Ah, the good old days, when a crooked and corrupt president and his felonious flunkys could be investigated and convicted.
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Miles Copeland, a senior CIA insider who was a personal friend of people like James J. Angleton, notes in his book "The Real Spy World" (1974) that at the CIA, trainees were expected to walk into a darkened room (with only a single lookout at the door), plant (or remove) a bug and walk out in a couple of minutes if they were expected to pass the bugging course. And yet, at Watergate, as he put it "The Keystone Cops, the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers were horsing around for an hour -- WITHOUT a lookout".
Copeland believed that McCord, who was known to be highly competent and a straight arrow, was deliberately wasting time so that the operation would be busted. (He notes that Nixon had been trying to politicize the CIA by carrying out a purge through his appointee James Schlesinger - many senior operatives, in response, simply "disappeared", so that Schlesinger was unaware of their existence.)
7
Watergate. What an innocent world we lived in.
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@Richard Buthod
I think it was a more naiive than innocent world. What Watergate really was for me was an eye opener.
10
Though McCord participated in a crime I think he should be remembered as an essentially honorable man. He served is country honorably in the military, the FBI and the CIA. His participation in the break in was likely prompted by good intentions, initially. When he realized what was really going on he decided to do the right thing. That's what we needed then, and what is needed now. The presence of a criminal in the White House is not enough to completely corrupt the nation if there are a few honest men who will still step forth.
24
Three years ago it was tempting to think that Nixon/Watergate was an ugly time, but thanks goodness we are past it. Now it seems almost quaint.
24
". . . it was Mr. McCord, who broke the silence of a shaky Oval Office conspiracy."
This country is desperately in need of a few more McCords who are willing to slither forward and break the silence of what is and has transpired in this current administration.
Sincere condolences to the McCord family. The loss of a loved one is always painful and heartbreaking.
34
Like others involved in the break-in and subsequent cover, he seemed a decent man, a patriot who tragically erred by accepting a criminal assignment from the "President's men." May he rest in peace.
11
An indication of how corrupt and sleazy Nixon and CREEP were was the hiring and attempted manipulation of Mr McCord.
But McCord's letter to Judge Sirica does show some indication that truth is the safest foundation upon which government should work. It's a lesson we should remember in current times.
Somewhere in the background Rosanne Cash is singing Etta's Tune which contains the line:
We kept the tickets and the wheels of tape to remember who we are
16
Why some people would do anything for their president.
Pertains to every Republican legislator we have today......
30
Why was there an almost 2-year cover up of McCord's death? He was a pivotal figure in bringing down a criminal President. Odd.
7
@Edward: He was obviously very secretive. There are large gaps in the known information about his life. Keeping his death quiet is consistent. I bet it was his decision.
17
Who will be the brave soul who exposes THIS administration’s crimes and cover-us?
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@Corbin
I would like to think one brave soul would come forward, but deep down, I think they're all a bunch of cowards, afraid of Trump as well as their own shadow.
24
Interesting for the NY Times to report this today....
10