The investigative reporter Jack Anderson is largely forgotten today. Yet, the role he played in Richard Nixon's eventual downfall stretched all the way back to Nixon's days as vice-president, and continued right up to the Watergate scandal. Anderson isn't remembered for Watergate, however, because he only had a minor role in the political scandal that launched two Washington Post reporters to stardom. But, in his heyday, Jack Anderson was without peer, and a new book titled Poisoning the Press: Richard Nixon, Jack Anderson, and the Rise of Washington's Scandal Culture by author Mark Feldstein brings Anderson back to life in vivid detail.
Jack Anderson passed away in 2005 after struggling with Parkinson's disease for some 20 years. His New York Times Obituary provides a broad and useful look at his life and career. One of the biggest surprises that I got from the book was the fact that a young Brit Hume worked for Jack Anderson from 1970-1972, during which time Anderson broke some of his biggest stories. Brit Hume's most recent employer is Fox News, and that certainly points to quite a radical departure from his journalistic roots. Granted, we are talking about a time frame covering decades. But still, the fact that one of Fox News' most prominent personalities once worked for a man who resided at the very top of Richard Nixon's famous "enemy's list" strikes me as fascinating.
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