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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Base Bombing; Deep Throat Steps Into the Light
Aired June 01, 2005 - 5:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is Wednesday, June 1. One of history's greatest mysteries is revealed. DAYBREAK starts right now.
For decades, he was a shadowy figure who lurked in the dark. Now Deep Throat steps into the light.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED TURNER, CNN: It was an adventure more than anything else, like Christopher Columbus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: It sure was. A news pioneer celebrates a milestone. Ted Turner proves he hasn't mellowed with age.
And you will not believe what these guys are going head over heels for. Here's a hint: it's pretty cheesy.
ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, you're watching DAYBREAK.
COSTELLO: And good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
We'll have more on the Deep Throat story in just a minute.
Also ahead, like father, like son, and big brother? Will Jeb Bush run for president? We'll hear from his dad.
And will Jennifer Wilbanks pay for running away from the altar?
But first, ""Now in the News," the U.S. military thinks it was a suicide car bombing. An explosion went off this morning near the Baghdad base that houses U.S. military headquarters and the international airport. No word on casualties yet.
A deadly explosion in southern Afghanistan this morning. It went off inside a mosque in Kandahar, killing at least 14 people and wounding 40. The victims were attending a funeral for an assassinated cleric.
Texas police have issued an Amber Alert for a 2-year-old boy. They believe Dylan Rios was taken on Sunday by his 19-year-old mother. Stephanie Rios had earlier given up custody after authorities accused her of abusing the boy.
A warning for people on the East Coast. Brace yourself. Today is the first day of hurricane season, and Chad says there could be more hurricane activity this year than last.
Speaking of Chad, good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Topping the news this hour, another day, another blast in Baghdad. But this time, people entering a U.S. military base were the target.
CNN's Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf, has been with the U.S. military this morning. She joins us live now from Baghdad.
Hello, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Carol.
You know, Carol, this is the thing about Baghdad. This morning we heard the blast on the base, thought it was a mortar because the base has been mortared, and found out it was a suicide car bomb basically at the first checkpoint, the main checkpoint that goes into the complex that holds the international airport, the civilian international airport, and the main military headquarters.
However, we're told by the commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division that no one besides the suicide bomber was killed in the explosion. There were several injuries.
And driving on from there, to the center of the city, to a ceremony here, where the Iraqi army is taking over control over a part of the city, the streets really looked very calm. The shops were opened, there were few increased checkpoints, but nothing spectacular, nothing to indicate that the violence that started off this morning is continuing throughout the day -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So would you say Operation Lightning is working so far?
ARRAF: It's really hard to tell. We were out all night long on an overnight series of operations with the Iraqi army. Before that, we were out with Iraqi and American special forces. And when you go out through the streets, what they say is they're making progress in rounding up suspects of what they believe are still fairly active cells in some places.
In the neighborhood we were in, for instance, they believe that there are maybe 50 to 100 people in a cell that is still placing car bombs, still placing roadside bombs. And as they make more arrests, they say that is having an impact.
Now, whether the violence will completely stop is a long way down the road. But they hope that in the next few days, as they continue with this operation, they will take a lot of those car bombers and IED roadside bomb makers off the streets -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf, reporting live for us from Baghdad. Hopefully you'll join us again, but we never know. Of course Jane is embedded with the troops there.
Now to the end of a long, silent secret. The identity of Deep Throat is revealed. Mark Felt, the former number two man at the FBI, admits, and "The Washington Post" confirms, that he was the source for the stories that brought down Richard Nixon's presidency.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez begins our coverage from Felt's home in Santa Rosa, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mark Felt has lived in this quiet Santa Rosa neighborhood for 15 years. Now residents say they find it amusing that the man next door, this private and quite man, was, in fact, Deep Throat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, look at that.
GUTIERREZ: After three decades of silence, 91-year-old Mark Felt appeared at his doorway. He smiled and waved for the cameras, saying, "It's nice to see you all." He stood there with his daughter and grandsons for about 50 seconds, then he walked back inside without taking any questions.
Felt's daughter Joan says her father is relieved to finally tell the country the truth about his identity. She says the family broke out in applause when reporter Bob Woodward confirmed that Mark Felt was, in fact, Deep Throat.
JOAN FELT, W. MARK FELT'S DAUGHTER: He's a great man. He's so kind. He's so attentive to other people and loving. And we're all so proud of him, not only for his role in history, but for that, for the character that he is, the person that he is. We love him very much.
GUTIERREZ: Mark Felt was the number two man in the FBI in the early '70s. In 2002, he confided to a friend he was the source who helped topple President Nixon, but he didn't want to come forward, fearing he might dishonor his family.
