Poisoning The Press

by Mark Feldstein

  “senile old bastard”: Ambrose, Triumph, 27; “sad, depressed man,” hit wife, divorce, “There was a sadness”: Summers, Arrogance, 240, 235–36.

  1964 positioning, “My friends”: Ambrose, Triumph, 39, 46.

  four hundred Republican groups in forty states: Ambrose, Triumph, 60; “maturer, mellower man”: Kutler, Wars, 34; “press, lulled”: Garment, Throat, 28.

  “Without a day”: Ambrose, Triumph, 100.

  “homosexual ring,” “tape recording of a sex orgy,” “zooming chances”: DP and JA, MGR (Oct. 30, 1967), JAP.

  “wasn’t much,” “Only two”: JA and Gibson, 395; “natty dresser,” “practicing homosexuals,” “daisy chain”: Cannon, Governor, 239, 241, 245; Reagan advisors, “Keystone Cops,” “queers”: Nofziger, 76–78.

  Among the Reagan aides whispered about in the gay sex scandal was thirty-one-year-old Jack Kemp, a former all-star football quarterback who later became a Republican congressman, Cabinet member, presidential candidate, and GOP vice presidential nominee. The handsome and athletic Kemp was not gay, Nofziger said, but was the apparent object of a crush by Governor Reagan’s chief of staff, Phil Battaglia, who “took Kemp under his wing, and had him accompany him whenever he left Sacramento, which was frequently.” Battaglia and Kemp “became friends, but nothing more. At times Battaglia cried on his shoulder, disclosing his fears and frustrations, but not his desires, if he had any.” Still, just to be sure, Nofziger’s private detective spied on Kemp and Battaglia when they traveled out of town together. “We searched out their room arrangements in a hotel in San Francisco,” Nofziger wrote, “and discovered they took separate, nonadjoining rooms and slept in them all night.” Kemp was “naïve” and purchased a Lake Tahoe cabin with Battaglia but was not present during any gay orgies there, Nofziger added: “Despite his innocence, for more than twenty years Kemp was dogged by the rumors, but he . . . rode it out with courage and an absolute refusal to let it ruin him, his family, or his career.” Nonetheless, the “Merry Go Round” story may have kept Kemp from the White House. “It was that homosexual thing,” Nofziger told conservative columnist Robert Novak, that persuaded Reagan to choose George H. W. Bush instead of Kemp as his running mate in 1980. Cannon, Governor, 239, 241, 243, 245, 248, 249, 251–52; Cannon, Ronnie, 183; Novak, 354.

  Reagan news conference: Lawrence E. Davies, “Reagan Denies a Report by Drew Pearson of Homosexual Ring Involving Members of Governor’s Staff,” NYT (Nov. 1, 1967), 29; Julius Duscha, “Reagan Says ‘There Is No Truth’ to Report of Homosexual Aides,” WP (Nov. 1, 1967), 1, 8; Charles Raudebaugh, “Reagan and Drew Pearson Trade Charges,” San Francisco Chronicle (Nov. 1, 1967), 1, 7; “lie he did”: Nofziger, 81.

  REAGAN DENIES: Jack Welter, “Reagan Denies ‘Homo’ Rumor,” San Francisco Examiner (Nov. 1, 1967), 1, 4; second Reagan press conference: Gladwin Hill, “Reagan Will ‘Not Talk Further’ About Report on Homosexuals,” NYT (Nov. 15, 1967), 32; UPI, “Credibility Questions Irk Reagan,” WP (Nov. 15, 1967), 7.

  “greatly diminished,” “deep national implications”: Rowland Evans and Robert Novak, “Reagan’s Denial,” WP (Nov. 6, 1967), A21.

  “aberrant sexual behavior,” “talking too much,” “scandalmongers”: Nofziger, 74, 80, 81.

  “It could be argued”: JA and Gibson, 395.

  “Mr. Nixon”: letter, RN staff to Lyn Nofziger (Nov. 1, 1967), “REAGAN, GOV,” G212, 2 of 3, DPP.

