Sunday, January 8, 2012

They Took It From Me

London's Express celebrates the 99th anniversary of 37's birth with an article about Don Fulsom's likely-to-be-discredited book. Reporter Peter Sheridan includes a quote from The Episconixonian:
Though Nixon remains one of America’s most reviled figures, even his harshest critics question the book’s conclusions. There are no love letters, videos or audio tapes proving an affair with Rebozo and White House gossip can be notoriously politically motivated. Nixon’s former chief of staff John Taylor insists the gay allegations are “not true, take it from me... Nixon was heterosexual. He loved smart, attractive women, flirted with them keenly if ineptly and had no sexual energy whatsoever with men.”

5 comments:

DJC said...

I can tell you that I've read the chapters outlined in the index that deal with the suggestions already. Yes, Amazon book preview coughed up a considerable number of page previews. And google books previewed the rest. Only one or two pages left out between these two book sellers/preview websites. After "fishing" key words I captured several paragraphs from those pages as well. Over a few days I was able to read and capture ALL the pages between pages 48 and 99. And more!

And I can say that there is nothing that Don Fulsom has written here that supports his innuendo. Nothing. What's more, Don Fulsom describes conversations and video on YouTube quite extensively regarding Nixon's resignation and conversations that deal with other matters. BUT he NEVER described ANY of the conversations between Nixon and Rebozo! Not one! There are a couple dozen that can be heard at the Nixon Library.

Why didn't he cite any of these private conversations? Why? Because none of the conversations "fit" his premise. In fact, the conversations between Nixon and his pal prove quite the opposite. That Rebozo was quite the ladies man, this according to an amused Nixon in private discussions between the two.

Also, the suggestion that Nixon ever harmed his wife looks more ludicrous then ever, nothing at all is presented in the way of evidence, just gossip among people who never cared for the couple in the first place.

So much for Don Fulsom and his book, which by the way, was poorly written and sophomoric. May he never find a publisher again. -D.C

Fr. John said...

Well done! You've done better research than the author of the book. Many thanks.

DJC said...

Thank you Fr. John.

BTW, Peter Sheridan, who wrote the article in the Express which carried your statement, has himself demonstrated a propensity to relate misinformation. Note: he quotes Fulsom's book, "Florida resort of Key Biscayne where Nixon often holidayed, Pat stayed in a separate house while Bebe Rebozo stayed in the ROOM next to Nixon."

The above statement is in itself incorrect, even Fulsom only alludes to Rebozo staying in the HOUSE next to Nixon's house, not the ROOM next to Nixon's.

This demonstrates rather well how easily misinformation creeps in and grows and spreads out of control.

Here we go again!

-Donna Christensen

DJC said...

Happy Birthday President Nixon

DJC said...

The YouTube 'user' provided transcript of President Nixon discussing All in the family's episode on homosexuality, should be reviewed and officially transcribed. As it stands now, there is a "bump" sound as the censor cuts in to bleep out 14 seconds of dialog, this BUMP sound causes listeners to mistakenly hear Nixon say "I don't mind the homosexuality, I understand it."   Nixon didn't say "it". The archive staff should provide a more accurate transcript, one that makes clear exactly what President Nixon says,  while still bleeping  out any names mentioned. Now that Fulsom has fueled speculation in this matter, they should make clear that they are protecting others and not Nixon.

Bobby Baker and his comment about Nixon and Rebozo being "close like lovers"  I'd read that Bobby explained that his words were merely an expression, and that his words were not meant to allude to any physical relationship between the two.

Since when is it "gay" for a man to drape an his arm around a friend's shoulder? I'd always seen that type of behavior depicted on television as being typical male-bonding contact, particularly if one or the other has consumed a few drinks.

I also have doubts about this Bonnie Angelo, who claims to have dropped a fork at a Washington dinner party, in bending to retrieve it she purports to have seen Nixon and Rebozo holding hands under the table. I have to wonder, what exactly was her vantage point? And is it not customary for gala dinner parties to have long table cloths that would Likely all but  obscure her view of such a sight? Also, if the two men had been holding hands, it would likely be evident to others as well, whether the observer is under the table or above.

Also, there are several instances where Nixon has "held hands" with both men and women after shaking their hands or introducing them. The gesture clearly meant nothing and is more a product of bad timing on Nixon's part, or that his mind was elsewhere.

Roger Ailes issued a memo (Is this the so called "documentation" of abuse promised in the book preview?) to Nixon to be more aware of and solicitous toward his wife, citing that women are highly aware of how a woman is treated by her husband. Perhaps so, but Nixon is very much like a great number of men whose minds simply cannot process other matters when he is consumed with performing the tasks at hand.   Fulsom alludes to Hershs claim of serious empiricle evidence to support the rumors of spousal abuse,  yet he FAILS to produce anything of the kind. Why?

Fulsom relates the story of Pat Nixon confiding that she and her husband hadn't "been close since the early 60's." However this quote comes from the book, "The Final  Days" by Bob Woodward. Although the quote is complete hearsay in and of itself, Don Fulsom tailors EVEN this quote to suggest that Nixon abandoned his wife, this despite the fact that the quote, from "The Final Days" states that it was Pat who rejected HIS advances, and not the other way around. Even though I do not credit the hearsay from "The Final  Days" we can see, once again, Don 's capacity to tamper with his sources and his proficiency at tailoring quotes to build his case. How very dishonest of him.

Because Don Fulsom has "shown his hand" so very clearly in vivisecting facts and doctoring quotes from other authors to support his premise, how can anyone trust his motives and ethics?