His children finally convinced him to come forth to set the historical record straight. And they talked him into moving from Washington, D.C., to Santa Rosa, California, to a small house on Redford Place (ph), where neighbors say their surprised and somewhat amused at Mr. Felt's secret identity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When the news broke this morning, it just kind of -- everything came to fruition. And I said, "Bingo, that's him."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My son always played basketball with Nick down here when they were younger. So to find out that the place that he was going to play basketball was Deep Throat's house was kind of amazing.
GUTIERREZ: Joan Felt said she couldn't elaborate on any of the specifics, saying that the family had an agreement with "Vanity Fair."
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Santa Rosa, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Reporting on the Watergate scandal made household names out of "Washington Post" reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Woodward had vowed to keep Deep Throat's identity secret until his death, but it was "Vanity Fair" magazine and this article that named 91-year-old W. Mark Felt.
As for "The Washington Post," this is what it has to say in today's editions -- and I quote -- "Felt's repeated denials, and the stalwart silence of the reporters he aided, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, kept the cloak of mystery drawn around Deep Throat. In place of a name and a face, the source acquired a magic and a mystique. He was the romantic truth teller half hidden in the shadows of a Washington-area parking garage."
"Had Mr. Felt remained quiet, Mr. Nixon might have succeeded in one of the most serious abuses of power ever attempted by an American president. In a small irony, Deep Throat's unveiling comes as the media and Washington officialdom engage in one of their periodic debates about the use of anonymous sources."
Mark Felt's identity was not necessarily a shock to many Watergate watchers, though. Through the years he'd been named in several books as a likely candidate to be Deep Throat. That's a fact he denied in his own book in 1979, but why has he come forward now?
CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider has some answers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Why did Mark Felt keep silent for the last 30 years? Bob Woodward told Larry King last year...
BOB WOODWARD, WASHINGTON POST: I think once people see who it is and exactly what happened, will understand why the super secrecy and the confidentiality.
SCHNEIDER: The "Vanity Fair" article quotes Felt's son as saying, "His attitude was, 'I don't think being Deep Throat was anything to be proud of. You should not leak information to anyone.'"
Remember, Deep Throat revealed secrets about a criminal investigation he headed and he could have been prosecuted. He told his daughter he was worried about "what the judge would think."
Another mystery -- why did Felt decide to reveal himself now? O'Connor says Felt revealed the truth casually, almost inadvertently, to close friends and family members. He confided his identity to a social companion who shared it with Felt's daughter Joan.
He says Joan confronted her father saying, "I know now that you're Deep Throat." His response: "Since that's the case, well, yes, I am."
The "Vanity Fair" article says family members wanted Felt, now 91 and ailing, to come forward and establish his legacy. His son says...
MARK FELT JR.: We believe our father, William Mark Felt Sr., was an American hero. He went well above and beyond the call of duty, at risk to himself, to save his country from a horrible injustice.
SCHNEIDER: His daughter recalls telling Felt, "We could make at least enough money to pay some bills, like the debt I've run up for the kids' education. Let's do it for the family." Felt's response? "That's a good reason."
Though "Vanity Fair's" author says the Felts were not paid for their cooperation.
Perhaps most important, according to his grandson, Felt feels that after 30 years, all is now finally forgiven.
NICK JONES, GRANDSON OF W. MARK FELT: As he recently told my mother, "I guess people used to think Deep Throat was a criminal, but now they think he's a hero."
SCHNEIDER: It sounds amazing to say this, given today's political environment, but there are no indications Felt ever had any partisan motives. He acted, he says, to protect the FBI and his own role in it from political interference.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Chad, that brings us to our e-mail "Question of the Morning."
MYERS: It certainly does, Carol. And it's curious that 26 years ago he did deny being Deep Throat. And now, is he an American hero or is he a turncoat? We need to know what you think, because obviously his family thinks of him now as the hero.
COSTELLO: That's right. But others, including key Watergate figures, think that he might be a criminal. In fact, John Dean, the former Nixon counsel, said that maybe he should be charged with obstruction of justice, because as an FBI agent, why didn't he come out during an active investigation and say something? Why did he go into a dark parking garage and tell a reporter these things?
MYERS: And I wonder if there's a statute of limitations on that.
COSTELLO: I'm sure there is. It's all over now. But...
MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: ... he says that's why it took him so very long to admit that he was Deep Throat, because he was afraid of charges being leveled against him.
MYERS: Of course.
COSTELLO: On the other hand, the Nixon administration was thwarting the FBI at every avenue, feeding...
MYERS: Using the CIA against them and...
