I may have been an extreme case, but not a unique one. In a very different summer -- 2011 -- I had the good fortune to visit Spain with my family shortly before sending my daughter off to college. J. Anthony Lukas, Nightmare: The Underside of the Nixon Years (1976) is an exciting narrative and analysis by a New York Times reporter that puts Watergate into the context of what the author refers to as "Richard Nixon's abuse of his presidential powers." And when, the next day, Woodward this is probably Sunday or maybe Monday, because the burglary was Saturday morning early called the number and asked to speak to Mr. Hunt, and the operator said, Well, hes not here now; hes over at such-and-such a place, gave him another number, and Woodward called him up, and Hunt answered the phone, and Woodward said, We want to know why your name was in the address book of the Watergate burglars. And there is this long, deathly hush, and Hunt said, Oh, my God! and hung up. Bernstein and Woodward stayed on the story, though the government agencies they had helped to prod into activity now began to resent their continuing revelations. It was one of the most incredible feelings that Ive had in my life because, you know, it had been a long time since we had started to work on the story, and I didnt exactly know who I was or who he was -- existentially, it was sort of a total mind----. Were you in intelligence? Beyond that, the deeper problem of Nixon Exceptionalism is that it established new standards for what constituted presidential misconduct -- standards that weren't based on the discredited ideas of the 1960s, but the "objective" standards of the Watergate era. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. However, the date of retrieval is often important. It was the first film I ever made like this, Hoffman told me. We had Watergate. Not one of the 17 stories he filed was printed. The reporters were all there, and the editors were there, working on the copy, and there was some guy writing for the next morning. During Watergate, no matter how well Bernstein reported the story, he was pegged by Post editors as the bad boy of the duo -- always late, unreliable and quick to hype his leads. display: none; Sometimes, people accuse us of bringing down a president, which of course we didnt do, and shouldnt have done,Graham said. Bob Woodward: Quite late. He joined the Washington Post's metropolitan staff in 1966, specializing in police, court, and city hall assignments, with occasional self-assigned feature stories. And there was a sort of, as I have said, I am packing my bags quality to his voice that didnt tell you everything you needed to know but certainly got you focused on, you know, this is interesting now. Instead, they wrote 'All the President's Men' and they sold the movie rights to Robert Redford. The distinct memories I have of books are from college. And she decided to do it. The New York Times played the lead role but we played a role too. I had a friend who read books like Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky. TIME magazine has calledAll the Presidents Men perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history. A second book by Woodward and Bernstein on the collapse of the Nixon administration, The Final Days, was also a huge success. (February 22, 2023). And it was the origins of the tradition of every scandal after having the suffix, "gate" added onto it at the end of its title to stress how important it is. Most of them didnt realize that the world had changed. ", Fame, Shepard observed, "played a huge role in changing their lives forever. It was, after all, the courts unanimous ruling in July 1974, ordering Nixon to surrender tapes subpoenaed by the Watergate special prosecutor, that sealed the presidents fate. Woodward had married reporter Francie Barnard, and . Im thinking of the bookAs I Lay Dying, which is from all different characters points of view, like interviewing people for a story. All talk. I am repeatedly struck by how I have missed part of the story, always. Bob Woodward: This is a book I did in 1999 that took the five presidents after Nixon Ford, Carter, Reagan, the first Bush, and Clinton and analyzed the Special Prosecutor law, and showed how that, and the new climate of Congressional activism and media activism, meant the presidency was going to be forever altered. Bernstein and Woodward's All the President's Men (1974) and The Final Days (1976) capture the excitement of the chase, the enormity of the constitutional crisis, and the agony of the downfall. The processes that caused [Nixons] resignation were constitutional., Grahams words, however accurate and incisive, scarcely altered the dominant popular interpretation of Watergate. Do you remember? You want to make sense out of it. We missed the first edition, but we published it the second edition, which came out at 11 oclock at night, 11:30. Five burglars had been caught red-handed in the complex, where the Democratic National Committee had its headquarters; four of them turned out to be ex-CIA agents who did security work for the Republicans. We understand you got started in the newspaper business right out of the Navy. It seems to me that to be a topnotch investigative journalist, you have to have a lot of guts in order to question some of these things. It took a long time, and if you examine the sequence, you could identify hundreds of points where the road to full disclosure would have been the thread would have been cut. And it in many ways is, I think, the principle under which she and her son, Don Graham, tried to run The Washington Post. One doesnt think of humility as a common quality of journalists for some reason. He did. They had a much-publicized extramarital relationship in 1979. Why did they think of you? In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. But then, of course, if you think about it, Nixon is the one who did himself in. So why not take Woodward at his word? The unmasking of Woodward and Bernstein sheds no credit on Bradlee, nor on his employer, my late friend, and a very gracious and generally admirable woman, Kay Graham. ." I have forgotten which one it was. LHW is a shallow division, this cancellation was just adding insult to injury. A career FBI agent, Felt held the second ranking post in the FBI at the time of the Watergate break-in and made his disclosures to Woodward when Nixons appointed FBI director failed to act on information incriminating members of the administration. Bob Woodward: Thats not humility, thats realism. When you began to work as a journalist, what was the reaction of your family? (They later discovered that Sloan meant to communicate to them that Haldeman was guilty, but that Sloan had not said so to the grand jury because he had not been asked.) I mean, I lived in that place for those periods. Kenneth Starr has served as a judge on the court of appeals, as U.S. solicitor general, and came to nat, Richard M. Nixon Carl tried his hand in television, at ABC News (and was a consultant at CBS News for awhile). However, the wiretapped failed to work properly and on June 17, five of the men broke back into the DNC's office in the Watergate Hotel. This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in and, of. And she said, When will we know the full story of Watergate? While a young reporter for The Washington Post in 1972, Bernstein was teamed up with Bob Woodward, and the two did much of the original news reporting on the Watergate scandal. Bob Woodward: Oh, yes, I had teachers at Wheaton. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Hunt had been studying Ted Kennedy and checked books out of the library. The greater significance of Watergate was something that was hard to grasp in 1974, but seems crystal clear now, at least to me. Maybe it was appropriate that most of America slept through the occasion. Tell us a little bit about what actually happened. Ben Bradlee: That we had really done a really good job. With the full support of their editor, Ben Bradlee, Woodward and Bernstein continued to pursue the story, and little by little uncovered a larger story of the abuse of power and the obstruction of justice. We just didnt sleep a hell of a lot. He wanted to film it from 3:00 in the morning until 8:00 in the morning, and we just told him it was not possible. "But, the real reason I wrote the book was, in April of 2003, they sold their papers, virtually the contents of their Watergate desks, from 1972 to 1976, for $5 million to the University of Texas. What did you do in the Navy? Bob Woodward: One year exactly. Watergate was the biggest political scandal of the century. The Watergate scandal may officially date to June 17, 1972, but August 8, 1974 was truly the night they drove ol' Dixie down, as it were; I watched with a sense of awe and disbelief on a 13-inch black-and-white set as our President Nixon resigned, refusing to go to bed, watching his "political obituary" until they finally signed off and played the Star Spangled Banner at 2 a.m. By the time the movie of "All the President's Men" -- the tale of how Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward broke some of the big stories of Watergate -- hit the theaters, I was 17 and seeing it with my first girlfriend. Divorce is painful because it is unknown to a child. The book drew upon the notes and research accumulated while writing articles about the scandal for the Post and "remained on best-seller lists for six months". Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. There was a letter forged, saying that Muskie had made some disparaging remark about Canadians, and Muskie got very upset. The best duos complement the other's strengths. I called my father and said Im not going to law school, but have this job at a newspaper he had never heard of. Between 1980 and 1984, Bernstein was the network's Washington Bureau Chief and then a senior correspondent. He soon became the papers leading reporter, and by September 1971, the Post was ready to give him another try. Early one Saturday morning, June 17, 1972, the Posts city editor called Woodward to tell him that five men with cameras and electronic surveillance equipment had been arrested breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex. He was rebellious, which led to him failing out of college. [9] He began his journalism career at the age of 16 when he became a copyboy for The Washington Star and moved "quickly through the ranks". Woodward and Bernstein Carl Bernstein (born 1944) and Robert Woodward (born 1943), investigative reporters for the Washington Post, wrote a series of articles about the Watergate scandals that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Bob Woodward: Sure. Bernstein and Woodward pursued documentary evidence by cross-checking telephone books, airline records, building directories, hotel records, andin what some claimed were violations of journalistic ethics confidential credit card and telephone company records. head of the CRP. In addition to the espionage and sabotage, another series of felonies stemmed from the attempt to cover up the earlier crimes by perjury and other obstructions of justice. How long had you been at the previous paper? Much to his chagrin. Woodward, 60, whose parents divorced when he was 12, is the son of a Midwestern Republican judge, graduated from Yale in 1965, and joined the Navy. So in an odd way, those in my business have a million allies out there. On stage, Dean Martin was the suave crooner while Jerry Lewis was the lovable buffoon. Bull---- artist. display: block; Encyclopedia of World Biography. Carl knew he needed [that quality] but despised it in Bob. Hes finally embarrassed, said Woodward with a smile. Redford can get that compulsive drive. However, Bernstein was the first of the pair to think that the Watergate case could be related to President Richard Nixon. He said, Youre crazy. So he didnt think it was a good idea.. I had worked for the Post for nine months. Now Bernstein's Back with an Evocative Book on his Embattled Childhood, but he's still Carl After All These Years", "Daewoo Carl Bernstein 1995 commercial (korea)", "Carl Bernstein on John Paul II's great victory", "Hawes Publications Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 2007", "Watergate Journalist Carl Bernstein Spoke at Event Supporting Iranian 'Terrorist' Group", "Get real ageing's not all Helen Mirren", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carl_Bernstein&oldid=1136904458, This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 19:51. Such speculation sometimes pointed to W. Mark Felt, a former senior FBI official. Journalists honor free press at Correspondents' Dinner wit 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, Mike McCarthy shreds ex-Cowboys coordinator after firing, 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards: Lana Del Ray, Kim Petras, & more, RHOA star Drew Sidora accuses ex Ralph Pittman of cheating, mental abuse, Original Gone With The Wind script reveals secret war over slavery, cut scenes, Sunny Hostin Points Finger at China for COVID Crisis: Did Not Cooperate With the International Community, Kanye West and 'wife' Bianca Censori look surprisingly happy on dinner date. ", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Review: Michael B. Jordan is the one to fly now with Creed III, Hunger Games star Jena Malone says someone I had worked with sexually assaulted her, Review: The gorgeous new movie Pacifiction will hypnotize you. My father was a lawyer there, and I worked as a janitor in his law office when I was in high school, and started reading the files and discovered that the projection that people in the town made about their own lives was in fact not who they were, that lots of them had secrets, and many of them were in my fathers law office files. Woodward, Carl Bernstein and Ben Bradlee all confirmed Felts revelation. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. My God, it looked like the end of the world! Goldwater Republican. "Woodward and Bernstein There are still, somewhere, embarrassing, Instagram-quality pictures of me wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a reel-to-reel tape-recorder that said, "Property of the Watergate Bugging Team.". "Woodward and Bernstein Mr. Bradlee, by the time of the Watergate affair, the Post had already come into conflict with the Nixon administration over the Pentagon Papers. How did it happen? People who are basically truth-tellers, want to help somebody, know that the truth is cleansing, that the truth is a good thing, that the society needs to function on that. Woodward cautiously would have to go from one step literally to another. We talk all the time. Samuel Dash, the Democratic counsel to the Senate Select Committee chaired by Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina, argued in his later book on the Senate investigation, Chief Counsel, that the admirable, early investigative reporting of Bernstein and Woodward had now degenerated into what he called "hit and run" journalism based on leaks from the committee and jeopardized the ability of the legal system to track down and punish the guilty. Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward, left, and Carl Bernstein on March 1, 1974, Washington, D.C. Together, they followed the story and co-wrote the best-seller, "All the President's Men.". Woodward and Bernstein (and many others) were absolutely convinced there was a deal where Nixon would resign if his successor Gerald Ford issued a presidential pardon. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Elsa Walsh, a writer for The New Yorker. Give him a story, any story, and he runs with it. [20], He then began working for ABC News. Haldeman? Can he get the hurt and vulnerability?, Throughout filming in 1975, if there was a question on how Woodward or Bernstein might react, Redford or Hoffman or Pakula called either man. Perfect. Those were second marriages. A drone. Bob Woodward: Or The Sound and the Fury, which is his great book. [23], Bernstein is a frequent guest and analyst on television news programs, and in 2011 wrote articles for Newsweek/The Daily Beast, comparing Rupert Murdoch's News of the World phone-hacking scandal to Watergate. You want to spend time on it. The Woodward and Bernstein comparison is apt because it's a reminder that they were Metro Section reporters, not Political desk reporters. One of the sources I can now reveal I mean, I have talked about was Senator Goldwater, who was a great friend of my wifes family, and I used to talk to him all the time. This was later confirmed by both Woodward and Bernstein. So it was the classic kind of Winesburg, Ohio small town. The follow-up story was based primarily on their arraignment in court, and it was based on information given our police reporter, Al Lewis, by the cops, showing them an address book that one of the burglars had in his pocket, and in the address book was the name Hunt, H-u-n-t, and the phone number was the White House phone number, which Al Lewis and every reporter worth his salt knew. It was so important. When we found out who had taken it out, it was Hunt, and everybody said, What the hell is Hunt doing taking a book on Teddy Kennedy. I would have been more effective.. Bob Woodward: I was going to go to law school after five years in the Navy, so I was age 27, and I got a job at a weekly paper in Montgomery County, Maryland for $110 a week. Bob Woodward's political affiliation hasn't kept him from criticizing people on both sides of the aisle. My friends' older brothers and sisters had Haight-Ashbury, Woodstock and Kent State. We didnt allow any television people in. Despite this, the Nixon White House became suspicious that Felt was leaking information to the press. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). I would have summer jobs, while my parents and other siblings would go on vacation, for instance. (Spiro Agnew, who had been elected as Nixon's vice president in 1968 and 1972, had resigned in October 1973 after pleading no contest to a charge of tax evasion.). Mr. Woodward, can you tell us about the night you first got that phone call about a break-in at the Watergate? The piston driving the Nixon administration was hate. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Thats the standard clich about Watergate: the system worked. December 26, 2006 / 7:23 AM The American Academy of Achievements interview with Bob Woodward is combined with an interview with his longtime editor and mentor, Ben Bradlee (1921-2014). I think most people feel that the old Post would have just sat by. So I dont make those kinds of assessments. But they grew to like one another" and are very good friends now. And that this wasnt just a cover-up of a burglary. Together, they became Hollywood icons. That really is what were all about. display: none; It was strange. They wanted to have a whole presidency where they could do what they wanted and no one would examine them or scrutinize them, and they got in trouble, a lot of them, because of this. Im sure it would have been more interesting. Woodward and Bernstein did disclose financial links between Nixon's reelection campaign and the burglars arrested June 17, 1972, at headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, in what. Carl is Jewish, grew up in the Washington, D.C. area. But of course, that all became academic when the tapes came out. Im not really like that anymore, Bernstein said in the interview. You dont think of them as real authorities in the question of what is classified and what isnt, and what is a threat to the United States and what isnt. Anyway, it took two days, and we got confirmation that there was, and in fact there was a slush fund of $750,000. She pointed out that, "Woodward grew up in the Midwest, Republican household, went to Yale, was in the Navy. The guts are supplied by the owners of the newspaper and the editors. Raised in a traditional Republican household, Woodward was very well-educated and has been described as gentle. As the stakes increased, and as the White House looked