|
|
Order Born Again at Amazon.com
Born Again is one of my favorite Watergate books. I cannot even count the times I laughed out loud while reading it. Unfortunately for Mr. Colson[and Watergate in general], I don't think most of the humor was intentional. In telling the tale of how Nixon's "hatchet man" found Jesus, Colson does, however, offer a unique insight into the Nixon White House [but no insight into the compelling subject of bowling in the Nixon White House, to our dismay].
In telling tales of his early political career, Colson prides himself on his reputation as a man who would do anything to achieve his political aims. Nixon comes off just as insecure and paranoid as he is in any other account... Colson assumes that Nixon saw his potential as a future Christian when Nixon confides to him that he (Nixon) "could be a Roman Catholic." Actually, Nixon was probably [probably?] just not over his Kennedy issues, but personal analysis isn't Colson's strong suit [Neither is polite email responses to Watergate historians.]. He later comments that "hubris became the mark of the Nixon man because hubris was the quality Nixon admired most." I'm not sure if Nixon or Colson understand that hubris is not synonymous with simple pride and ambition, but if either of them had paid attention in 8th grade English class they probably would know better than to actively strive for hubris [If I had paid attention if 8th grade English class instead of reading Watergate books under my desk, I would know what hubris means](hubris: excessive pride that leads to one's downfall. Very big in Greek tragedy- Hannah).
As Watergate breaks, Colson insists he had no knowledge of it- in fact, he cannot believe that the White House is responsible, since "the burglary seemed too stupid by the standards we set." I don't know that such a thing was possible. [That the Nixon White House had standards or that Colson didn't plan and execute the entire break-in?]In another irrelevant anecdote, Colson tells of Haldeman [who found Jesus even before Watergate- or at least Mary Baker Eddy]reaching for the phone and instead of placing it to his ear, accidentally smacking himself on the forehead with the earpiece, giving the reader an idea of just how hapless the men running the nation really were. Colson relishes his role as the key Nixon defender, enjoying giving it to Dean (but then, who didn't) and tries to convince us he was absolutely shocked and dumbfounded when the truth finally came out.
As the scandal unfolds, one of his business associates points out what should have been obvious to anyone with half a brain- that the Watergate breakin and most of the other dirty tricks were completely unnecessary. The associate then tells Colson about Jesus, and Colson's life begins to change. He claims to exchange his prior conviction and belief in Constitutional doctrine for Biblical doctrine- a claim that would have far, far more validity in this reviewer's mind if a)the two were mutually exclusive and b)Chuck Colson had shown any sort of respect for the Constitution before this point. As he accepts Christ, many of the Democrats who had hated him become his new best friend, because they too love Jesus. He tries to get Nixon to pray with them, but (perhaps because Colson isn't a born-again Catholic) the President turns him down (although he later tells Colson that he gets down on his knees every day to pray to God. Frankly, if I were Nixon, so would I.)[Nixon apparently only prayed with Jews.] Colson's newfound religion becomes a national joke. One of my favorite lines from the news at the time is from Eric Sevareid, who said " The new Colson does not claim the capacity to walk on water, but he has given up walking on grandmothers."
Colson is offered a plea bargain which would require him to plead guilty of conspiracy in the Fielding break-in. [Any mention of that plot to firebomb the Brookings Institute?]But because he claims that admitting knowledge of that would be a lie, he takes the advice of his God Squad and turns it down. He is convinced that while he was guilty of ruthless acts, arrogance, and pride, he is innocent of any law-breaking. He finally decides to plead guilty to smearing [i.e., stealing documents]Ellsburg, however, and is sentenced to prison.
Colson's account of his time in prison, while not really relevant to Watergate, is perhaps the most entertaining part of the entire book. He speaks in all seriousness of the "raw Alabama winter."[Obviously he had never visited the hell you call Boston.] Despite Mr. Colson's claims, he shows no sign of having truly taken an honest accounting of his life and his actions.[With Jesus on your side, who cares about honesty?] Without this, any remorse he claims to feel for the harm he inflicted upon our nation is not truly valid. Read Born Again to learn a lesson- not the one Mr. Colson claims to be teaching, but the one that shows the coverup and denials of Watergate still persist.
Apparently this book was also made into a movie. We'll let you know what we think as soon as we get our hands on a copy.