the cautious side

 

(excerpt from All The President's Men) ---------------- Magruder's tone had made more of an impression on Woodward than his words.  He was second in command at CRP.  His job at the White House had been to deal with the press.  But his voice had been shaking as he talked to Woodward.

        A section of the story was about Hugh Sloan.  Deep Throat had said that Sloan had had no prior knowledge of the bugging, or of how the money was to be spent.  He had quit as treasurer of CRP shortly after the bugging because he "wanted no part of what he then knew was going on." 

        The story quoted the Bookkeeper anonymously.  "He didn't want anything to do with it.  His wife was going to leave him if he didn't stand up and do what was right."

        There was one problem in writing the story.  Deep Throat had been explicit in saying the withdrawals financed the Watergate bugging.  But the Bookkeeper--who suspected as much--could not confirm it.  

The reporters conferred with Sussman and Rosenfeld,  who decided to fall on the cautious side and say the money was used to finance widespread "intelligence-gathering activities against the Democrats." 

Gradually, an unwritten rule was evolving: unless two sources confirmed a charge involving activity likely to be considered criminal, the specific allegation was not used in the paper.

---------------------

On YouTube, find the video titled

Oh Boy

--------- uploader / channel: Buddy Holly - Topic

... and play!

___________________________

All The President's Men, by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward.

Copyright 1974.

Simon & Schuster.

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