Clearing the throat

My dad and I had a conversation about "Deep Throat" last night - no, not the movie, though I'm told it is involved in a funny moment in Casselberry family history. (Maybe a post for another day, my friends.) And wouldn't that have been a comfortable father-son conversation?

No, we were talking about the infamous Watergate informant. John Dean, a former White House counsel to President Nixon, wrote in the Los Angeles Times that "Deep Throat" is in failing health, which could lead to his identity finally being revealed. Dean also asserted that Bob Woodward, one of the Washington Post reporters eternally indebted to this source, is aware of this news and has informed his editors accordingly. Why? Woodward has said he'd only say who "Deep Throat" is after he's passed away. Furthermore, the obituary has already been written.

(Dean also appeared on Keith Olbermann's MSNBC show, "Countdown," last night, which is why Dad brought it up. Unfortunately, I missed the show - and its rerun - and the transcript isn't available at MSNBC's site yet. But Olbermann discussed the topic on his blog.)

Meanwhile, writer Adrian Havill wrote a letter to the Romenesko blog that claimed George H.W. Bush is "Deep Throat." His explanation is that Bush held a grudge toward Nixon for welching on a promise to make Bush his vice-presidential candidate. Considering H.W. was at Sunday's Super Bowl in apparent fine health, however, this theory seems thin.

But here's what I'm (finally) getting to: I know I'm interested in who "Deep Throat" is, but I'm a former journalism major, a media nerd, and "All the President's Men" is one of my favorite movies. But I wonder if most people my age have the same curiosity? Do others in their mid-to-late 20s or early 30s care about this story? If you do, Editor & Publisher is holding a contest to correctly guess "Deep Throat's" identity.