http://www.olneydailymail.com/articles/200...xt#blogcomments
"Author pokes holes in official Kennedy theory
By Kevin Ryden
Published: Monday, May 7, 2007 3:03 PM CDT
...
LBJ

While the Mafia, CIA, Russians, Cubans and any number of groups could have killed Kennedy, Tatro said, they could not get Kennedy's car to drive only 11 mph without a bubbletop through Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

That came from within LBJ's powerful inner circle and some of the Secret Service, according to Tatro, who did not have kind words about the 36th president of the United States.

“He was one of the most amoral human beings who ever lived,” he said. “I think he's second only to Hitler.”
...
Johnson was friends with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and had information about Kennedy's womanizing and other issues and bribed his way into being on the ticket, Tatro said.

He said notes from Kennedy's former secretary, Eleanor Lincoln, indicated that JFK wanted to drop LBJ from the ticket.

“So, there's your motive,” he said.

Trip to Texas

On April 23, 1963, Johnson went on Texas radio to announce that Kennedy would be coming to the state in the fall. Neither Kennedy or the White House ever announced that, Tatro said.

The only reason Kennedy decided to go, according to Tatro, was to attend a ceremonial dinner for an ailing Texas congressman.

Jack Valenti, who died last Thursday, invited Kennedy and was a close and loyal friend to Johnson. “That's how they got him (Kennedy) there,” Tatro said.

Valenti married Johnson's secretary, with whom Johnson had an affair, Tatro claimed. Valenti's daughter ended up tall “with big ears,” he said, alleging that Valenti's daughter was, in fact, Johnson's.
...
The route the motorcade took in Dealey Plaza was surrounded by buildings and trees, he emphasized, something that bothered Jerry Bruno, who scouted the area for security for Kennedy.

Texas Gov. John Connally, another close friend to Johnson who was sitting next to Kennedy in the motorcade and was shot, pushed for the route Bruno did not like, according to Tatro. Expressing his displeasure to Bruno's advice, Connally apparently stated, “This is not how we do it in Texas,” Tatro said, later alleging that Connally's job was to “sucker Kennedy to get (him) to Texas.”

Bruno was asked by the White House to come back to Washington, D.C., and another aide was sent to smooth over relations with Connally.

That man, Tatro said, was Bill Moyers, who is now a famous journalist and public commentator. “One of the greatest men of all time. Hogwash,” Tatro said sarcastically.

When Moyers was questioned by the House Select Committee on Assassinations, Tatro said he was “less than clear on all the details” and could not recall if he had ever even visited Dallas.
...
Those who believe Oswald was the lone gunman have the funds and technology to make their point, Tatro said, adding that people like him have limited resources.

Jack Ruby

After Ruby was convicted of killing Oswald, he wrote a lot of letters from prison.

In one of those letters, Tatro said Ruby wrote, “If you hear honking of horns, it will be me. They will want my blood.”

Tatro played an audio recording of the newscast in which Oswald was shot. In the recording, one hard honk can be heard, followed by a soft honk and then the gunshot that killed Oswald.

Tatro believes Ruby was “trying to squeal.”

Tatro noted a disparaging quote by Ruby about Johnson: “Compared to Lyndon Johnson, I am a saint.”

Ruby also made many telephone calls while in prison to powerful individuals within organized crime, but the Warren Commission never investigated, Tatro said.

In the late 1970s, the Washington Post published an editorial which stated that two shooters who did not know each other could have killed Kennedy.

Tatro downplayed the editorial and said it showed “how stupid” the Washington Post believed people were.

The Warren Commission
...
The Canadian government also destroyed documents about Oswald, Tatro said after explaining that he tried to obtain that information in 1990.

“If the guy did it alone and is a nut, what are you destroying this stuff for?” Tatro asked.

Former President Gerald Ford was a member of the commission. In 1966, he wrote a book, “Portrait of the Assassin,” which explained that Oswald acted alone.

Tatro said Ford had the book published regardless of knowing that all Warren Commission members were barred from profiting from their knowledge. The book also contained top-secret information, which Tatro said Ford did not have permission to print.