  “Reagan piece”: Klurfeld, 265.

  “Gentlemen” and 79 percent: Ambrose, Triumph, 135, 145.

  Hilton incident: Ehrlichman, 41–42; Anderson “phobia”: Hersh intv.

  Hoover background: Gentry, 376; Garrow, FBI, 165, 286; R. Powers, 69–70.

  wiretaps: Garrow, FBI, 92–99; Branch, Parting, 907–09; Sullivan and Brown, 137.

  a dozen large tape reels, group sex, “tom cat,” “burrhead”: Garrow, FBI, 104–08.

  distributed throughout Washington: Oates, 266; “Fucking is a form”: Garrow, Bearing, 275; “piece of tail”: Heymann, 302; “making it with,” “best pussy-eater,” “loaded,” “running naked”: memo, Les Whitten to JA, “Re: M. L. King” (Aug. 27, 1975), LWP, 007.070.06; “I’m fucking for God!”: Branch, Pillar, 207.

  Hoover’s deputy William Sullivan later told Jack Anderson’s legman Les Whitten that it may have been one of King’s associates, not the famous orator himself, whose similar-sounding voice was recorded making the most profane comments on FBI wiretaps. Similarly, a later FBI investigation concluded that it was “someone in King’s party other than King” who “was involved with some prostitutes in the hotel in Oslo.” (According to one version of the event, two civil rights workers were seen running down the hallway “stark naked” after being robbed by prostitutes; according to another account, the hookers performed sexual favors for King’s associates on condition of getting to sleep with King himself, only to be deprived of that honor.) King associate: Whitten intv.; Oslo incident: FBI memo, W. R. Wannall to J. G. Deegan, “Article by Jack Anderson” (Oct. 20, 1975), 7, MLKP.

  embellished: Whitten intv. and FBI memo, W. R. Wannall to J. G. Deegan, “Article by Jack Anderson” (Oct. 20, 1975), 7, MLKP; evidence sealed: Theoharis and Cox, 358, and “F.B.I. Ordered to Send King Tapes to Archives,” NYT (Feb. 1, 1977), A12; press corps self-censorship: Oates, 315; Garrow, FBI, 127, 128, 130–31, 172; chauffeur’s fellatio: Gentry, 388.

  “go down in history”: memo, Deke DeLoach to John Mohr (Feb. 4, 1964), 2, DP FBIFOIA; “have the story exclusively”: JA intv.; “so I caught the first plane”: Dowling, 98–99.

  “King was not superhuman”: Sherrill, 14.

  Kennedy signed paperwork: Navasky, 157–58, 165.

  “illicit love affair”: DP and JA, MGR (May 24, 1968), JAP.

  created a furor: Witcover, Days, 212; Fred P. Graham, “Drew Pearson Says Robert Kennedy Ordered Wiretap on Phone of Dr. King,” NYT (May 25, 1968), 17; DP and JA, “Wiretap Column Sparks Charges,” WP (June 4, 1968), D13; R. W. Apple, Jr., “Kennedy Disputes M’Carthy,” NYT (June 2, 1968), 64; David S. Broder, “3 Stump Oregon to Windup,” WP (May 26, 1968), 12.

  column would be passed out to voters, duck televised debates, rehearsed his answer: Thomas, Kennedy, 380–81.

  “Of course it was timed,” LBJ personally met with Pearson: Thomas, Kennedy, 378–79; “deeply troubled”: memo, Ramsey Clark to J. Edgar Hoover (May 27, 1968), DP FBIFOIA.

  Georgetown lunch: DeLoach intv; transcript, DeLoach intv. JA, JAP; spoke directly with President Johnson: Thomas, Kennedy, 379.

  Hoover insults: memos, J. Edgar Hoover (Jan. 8, 1957, Jan. 30, 1970, and April 30, 1951), JA FBIFOIA, and (July 1, 1969), JAP.

  “Jack Anderson called”: memo, C. D. DeLoach to Clyde Tolson (May 21, 1968), DP FBIFOIA; “How did Jack,” “excellent investigative reporter”: transcript, DeLoach intv. JA, JAP.

