Since he emerged as an “ace” reporter doing the CIA’s dirty work at the Washington Post, Bob Woodward has written numerous books which are purported to be factual recounting of current events, ostensibly told by participants in the events. He made his name by his coverage of the Watergate scandal, which was used to bring down the Nixon presidency. Woodward’s style, a sort of “you are there” account of developments, has sold a lot of books, and given readers a sense that they know what really happened as history unfolded.
In reality, Woodward’s specialty is reinforcing the preferred narrative of the intelligence community and its political allies. This is obviously the intent of his latest book, War, which purportedly provides the inside story of the heroic efforts of Joe Biden and his allies in their effort to save Ukraine from the barbaric Vladimir Putin. In his version, alert U.S. intelligence operatives discovered that Putin was preparing to set off a false flag dirty bomb, to give him an excuse for using tactical nuclear weapons. Only the calm determination of Secretary of State Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan got us through those tense moments without Putin unleashing nuclear destruction.
Woodward portrays Putin as a conniving, one-dimensional man, committed to restoring the Soviet empire. His portrayal of Biden is of an elderly man, who once had good instincts, but is physically and mentally incapable of the job. In the book, which came out in October, just before the election, Woodward drops hint after hint to show that he knew, long before most, that Biden was not mentally up for the job as President.
