About 35 minutes ago the phone rang. It was Mike Jeskin a old friend who's a news cameraman for a high desert media group, as well as a great freelancer who listens to more scanners in an hour than I can digest in a month. He called to let me know LA County Fire was rolling trucks to a location about 3 blocks from home. There had been an explosion and fire, with possible structures involved. It was also next to the local elementary school.
He wanted to make sure it wasn't us. Especially after we had an air conditioner explode and start the house on fire two years ago. I have to admit it was nice to think he was thinking of us.
So I rolled down (camera in tow,) to the area to see fire trucks were rolling in. One truck was all ready there and the kids had just been set home from school. It was standard chaos. The kids heading home in groups and staying away from the fire trucks, except for a couple boys I noticed who were watching them work and talking to one of the Sheriff's who appeared to be their self-appointed guardian du jour. The primary responders appeared to have the situation in control, because there was little if anything to shoot.
It appears the firemen are pretty nervous with all the dry heat we're getting today. We are in a RED ALERT status. (Translation: The most serious danger of fire is present.) From first guess we had another air conditioner explode when we had a power hit today about the same time.
The NORTHBOUND I-15's closed again. Looks like they are going to seal off the area thru' the entire Cajon Pass and all the side roads. The fire from last night has started up again-- and the winds just started picking up.
Yes, it's been thirty years. For those of us old enough to remember the summer of 1972, today is the anniversary of the Watergate Break In. The summer of '72 was a lesson of goverment in action and reaction, drama and lessons in how a goverment removed a man from the Office of the President. No where in the recorded history of this country has a member of the President appointed a replacement Vice President (G. Ford,) when his first running mate Spiro Agnew, Vice President of the United States had resigned under pressure when he was charged and eventually found guilty of income tax evasion. Finally after weeks and weeks of Congressional Hearings, and daily updates of the deception played on the citizens of this country by the Executive Branch by Washington Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein, Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States was forced to resign or face impeachment.
BY DEEP THROAT (AS TOLD TO CHRISTOPHER BUCKLEY) Sunday, June 9, 2002 12:01 a.m. EDT
So former Nixon White House counsel John Dean is bringing out an electronic book--that is, a book no one can be bothered to print on paper--on the 30th anniversary of the Watergate break-in. Moreover, he has announced that he will name Deep Throat. This will be John's third "naming" of me. Well, everyone needs a hobby.
I can't decide whether to own up, in the event he finally gets it right. I'm not trying to be coy. I'm just not sure what, really, there is to gain by "coming out" after all these years. Consider:
Gordon Liddy will issue calls on his radio show for my scalp, among other body parts, resulting in a full tape of death threats on my answering machine. Henry Kissinger will go on "Nightline" and say, "Vell I haf to say at least I am relieved it did not turn out to be me," and then blame me for the collapse of South Vietnam. Julie Nixon Eisenhower will go on "Nightline" and blame me for her father's phlebitis. (I always liked and admired Julie.) Tina Brown will be holding on line two with an offer of $5 million for my memoirs, plus a Miramax movie starring George Clooney as me then and Hal Holbrooke as me now. Assuming Mr. Holbrooke's still alive, Harvey's mad for the idea!