  “did not originate”: memo, J. Edgar Hoover to Ramsey Clark (May 28, 1968), DP FBIFOIA.

  “deliberate bum steer”: JA intv. Gibson; correct the record: JA and Les Whitten, “Hoover Floated Hoax Story on King,” WP (Dec. 17, 1975), C18.

  RFK assassination: Moldea, 13, 83.

  Chicago convention, “peace with honor,” Operation Candor, “perfectly clear”: Ambrose, Triumph, 183, 195, 181, 121–22.

  ducked television appearances, Southern strategy: Ambrose, Triumph, 137, 155; “Let’s face it,” “niggers”: McGinnis, 63, 101–03; Madison Avenue: Garment, Crazy, 136–38; “guilt complex”: Kutler, Wars, 166; “enemy”: Spear, 56.

  “For eight years,” “upheld Humphrey”: JA and Boyd, 388; recycled Nixon skeletons: DP and JA, MGR (March 26, April 6, April 11, July 4, Aug. 4, Aug. 7, Aug. 12, Aug. 17, Oct. 15, Oct. 18, Oct. 25, Oct. 28, and Nov. 2, 1968), JAP; “revert,” “dossiers,” “purge,” “goons”: Greenberg, 68.

  signed statement, “I invited,” “did not meet the quota”: DP and JA, MGR (Oct. 31, 1968), JAP; medical parole, “all gamblers,” “considerable piece of money”: Cohen and Nugent, 233–37; quarter of a mi
llion dollars equivalent: www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm.

  “secured a statement,” “putting the squeeze,” “something in return”: DP and JA, MGR (Oct. 31, 1968), JAP.

  “Nixon’s press secretary”: letter, DP to Michael Cohen (Nov. 1, 1968), “Cohen, Mickey,” Box 267, 3 of 3, DPP.

  “very odd man”: R. Dallek, 91; “never really healed,” “even the score”: Garment, Throat, 49, 60; “third person”: JA and Gibson, 176.

  Hutschnecker visits: Erica Goode, “Arnold Hutschnecker, 102, Therapist to Nixon,” NYT (Jan. 3, 2001), C15; correspondence between RN and Arnold Hutschnecker (1955 to 1962), general correspondence, Box 364, RNVPP; “It is safer”: Jean M. White, “The Dance with Nixon,” WP (Nov. 20, 1973), B2.

  “Nixon’s shrink”: Greenberg, 242; spotted by neighbors: Harriet Van Horne, “Nixon and the Doctor,” New York Post (Nov. 15, 1968, 54); less than discreet: Winger-Berger, 249–51, and letter, Peter Blake to DP (Oct. 23, 1968), “Nixon Health,” G281, 1 of 3, DPP; dossier and Winchell: Summers, Arrogance, 520, 89; Sinatra: Thomas, Kennedy, 107.

  antianxiety medication: Summers, Arrogance, 317–18; “pseudo-ulcers,” “deep depression”: Leonard Garment intv. Bill Kauffman and John Meroney (Nov./Dec. 1998), www.aei.org; “neurotic symptoms,” “less manly,” “cuckoo”: Summers, Arrogance, 92–97, 9.

  “urgent & confidential”: letters, Peter Blake to DP (Oct. 23 and Oct. 29, 1968), “Nixon Health,” G281, 1 of 3, DPP.

  “psychiatric treatment” to “reluctant to talk”: DP, “Deciding on the Nixon Treatment,” WP (Nov. 23, 1968), D11.

  drafted a special column: DP and JA (Oct. 29, 1968), “Nixon Health,” G281, 1 of 3, DPP.

  “Given the history”: Klein, 413; “only for problems”: Summers, Arrogance, 319.

  “changed his story”: Sherrill, 8; “It seemed to me strange”: DP, “Deciding on the Nixon Treatment,” WP (Nov. 23, 1968), D11; “could not be expected”: JA and Boyd, 389.

  “Our position was”: Klein, 413.

