A reclist diary gleefully cites what is essentially an NSA press release under Dana Priest's byline in the Washington Post as proof that Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald are lying about the NSA's activities. Here is what the the WP might have published about Nixon if the reporting at the time had been as credulous as Dana Priest's reporting is today.
Watergate a 3rd-rate burglary, Nixon not a crook
by Danah Preest
President Richard M Nixon forcefully disproved allegations of misconduct today, saying in a White House news conference that he is "not a crook."
The statement was corroborated by officials from the White House Chief of Staff’s office, the Department of Justice and the office of White House Counsel, who said that the president has wide-ranging authority to order break-ins, firebombings and bribery.
Interviews with White House and Justice Department officials, intelligence officers and experts, public statements and recently declassified documents also indicate that ordering such actions marks the beginning of a long — and, U.S. officials say, carefully regulated — process.
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