“That's treason,” he said.

Ford was never charged with any wrongdoing.

Popular but canceled

In 2003, Tatro was part of a History Channel program called “The Men Who Killed Kennedy: The Guilty Men.” Part of the program discussed Johnson's alleged involvement.

According to Tatro, it was the History Channel's highest-rated show ever and made more than $2 million in DVD sales.

After the program concluded, Johnson's former advisors, including Valenti and Moyers, demanded the show never be played on the cable network again, Tatro said.

The show was removed from the History Channel's programming.

Kevin Ryden can be reached at kryden@olneydailymail.com."

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Has anyone read anything about LBJ bribing his way onto the ticket in 1960? Doesn't really makes sense to me. Kennedy had plenty of money.

Some of the info is new to me and I don't know if it's true.

Myra, I've met Ed a couple of times. He knows more about Johnson--and his possible involvement--than just about anybody. He is a bit over the top, however. He really hates Johnson. I mean REALLY hates Johnson.


As far as Johnson bribing his way onto the ticket, that's doubtful. The more likely story is one you'll find in the history books. These indicate that JFK offered the second position to Johnson with the expectation Johnson would refuse. Johnson was, after all, the Senate's majority leader, an extremely powerful position. If JFK hadn't offered the position to LBJ it could have made for a difficult presidency. So he made the offer, and was shocked when LBJ said yes. Reportedly, LBJ was talked into saying yes by some of the leading lights of the party--"it's best for the party, etc,." There are some reports that RFK visited LBJ the next day to try and get him to change his mind, but that LBJ refused, and that this was a factor in their mutual contempt, but that's neither here nor there.

What is clear is that, with the vice-presidency, LBJ was given a few extra perks. Kennedy allowed Johnson a measure of control over all Federal business in Texas, and over the Navy. Two consecutive secretaries of the Navy were Johnson cronies with ties to the oil industry--Connally and Korth. Both would eventually be exposed in corruption scandals. It is LBJ's close connection to Navy, along with Oswald's connection to the Marines (a division of the Navy) that leads some to wonder if Oswald wasn't working for the Office of Naval Intelligence (basically the CIA of the Navy). Unfortunately, the Pentagon's files on Oswald were "routinely destroyed" or some such nonsense. so we' may never know.

To know Johnson is to hate him. What's not to hate?



Pat, I find it more likely that Bobby Baker persuaded LBJ to take the VP slot because he knew that climbing over a dead president was the only way his southern Senator boss would ever be president. I think vile ol' Senator Kerr was on board with it too.

Agree that it's very unlikely that he bribed his way onto the ticket.



Mmm, interesting. Wasn't aware of that possible link.

There's also this: In 1956, Joe Kennedy tried to convince LBJ to run for President with JFK as his running mate. This would have allowed JFK to mitigate problems about his religion - from the safety of the number 2 position - and do so with a national platform. Whether or not LBJ was elected in '56 was beside the point. The main goal was to get JFK onto a ticket, deal with inevitable problems, so that he'd be stronger for '60 or '64 if need be.

When LBJ refused, Bobby Kennedy was furious - and thus began their animosity.

Now here's a greenhorn fact for you: I read the above info somewhere in the past few days but I can't remember the source - a hazard of speed-surfing. So if anyone can chime in with supportive details, it would be appreciated.

Mark,

Joe Kennedy's offer to finance an LBJ/JFK ticket in 1956 and LBJ's refusal to run (that is, run openly) for the nomination is discussed on pages 646-647 of the LBJ biography Master of the Senate by Robert Caro.

The man who delivered the offer and the refusal was Tommy Corcoran. He said that Bobby was infuriated, as Bobby "believed it was unforgiveably discourteous to turn down his father's generous offer."

Thank you, Ron. Next I'll start losing nouns when I talk.

Thank you Ron AND Mark.
I've been wanting to read Caro's LBJ books anyway; I think he has the right perspective on the man (i.e., "what's not to hate?"). So I'll have to get going.