  “KILL NIXON STORY”: draft column, DP and JA (Oct. 29, 1968), “Nixon Health,” G281, 1 of 3, DPP; “seemed torn”: JA and Boyd, 389; “deserve credit,” “changed the results”: Klein, 415, 412.

  final election margin: Ambrose, Triumph, 219.

  “psychiatric problems,” “standing up under great pressure”: William M. Blair, “Psychiatric Aid to Nixon Denied,” NYT (Nov. 14, 1968), 34; “Correspondents who”: Greenberg, 243.

  “I simply will not comment,” “absolutely false”: William M. Blair, “Psychiatric Aid to Nixon Denied,” NYT (Nov. 14, 1968), 34; “decision to bring the report”: “Vaporous Rumor,” WP (Nov. 15, 1968), editorial page; “Personally I sympathize”: DP, “Deciding on the Nixon Treatment,” WP (Nov. 23, 1968), D11.

  Klein sent telegrams, “Pearson had volunteered”: Klein, 415.

  “legitimate story”: JA and Gibson, 389–90; quacks: JA intv.

  “I wonder if”: letter, Mickey Cohen to DP (Nov. 6, 1968), “Cohen, Mickey,” Box 267, 3 of 3, DPP.

  “This was an ego”: Perlstein, 26.

  “smears”: Kutler, Wars, 161; “see that someone”: Oudes, xxviii; “Enemies”: Halberstam, 606.

  5: THE PRESIDENT AND THE COLUMNIST

  inaugural weather, heckling: Ambrose, Triumph, 245.

  Watergate building: Ambrose, Triumph, 246; “Berlin Wall,” “Go fuck yourself!”: Wicker, 400; “too old”: JA manuscript, “Wallace II,” 6, JAP.

  Davidson background: Gordon Chaplin, “The Fantastic Deals of I. Irving Davidson,” WP (March 21, 1976), 246ff.; Chotiner background: Vera Glaser, “Murray Chotiner,” North American Newspaper Alliance (Nov. 12, 1968), DPP, and Chotiner calendar, “Misuse of IRS,” Box 17, WSPF.

  “drop by” to “using whom”: JA manuscript, “Wallace II,” 2, 6–9, JAP.

  “engaged in,” “Naval officer,” Mustang: FBI memo, C. D. DeLoach to Clyde Tolson (June 11, 1969), 1–2, JAP.

  surveillance routine, “insane” to “Nazi crowd”: Trento intv.

  “very damaging” to “kept out of it”: FBI memo, C. D. DeLoach to Clyde Tolson (June 11, 1969), 1–2, JAP.

  Hoover role, “Nothing could grab”: Ehrlichman, 159; “homosexualists,” “deviates”: Gentry, 624.

  “Mitchell got out” and “good alibis”: Ehrlichman, 159; “villas” to “gay cell”: Chapin intv.

  “misinformed,” “gratitude”: Ehrlichman, 160; “lay a threat,” “show his claws”: Summers, Official, 375–76.

  “didn’t believe for a minute”: JA and Gibson, 163; “Anderson stated”: FBI memo, C. D. DeLoach to Clyde Tolson (June 11, 1969), 2, JAP.

  “the way they work” to “everybody they don’t like”: J. Edgar Hoover, “Memorandum for Personal Files” (July 1, 1969), 1–3, JAP.

  “stirred up a minor panic”: JA and Gibson, 163.

  “Other presidents”: JA and Gibson, 152.

  “Merry-Go-Round” references: MGR card index (Jan. 20, 1969–Sept. 1, 1969), JAP; “During the first”: JA and Boyd, 390.

  DP death: “Drew Pearson, Columnist, Dies,” NYT (Sept. 2, 1969), A1.

  “descendant of the tradition”: “Drew Pearson,” NYT (Sept. 2, 1969), 46; “conscience of a Quaker”: “Drew Pearson,” WP (Sept. 3, 1969), 22; memorial service: “Pearson Eulogized as Great Statesman,” WP (Sept. 5, 1969), C6; ashes: Abell intv.

  blur: JA intv.; “overwhelmed with grief”: JA and Gibson, 136; “Jack really resented”: Trento intv.; $255 a week: letter, Warren Woods to Tyler Abell (Sept. 22, 1969), DVAP.

  twice as many newspapers: “Columnists: The Tenacious Muckraker,” Time (Sept. 12, 1969), 82; canceled columns: J. Trento, 23.