COSTELLO: Exactly. Exactly. So he was in a bind. We don't know that, because it hasn't come out yet. But I'm sure it will.
So that's why we're asking this question: is he an American hero or a turncoat?
MYERS: DAYBREAK@CNN.com, give us your answers and your opinions there, please.
COSTELLO: President Bush will soon become a high-profile visitor from across -- will soon have a high-profile visitor from across the pond, I should say. The British prime minister, Tony Blair, will be at the White House on June 7. Blair was recently elected to a third term despite protests over Britain's involvement in Iraq.
There won't be any third term for President Bush, but would his little brother like to take over? Who better to ask than dear old dad? And that's just what our Larry King did. He talked with former President Bush and his wife Barbara as part of CNN's 25th anniversary celebration.
The question, would Florida Governor Jeb Bush make a good president?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Would you want Jeb to run? He says no.
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some day I would, yes.
KING: But not now?
BUSH: He'd be an awful good -- he'd be -- oh, this guy's smart, big and strong. Makes a decision, and, you know, not without controversy. But he's led that state.
KING: Is the timing wrong now, though?
BUSH: Yes, the timing's wrong. And the main thing is he doesn't want to do it. Nobody believes that, but...
KING: You believe it.
BARBARA BUSH, FMR. FIRST LADY: I believe it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN will continue to feature the top names in the news from the past 25 years. Tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE," former President Bill Clinton. That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, two American terror suspects get their day in court. We'll tell you how things are going for them.
And the runaway bride pays up for making up a story about being a victim of crime. We'll tell you what it's going to cost her.
And what was it like to live through the Watergate scandal? We'll remind you or let you know.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Wednesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The international markets looking brighter this morning. Tokyo's Nikkei up by 53 points. The London FTSE higher by almost two. The German DAX up just over seven points.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:17 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
An explosion at a key site in Baghdad. The blast went off near the base that houses U.S. military headquarters in the airport. The military thinks it's a suicide car bombing. No word yet on casualties.
Texas police searching for a 2-year-old boy. They believe Dylan Rios was taken on Sunday by his 19-year-old mother. Stephanie Rios had been accused of abusing the boy.
In money news, college students, get ready to pay more for your student loans. The federal loan rate for those loans is set to rise nearly two full percentage points on July 1.
In culture, "Will & Grace" star Megan Mullally trades in primetime for daytime. Mullally, who plays Karen Walker on the popular sitcom, has signed a deal with NBC to do a daytime talk show beginning next year.
In sports, the Detroit Pistons beat the Heat to square up the Eastern Conference finals at two games a piece. Detroit's 10-point win is the largest margin of victory in the series so far. Game five tomorrow night in Miami -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol. (WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines.
An update now on a story we've been following. Jennifer Wilbanks' bus trip is turning out to be pretty darn expensive. The Georgia bride-to-be fled her hometown of Duluth on a bus after getting cold feet.
You know the story, she ended up in New Mexico, where police say she made up this story about being abducted. Well, her lawyer has delivered a check to the city of Duluth for more than $13,000. That's to cover part of what the city shelled out in its search for Wilbanks.
She's now getting counseling, by the way, at a treatment center. Despite the payment, she is still facing criminal charges of making false statements.
Time now for some health headlines. More doctors are practicing defensive medicine. You know, ordering more tests and avoiding risky procedures due to fears of being sued. That's according to a new survey of over 800 Pennsylvania doctors. Ninety-three percent of the doctors surveyed say they sometimes or often order unnecessary tests or avoid a risk because of possible legal consequences.
Heart bypass patients fare about the same regardless which method of surgery is used. That's according to a very large study. Bypass surgery can be performed either while the heart is beating, a newer method, or while heart is stopped using a heart-lung machine. About 75 percent of bypass surgeries are done using this type of machine.
Connecticut lawmakers have approved a 10-year, $100 million plan to fund stem cell research. The move is part of a race among a number of states to become competitive in the emerging stem cell research field. Massachusetts, California and New Jersey also have proposed funding on stem cell research programs.
Still to come this morning, these little piggies skipped the market and did not stay home. We'll tell you what had them hoofin'. Oh, they're going really -- oh, there they go. Anyway, we'll have this in our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers."
You're watching DAYBREAK for Wednesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Our DAYBREAK e-mail "Question of the Day," of course it has to do with Deep Throat. His identity finally revealed. We want to know from you, though, is he an American hero or a turncoat? Because remember, he was the number two guy at the FBI, and he's leaking information to a reporter. Shouldn't he have been doing that, you know, publicly, as an agent of the FBI? We want to hear from you this morning. DAYBREAK@CNN.com. That's DAYBREAK...
MYERS: Carol...
