Ratfucking
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Ratfucking is an American slang term for political sabotage or dirty tricks. It was first brought to public attention by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their book All the President's Men.
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[edit] Background
The story of so called "dirty tricks" and sabotage in American politics begins with the first campaign for President of the United States, in the 1790s. Thomas Jefferson hired journalist and pamphleteer James Thomas Callender to slander his opponent, Alexander Hamilton. After a falling out, Callender turned on Jefferson and published attacks on his previous employer. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, former friends turned political rivals, resorted to planted stories and political sabotage eventually leading to their infamous duel. "Ratfucking" as a descriptive phrase however is much more recent.
Woodward and Bernstein's exposé All the President's Men reports that many staffers who had attended the University of Southern California such as Donald Segretti, Tim Elbourne, Ronald Louis Ziegler, H. R. Haldeman and Dwight Chapin had participated in the highly-competitive student elections there. UPI reporter Karlyn Barker sent Woodward and Bernstein a memo "Notes On the USC Crowd" that outlined the connection. Fraternities, sororities and underground fraternal coordinating organizations such as Theta Nu Epsilon and their splintered rival "Trojans for Representative Government" engaged in creative tricks and underhanded tactics to win student elections.[1][1][2] Officially, control over minor funding and decision-making on campus life was at stake but the positions also gave bragging rights and prestige. It was either promoted by or garnered the interest of major political figures on the USC board of trustees such as Dean Rusk and John A. McCone.[2][3] It was here that the term "ratfucking" had its origin. It is unclear whether it was derived from the military term for stealing the better part of military rations and tossing the less appetizing portions away or if the military adopted the phrase from the political lexicon.
According to Woodward and Bernstein, Dwight Chapin hired fellow USC alumnus Donald Segretti as part of an effort to counter to Democratic Party operatives thought to be the Republican camp. Segretti was to disrupt the Democratic campaign. Gratz later recalled: "Simmons said he was interested in running a "negative campaign" in Wisconsin. He explained that the purpose of the campaign was to create as much bitterness and disunity within the Democrat primary as possible.... He also said he was interested in planting spies in the Democrat candidate's offices."
Woodward and Bernstein's book contends Donald Segretti offered J. Timothy Gratz pay to co-ordinate aspects of these projects and Gratz accepted. Gratz reportedly stated in the book "although the whole incident seemed strange" he agreed to help "as most of the ideas he suggested seemed like they were worth doing anyway". However, Gratz claimed he told Karl Rove, Chairman of the College Republican National Committee, about this dirty tricks campaign. Rove himself was part of Segretti's campaign. Rove had become friends with CIA asset, Robert F. Bennett in 1968. According to that report, Bennett became a "mentor of Rove's". [4] A competitive approach by both sides of the political divide in that era began to spiral beyond what is acceptable. Sabotage and more clever political pranks, such as those practiced by infamous Democratic operative and campaign planner Dick Tuck, contributed to Nixon creating his own office of "dirty tricks" specialists to use against his opponents. [5] [6][7]
Officials at the FBI had been carrying out investigation of activities prior to and including the Watergate break-in on June 17, 1972. FBI administrator Mark Felt, disgruntled because he had been passed over for the position of FBI Director, had wiretapped White House figures, and organized black bag operations to gather information. He had also been illegally relaying information to journalists Woodward and Bernstein. Felt offered details of a program of orchestrated political sabotage by supporters of Richard Nixon against Nixon's political opponents. Mark Felt in his capacity at the FBI had himself been given leeway to use "dirty tricks" against perceived radicals, thus clearing the way for his illegal wiretapping.[8] These included, but were not limited to, canceling meeting-hall reservations just prior to rallies, putting out false press releases or "leaked documents" in the name of political opponents, spying on rival campaigns, putting plants into rival campaigns, purloining speeches and information, vote contracting, jamming phone lines, ordering vast quantities of food for delivery in the name of rival campaigns, hiring "rioters" and "activists,, conducting deceptive or offensive get out the vote phone canvasses, push polls, and similar activities. The leaks compounded paranoia and recriminations in the White House resulting the end of Nixon's presidency. Mark Felt's illegal wiretapping and leaks had been used by several White House figures as a defense but were never proven or verified until years later, just prior to Felt's passing.
[edit] Usage in the US Military
The term "ratfucking" is the unofficial slang term used by U.S. soldiers in the Army (and possibly other branches) to mean the targeted pillaging of MREs (Meals Ready-To-Eat), which the U.S. Military calls "field stripping." It refers to the process of opening a case of MREs, of which there are twelve in a box, then opening up individual MRE packages, and removing the desired items (generally M&M's and other sweets), and leaving the unenticing remainder. It is a common but generally frowned-upon practice.[3]
[edit] See also
- Dick Tuck
- Dwight Chapin
- Donald Segretti
- Opposition research
- Lee Atwater
- Karl Rove
- Sabotage
- Nixon's Enemies List
- Kompromat
[edit] References
- ^ Domingo, William (2006-04-07). Is the President of the United States the head ratfucker?. DailyKos. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
- ^ Matt Tabbi, Meet Mr. Republican: Jack Abramoff, Rolling Stone, March 24, 2006.
- ^ Lopez, C (2008, March 7). New combat chow options revealed. Retrieved April 18, 2008, from Military.com Web site: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,163560,00.html
