"The Obama quandry" or "Can you draw this pirate ('cause I can)?"

During these times of economic duress and massive layoffs, it seems political cartoonists may be looking for sketching jobs on the Venice boardwalk sometime soon.

Not really, but they're getting an earful from those who feel caricatures of our president are bordering on racist, according to a recent Associated Press article.

This, on the heals of the New York Post's monkey cartoon last week. Political cartoons have been around for hundreds of years (Thomas Nast, Harper's Weekly), and consist of two elements: 1) caricature, 2) a poke fun aspect.

Why certain people - Reverend Sharpton, for one, (does he really ever effect change when he sticks his nose into anything?) - think that President Obama should be exempt from being ridiculed in political cartoons is beyond me. Because he's black? I'm not saying that every cartoonist should have carte blanche when it pertains to characterizing Obama eating watermelon and chicken (two common stereotypes associated with blacks, though I enjoy both those foods...so, am I black?). "Race" in a cartoon is difficult to NOT illustrate. Racial stereotypes are another thing. I'm simply saying that as President, Obama will be poked fun at in political cartoons as his predecessors have and THAT should be the least of his concerns.

Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton and Bush Jr. Among past presidents who've had their ears tweaked, their lips colagenized and their noses made bulbous. Get used to it, President Obama - or I should say, those people who have nothing else to bitch about should get used to it.

Oh yeh - my pirate is below. Took 3 minutes. I wonder if I'll be targeted by SWAB - Swashbuckers with Animosity towards Berators?

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"Deep Throat", Mark Felt, Nixon, Watergate and Jeff's premonition.

Nixon to Haldeman, heard on tapes ordered released for the trial of Bob H.R. Haldeman (White House Chief of Staff), John Ehrlichman (Counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs) and John Mitchell (U.S. Attorney General):

"I don't give a shit what happens. I want you all to stonewall it, let them plead the Fifth Amendment, cover up or anything else, if it'll save it, save this plan. That's the whole point. We're going to protect our people if we can."

Former FBI agent and then Associate Director of the FBI Mark Felt revealed in 2005 that he, in fact, was "Deep Throat", the anonymous source that let Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post to uncover that then President Nixon was directly involved in the Watergate Cover-up in 1972 which ultimately led to the downfall of Nixon and his resignation in 1974. Felt was the Number 2 man next to Acting FBI Director, L. Patrick Gray.

Felt died yesterday at the age of 95.

What's interesting is that last night I was on the computer surfing information on the Watergate hearings, Bob Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, John Dean (Nixon staff members involved with Nixon in the cover-up), etcetera. So I'm on Wikipedia reading about Mark Felt and I read that Felt has died in Santa Rosa, CA - but I never looked at the date. I just assumed he died a few years ago (his health in 2005 was failing terribly which is why he outed himself to Vanity Fair magazine).

I get up this morning and the first thing I read on Msn.com is "Felt, 'Deep Throat', dead at 95". Now how coincidental is that?

Above: Nixon with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Haldeman (far) and Ehrlichman (foreground). Kissinger was left unscathed during the Watergate scandal.

Incidentally, only Woodward, Bernstein and their editor, Ben Bradlee, knew "Deep Throat's" identity. They didn't even tell their wives or children. However, I did find out via YouTube that Nixon Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman revealed to President Nixon in 1972 that Felt was, in fact, the anonymous source that was tipping off The Washington Post reporters. Haldeman revealing to Nixon in 1972 the identity of "Deep Throat" . Fast forward to the :56 second mark if the suspense is killing you.

What's interesting about this is that neither Nixon nor Haldeman ever publicly admitted they felt Felt (ha) was "Deep Throat". Course, the tapes had been turned over so I guess they didn't have to say anything. And there were many who suspected it was Felt but no one really knew for sure until 2005.

Fascinating shit. I really, really would like to know if the Watergate Senate hearings are available for public consumption. I've read "All the President's Men" and seen the movie (one of the inspirations for my majoring in Journalism), among other sources on the subject. The fact that so many politicians went down for what Nixon did - it's a concept that's difficult to wrap my head around. And then - of all people - Nixon gets pardoned from Ford.

Woodward (left) and Bernstein (right) in 2005 visiting The Washington Post archive. There's a ton of stuff on the Internet regarding Watergate - Nixon's tapes, notes from Woodward and Bernstein, and so on - including the new Watergate archive of The Washington Post at the University of Texas at Austin. It's history worth looking back at.

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"Frost/Nixon". I wonder if I can still get on Nixon's "Enemies List"?

I viewed the movie at a friend's house last Saturday - brother's in the DGA and had a screener copy. And I will see it again.

You don't need me to write a review - pick up a newspaper or go online. However, I will say this. I've had a keen interest in multiple topics of the 1960's: Nixon, Watergate, Yippies, hippies, SDS, Weatherman, anti-war movement & Vietnam, Abbie Hoffman, protest music, "Steal That Book!", etcetera, so naturally I was attracted to the subject matter. And, in the end, it a great history lesson. Sheen and Langella are formidable - Sheen's Frost impersonation was excellent.

The photo above is from the stage play version - same actors (Frank Langella as Richard Nixon and Michael Sheen as David Frost). The real Frost and Nixon, top.

The effervescent Rebecca Hall plays Caroline Cushing, Frost's love interest at the time of the interview

If so inclined, you can read this TIME magazine article on David Frost from 1977. as well as this recent interview with the real Caroline Cushing from The Daily Beast. Cushing is the Founder of C4 Consulting and is a grandmother of 4.

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Ping Pong, China & the U.S.

China and America pay homage this week to a series of 1970s table tennis matches between the countries that paved the way for improved diplomatic relations.

The week of exhibition games in China in April 1971 helped open China to the world, changed public opinion and paved the way for a groundbreaking visit from president Richard Nixon. A three-day event at the Richard Nixon Library that culminates in a rematch between several of the original athletes is to be held.

All the Ircink's play ping pong - except Mom. Learned at an early age as my father was a ping pong champion when he was a kid. Though the lack of depth perception in my left eye makes playing a bit more challenging, I can still hold my own. Wanna play?

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