Fred Thompson was Nixon's mole

Here's why those of us of a certain age (I'm talking over 60 here) always get a little memory nudge when the name Fred Thompson comes up. We saw him a lot in 1973, when we were transfixed by Watergate, those televised hearings. Then he fell out of view for a while, and meanwhile his hair fell out, so now he doesn't look like he did back then. The Boston Globe has worked up the story complete with a photo showing our Fred with hair. Remember?

Now would any voter in right mind really want as president someone who in 1973 revealed the existence of the White House taping system but thought it would exonerate Tricky Dick? Wow, there's some bad judgment. It worked out for the best, of course, but this putative presidential candidate of 2007-8 was Nixon's mole.

I ask again: are there a lot of Republicans out there who really want such a background for their candidate?

If he's the Republican nominee, what a gold mine of memories we will have to bring out. It was so long ago that we've mostly forgotten, but still, there is that little memory nudge. What is it about the man? Not his cologne ...

This flood of memories was unleashed by a browse through the blog of Joy-Ann Reid, one of the morning people on Radio 1080, The People's Station in Miami. A bow of thanks to her.