Watergate Mastermind Shuffles Off The Mortal Coil

E. Howard Hunt died today. And my mom taught me not to speak ill of the dead, but I never much listened to her anyway, so let's make fun of the guy who thought up the Watergate burglary, the break-in of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office, and the Bay of Pigs of invasion. All of these events are historically notable for the same two reasons:

1) They were really scummy things to do.
2) They didn't work.

So not only was Hunt a scumbag of the highest order, he wasn't even very good at it. I mean, no one fucks with G. Gordon Liddy. Besides, he has a really funny radio show.

Here's my favorite part of the story in the Washington Post, a paper kind of familiar with Watergate, is this quote from Hunt:

"And the idea was to look at the books, photograph them, in and out, and that's it. It didn't seem like such a deal to me. You know, I'd been doing that stuff for years, a 'black-bag job' into other embassies. But you know, I didn't have skilled people."

There's so much here to find reprehensible. The total lack of shame. A pretty bent moral compass. The casual confession he's broken the law plenty of times. And, of course, his willingness to blame others. Liddy wouldn't have blamed his team, he would willingly take a bullet. Which is why he's crazy.

You know, they don't make political scumbags like this anymore.