The diaries of presidents offer history in the raw — even the naked — and may have secrets to tell

By CALVIN WOODWARD
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just before dawn one summer day in Washington, America’s president stripped naked on a rock by the river, plunged in and saw a dead man float to the surface. We know this about John Quincy Adams because he kept a diary. Many presidents have used such journals to confide in themselves, express raw opinions _ and sometimes spill state secrets. A House hearing Tuesday with special counsel Robert Hur is bound to explore why Joe Biden isn’t facing charges for mishandling records while Donald Trump is. Though it’s apparent that both crossed a line, past offenders didn’t get this kind of grief for doing so after their presidencies.