COSTELLO: Go ahead, Chad.
MYERS: Do we have an age limit on this today?
COSTELLO: An age limit?
MYERS: I mean, if you're -- if you're 17, you don't remember this, right? If you're 40, OK, it was kind of in there somewhere. Maybe if you're a poly sci major or something, maybe you can give us an opinion, but...
COSTELLO: OK. Just let me say...
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: ... to even remember this.
COSTELLO: Just let me say this.
MYERS: Go ahead.
COSTELLO: If you don't know about Watergate -- and I don't care what your age is, unless you're 9 -- you don't know your American history. This brought down an American president.
MYERS: Well, it's...
COSTELLO: This is important. This was abuse of office.
MYERS: People think Watergate's a hotel.
COSTELLO: I don't care. They should learn, then. They should check their history books and learn and not be lazy, because, frankly, that's what they are. If you don't know about Watergate, you have a problem.
OK, I'm off my soapbox now. Ooh, I got mad, didn't I?
I was a little girl watching those hearings on television. Don't you remember them on TV?
MYERS: You weren't that little.
COSTELLO: Yes I was. I was in grade school. And I was watching. It was a fascinating time in American history.
MYERS: It was 1970 what?
COSTELLO: And an important time.
MYERS: 1970 what, Carol? COSTELLO: 1975.
MYERS: You weren't that little.
COSTELLO: I actually -- I thought I was. Let's check in now and have some "Late Night Laughs," because I am off my soapbox.
MYERS: All right.
COSTELLO: Incase you missed it, funnyman Jon Stewart missed a few things, too. He's catching up on some of the stories that were hot while he was on vacation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": There was the filibuster compromise, a tremendous compromise. The Republicans are going to only put forth three nominees.
The compromise was this: they're going to put forth three nominees now, and the Democrats then will allow those nominees to go through. And then later the Republicans will put through the rest.
So it's a real compromise.
(LAUGHTER)
I thought, excellent gamesmanship by the Democrats.
Tom Cruise went on TV and declared his love for declaring his love. And I think in many respects (EXPLETIVE DELETED) America. I think people thought, hey, that actor guy is -- he's nuts.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK, it was 1973, not 1975. I was so hot I forgot the date, going back to the Watergate thing. But I'm glad that Jon Stewart made us laugh.
I'm sorry, Chad.
MYERS: It's OK.
COSTELLO: Sorry for yelling at you.
MYERS: I was just asking. Of course, if you're from the South, I was just axing (ph).
COSTELLO: I understand.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" now. Hundreds of bees went shopping for soda outside of a grocery store in Shreveport, Louisiana. They really had their eyes on an open can of Dr. Pepper. Beekeepers say it isn't unusual to see so many bees together since apparently it's swarming season. The bees were taken away to work at a honey farm.
Behold the power of cheese. This is the annual cheese rolling competition near London. The object is for contestants to chase an 8- pound cheese wheel down a 640-foot hill. The winners get a small cash prize, and, of course, the cheese.
Three of the contestants, Chad, were taken to the hospital.
MYERS: I know. They do this every year. At least that guy made it all the way down until he fell on his face.
COSTELLO: Those that were taken to the hospital had some broken...
MYERS: Ow!
COSTELLO: ... bones, but they're going to be OK. And you can see why.
If cheese isn't your speed, how about a ham race? Well, not really ham yet. These are the pig races in Latvia.
Hundreds gather to watch these little piggies run their slow- paced race. These are not fast pigs, Chad.
MYERS: And down the stretch they come.
COSTELLO: There are better pig races at state fairs here in the United States.
MYERS: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Cheese!
MYERS: Cheese?
COSTELLO: Cheese.
MYERS: Now there's only two. What is this, an elimination round?
COSTELLO: I don't know. Let's move on, shall we?
MYERS: All right, fine.
COSTELLO: A British couple is celebrating a remarkable milestone. Percy and Florence Arrowsmith have been married for 80 years. That's because she pets his head like that, Chad.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: I'm not even going to go there.
COSTELLO: OK. That's fine.
Anyway, 80 years is a world record. They've also broken the record for the oldest married couple, with a combined age of 205 years and 267 days. Percy says the secret to being married that long can be summed up in two words. And that would be...
MYERS: Geritol. No, that's one word.
COSTELLO: No, "Yes, dear."
OK. Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.
Attorneys for two Americans accused of conspiring with al Qaeda say prosecutors don't have a case. The story ahead in our "Security Watch."
Plus, a deadly explosion inside a mosque interrupts a funeral for a top cleric in Afghanistan. The U.S. calls it an atrocious act of violence.
