Bob Woodward Quotes
-
I recently did the David Letterman Show about my book. He was very serious and made no jokes and it caught me off guard a little bit. He was much more serious than some of the joke shows that journalists get on.
-
The failure of the system to deal quickly was attributable to Nixon's lying, stonewalling and refusal to come clean. So it took 26 months for the final truth to be known.
-
It would seem that the Watergate story from beginning to end could be used as a primer on the American political system.
-
I have written things that Republicans and Democrats and all kinds of figures have either hated or felt very uncomfortable about. Because in doing these long projects and books, you get close to the bone. And they're not calling me up and asking me for dinner.
-
If so, our posture would be as follows: we published the story and said it was true, but now we are going to nominate it for a Pulitzer — now that's serious business.
-
Some newspapers have a hands-off policy on favored politicians. But it's generally very small newspapers or local TV stations.
-
All good work is done in defiance of management.
-
I suspect there have been a number of conspiracies that never were described or leaked out. But I suspect none of the magnitude and sweep of Watergate.
-
After Nixon resigned in 1974, he engaged in a very aggressive war with history, attempting to wipe out the Watergate stain and memory. Happily, history won, largely because of Nixon's tapes.
-
In Haig's presence, Kissinger referred pointedly to military men as 'dumb, stupid animals to be used' as pawns for foreign policy.
-
Using these unnamed sources, if done properly, carefully and fairly, provides more accountability in government.
-
Suppose Watergate had not been uncovered? I'd still be on the City Desk.
-
The cloud of doubt that surrounds political figures tends to remain and never dissipate or be clarified.
-
When you hear in the tape recordings Nixon's own voice saying, We have to stonewall, We have to lie to the Grand Jury, We have to pay burglars a million dollars, it's all too clear the horror of what went on.
-
If information is true, if it can be verified, and if it's really important, the newspaper needs to be willing to take the risk associated with using unidentified sources.
-
If you interviewed 1,000 politicians and asked about whether the media's too soft or too hard, about 999 would say too hard.
-
I think that everyone is kind of confused about the information they get from the media and rightly so. I'm confused about the information I get from the media.
-
We're not going to have another Watergate in our lifetime. I'm sure.
-
I don't think there will ever be a permanent truce, but I believe the media needs to be more careful and be willing to count to 10 before rushing on the air or into print.
-
The source known as Deep Throat provided a kind of road map through the scandal. His one consistent message was that the Watergate burglary was just the tip of the iceberg.
-
Clinton... believes that the Washington Press Corps is so out of touch that it is absolutely inconceivable that reporters would understand the issues that people are really dealing with in their lives.
-
The legislator learns that when you talk a lot, you get in trouble. You have to listen a lot to make deals.
-
Nixon's attempts to order subversion of various departments was bound to come out in some form.
-
Not a season passes without new disclosures showing Nixon's numerous attempts at criminal use of his presidential powers and in fact the scorn he held for the rule of law.