Top Comments: the Watergate time warp edition

A look at a sense of déja-vu (at least on television) after the jump ….

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I recent weeks, I am seeing some old figures from Watergate appear on television (whom I saw neither hide-nor-hair of in years). These individuals have not been taken out of cryogenics; they have indeed aged … yet I am having flashbacks to forty years ago, in ways we have not seen … until the dawn of this new administration.

Now one figure, of course isn’t new — John Dean has appeared over the years in cases of governmental corruption (and Keith Olbermann turned to him often). Still, I can’t help but flash-back to his riveting testimony before the Senate investigative hearings … with his wife Maureen sitting behind him with as stoic a face as could be. I recall when I had my first job a few months later (a work-study post at a public library when I was in community college) when Nixon resigned … and several of the female full-time staff remarked at her composure in what must have been an anxious time.

John and Maureen Dean, Watergate Senate hearing 1973

Years later, I saw a retrospective TV program on Watergate, and the chief Senate counsel for the committee (Sam Dash) recounted how he and an associate approached John Dean when they learned that Dean’s suspicions of a White House taping system were (in fact) true … and wanted to see his reaction.

Sam Dash … and one of his aides (Jim Hamilton) ….. met me on Sunday the 15th of July, 1973. And Sam said, “How would you feel if I told you that not only the conversation you thought you were recorded, but all the conversations you had with Nixon were recorded?”     

And I said, “I’d be thrilled!”

Jim Hamilton (who later recounted it) told me he could see a smile coming over my face as Dash was telling me this. And they left very relieved.

Following Watergate, Dean went in to investment banking and authored several books. He retired from banking in 2000 and at age 78 today is a registered independent who is an author, columnist, and commentator on contemporary politics … and who supported the efforts to impeach George W. Bush. I recall hearing him at a past Netroots Nation seminar, and was proud to shake his hand, thanking him for attending an event like that.

John Dean (in recent years)

By contrast, I had not seen (in some time) Jill Wine-Banks— the only female staff attorney for the special prosecutor Leon Jaworski (who became known for her hemlines as much as her grilling of Richard Nixon’s secretary Rose Mary Woods about the “18-minute gap” in a critical Oval Office tape). Nor had I heard from one of her cohorts on Leon Jaworski’s team, Richard Ben-Veniste, either.

Ben-Veniste/Jill Wine, 1975

It turns out that Chicago native Jill Wine-Banks has had quite a varied career, including working on a memoir.  But now in her early 70’s, she makes regular appearances on the evening MSNBC shows (unsure if she has achieved “contributor” status) — and as long as the Trumpster continues to channel Richard Nixon … we can expect to see more of her.

     Jill Wine-Banks today

Meanwhile ... Richard Ben-Veniste has done some private legal practice as well following Watergate — but it turns out he has participated in many governmental commissions (Whitewater, 9-11, and more recently task forces for the Department of Homeland Security and the NSA) at age 74.

Now, you are quite likely to see him interviewed on CNN — and he also said he was glad to see that Bob Mueller has hired yet another Watergate task force member for his staff. Methinks you’ll be seeing him increasingly as time passes.

 Richard Ben-Veniste today

One person from the Watergate hearings who has long departed this Earth that cannot be replaced …. was North Carolina's Senator Sam Ervin— and TV host Dick Cavett noted that he pronounced the name of his colleague from Hawaii (Sen. Daniel Inouye) as …. “Senator Norway”.  During the hearings, Sam Ervin never failed to remind people that he was "just a poor country lawyer from North Carolina". Despite Tennessee senator Howard Baker reminding Ervin that he —  like Baker —  was an honors graduate from Harvard Law, Ervin said in a hushed voice, "But Howard ……….. they don't need to know that!”

 Sen. Sam Ervin (1896-1985)

WITH ALL OF THE COMPARISONS to the Watergate scandal, there are two living figures worth noting: should there actually be a new White House taping system, it should be revealed to the public by Alexander Butterfield (who is now age 91) ...

  Col. Alexander Butterfield

And should a special Senate committee be convened: there should at least be a cameo role (maybe formally open the hearings?) for former Sen. Lowell Weicker (R-CT) — the last surviving member of the 1973 Watergate Committee (who turned age 86 last month).

Lowell Weicker (born 1931)

Have-at-it with your own Watergate memories …. or, to comment on the James Comey hearing today. Or perhaps the British elections? It’s all yours.

First, let’s close with … what else? Tom T. Hall’s Watergate Blues.

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Now, on to Top Comments:

From BlackSheep1:

In the diary by Walter Einenkel about an embarrassing experience Ted Cruz had at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference— comes memofromturner's absolutely perfect gem of a capstone comment today.

Highlighted by desert rain:

In the front-page story offering a recap about the James Comey testimony today — I like this comment by frenchconnection. 

And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........

In the diary by LuDublegal about the embarrassing line of questioning from Sen. John McCain —  with a debate ensuing over whether nearing age 81, he may be going senile— gardnerhill has a blunt take on his most unwise decision ever.

And in the liveblog by fladem about the (apparent) miscalculation by British prime minister Theresa May to hold a snap election— the results of which are unclear as I write this —  laughingriver posits that besides Brexit and her own gaffes … something else might be at work, as well.

TOP PHOTOS June 7th, 2017 Next - enjoy jotter's wonderful *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. (NOTE: Any missing images in the Quilt were removed because (a) they were from an unapproved source that somehow snuck through in the comments, or (b) it was an image from the DailyKos Image Library which didn't have permissions set to allow others to use it.)

And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:

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