Those stories and much more as DAYBREAK continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired June 1, 2005 - 5:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is Wednesday, June 1. One of history's greatest mysteries is revealed. DAYBREAK starts right now.
For decades, he was a shadowy figure who lurked in the dark. Now Deep Throat steps into the light.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED TURNER, CNN: It was an adventure more than anything else, like Christopher Columbus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: It sure was. A news pioneer celebrates a milestone. Ted Turner proves he hasn't mellowed with age.
And you will not believe what these guys are going head over heels for. Here's a hint: it's pretty cheesy.
ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, you're watching DAYBREAK.
COSTELLO: And good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
We'll have more on the Deep Throat story in just a minute.
Also ahead, like father, like son, and big brother? Will Jeb Bush run for president? We'll hear from his dad.
And will Jennifer Wilbanks pay for running away from the altar?
But first, ""Now in the News," the U.S. military thinks it was a suicide car bombing. An explosion went off this morning near the Baghdad base that houses U.S. military headquarters and the international airport. No word on casualties yet.
A deadly explosion in southern Afghanistan this morning. It went off inside a mosque in Kandahar, killing at least 14 people and wounding 40. The victims were attending a funeral for an assassinated cleric.
Texas police have issued an Amber Alert for a 2-year-old boy. They believe Dylan Rios was taken on Sunday by his 19-year-old mother. Stephanie Rios had earlier given up custody after authorities accused her of abusing the boy.
A warning for people on the East Coast. Brace yourself. Today is the first day of hurricane season, and Chad says there could be more hurricane activity this year than last.
Speaking of Chad, good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Topping the news this hour, another day, another blast in Baghdad. But this time, people entering a U.S. military base were the target.
CNN's Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf, has been with the U.S. military this morning. She joins us live now from Baghdad.
Hello, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Carol.
You know, Carol, this is the thing about Baghdad. This morning we heard the blast on the base, thought it was a mortar because the base has been mortared, and found out it was a suicide car bomb basically at the first checkpoint, the main checkpoint that goes into the complex that holds the international airport, the civilian international airport, and the main military headquarters.
However, we're told by the commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division that no one besides the suicide bomber was killed in the explosion. There were several injuries.
And driving on from there, to the center of the city, to a ceremony here, where the Iraqi army is taking over control over a part of the city, the streets really looked very calm. The shops were opened, there were few increased checkpoints, but nothing spectacular, nothing to indicate that the violence that started off this morning is continuing throughout the day -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So would you say Operation Lightning is working so far?
ARRAF: It's really hard to tell. We were out all night long on an overnight series of operations with the Iraqi army. Before that, we were out with Iraqi and American special forces. And when you go out through the streets, what they say is they're making progress in rounding up suspects of what they believe are still fairly active cells in some places.
In the neighborhood we were in, for instance, they believe that there are maybe 50 to 100 people in a cell that is still placing car bombs, still placing roadside bombs. And as they make more arrests, they say that is having an impact.
Now, whether the violence will completely stop is a long way down the road. But they hope that in the next few days, as they continue with this operation, they will take a lot of those car bombers and IED roadside bomb makers off the streets -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf, reporting live for us from Baghdad. Hopefully you'll join us again, but we never know. Of course Jane is embedded with the troops there.
Now to the end of a long, silent secret. The identity of Deep Throat is revealed. Mark Felt, the former number two man at the FBI, admits, and "The Washington Post" confirms, that he was the source for the stories that brought down Richard Nixon's presidency.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez begins our coverage from Felt's home in Santa Rosa, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mark Felt has lived in this quiet Santa Rosa neighborhood for 15 years. Now residents say they find it amusing that the man next door, this private and quite man, was, in fact, Deep Throat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, look at that.
GUTIERREZ: After three decades of silence, 91-year-old Mark Felt appeared at his doorway. He smiled and waved for the cameras, saying, "It's nice to see you all." He stood there with his daughter and grandsons for about 50 seconds, then he walked back inside without taking any questions.
Felt's daughter Joan says her father is relieved to finally tell the country the truth about his identity. She says the family broke out in applause when reporter Bob Woodward confirmed that Mark Felt was, in fact, Deep Throat.
JOAN FELT, W. MARK FELT'S DAUGHTER: He's a great man. He's so kind. He's so attentive to other people and loving. And we're all so proud of him, not only for his role in history, but for that, for the character that he is, the person that he is. We love him very much.
GUTIERREZ: Mark Felt was the number two man in the FBI in the early '70s. In 2002, he confided to a friend he was the source who helped topple President Nixon, but he didn't want to come forward, fearing he might dishonor his family.
