One of the things that Deep Throat did was at several crucial moments -- we knew we were right when we had a couple sources -- and then Deep Throat would say, 'That's right.' |
over the summer, or as we get closer to the election, they could increase production several million barrels a day and the price would drop significantly. |
Roger Ailes, former media guru for Bush's father, had a message. Rove told the president. It had to be confidential because Ailes, a flamboyant and irreverent media executive, was currently the head of Fox News Channel, the conservative-leaning television cable network that was enjoying high ratings. In that position, Ailes was not supposed to be giving political advice. |
That's as high a drama as I've seen in a government institution, |
That's for other people to judge. |
That's for other people to judge. I think the biggest mistake you can make in this sort of situation as a reporter is to worry about yourself. |
The big worry that we should have about the country is not terrorism or hurricanes or Karl Rove or George Bush or whoever, the real thing that will bring us down as a country is secret government. |
The First Amendment is not an accident. My deeply held conviction, supported with a lot of evidence, is what might do this country in to where we cease to exist as a vital democracy, as a Constitutional democracy, is not terrorism or a weak economy but what will do us in is a secret government. |
The grand jury was going and reporters were being jailed, and I hunkered down more than I usually do, |
The grand jury was going, and reporters were being jailed, and I hunkered down more than I usually do, |
The issue is not the plan. The issue is the decision, |
The net to readers, |
the protection of a confidential source, and aggressive reporting, and they do go hand in hand. |
The terms of engagement change when a reporter and reporters are being subpoenaed, agreeing to testify, being forced to testify, being jailed. That's the new element in this. And what it did, it caused me to become even more secretive about sources, and to protect them. I couldn't do my job if I couldn't protect them. And to really make sure that I don't become part of this process, but not to be less aggressive in reporting the news. |
There's a great tradition in the White House, if you don't like the story, you denounce the reporter. |