Howard Drummond Smoot (October 5, 1913, in East Prairie, Missouri – July 24, 2003, in Tyler, Texas), better known as Dan Smoot, was an FBI agent and a conservative political activist. From the 1950s to 1971, he published The Dan Smoot Report, which chronicled alleged communist infiltration in various sectors of American government and society.
In 1970, he opposed the selection of a future U.S. President, George H. W. Bush, as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate from Texas. He claimed that Bush's political philosophy was little different from the Democrats that he sought to oppose. Bush lost the Senate election that year to Lloyd Bentsen, of Houston and McAllen.
In 1972, Smoot opposed the reelection of Richard Nixon and served as campaign manager for American Independent Party presidential candidate John G. Schmitz of California.
Read more about Dan Smoot: Departure From The FBI, Spreading His Conservative Message, Books, Family
Famous quotes containing the words dan and/or smoot:
“Narcotics have been systematically scapegoated and demonized. The idea that anyone can use drugs and escape a horrible fate is an anathema to these idiots. I predict that in the near future, right wingers will use drug hysteria as a pretext to set up an international police apparatus.”
—Gus Van Sant, U.S. screenwriter and director, and Dan Yost. Father Tom Murphy (William S. Burroughs)
“Of smale houndes hadde she that she fedde
With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel-breed.
But soore wepte she if oon of hem were deed,
Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte—
And al was conscience and tendre herte.”
—Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400)