Thompson in 1973: "Dumb as Hell."

Way back in the day, presidential candidate and sex machine Fred Thompson made a name for himself working as an investigative counsel for the Senate Watergate investigation committee.

One big problem: Fred was "dumb as hell." At least according to Richard Nixon. Recent reports based around Nixon archival tapes indicate that Fred Thompson was just like one of the moronic hired goons seen in the movies; he was willing, but not quite able. [Examples include Lex Luthor's friends or Be-Bop and Rocksteady from the Ninja Turtles.]

Those tapes show Thompson had a behind-the-scenes role very different from his public image three decades ago. He comes across as a partisan willing to cooperate with the Nixon White House to discredit the committee's star witness.

It was Thompson who tipped off the White House that the Senate committee knew about the tapes. They eventually cinched Nixon's downfall in the scandal resulting from the break-in at Democratic headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington and the subsequent White House cover-up.

Meanwhile, the New York Times is finally reporting what we've said multiple times: Fred Thompson's wife is hot. [They're also yelling aloud to many other crappy newspapers: "We want your readers!!!"]

Thompson's secret role in Watergate [Chicago Tribune]

Will Her Face Determine His Fortune? [New York Times]