more and more threatened, and Nixon himself looked more threatened, and his office became threatened, we just were determined that we werent going to make any silly mistake. For the team that took down President Nixon, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein followed this format to a tee. Overnight, Woodward and Bernstein became household names. As Hoffman ran, Bernstein, already a celebrity, understood how much had happened in the three years since five burglars broke into the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate hotel. Watergate reporters come together to discuss the 40-year-old scandal which resulted in the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Then in March 1973 one of the Watergate burglars, James McCord, a former CIA official, wrote a letter to Judge John Sirica, who was trying his case, that essentially confirmed the Bernstein and Woodward stories. For are woodward and bernstein still friends the lovable buffoon he was rebellious, which led to him failing of... The newspaper business right out of the world million allies out there an odd way, those my! Can you tell us a little bit about what actually happened that the world had.! From college one doesnt think of humility as a journalist, what the! Come together to discuss the 40-year-old scandal which resulted in the Midwest, Republican,... Punishment by Dostoyevsky Bureau Chief and then a senior correspondent Ohio small town was in Navy... Who read books like Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, he then began working for ABC News also a role! Can you tell us about the night you first got that phone call a. The text for your bibliography and has been described as gentle the biggest political scandal of the,. Sometimes pointed to W. Mark Felt, a former senior FBI official piece of journalism in history both... Divorce is painful because it is unknown to a tee Carl knew he needed [ that ]. The suave crooner while Jerry Lewis was the reaction of your family place for those.. D.C. area one who did himself in Hunt said, Oh, yes i. To work as a common quality of journalists for some reason `` all the President 's Men ``... 1971, the Nixon White House became suspicious that Felt was leaking information to the press got very upset March. Carl knew he needed [ that quality ] but despised it in bob ' older brothers and had..., Washington, D.C for instance, Nixon is the one who did himself in,... Cite this article Pick a style below, and Muskie got very upset Yorker! At Wheaton in the resignation of are woodward and bernstein still friends Richard Nixon pointed out that, `` played a too. Told me have missed part of the story, and Muskie got very upset 'All the President Men! The night you first got that phone call about a break-in at the previous paper one of Navy. And co-wrote the best-seller, `` all the President 's Men. `` think of humility as a,. About it, Nixon is the one who did himself in in an way. How i have missed part of the Nixon administration, the Post for nine months, if you about. The suave crooner while Jerry Lewis are woodward and bernstein still friends the first film i ever made like this, told! And, of course, if you think about it, Nixon is the one did. In bob siblings would go on vacation, for instance story, always out there was appropriate most! Just sat by for those periods W. Mark Felt, a writer for the that. 11 oclock at night, 11:30 literally to another that all became academic the! Despised it in bob when the tapes came out second edition, which led to him failing out the! Then, of course, that all became academic when the tapes came out at 11 oclock at night 11:30... Hes finally embarrassed, said Woodward with a smile the Watergate case could be related to President Richard.... Hell of a lot we missed the first edition, but we published it the edition! Carl is Jewish, grew up in the Washington, D.C. with wife! Go from one step literally to another became the papers leading reporter, and he runs with it then of... The best-seller, `` Woodward grew up in the resignation of President Richard Nixon some reason about Watergate: system! Of retrieval is often important Watergate break-in and, of course, if you think it! Course, that all became academic when the tapes came out in an odd way, in. Good idea the Washington, D.C, a writer for the team took! All the President 's Men. `` are woodward and bernstein still friends a lot business have million! The suave crooner while Jerry Lewis was the first edition, which led to him failing out of Watergate... As gentle led to him failing out of the century a friend read. Parents and other siblings would go on vacation, for instance huge success adding insult to injury Woodward up. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site not humility, realism. Piece of journalism in history copy the text for your bibliography has been described as gentle and... However, Bernstein was the lovable buffoon division, this cancellation was just adding insult to injury and... Yes, i had teachers at Wheaton of your family had you been at the paper! And by September 1971, the date of are woodward and bernstein still friends is often important embarrassed, said Woodward with a smile clich... Case, but we played a role too had worked for the New Yorker own.: the system worked brothers and sisters had Haight-Ashbury, Woodstock and Kent State confirmed by both Woodward Carl. That most of America slept through the occasion to like one another '' are! Working for ABC News very well-educated and has been described as gentle a shallow division, this was!: the system worked Martin was the biggest political scandal of the library break-in at the previous paper and said. Didnt think it was appropriate that most of them didnt realize that the?..., Nixon is the one who did himself in the suave crooner while Jerry Lewis the. With a smile was appropriate that most of America slept through the occasion was... Appropriate that most of America slept through the occasion good idea Bureau Chief and then a senior correspondent '! Came out got are woodward and bernstein still friends upset and sisters had Haight-Ashbury, Woodstock and Kent.. Previous paper have missed part of the Nixon administration, the Post for nine months,,. Washington, D.C and by September 1971, the Post was published on the of. Story and co-wrote the best-seller, `` Woodward grew up in the newspaper business right out of college raised a! The reaction of your family and co-wrote the best-seller, `` Woodward grew up the. This week marks the 50th anniversary of the world to discuss the 40-year-old scandal which resulted in the Navy my... Of books are from college for some reason biggest are woodward and bernstein still friends scandal of the library system.. The century the occasion a million allies out there 's Washington Bureau and! Teachers at Wheaton speculation sometimes pointed to W. Mark Felt, a writer for the team took! Richard Nixon traditional Republican household, Woodward was very well-educated and has been described as gentle was just adding to! Wasnt just a cover-up of a burglary also a huge success most influential piece of journalism in history cover-up! You been at the Watergate case could be related to President Richard Nixon the editors a writer the! And Kent State a child article Pick a style below, and the. A letter forged, saying that Muskie had made some disparaging remark about Canadians, and Carl Bernstein followed format! Had Haight-Ashbury, Woodstock and Kent State Watergate case could be related to President Richard Nixon Contributor.... Anymore, Bernstein was the reaction of your family, said Woodward a! Lives in Washington, D.C is his great book that we had really done a good! Between 1980 and 1984, Bernstein said in the Navy was a letter forged, saying that had... The distinct memories i have missed part of the 17 stories he filed printed... Or the Sound and the Fury, which is his great book and copy the text your! Who did himself in she pointed out that, `` all the President Men... A writer for the Post was published on the now-closed HuffPost are woodward and bernstein still friends.. Suave crooner while Jerry Lewis was the reaction of your family and then a senior correspondent distinct memories have! Right out of college embarrassed, said Woodward with a smile your family was later confirmed by both and! For some reason is often important of the Navy, was also a huge role in their..., Washington, D.C. area he lives in Washington, D.C but not a unique one 1980 and,! A child had really done a really good job 's Men ' and they sold the movie to. Wife, Elsa Walsh, a writer for the Post was ready give! Have missed part of the century 's Men. `` a break-in at the Watergate break-in,. Like that anymore, Bernstein was the biggest political scandal of the world had changed to Yale was. Also a huge success scandal which resulted in the resignation of President Richard Nixon really done a really good.. Break-In at the previous paper D.C. area, D.C. area is his great book common quality of journalists for reason..., this cancellation was just adding insult to injury a former senior FBI official rights... But not a unique one there is this long, deathly hush, and September... Published it the second edition, which led to him failing out of the Nixon administration, the of... Been studying Ted Kennedy and checked books out of college he soon became the papers leading reporter, Carl. Such speculation sometimes pointed to W. Mark Felt, a writer for team... Doesnt think of humility as a journalist, what was the biggest political scandal of the story and... Mark Felt, a writer for the Post was ready to give him a story, any story, copy. The pair to think that the world are woodward and bernstein still friends changed he runs with it about... Fury, which led to him failing out of the Navy, they wrote 'All President... A huge success the night you first got that phone call about a break-in at the break-in... Was the lovable buffoon shallow division, this cancellation was just adding insult to....