Art Barker & the Beginning of the SEED

[Johnny G]

Segretti wrote it as part of a smear campaign against Muskie - Paul Morrison was simply the name he signed to it - Morrisons was supposedly involved and present when the "remarks" were made.  We can't know for sure if he was involved in the seed - Remember, Art wouldn't let anyone know who was there, so unless he was court ordered there would be no way to verify the existence of a Paul Morrison involved at the seed during the time in question.  

But the fact is, Segretti wrote it as ppart of Nixons dirty tricks group

[Ursus]

Segretti wrote it as part of a smear campaign against Muskie - Paul Morrison was simply the name he signed to it - Morrisons was supposedly involved and present when the "remarks" were made. We can't know for sure if he was involved in the seed - Remember, Art wouldn't let anyone know who was there, so unless he was court ordered there would be no way to verify the existence of a Paul Morrison involved at the seed during the time in question.

But the fact is, Segretti wrote it as ppart of Nixons dirty tricks group

Yep, I don't think they ever found "Mr. Paul Morrison of Deerfield Beach, Florida." From what I've read, there's some question as to whether such a person even exists!

 :eek:

[ I'm spoofin' with ya, Johnny G! ·    ]

· · · ·

What *I'd* really like to know is... what did you mean by this phrase:

"

wrote it as a member of the Seed"[/list]

Here's the full post, to jog yer memory:

Don Segretti wrote the Canook letter.  He was part of the Comittee to re-elect the president (CREEP).  wrote it as a member of the Seed, can't verify if Art went to Maine or any of that, but that was the story.  Segretti took credit for the letter as part of the whole Watergate business.

[/list]

Sorry If I'm overly dense 'bout something that should be obvious...

[Ursus]

The reporters name who did the story on the Seed was Fred Francis. I'm sure there is an old copy his archive somewhere. He was a national reporter.

Did Muskie visit the Seed because of Francis' story "Seed of Hope?" Or was his visit just another one of those political photo op events, while he happened to be in Florida for other reasons? Was Muskie thought to be more focused on the "plight of our youth" than your average politician?

[dragonfly]

[Johnny G]

Ursus,

Segretti was impersonating a member of the seed - didn't mean to imply he was there, poor choice of words on my part.

Seems like he would be a fun guy to have a few beers with - some good stories anyway!

G

[Ursus]

Ursus,

Segretti was impersonating a member of the seed

For real? Wow. I'm finally beginning to get the picture. Lol.

Do you have any idea why Segretti picked the Seed? Or why he chose any particular organization, or any particular individual even, to affiliate his "ratfucking" persona with? Was it simply opportunistic — i.e., whatever political event / photo op that Senator Muskie was attending at the time? Or was there some reason that it was The Seed specifically, which Nixon or Segretti may have also wanted to target?

Did Segretti know anything about the Seed, or Art's penchant for secrecy, which would certainly have made it a lot more difficult to confirm Paul Morrison's existence (or lack thereof)?

Okay, Johnny G, or anyone else who can shed light on this for me... please do confirm, 'cuz I can be a dense ol' bear sometimes: is this fabricated conversation (between "Paul Morrison" and Sen. Muskie) where Art got the idea that Nixon was trying to sabotage his pied piper operation? Or is there more to it, e.g., other events?

[Ursus]

It's amazing to have you oldtimers coming around. <snip snip> ...can't even remember what I just read sorry

Sounds like you're getting a lil long in the tooth yerself, Dragonfly!  

 :cheers:

[Johnny G]

It makes sense that Segretti would use Muskies appearance at the Seed as there was no media allowed in to record the proceedings - he was probably aware of that aspect of the visit;  

Art did talk about doing damage control for Muskie (trip to Maine, etc. but he didn't rate the "enemies list" or anything like that - so any threats from Nixon to the seed are, in my opinion, just paranoia.

Other than this little ratfucking episode (thanks for reminding me of the term, was going nuts trying to remember it) I doubt Nixon even knew the place existed - the Ervin comission was, after all, a Democrat controlled institution.  The only reason they got any kind of federal attention is because they gave politicians  the  "anti-drug" seal of approval, and possibly some grants.

[Ursus]

Art did talk about doing damage control for Muskie (trip to Maine, etc. but he didn't rate the "enemies list" or anything like that - so any threats from Nixon to the seed are, in my opinion, just paranoia.

Can you tell me any more specifics about Art's doing damage control for Muskie?

[Johnny G]

Claimed he went up north and was with Muskie on the back of a flatbed truck in the rain - pretty dismal picture - denying the specifics of the letter at a press conference in Maine - I think -  but New Hampshire would make more sense from a primary election perspective;  Might be some sort of photo or news item in a local paper, apparently didn't make the national feed.

[Ursus]

Claimed he went up north and was with Muskie on the back of a flatbed truck in the rain - pretty dismal picture - denying the specifics of the letter at a press conference in Maine - I think -  but New Hampshire would make more sense from a primary election perspective;  Might be some sort of photo or news item in a local paper, apparently didn't make the national feed.

I bet it was New Hampshire. The publisher of some paper - based in Manchester, I believe - really had a hard-on for skewering Muskie, and was the source for that article disparaging Muskie's wife with miscellaneous trite whatnot and innuendo... That is to say, he was the source for quite a few articles disparaging Muskie for anything he could come up with. At any rate, your reportage puts Art's involvement at a higher level than I had previously pictured (not that *I* would know, lol)...

Ya know, Muskie was very involved in another program on this forum, prior to the Seed even, namely, Hyde School (founded 1966). Fwiw, Muskie would have, or should have, been quite familiar with the principles of psychological coercion used to modify the behavior of adolescents...

[D. Bryan Odd]

If you do not stop talking about this story, which I own, I will sue you for copyright infringement.


I am not Brian Dodd.

[Johnny G]

What i know of it is just what Barker told me individually, or to the group.  I did see the newspaper/magazine stories, complete with pictures - which lent credibility to the story.  Cannot recall what publications, but they may have been clippings - no banner

[none-ya]

What i know of it is just what Barker told me individually, or to the group.  I did see the newspaper/magazine stories, complete with pictures - which lent credibility to the story.  Cannot recall what publications, but they may have been clippings - no banner

I guess you were the old man's confidant. No wonder you miss the place. You said before that he left you alone to watch his house while everybody else went to the beach to play football. I'm not only curious about anything Barker may have said personaly to you, but what you may have said to him. Just who or what did you have to give up to have that kind of stroke?
I smelled a rat the first time I read one of your posts,and i still do.

[I'll kick your arse]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Env5iMrBjws