News and Document archive source
copyrighted material disclaimer at bottom of page

NewsMinedeceptionsdeep-throat — Viewing Item


Federal control whitewashes watergate coup { July 11 2007 }

Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/11/AR2007071100483.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/11/AR2007071100483.html

Nixon Library Ends Watergate Whitewash With Transition to Federal Control

By Gillian Flaccus
Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, July 11, 2007; 9:17 AM

YORBA LINDA, Calif. -- For nearly 20 years, visitors to the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace were told the Watergate scandal was really a "coup" by Nixon's rivals and the investigative reporting team of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein offered bribes for their nation-shaking scoops.

Now, as the privately run library transitions to federal control, its new director is taking some of the whitewash off the scandal resulting from the break-in at Democratic headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington and the subsequent White House cover-up.

The revised account is a precondition for receiving 42 million pages of the former president's papers and nearly 4,000 hours of tapes from the National Archives.

A simple ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday will usher the black sheep of presidential libraries into the fold of the prestigious National Archives, where it will join 11 others honoring presidents Herbert Hoover to Bill Clinton. Federal officials also will unveil 78,000 pages of previously unavailable Nixon papers and 1161/27 hours of tapes.

The papers, which will give new insight into the 37th president's role as a GOP strategist and party leader, were a gift from the Nixon Foundation and aren't usually part of a presidential collection, said Susan Cooper, a spokeswoman for the National Archives. They join Nixon's pre- and post-presidential papers, which were already in California.

"This presidency is going to be the best-documented presidency in history," she said. "We have this treasure trove that other presidents don't have to give us and usually don't give us."

But with the stamp of the federal system comes a major makeover for certain less-than-accurate exhibits -- a relief to Nixon scholars who were frustrated by the way the private institution had portrayed the Watergate scandal and Nixon's foreign policy.

Director Timothy Niftali recently oversaw the demolition of the revisionist Watergate gallery, including a section that said the scandal was a coup plotted by Democrats. The museum also told visitors that the infamous 1861/27 minute gap in one important White House tape -- a conversation three days after the break-in -- was because of a mechanical malfunction.

"No serious historian believes in that," said David Greenberg, a Nixon scholar and professor at Rutgers University. "It's not only not true, it's the opposite of truth. There was a lot along those lines in the library, which was not a matter of interpretation, but was flat wrong, a lie."

In its place, Niftali promises an updated display featuring oral accounts from key players in the Watergate saga, a selection of White House tapes, clips from broadcast news and footage of the Watergate hearings.

© 2007 The Associated Press



Deep throat goes public for money { June 5 2005 }
Deepthroat focused woodward on nixon { May 31 2005 }
Fbi 2nd in command says he was deep throat { May 31 2005 }
Fbi agent gordon liddy planned watergate breakin { June 1 2005 }
Federal control whitewashes watergate coup { July 11 2007 }
Felt claimed the cia was involved { June 3 2005 }
Felt convicted in 1980 of illegal breakins { June 1 2005 }
Felt planned kidnapping baby for ransom { June 2 2005 }
Felt upset with nixon over being passed for top job { June 1 2005 }
Felt was convincted of illegal breakins { June 1 2005 }
Follow the money phrase written by princess bride author { June 12 2005 }
G gordon liddy says to kill fed agents with head shots
Haldeman suspicious felt wants top fbi spot { May 31 2005 }
John dean claims deep throat ill and inaccurate { February 6 2005 }
Mark felt convincted of cointelpro crimes
Mark felt was in charge of watergate investigation
Navy lieutenant woodward met felt in 1970 { June 2 2005 }
Nixon calls hoover morally depraved { June 20 2005 }
Nixon nemesis deep throat may bush elder bush { February 5 2005 }
Pornographic film deep throat irked nixon { February 9 2005 }
Reagan pardoned felt for illegal raids on peace groups { June 13 1997 }
Watergate scandal overview { June 17 1972 }

Files Listed: 22



Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security
Archives
Support one-state solution for Israel and Palestine Tea Party bumper stickers JFK for Dummies, The Assassination made simple