ASSOCIATED PRESS: Edwin O. Guthman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who was on the infamous “enemies list” prepared by aides of President Richard Nixon and who served as press secretary to Robert F. Kennedy, has died at 89. Guthman was the Los Angeles Times’ national editor from 1965 to 1977, then served for a decade as editorial page editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 1950 for his stories in The Seattle Times on the Washington Legislature’s Un-American Activities Committee. His reporting cleared a University of Washington professor of allegations that he was a Communist supporter.
Guthman [pictured below, left]was press secretary for Attorney General and later Sen. Robert F. Kennedy from 1961 to ’65.A Kennedy loyalist in his private life, Guthman wrote or edited four books about Kennedy. And he always wore a tie clip that President John Kennedy had given him, according to the USC Annenberg School for Communication.
In 1971, Guthman was the third name on a 20-name list of political opponents singled out for harassment in a memo sent from Nixon aide Charles Colson to aide John Dean.The memo described Guthman, then national editor for the Times, as having been “a highly sophisticated hatchetman against us in ’68.” MORE
WIKIPEDIA: Nixon’s Enemies List is the informal name of what started as a list of President Richard Nixon’s major political opponents compiled by Charles Colson, written by George T. Bell [1] (assistant to Colson, special counsel to the White House) and sent in memorandum form to John Dean on September 9, 1971. The list was part of a campaign officially known as “Opponents List” and “Political Enemies Project.” The official purpose, as described by the White House Counsel’s Office, was to “screw” Nixon’s political enemies, by means of tax audits from the IRS, and by manipulating “grant availability, federal contracts, litigation, prosecution, etc.” MORE
Verbatim text of Colson’s original memo (with his comments)
“Having studied the attached material and evaluated the recommendations for the discussed action, I believe you will find my list worthwhile for status. It is in priority order.”
- Arnold M. Picker, United Artists Corp., New York; Top Muskie fund raiser. Success here could be both debilitating and very embarrassing to the Muskie machine. If effort looks promising, both Ruth and David
Picker should be programmed and then a follow through with United Artists. - Alexander E. Barkan, national director of A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s Committee on Political Education, Washington, D.C.: Without a doubt the most powerful political force programmed against us in 1968 ($10-million, 4.6 million votes, 115 million pamphlets, 176,000 workers—all programmed by Barkan’s C.O.P.E.—so says Teddy White in The Making of the President 1968). We can expect the same effort this time.
- Ed Guthman, managing editor, Los Angeles Times national editor: Guthman, former Kennedy aide, was a highly sophisticated hatchetman against us in ’68. It is obvious he is the prime mover behind the current Key Biscayne effort. It is time to give him the message.
- Maxwell Dane, Doyle, Dane and Bernbach, New York: The top Democratic advertising firm—they destroyed Goldwater in ’64. They should be hit hard starting with Dane.
- Charles Dyson, Dyson-Kissner Corporation, New York: Dyson and Larry O’Brien were close business associates after ’68. Dyson has huge business holdings and is presently deeply involved in the Businessmen’s Educational Fund which bankrolls a national radio network of five-minute programs, anti-Nixon in character.
- Howard Stein, Dreyfus Corporation, New York: Heaviest contributor to McCarthy in ’68. If McCarthy goes, will do the same in ’72. If not, Lindsay or McGovern will receive the funds.
- Allard Lowenstein, Long Island, New York: Guiding force behind the 18-year-old “Dump Nixon” vote drive.
- Morton Halperin, leading executive at Common Cause: A scandal would be most helpful here. (A consultant for Common Cause in February-March 1971) (On staff of Brookings Institution)
- Leonard Woodcock, United Auto Workers, Detroit, Michigan: No comments necessary.
- S. Sterling Munro, Jr., Senator Henry M. Jackson’s aide, Silver Spring, Maryland: We should give him a try. Positive results would stick a pin in Jackson’s white hat.
- Bernard T. Feld, president, Council for a Livable World: Heavy far left funding. They will program an “all court press” against us in ’72.
- Sidney Davidoff, New York City, Lindsay’s top personal aide: a first class S.O.B., wheeler-dealer and suspected bagman. Positive results would really shake the Lindsay camp and Lindsay’s plans to capture youth vote. Davidoff in charge.
- John Conyers, congressman, Detroit: Coming on fast. Emerging as a leading black anti-Nixon spokesman. Has known weakness for white females.
- Samuel M. Lambert, president, National Education Association: Has taken us on vis-a-vis federal aid to parochial schools—a ’72 issue.
- Stewart Rawlings Mott, Mott Associates New York: Nothing but big money for radic-lib candidates.
- Ronald Dellums, congressman, California: Had extensive EMK–Tunney support in his election bid. Success might help in California next year.
- Daniel Schorr, Columbia Broadcasting System, Washington: A real media enemy.
- S. Harrison Dogole, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: President of Globe Security Systems—fourth largest private detective agency in U.S. Heavy Humphrey contributor. Could program his agency against us.
- Paul Newman, California: Radic-lib causes. Heavy McCarthy involvement ’68. Used effectively in nationwide T.V. commercials. ’72 involvement certain.
- Mary McGrory, Washington columnist: Daily hate Nixon articles.
When this list was released, Daniel Schorr read it live on television, not realizing that he was on the list until he came to his own name.[2] [via WIKIPEDIA]
“Always give your best, never get discouraged, never be petty; always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.” — President Richard Nixon‘s Final Remarks At The White House, August 9, 1974