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Watergate can be interpreted as domestic version of Tonkin
brawl. For both "Hill delegated in haste and attacked at leisure, 11
writes John Roche recalling how RFK murder precipitated "pell-mell
passage" of '68 Crime Bill which included wiretapping. "The
subcommittee (including Ervin) was convinced.
country needed a
good bugging" power. Altho key section defined illegal taps or
interception a felony, there was a set of exemptions, one of
which LBJ said was "unwise and potentially dangerous step' towards
sanctioning taping by law officials at any level in almost unlimited
variety of situations. LBJ said provisions could produce "a nation
of snoopers, bending thru keyholes
11
His particular objection
was to section exempting intercepts by presidential directive based
on a personal assessment of nat'l security, Roche recalls. LBJ was
"appalled" his efforts to stop bill failed. Thus "was RN handed
authority on Hill platter. 11 When effort was made to delete wiretap
section, it got only 12 votes, but not one of "foresighted band's on
Ervin Comm, Roche notes.
When Post-Dispatch's local Jake McCarthy worked for Hoffa over
10 years ago he learned, surveillance is a way of life in DC. He
notes Hoffa showed how men 200 yards outside his office could hear
everything thru device listened to in park and he recalls mail
covers and FBI agents tailing him in '60s. "RFK, hallowed by
some libs, was progenitor of modern tap and surveillance by gov't,
and was reason [Jake McCarthy] always feared him as a neo-fascist."
Moreover, JFK named him as "1st AG to explicitly serve the Pres
instead of people. 11
Recordings were "odorous police-state tactics that leave thousands
of unsuspecting callers highly vulnerable to later embarrassment and
ridicule, Carl Rowan claims. But there's some good which can result
as tapes could tell US "beyond doubt" of RN's role. Rowan concludes:
"Let the tapes roll
Little question as to legality of recordings,
but there's "serious question" of propriety to Youngstown Vindicator.
One reason WH gave when complaining about Pentagon Papers leak
was such disclosure would breakdown faith of diplomats that US
officials could keep info confidential. Now PMs/Kings know "private
chats¹ are on tape. And US citizens who've met w/ RN have "reason
for distress. 11 Disclosure may cost RN advice he needs, claims
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"ocrText": "8\nWatergate can be interpreted as domestic version of Tonkin\nbrawl. For both \"Hill delegated in haste and attacked at leisure, 11\nwrites John Roche recalling how RFK murder precipitated \"pell-mell\npassage\" of '68 Crime Bill which included wiretapping. \"The\nsubcommittee (including Ervin) was convinced.\ncountry needed a\ngood bugging\" power. Altho key section defined illegal taps or\ninterception a felony, there was a set of exemptions, one of\nwhich LBJ said was \"unwise and potentially dangerous step' towards\nsanctioning taping by law officials at any level in almost unlimited\nvariety of situations. LBJ said provisions could produce \"a nation\nof snoopers, bending thru keyholes\n11\nHis particular objection\nwas to section exempting intercepts by presidential directive based\non a personal assessment of nat'l security, Roche recalls. LBJ was\n\"appalled\" his efforts to stop bill failed. Thus \"was RN handed\nauthority on Hill platter. 11 When effort was made to delete wiretap\nsection, it got only 12 votes, but not one of \"foresighted band's on\nErvin Comm, Roche notes.\nWhen Post-Dispatch's local Jake McCarthy worked for Hoffa over\n10 years ago he learned, surveillance is a way of life in DC. He\nnotes Hoffa showed how men 200 yards outside his office could hear\neverything thru device listened to in park and he recalls mail\ncovers and FBI agents tailing him in '60s. \"RFK, hallowed by\nsome libs, was progenitor of modern tap and surveillance by gov't,\nand was reason [Jake McCarthy] always feared him as a neo-fascist.\"\nMoreover, JFK named him as \"1st AG to explicitly serve the Pres\ninstead of people. 11\nRecordings were \"odorous police-state tactics that leave thousands\nof unsuspecting callers highly vulnerable to later embarrassment and\nridicule, Carl Rowan claims. But there's some good which can result\nas tapes could tell US \"beyond doubt\" of RN's role. Rowan concludes:\n\"Let the tapes roll\nLittle question as to legality of recordings,\nbut there's \"serious question\" of propriety to Youngstown Vindicator.\nOne reason WH gave when complaining about Pentagon Papers leak\nwas such disclosure would breakdown faith of diplomats that US\nofficials could keep info confidential. Now PMs/Kings know \"private\nchats¹ are on tape. And US citizens who've met w/ RN have \"reason\nfor distress. 11 Disclosure may cost RN advice he needs, claims"
}