I’m getting a bit tired of the glorification of W. Mark Felt, alias “Deep Throat.” The Journal Star editorial board published their paean to Felt today (“Deep Throat did service for nation”).

The editorial excuses all of Felt’s illegal actions and questionable motives with an ends-justify-the-means apology. “There were crooks in the White House,” they exclaim. Yes, and apparently there was a crook in the number-two position at the FBI as well — a guy who was bitter about being passed over for the top spot at the Bureau and wanted to take revenge; a guy who was convicted for violating American’s civil rights; a guy who thought the Bureau was so corrupt that he couldn’t go through proper channels, but didn’t mind drawing a paycheck from them; a man who broke the law and his trust with the President by leaking classified information.

The Journal Star (and many others) forgive all these indiscretions. They point out that Felt was later pardoned for his civil-rights violation conviction. So what? Nixon was pardoned, too.

The truth is, Felt is no better than Nixon. He’s just a jilted G-man, not a hero. And a paper that laments that “America’s judicial system . . . was at stake” under Nixon’s administration shouldn’t be celebrating vigilante justice in the FBI.