., ▁about ▁a ▁break - in , ▁the ▁night ▁before , ▁at ▁D NC ▁headquarters ▁at ▁the ▁Water gate ▁complex . ▁Sim ons ▁took ▁charge ▁and ▁with ▁help ▁from ▁fellow ▁edit ors ▁Barry ▁S uss man ▁and ▁Harry ▁Rosen feld , ▁gu ided ▁Wood ward ▁and ▁Bern stein , ▁and ▁champion ed ▁the ▁young ▁rep or ters ▁for ▁what ▁became ▁a ▁national ▁story . ▁ ▁Sim ons ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁dub bing ▁Mark ▁F elt , ▁their ▁well - pla ced ▁source , ▁" De ep ▁Th ro at ," ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁por n ographic ▁film ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name . ▁ ▁" When ▁the ▁time ▁came , ▁it ▁was ▁man aging ▁editor ▁Howard ▁Sim ons -- not ▁Ben ▁Brad lee ▁or ▁other ▁ranking ▁edit ors -- who ▁made ▁the ▁cru cial ▁early ▁dec isions ▁that ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁Washington ▁Post s ▁extraordinary ▁coverage ▁of ▁the ▁Water gate ▁sc andal , ▁especially ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁metropol itan ▁staff , ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁normally ▁report ▁on ▁national ▁politics , ▁to ▁purs ue ▁the ▁story ." ▁The ▁Great ▁Cover - Up ▁by ▁Barry ▁S uss man , ▁page ▁ 6 6 . ▁ ▁Sim ons ▁was ▁port rayed ▁by ▁Martin ▁B als am ▁in ▁All ▁the ▁President ' s ▁Men , ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁film ▁based ▁on ▁Bern stein ▁and ▁Wood ward ' s ▁book ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name , ▁dep ict ing ▁the ▁Post ' s ▁investigation ▁of ▁Water gate . ▁ ▁After ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post