His children finally convinced him to come forth to set the historical record straight. And they talked him into moving from Washington, D.C., to Santa Rosa, California, to a small house on Redford Place (ph), where neighbors say their surprised and somewhat amused at Mr. Felt's secret identity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When the news broke this morning, it just kind of -- everything came to fruition. And I said, "Bingo, that's him."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My son always played basketball with Nick down here when they were younger. So to find out that the place that he was going to play basketball was Deep Throat's house was kind of amazing.
GUTIERREZ: Joan Felt said she couldn't elaborate on any of the specifics, saying that the family had an agreement with "Vanity Fair."
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Santa Rosa, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Reporting on the Watergate scandal made household names out of "Washington Post" reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Woodward had vowed to keep Deep Throat's identity secret until his death, but it was "Vanity Fair" magazine and this article that named 91-year-old W. Mark Felt.
As for "The Washington Post," this is what it has to say in today's editions -- and I quote -- "Felt's repeated denials, and the stalwart silence of the reporters he aided, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, kept the cloak of mystery drawn around Deep Throat. In place of a name and a face, the source acquired a magic and a mystique. He was the romantic truth teller half hidden in the shadows of a Washington-area parking garage."
"Had Mr. Felt remained quiet, Mr. Nixon might have succeeded in one of the most serious abuses of power ever attempted by an American president. In a small irony, Deep Throat's unveiling comes as the media and Washington officialdom engage in one of their periodic debates about the use of anonymous sources."
Mark Felt's identity was not necessarily a shock to many Watergate watchers, though. Through the years he'd been named in several books as a likely candidate to be Deep Throat. That's a fact he denied in his own book in 1979, but why has he come forward now?
CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider has some answers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Why did Mark Felt keep silent for the last 30 years? Bob Woodward told Larry King last year...
BOB WOODWARD, WASHINGTON POST: I think once people see who it is and exactly what happened, will understand why the super secrecy and the confidentiality.
SCHNEIDER: The "Vanity Fair" article quotes Felt's son as saying, "His attitude was, 'I don't think being Deep Throat was anything to be proud of. You should not leak information to anyone.'"
Remember, Deep Throat revealed secrets about a criminal investigation he headed and he could have been prosecuted. He told his daughter he was worried about "what the judge would think."
Another mystery -- why did Felt decide to reveal himself now? O'Connor says Felt revealed the truth casually, almost inadvertently, to close friends and family members. He confided his identity to a social companion who shared it with Felt's daughter Joan.
He says Joan confronted her father saying, "I know now that you're Deep Throat." His response: "Since that's the case, well, yes, I am."
The "Vanity Fair" article says family members wanted Felt, now 91 and ailing, to come forward and establish his legacy. His son says...
MARK FELT JR.: We believe our father, William Mark Felt Sr., was an American hero. He went well above and beyond the call of duty, at risk to himself, to save his country from a horrible injustice.
SCHNEIDER: His daughter recalls telling Felt, "We could make at least enough money to pay some bills, like the debt I've run up for the kids' education. Let's do it for the family." Felt's response? "That's a good reason."
Though "Vanity Fair's" author says the Felts were not paid for their cooperation.
Perhaps most important, according to his grandson, Felt feels that after 30 years, all is now finally forgiven.
NICK JONES, GRANDSON OF W. MARK FELT: As he recently told my mother, "I guess people used to think Deep Throat was a criminal, but now they think he's a hero."
SCHNEIDER: It sounds amazing to say this, given today's political environment, but there are no indications Felt ever had any partisan motives. He acted, he says, to protect the FBI and his own role in it from political interference.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Chad, that brings us to our e-mail "Question of the Morning."
MYERS: It certainly does, Carol. And it's curious that 26 years ago he did deny being Deep Throat. And now, is he an American hero or is he a turncoat? We need to know what you think, because obviously his family thinks of him now as the hero.
COSTELLO: That's right. But others, including key Watergate figures, think that he might be a criminal. In fact, John Dean, the former Nixon counsel, said that maybe he should be charged with obstruction of justice, because as an FBI agent, why didn't he come out during an active investigation and say something? Why did he go into a dark parking garage and tell a reporter these things?
MYERS: And I wonder if there's a statute of limitations on that.
COSTELLO: I'm sure there is. It's all over now. But...
MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: ... he says that's why it took him so very long to admit that he was Deep Throat, because he was afraid of charges being leveled against him.
MYERS: Of course.
COSTELLO: On the other hand, the Nixon administration was thwarting the FBI at every avenue, feeding...
MYERS: Using the CIA against them and...
COSTELLO: Exactly. Exactly. So he was in a bind. We don't know that, because it hasn't come out yet. But I'm sure it will.
