Novak's '72 Secret Source Revealed-his book The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington

[Kadie]

New Crown Forum Book: Novak's Secret Source Revealed
Former Sen. Tom Eagleton Labeled '72 Dem Nominee McGovern as Candidate of 'Amnesty, Abortion and Acid'
By PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, July 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today on NBC's Meet the Press, columnist Robert Novak revealed one of his most secret sources: Sen. Tom Eagleton (D-MO) gave him the quote that labeled 1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern as the candidate of "Amnesty, Abortion and Acid." This is reported for the first time in his new memoir: The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington (Crown Forum).

Following McGovern's stunning victory in the '72 Massachusetts primary, Novak began calling Democratic politicians to get their reaction. The April 27, 1972 Evans & Novak column reported an anonymous source as saying "people don't know McGovern is for amnesty, abortion and legalization of pot. Once middle America -- Catholic middle America, in particular -- find this out, he's dead." This sent Washington into a frenzy to try to figure out which Democrat was bad-mouthing one of his own.

Ironically, several months later Eagleton would be tapped as McGovern's running mate, only to be replaced after it was learned that Eagleton underwent electro-shock therapy for depression.

In his memoir of the 1972 campaign, McGovern's press secretary Richard Dougherty made a comment that implied Novak had fabricated the quote. In an attempt to set the record straight, Novak asked Sen. Eagleton for permission to disclose his name. Eagleton replied that he made the comment off-the- record and he intended it to stay that way. Mr. Novak contacted Sen. Eagleton as he was writing The Prince of Darkness and, thirty years later, still would not allow his identity to be revealed.

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Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak speaks during a taping of "Meet the Press" at NBC Studios in Washington July 15, 2007. Novak spoke on various topics including the presidential elections in 2008, and his new book "The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington." REUTERS/Alex Wong/Meet the Press/Handout (UNITED STATES).

[gatorboy]

1. This is HUGH!!11!!

Where's my Disco Duck?

[Swamp Rat]

2. It should be entitled, "Heart of Darkness: 50 Years Treachery in Washington."

[originalpckelly]

3. Wow, that's shocking coming from the guy who'd be his running mate.

Who knew Eagleton was such a jerk? I mean, he's dead now, but he was a jerk to say that.

[book_worm]

18. how do we know he said it? only Novak's word!

[icymist]

4. Pot is not acid, Mr Novak.

The man is a traitor and a disgust as a reporter and should never be allowed to air his stupidity again.

[sandnsea]

5. Eagleton was right

That had to be the worst landslide in history. McGovern only took one state, and Nixon won with a 23% margin. DU might want to smell the latte mocha whateverthefuck.

[sallyseven]

6. Novak is a known lier.

Eagleton is dead and cannot reply. I don't believe Novak under any circumstances. He is full of shit.

[Va Lefty]

7. I don't believe it either

That phrase "Amnesty, Acid and Abortion" came out of the ABM Camp (Anyone but McGovern) AKA Hubert Humphrey. It was Humphrey's last chance at "the prize" and he took off the gloves and said alot of things that were not true about McGovern. A sad footnote to his career.

[sandnsea]

8. Well the election is fact

And McGovern was too far left for the general population, whether Eagleton said it or not.

[Va Lefty]

9. McGovern was not the "Left-wing firebrand" that he was labeled as

He was calm, thoughtful, articulate and honest. How often have we had those things in our entire history?

[sandnsea]

12. The $1,000 per person plan

Giving people money for nothing. I'm not talking about his personality, I'm talking about some of his policies. They tweaked it a bit and it was reborn as the EIC, but the untweaked versions of well-meaning plans are what causes further left candidates to lose.

[Va Lefty]

13. If your position is that the country was not ready for McGovern

you will get no argument from me. Sorry if I got snarky, but I'm quick to defend McGovern. I think he has gotten a bad rap from the MSM who some thirty years later continue their debasing attacks on George McGovern and his message of justice and fairness. His greatest contribution to the democratic process was the reforms he enacted for the 1972 primaries. It's hard to believe it today, but Humphrey won the 1968 Democratic nomination without ever winning a single primary. The McGovern Commission changed how Democratic delegates were awarded.

[sandnsea]

14. It's a combination

Lying pieces of shit Republicans who have been smearing Democrats since at least FDR. And a left that just can't seem to move its foot over 2 inches so that they offer what Americans want to have, which is mostly dignity in the work they do. The work matters.

[benld74]

10. I can't wait till this TREASONOUS F*cker retires!

May have to place term limits on these so called JOURNALISTS.

[MichiganVote]

11. I don't believe a word that guy says

[NoodleyAppendage]

15. TRAITOR. I wouldn't go out of my way to take a dump on this scumbag.

Novak deserves to be tried for treason.

J

[NoodleyAppendage]

16. dupe n/t

Novak deserves to be tried for treason.

J

[book_worm]

17. It's easy to say someone who is dead is the source.

[blogslut]

19. Whatever, Bob

More than likely you're also one of the littlebirds that chirped about Eagleton's mental health. I can almost bet the convo went something like this:

Novakula: "I hear the old Tom Eagleton is as crazy as a bedbug.'

Young KKKarl Rove: "I heard that too!"

Robert Novak. I wish upon you the fate that you deserve.

[Disturbed]

20. Why did Novak expose a Covert Operation-Brewster Jennings?

Was that important for Amerika to know?

[IChing]

21. "I believe that Catholicism is the only true religion"

Bob Novak in the article.