Richard Nixon and his White House engaged in a systematic attack on Jack Anderson in a manner unprecedented in American history. Nixon reportedly blamed Anderson for narrowly losing the 1960 election to John Kennedy because of the columnist's election-eve story about a secret "loan" to Nixon's brother. As president, Nixon watched, horrified, as Anderson obtained all kinds of embarrassing---and classified---secrets about foreign policy.

The Nixon administration decided to strike back. In "Operation Mudhen"---an apparent synonym for "muckraker"---a team of CIA agents illegally began following Anderson when he met with sources. Undaunted, Anderson set his teenage children on the operatives, who fled before a laughing Anderson brood gleefully taking photos of the government spies.

President Nixon then personally tried to discredit Anderson by getting his aides to smear Anderson as a homosexual. But that did not work, either: the straight-arrow Anderson was a father of nine and a teetotaler, not easy to discredit. Finally, two of Nixon's men, G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt, plotted to assassinate Anderson.

In a meeting with a CIA operative, they discussed various options---drugging Anderson with LSD, poisoning his aspirin bottle, and staging a fatal mugging. But the plot was called off in the end. Instead, the men were instructed to break into the Watergate complex, which housed the office of the opposition Democratic party.

After the Watergate scandal forced Nixon's resignation, investigative reporting suddenly became fashionable. Anderson faced stiff new competition from The Washington Post team of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, among other young reporters. After a generation, Anderson's muckraking monopoly was over.

Soundbytes


Click here to listen to Jack Anderson discussing his experiences during the administration of President Richard Nixon.

Click here to view the audio transcript as a Word document.

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JOHP:: Jack Anderson Resources::

Jack Anderson Bio

The Early Years

The Young Reporter

Senator Joseph McCarthy

1960s