He confirmed that Magruder and Porter had received at least $50,000 from Stans' safe. And Woodward could be damned sure that the money had not been used for legitimate purposes--that was fact, not allegation.  That was all he would say.  From there,  Woodward and Bernstein would be on their own for a while. 

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On YouTube,  play the video -

Taylor  Swift - I Wish You Would  (Taylor's Version) (Lyric Video)

uploader / channel:  Taylor Swift 

       and experience the soaring! 

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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

the reporters

 

------ [excerpt from All The President's Men] -------

        Back at the office,  Woodward went to the rear of the newsroom to call Deep Throat.   Bernstein wished he had a source like that.   The only source he knew who had such comprehensive knowledge in any field was Mike Schwering,  who owned the Georgetown Cycle Sport Shop.   

There was nothing about bikes--and,  more important, about bike thieves--that Schwering didn't know.   


Bernstein knew something about bike thieves:  the night of the Watergate indictments, somebody had stolen his 10-speed Raleigh from a parking garage.   


        That was the difference between him and Woodward.   Woodward went into a garage to find a source who could tell him what Nixon's men were up to.   Bernstein walked in to find an eight-pound  chain cut  neatly in two and his bike gone. 


        The tone of the conversation that Sunday afternoon was ominous.   When Deep Throat heard Woodward's voice there was a long pause.   This would have to be their last telephone conversation, he said flatly.   

Both the FBI and the White House were determined to learn how the Post was getting its information and to put a stop to it.   

       The situation was far more dangerous than Woodward realized.   The story about Mitchell's aides had infuriated the White House. 

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On YouTube, the video --

Taylor Swift - Now That We Don't Talk (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault) (Lyric Video)

--- uploader / channel:  Taylor Swift 


play and enjoy 

(I have discovered Taylor Swift's music and I'm liking it!  So many albums!   So many songs!)

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Monday, March 11, 2024

big figures

 

--------- (excerpt from All The President's Men - Woodward and Bernstein, 1974, Simon & Schuster) ------------------


        "P" was Bart Porter; they were sure of that, they said.

        "He got a lot of money.  It was in $100 bills; everybody got $100 bills."

        Bernstein reminded her of a joke she had made--"We're Republicans, you know.  We deal in big figures."


        Porter, too, had gotten more than $50,000, she said.

        The Bookkeeper was disturbed by the narrowness of the indictments.  "I went down in good faith to the grand jury and testified and obviously the results are not there.  My feeling is that the FBI turns the information in and it goes upstairs. . . . I just want out now.  Hugh Sloan made the wisest decision of all.  He quit.  Mr. Stans said, 'I begged him to stay, but he wouldn't.'"


        She said that people had evaded the grand jury's questions:  "Rob Odle said to me after he'd come back from the grand jury, 'Don't you feel like you've been through the wringer?' And I said, 'No, and you wouldn't feel so bad if you'd tell them the whole truth.'". She wouldn't go into what Odle might have concealed.


        "The propaganda since the break-in has been, 'We have nothing to do with this and hold your head up high,'" she told the reporters as they left.

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On YouTube,

Taylor Swift - Shake It Off (Taylor's Version) (Lyric Video)

uploader / channel: Taylor Swift

............. play and enjoy

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Friday, March 8, 2024

born yesterday

 

The classic movie Born Yesterday is available to watch on YouTube, now.  

William Holden

Judy Holliday

Broderick Crawford


Crawford is - like - the king of bluster.

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video:

Born Yesterday (1950)

uploader / channel - Classic TV Rewind


----------------- on this blog, when I recommend a movie that's available on YouTube, I sometimes forget that on some people's devices there might be a ton of ads.

On Born Yesterday there are complaints in the comments, "ruined by too many ads"...

        There are no ads at all if you use 

m.youtube

and Ad blocker. ------------------------

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