What's Happening?
A recent article in The New Yorker by Bob Woodward details his decades-long relationship with Richard G. Darman, a key source within the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. Darman, who served as staff secretary during Reagan's first term and later
as director of the Office of Management and Budget under Bush, provided Woodward with extensive inside information. The article highlights Darman's role as a 'hide in plain sight' source, whose close friendship with Woodward was widely known, though his function as a White House pipeline was more suspected. Darman's access to virtually all presidential business, behavior, and decisions, particularly as staff secretary, made him an invaluable source. He was known for his analytical brilliance and his ability to identify weaknesses in policy and people. The piece recounts how Darman revealed critical national security information, such as the FBI's possession of President Reagan's nuclear-code card after the 1981 assassination attempt, which had previously been unknown to the public. Woodward conducted at least 58 meetings or phone conversations with Darman, accumulating hundreds of pages of notes.
Why It's Important?
This account is significant for understanding the dynamics of White House press coverage and the role of anonymous or deeply embedded sources in shaping public perception of presidential administrations. Darman's insights provided Woodward with a unique window into the inner workings of two presidencies, including power struggles and policy decisions. The article underscores the importance of the staff secretary role, which Darman described as controlling all information reaching the President, making it a critical nexus of power and information. The revelations about the handling of President Reagan's nuclear codes after the assassination attempt highlight potential vulnerabilities in national security protocols and the critical role of investigative journalism in uncovering such details. The piece also sheds light on the often-complex ethical considerations for journalists who develop close personal relationships with their sources, balancing friendship with the professional imperative to report accurately and objectively. Darman's willingness to leak information, sometimes to discredit rivals within the administration, illustrates the internal political machinations that can influence policy and personnel decisions at the highest levels of government.
Beyond the Headlines
The article delves into the ethical complexities of journalistic sourcing, particularly when a source becomes a close friend. Woodward acknowledges that he was sometimes 'used' by Darman, who deployed him to discredit rivals within the administration, such as Secretary of State Alexander Haig and Edwin Meese. This raises questions about the extent to which journalists can maintain objectivity when their sources have their own agendas. Darman's characterization of the Reagan White House as a 'world of delegated authority without a fully engaged President' and a 'team of competing Presidents trying to kill each other off in secret' offers a deeper look into the internal power dynamics and potential dysfunction within presidential administrations. The piece also implicitly explores the long-term impact of such relationships on historical narratives, as Woodward's extensive documentation of his conversations with Darman will undoubtedly influence future understandings of the Reagan and Bush eras. The narrative serves as a case study in the art and peril of deep-source journalism, where access to critical information often comes with intricate personal and political entanglements.
