An American Life

One Mans Road to Watergate Jeb Stuart Magruder

Reviewed by Don Carson

A sustained plea in mitigation by Jeb Stuart Magruder, one of the organisers of Nixon's ill-fated re-election committee. Young Jeb had his life story published just prior to his being sentenced for perjury in the Watergate scandal. The timing strongly suggests that he had in mind the principle that to understand all is to forgive all; plus the motive that an inside story on Watergate would sell sufficient copies to buy the best legal advice available.

The book failed to keep him out of the can and this bright-eyed boy of Tricky Dick's served seven months before turning to Jesus and carrying on the good old style of work as an administrative vice-president of an evangelical organisation, Young Life.

Nixon and his retinue has spawned such films as The Werewolf of Washington' and 'Milhouse', and books like, 'All the Presidents' Men', Magruder's work is different for it is a tale told by a participant - albeit signifying very little. Magruder tells the story of his life through Ivy League, army and the corporate empire. He believes in conservative politics as a way of life and his own role in that way of life is one of personal advancement into the politics of the White House. Repentant as he is, his faith in the philosophy of those who have the most to conserve remains untarnished.

It is not so much his own story which is of most interest. His own role is that of a young cypher, interchangeable with a host of other individuals, invariably described as self-confident and all anxious to do the President's bidding. The profiles of the idiosyncrats, the men who have power are more interesting: Chuck Colson:- I came to regard Chuck Colson as an evil genius. His brilliance was undeniable but it was too often applied to encouraging Nixon's darker side, his desire to lash out at his enemies, his instinct for the jugular.' John Mitchell, Magruder's immediate superior in the committee to re-elect the President - his Dad-figure:- Young men like John Dean and myself thought of him in those terms, and even the President seemed to regard him as a tower of strength, an equal, someone to take his problems to and be counselled by.'

Most power lay with H.R. Haldeman, the ruthless Chief of Staff, who interpretted Nixon's wishes and ruled absolutely over the White House and Nixon's cabinet as well - the biggest office boy in the world. There is even an implicit [unclear: esion] that the crew cut Haldeman not only passed on Nixon's paranoic orders but put them in Nixon's mind in the first place.

Nixon appears briefly in such anecdotes as when he demands to be let off a temporarily stranded plane in his pre-president days. It is left unclear what role Nixon had in the cover-up, so closetted was he by Haldeman. It is thus the austere memo issuer Haldeman and Quasimodo Colson who get the blame for Watergate and Mitchell and Magruder who are the unwilling victims of their machinations when they are oushed to create the plumbers squad of Watergate burglars.

Magruder's story is one of rise and fall in the rat race. Given the capacity of American society to convince itself of it ability to cleanse itself by forgiving the elite their sins Magruder may yet achieve the vantage point of Number One U.S. Rat in Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington.