Sunday, July 23, 2006

John Dean's New Book

Was in BJ's after church this morning, and briefly perused John Dean's new book, Conservatives Without a Conscience.

I haven't read the book, and I certainly won't enrich Dean by purchasing it, even at BJ's price. Vivian Paige is fond of it; Shaun Kenney rightly calls it "silly."

Dean is just the latest in a ... well, rather short line of "conservatives" who have attempted to capitalize on demonizing the GOP and its dominant ideology from an "insider's" view.

But let's remember, after all, that John Dean probably was never really a "Conservative." After all, he was part of the Nixon Administration, an administration "Conservative" only in comparison to the naked socialism advanced by its predecessor and in comparison to Hubert H. Humphrey and George "No Enemies to the Left" McGovern. And let's remember, too, that the guy was part of the corruption of the Nixon Administration. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about his role:
Dean pled guilty to obstruction of justice before Watergate trial judge John Sirica on October 19, 1973. He admitted supervising payments of "hush money" to the Watergate burglars, notably E. Howard Hunt, and revealed the existence of Nixon's enemies list. On August 2, 1974, Sirica handed down a sentence of one to four years in a minimum-security prison. However, when Dean surrendered himself as scheduled on September 3, he was diverted to the custody of U.S. Marshals and kept instead at Fort Holabird (near Baltimore, Maryland) in a special "safe house" holding facility primarily used for witnesses against the Mafia. He spent his days in the offices of the Watergate Special Prosecutor and testifying in the trial of Watergate conspirators Mitchell, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Robert Mardian, and Kenneth Parkinson, which concluded on January 1, 1975. Dean's lawyer moved to have his sentence reduced, and on January 8, Sirica granted the motion, adjusting Dean's sentence to time served.
If he weren't trashing true "Conservatives," would MSM types like Keith Olbermann be giving him the time of day? Doubtful.

Dean is and seems to have always been, at his heart, little more than a sleazy opportunist. He is certainly a turncoat if, indeed, he ever was really a Conservative.

9 comments:

Vivian J. Paige said...

First of all, there is an "I" in Paige. Second, why don't you read the book before you pass judgement on it? At the very minimum, read the posts that I have written on it (up thru chapter 2). I find it quite interesting that none of you guys have refuted what Dean has actually said. What happened to attach the message, not the messenger?

And Shaun is going to do a review of it.

James Young said...

Apologies for the misspelling, Vivian; it has been corrected. Apropos of your comment, "judgment" has only on "e."

As for reading it in detail (the excerpts that I've seen from it, and the few I read while standing by the book table at BJ's, tell me most of what I need to know), I've sadly got so many books on my list of purchased yet unread books that it is hardly worth borrowing another to put on it. Furthermore, given Dean's "credentials," expending my valuable time reading it, or refuting its analysis, seems hardly worth my time. It's simply not important enough to merit my time (though, given some of the tripe I've responded to in the blogosphere --- present company excepted --- one could probably question that conclusion).

Vivian J. Paige said...

Ah - and I meant "attack" not "attach."

Anyway - I understand the time element. But I do wish you would take a look at my posts on it, which include links (where available) to the research that Dean used in his arguments.

James Young said...

I guess my point, Vivian, is that I don't have time or the inclination to review and refute the ridiculous rantings of someone of the character of Dean, who appears clearly to be attempting to pander to the far Left.

BTW, I didn't even notice the other typo. The only reason I mentioned "judgement" is because it is frequently misspelled (including by me, in my Con Law class at H-SC; Dr. Marion never let me get away with it).

Charles said...

Stupid dictionary now says you can put an "e" in judgment.

Dean is just another example of a common occurance. As a republican, Dean was convicted and thrown in jail. So he started talking AGAINST republicans, and became a darling of the left, for whom hypocrisy is a word that might be removed from the dictionary.

Like David Brock, who when writing as a republican earned the contempt of most of his republican peers, and when he realised he no longer could get away with milking that side of the aisle, he started lying for the other side, which now embraces him.

I've always thought that republicans have the better of the crossovers. Democrats tend to end up with disgraced republicans on their side, or republicans that were never really serious, like Arianna Huffington.

Meanwhile, we end up with the true thinkers for whom the liberal cause was a product of their youth and upbringing, people like David Horowitz and Tammy Bruce.

Of course, I'm being myopic, I'm sure democrats can find examples of former disgraced democrats now welcomed as icons in the republican movement, and can point to a few republicans who were well-respected as republicans before becoming democrats.

Charles said...

James, do as I do -- put yourself on the hold queue for his book at the library.

Or if even that will give him too much credence, wait until the hold queue is empty, and then pick it up off the shelf.

The library has 4 copies, and there are 6 holds right now.

For comparative purposes, it looks like they have about 14 copies of the Ann Coulter book, and the hold list is at 23.

Vivian J. Paige said...

I don't think Dean is trying to pander to the left. That is not the impression I get from his writing at all. He seems to be trying to reclaim the term "conservative" from the neo-cons. I see George Will and Pat Buchanan (sometimes) trying to do the same thing.

James Young said...

"Re-claim"? Or "re-define," as reactionary Liberalism? The latter seems far more likely, particularly in light of his service to the Nixon Administration.

Vivian J. Paige said...

No, reclaim.