So that's why we're asking this question: is he an American hero or a turncoat?
MYERS: DAYBREAK@CNN.com, give us your answers and your opinions there, please.
COSTELLO: President Bush will soon become a high-profile visitor from across -- will soon have a high-profile visitor from across the pond, I should say. The British prime minister, Tony Blair, will be at the White House on June 7. Blair was recently elected to a third term despite protests over Britain's involvement in Iraq.
There won't be any third term for President Bush, but would his little brother like to take over? Who better to ask than dear old dad? And that's just what our Larry King did. He talked with former President Bush and his wife Barbara as part of CNN's 25th anniversary celebration.
The question, would Florida Governor Jeb Bush make a good president?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Would you want Jeb to run? He says no.
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some day I would, yes.
KING: But not now?
BUSH: He'd be an awful good -- he'd be -- oh, this guy's smart, big and strong. Makes a decision, and, you know, not without controversy. But he's led that state.
KING: Is the timing wrong now, though?
BUSH: Yes, the timing's wrong. And the main thing is he doesn't want to do it. Nobody believes that, but...
KING: You believe it.
BARBARA BUSH, FMR. FIRST LADY: I believe it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN will continue to feature the top names in the news from the past 25 years. Tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE," former President Bill Clinton. That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, two American terror suspects get their day in court. We'll tell you how things are going for them.
And the runaway bride pays up for making up a story about being a victim of crime. We'll tell you what it's going to cost her.
And what was it like to live through the Watergate scandal? We'll remind you or let you know.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Wednesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The international markets looking brighter this morning. Tokyo's Nikkei up by 53 points. The London FTSE higher by almost two. The German DAX up just over seven points.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:17 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
An explosion at a key site in Baghdad. The blast went off near the base that houses U.S. military headquarters in the airport. The military thinks it's a suicide car bombing. No word yet on casualties.
Texas police searching for a 2-year-old boy. They believe Dylan Rios was taken on Sunday by his 19-year-old mother. Stephanie Rios had been accused of abusing the boy.
In money news, college students, get ready to pay more for your student loans. The federal loan rate for those loans is set to rise nearly two full percentage points on July 1.
In culture, "Will & Grace" star Megan Mullally trades in primetime for daytime. Mullally, who plays Karen Walker on the popular sitcom, has signed a deal with NBC to do a daytime talk show beginning next year.
In sports, the Detroit Pistons beat the Heat to square up the Eastern Conference finals at two games a piece. Detroit's 10-point win is the largest margin of victory in the series so far. Game five tomorrow night in Miami -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol. (WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines.
An update now on a story we've been following. Jennifer Wilbanks' bus trip is turning out to be pretty darn expensive. The Georgia bride-to-be fled her hometown of Duluth on a bus after getting cold feet.
You know the story, she ended up in New Mexico, where police say she made up this story about being abducted. Well, her lawyer has delivered a check to the city of Duluth for more than $13,000. That's to cover part of what the city shelled out in its search for Wilbanks.
She's now getting counseling, by the way, at a treatment center. Despite the payment, she is still facing criminal charges of making false statements.
Time now for some health headlines. More doctors are practicing defensive medicine. You know, ordering more tests and avoiding risky procedures due to fears of being sued. That's according to a new survey of over 800 Pennsylvania doctors. Ninety-three percent of the doctors surveyed say they sometimes or often order unnecessary tests or avoid a risk because of possible legal consequences.
Heart bypass patients fare about the same regardless which method of surgery is used. That's according to a very large study. Bypass surgery can be performed either while the heart is beating, a newer method, or while heart is stopped using a heart-lung machine. About 75 percent of bypass surgeries are done using this type of machine.
Connecticut lawmakers have approved a 10-year, $100 million plan to fund stem cell research. The move is part of a race among a number of states to become competitive in the emerging stem cell research field. Massachusetts, California and New Jersey also have proposed funding on stem cell research programs.
Still to come this morning, these little piggies skipped the market and did not stay home. We'll tell you what had them hoofin'. Oh, they're going really -- oh, there they go. Anyway, we'll have this in our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers."
You're watching DAYBREAK for Wednesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Our DAYBREAK e-mail "Question of the Day," of course it has to do with Deep Throat. His identity finally revealed. We want to know from you, though, is he an American hero or a turncoat? Because remember, he was the number two guy at the FBI, and he's leaking information to a reporter. Shouldn't he have been doing that, you know, publicly, as an agent of the FBI? We want to hear from you this morning. DAYBREAK@CNN.com. That's DAYBREAK...
MYERS: Carol...
