WatergateGate: Slow Going
Tuesday, May 30th, 2006
Three notable pieces were published this weekend on the painfully slow-moving hookers ‘n’ Congressmen ‘n’ spooks scandal.
- Newsweek’s Brent Wilkes profile
- Ken Silverstein’s “Nine Fingers” Basset story
- The San Diego Union-Tribune’s poker party report
While they are all rich with color (a Nine Fingers “prank letter” filled with sexually explicit talk was intercepted by the KGB, who then tried to blackmail him), they are also all short on hookers (with Newsweek not mentioning them at all). Closer looks, after the jump.
Today’s Time article on Porter Goss, Duke Cunningham, Brent Wilkes, Dusty Foggo, and Brant Basset, while very informative, fails to call Basset “Nine Fingers” even once, which is, of course, shoddy journalism. Also, the closest it comes to mentioning hookers is quoting Foggo’s attorney as saying that there was “no hanky panky” at the Watergate poker parties. 
After a terribly exciting coupla days, there was almost nothing today. Seriously, pick up the ball, entire rest of the press. Thank god for Ken Silverstein, our new favorite reporter, who’s just delivered his latest installment — Brant “Nine Fingers” Basset (the noted Dick Tracy villain) is moving into a central role, which we’re happy to hear. We thought he had a lot of potential when we first heard the name, and we’re happy to see him recognize it. 