  Pearson had promised: JA and Gibson: 81; “served notice on me”: JA intv. Gibson; Abell qualifications: Abell intv.; “absolute panic”: F. Cohen intv.; byline had been added: Douglas Martin, “Jack Anderson,” NYT (Dec. 18, 2005), 38; “pastel character”: Hume, 9.

  signed the syndicate’s legal contract: JA intv. Gibson; “inappropriate”: letter, Tyler Abell to Warren Woods (Sept. 18, 1969), DVAP; Pearson’s widow: letter, JA to Luvie Pearson (Sept. 25, 1969), DVAP.

  staff turnover: Pilat, 312; Dowling, 96; JA intv. Gibson; bills and commitments: JA and Gibson, 137, and letter, Warren Woods to Tyler Abell (Sept. 22, 1969), DVAP; Freidin: JA intv.; “Reporter Is Termed a Spy in McGovern Camp,” NYT (Aug. 28, 1973), 21; “Freidin Cheerfully Acknowledges Getting Paid by GOP,” WP (Sept. 5, 1973), 11; “Varying Ties to C.I.A. Confirmed in Inquiry,” NYT (Dec. 27, 1977), 41; “boyish movie star”: Dowling, 96; “swashbuckler”: Whitten intv.

  “Jack was afraid”: Whitten intv.; “fighting for his journalistic life”: Dowling, 96.

  McCormack case: Ben-Veniste, chp. 2; undercover intern: JA, “Speaker Never Took Money,” WP (Oct. 30, 1969), G11, and JA, “McCormack Probe,” WP (Jan. 7, 1971), B7; “mimicry” fooled LBJ: JA, “McCormack’s Aide Held Potent Spot,” WP (Oct. 20, 1970), B11.

  “wanted to be rid,” “hard to hush this one up”: Ambrose, Triumph, 284, 283; “marks the end of Teddy”: Haldeman, Diaries, 72.

  sealed deposition transcripts: JA and Gibson, 139–40; filch Time magazine’s in-house memos: JA intv. Gibson; playing off Kennedy intimates, “perversities of the informant”: JA manuscript, “Chappaquiddick,” 9–11, 16, 17, 21–24, JAP.

  “didn’t tell the whole truth,” “too late”: JA, MGR (Aug. 8 and 13, 1969), JAP.

  “innuendoes and falsehoods”: “Columnist and Kennedy,” Newsweek (Aug. 1969); “wouldn’t make any comment”: “Kennedy Denies Story He Tried to Shift Blame,” WP (Aug. 9, 1969), 4.

  “Anderson reconstruction . . . largely fictional”: “Anderson’s Brass Ring,” Time (Jan. 17, 1972), 34; later corroboration: Kappel, 230; Hume, 20; Greene intv.

  National Enquirer, “Drew’s death”: JA and Gibson, 140–41.

  Hume background, comments on JA: Hume, 18, 14, 48.

  “rather go to a movie”: Douglas Martin, “Jack Anderson,” NYT (Dec. 18, 2005), 38; P
earson’s widow, “like being a janitor”: Hume intv.

  “style is a trifle primitive”: Dowling, 93.

  “In the ‘Merry-Go-Round’ ”: Hume, 7, 43, 86, 87.

  thirty-two additional newspapers: Dowling, 96; “Just what other”: “Jack Anderson Column Wins Praise of A-N Readers,” Aberdeen (SD) American News (Feb. 22, 1970), 5.

  “I had no intention”: JA and Gibson, 177; “out of pacifist,” “be the first”: memos, Ken Cole to John Ehrlichman (Oct. 21, 1969) and John R. Brown III to John Ehrlichman (Jan. 20, 1970), Ehrlichman #18, NARA.