COSTELLO: Go ahead, Chad.
MYERS: Do we have an age limit on this today?
COSTELLO: An age limit?
MYERS: I mean, if you're -- if you're 17, you don't remember this, right? If you're 40, OK, it was kind of in there somewhere. Maybe if you're a poly sci major or something, maybe you can give us an opinion, but...
COSTELLO: OK. Just let me say...
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: ... to even remember this.
COSTELLO: Just let me say this.
MYERS: Go ahead.
COSTELLO: If you don't know about Watergate -- and I don't care what your age is, unless you're 9 -- you don't know your American history. This brought down an American president.
MYERS: Well, it's...
COSTELLO: This is important. This was abuse of office.
MYERS: People think Watergate's a hotel.
COSTELLO: I don't care. They should learn, then. They should check their history books and learn and not be lazy, because, frankly, that's what they are. If you don't know about Watergate, you have a problem.
OK, I'm off my soapbox now. Ooh, I got mad, didn't I?
I was a little girl watching those hearings on television. Don't you remember them on TV?
MYERS: You weren't that little.
COSTELLO: Yes I was. I was in grade school. And I was watching. It was a fascinating time in American history.
MYERS: It was 1970 what?
COSTELLO: And an important time.
MYERS: 1970 what, Carol? COSTELLO: 1975.
MYERS: You weren't that little.
COSTELLO: I actually -- I thought I was. Let's check in now and have some "Late Night Laughs," because I am off my soapbox.
MYERS: All right.
COSTELLO: Incase you missed it, funnyman Jon Stewart missed a few things, too. He's catching up on some of the stories that were hot while he was on vacation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": There was the filibuster compromise, a tremendous compromise. The Republicans are going to only put forth three nominees.
The compromise was this: they're going to put forth three nominees now, and the Democrats then will allow those nominees to go through. And then later the Republicans will put through the rest.
So it's a real compromise.
(LAUGHTER)
I thought, excellent gamesmanship by the Democrats.
Tom Cruise went on TV and declared his love for declaring his love. And I think in many respects (EXPLETIVE DELETED) America. I think people thought, hey, that actor guy is -- he's nuts.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK, it was 1973, not 1975. I was so hot I forgot the date, going back to the Watergate thing. But I'm glad that Jon Stewart made us laugh.
I'm sorry, Chad.
MYERS: It's OK.
COSTELLO: Sorry for yelling at you.
MYERS: I was just asking. Of course, if you're from the South, I was just axing (ph).
COSTELLO: I understand.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" now. Hundreds of bees went shopping for soda outside of a grocery store in Shreveport, Louisiana. They really had their eyes on an open can of Dr. Pepper. Beekeepers say it isn't unusual to see so many bees together since apparently it's swarming season. The bees were taken away to work at a honey farm.
Behold the power of cheese. This is the annual cheese rolling competition near London. The object is for contestants to chase an 8- pound cheese wheel down a 640-foot hill. The winners get a small cash prize, and, of course, the cheese.
Three of the contestants, Chad, were taken to the hospital.
MYERS: I know. They do this every year. At least that guy made it all the way down until he fell on his face.
COSTELLO: Those that were taken to the hospital had some broken...
MYERS: Ow!
COSTELLO: ... bones, but they're going to be OK. And you can see why.
If cheese isn't your speed, how about a ham race? Well, not really ham yet. These are the pig races in Latvia.
Hundreds gather to watch these little piggies run their slow- paced race. These are not fast pigs, Chad.
MYERS: And down the stretch they come.
COSTELLO: There are better pig races at state fairs here in the United States.
MYERS: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Cheese!
MYERS: Cheese?
COSTELLO: Cheese.
MYERS: Now there's only two. What is this, an elimination round?
COSTELLO: I don't know. Let's move on, shall we?
MYERS: All right, fine.
COSTELLO: A British couple is celebrating a remarkable milestone. Percy and Florence Arrowsmith have been married for 80 years. That's because she pets his head like that, Chad.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: I'm not even going to go there.
COSTELLO: OK. That's fine.
Anyway, 80 years is a world record. They've also broken the record for the oldest married couple, with a combined age of 205 years and 267 days. Percy says the secret to being married that long can be summed up in two words. And that would be...
MYERS: Geritol. No, that's one word.
COSTELLO: No, "Yes, dear."
OK. Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.
Attorneys for two Americans accused of conspiring with al Qaeda say prosecutors don't have a case. The story ahead in our "Security Watch."
Plus, a deadly explosion inside a mosque interrupts a funeral for a top cleric in Afghanistan. The U.S. calls it an atrocious act of violence.
Those stories and much more as DAYBREAK continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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