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Is this a sign that that agency really is getting back to the work of spying and they're like an agency in transition and they're just rusty? or is this just an agency that is flailing in a more typical way? joining us now is mark mazzetti, national security correspondent for "the new york times," author of "the way of the knife: cia, secret army and a war at the end of the earth." thank you very much for being with us. >> thanks for having me on. >> i am not an expert on spy stuff except for fake spy stuff that happens in movies and books. in the real spying world, isn't it unusual and sloppy...

>> the president is out of office. men in the nixon white house went to jail. what was the mindset -- what happened? >> that's the problem. i don't know what happened. >> the burglary had nothing to do with richard nixon at the time that it occurred. if he had kept distance between himself and that whole episode, he didn't know about that in advance, i'm persuaded. i never heard anybody come forward with any evidence that he did. if he had kept distance between himself and that episode and just said, you know, those guys did it, they're going to have to take their punishment, that is what coul...

Men in the nixon white house went to jail. what was the mindset -- what happened? >> that's the problem. i don't know what happened. >> the burglary had nothing to do with richard nixon at the time that it occurred. if he had kept distance between himself and that whole episode, he didn't know about that in advance, i'm persuaded. i never heard anybody come forward with any evidence that he did. if he had kept distance between himself and that episode and just said, you know, those guys did it, they're going to have to take their punishment, that is what could have saved richard nixon, i'm per...

Just said, you know, those guys did it, they're going to have to take their punishment, that is what could have saved richard nixon, i'm persuaded. a little quick surgery. but he was the compulsive minutia man. he had to get involved. he had to dabble in this -- in this conspiratorial spy stuff. and he pulled it all into his office. >> what is the dumbest thing you did? >> the dumbest thing i did was not to go to him when i realized this and say, look, if you don't go out there and make this clean, i'm going to go to the press room and tell them everything i know about this and walk out of her...

Men in the nixon white house went to jail. what was the mind-set? what happened? >> that's the problem. i don't know what happened. >> the burglary had nothing to do with richard nixon at the time that it occurred. if he had kept distance between himself and that whole episode, he didn't know about that in advance, i'm persuaded. i've never heard anybody come forward with any evidence. if he had kept distance between himself and that episode and just said, you know, those guys did it. they're going to have to take their punishment. that is what could have saved richard nixon, i'm persuaded. a ...