I was wrong. Hmmm… That’s refreshing, isn’t it? Wouldn’t the world be a better place if more people could simply say that instead of throwing up a flourescent green smokescreen of spin to obfuscate the truth?
In my June 1 post called “Dead Presidents,” I stated that Mark Felt, aka “Deep Throat” of the Watergate scandal, had uttered the famous line “follow the money.” In fact, he did not. Hal Holbrook, who played Felt in the movie “All the President’s Men,” did recite the line, but it was put in his mouth by Hollywood screenwriter William Goldman.
Frank Rich reports in the New York Times, “journalists everywhere – from The New York Times to The Economist to The Washington Post itself – would soon start attributing this classic line of dialogue to the newly unmasked Deep Throat, W. Mark Felt.” No, wait. That’s spin. I screwed up. I recollected (something the President’s men didn’t do very well during the hearings…) the line from the movie and attributed it to Mr. Felt. My bad.
Mr. Goldman also wrote the screenplay for “Marathon Man,” and one of my all-time favorites, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
I’m sorry.
“Wouldn’t the world be a better place if more people could simply say that instead of throwing up a flourescent green smokescreen of spin to obfuscate the truth?”
To answer your question, it certainly would be a better place.
Hey thanks for confirming I have a reader!
I always look forward to finding out what’s on your mind.