Today in 1972, one FBI agent made two fateful decisions that saved America.

[Tactical Peek]

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Today in 1972, one FBI agent made two fateful decisions that saved America. This is the story of Daniel Bledsoe, unsung hero of Watergate.

Bledsoe joined the Marines after high school. He fought at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea vs. 100,000 Chinese soldiers. As his commander Chesty Puller put it, "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things."

After the war, Bledsoe got married, graduated from college, then joined the FBI. In 1972, he was assigned to the major crimes desk in the criminal section of the General Investigative Division.

On June 17, Bledsoe was told by the supervisor there was a break-in at DNC headquarters, but police were handling it. Despite finding bugging equipment—a federal offense—the supervisor did not open a federal case. Bledsoe did.

“Up until I heard about Liddy and Hunt being involved, I thought this might be a Cuban intelligence operation directed by the KGB in Cuba,” Bledsoe later recalled. http://www.nleomf.org/assets/pdfs/nlem/oral-histories/FBI_Bledsoe_interview.pdf

Hours later, he made the next fateful decision.

“At about 4:00 in the afternoon, my secretary answered the phone and told me, ‘It’s the White House.’”

“I picked up the phone and I said, ‘This is Agent Supervisor Dan Bledsoe. Who am I speaking with?’

“He said, ‘You are speaking with John Ehrlichman. Do you know who I am?’"

Bledsoe: “Yes. You are the chief of staff there at the White House.”

Ehrlichman: “That’s right. I have a mandate from the President of the United States. The FBI is to terminate the investigation of the break-in….”

Ehrlichman repeated himself and asked Bledsoe if he would stop the FBI.

“No,” Bledsoe responded.

“Under the constitution, the FBI is obligated to initiate an investigation to determine whether there has been a violation of the illegal interception of communications statute.”

Ehrlichman: “Do you know that you are saying ‘no’ to the President of the United States?”

I said, “Yes.”

Ehrlichman: “Bledsoe, your career is doomed. You are gone. You’re doomed.”

Ehrlichman went to prison in 1975 for conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Bledsoe retired in 1980.

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Just sayin'.

[WheelWalker]

1. Kick

[Hekate]

2. Just sayin' indeed

Long after, we will find out who today's heroes are.

[DFW]

3. Ehrlichman: "Do you know that you are saying 'no' to the President of the United States?"

Not only did Bledsoe correctly answer "yes," but he could just as easily retorted, "Do you know that you are on the phone from the White House stating to an FBI agent that the President of the United States is a co-conspirator in a felony?"

As it turned out, the answer to that question, had it been posed, would have also been "yes."

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

4. Hopefully

History repeats itself today. If you wait any longer mueller...the damage will be done.

[roscoeroscoe]

5. Great story

Love the happy ending!

[rpannier]

6. One of the saddest things about Watergate

Other than it happened
The Reagan Presidency

Had it not occurred, Ford likely would have won the Presidency in 1976 -- he almost did even with the pall of pardoning Nixon hanging over him
If he had won, then in 1980, he'd have run as the nominee of the Republican Party and might have lost the 1980 election. Even if Reagan ran in '80 against an unpopular Ford, the Democrats would have likely won as backlash against the republikkans

[Jim Lane]

9. Your scenario doesn't work because of term limits.

Nixon's second term began on January 20, 1973. Ford became President on August 9, 1974 -- less than two years later. Therefore, Ford served more than half of that term, so it would count against him for purposes of term limits. He might have won in 1976 but then would not have been eligible to win another term in 1980.

It might still work out that Reagan was blocked, because Vice President Dole would probably have been the favorite for the nomination.

If, however, you mean that Nixon would have finished his term and Vice President Ford would then have been nominated and elected in 1976, then that's possible under the Constitution, but unlikely. In 1976, Vice President Ford would have been neither President nor a member of a ticket that won nationwide. He hadn't previously been considered a contender for the top spot. It's more likely that Reagan would have been nominated rather than Ford in 1976.

As a further complication, Nixon, already embattled by Watergate, picked Ford to succeed Agnew because he wanted someone who could be quickly confirmed by Congress. If there had been no Watergate, Ford might never even have become Vice President. He would have continued to be a Congressional leader but one with no national ambitions.

Of course, we can't even say for sure what would have happened in 2016 without the Comey letter, so all this what-if speculation about Watergate is basically a pointless exercise -- but it's an entertaining pointless exercise, so thanks for the post!

[canetoad]

7. K&R

Great interview. Thanks

[KY_EnviroGuy]

8. Very informative - thank you!

.......

[Mc Mike]

10. Great story, never heard of Agent Bledsoe before. rec, nt

[Tom Rinaldo]

11. I take heart in stories like this one, and people like Agent Bledsoe

They form the foundation of our democracy, people who understand that some lines can not be crossed, some responsibilities are sacred. The only reason why tyranny has not overcome our democratic system to date is because of people like this. Those who seek to abuse power live in fear of them, knowing that there are tens of thousands or more of Americans of every race, of every age, of (nearly) every political affiliation who will not turn their back on honor when confronted by raw power. And therefor those who seek to abuse it are partially restrained by that knowledge. Mueller is a Republican whose loyalty lies with the Constitution, thank god. But there are other less visible guardians of it scattered everywhere, and that fact serves as a deterrent to those who seek to undermine it.

Thank you for your service to our nation Agent Bledsoe.

[Tactical Peek]

12. Shameless kick.