David Andrews

I remember from my childhood, maybe around 1965 (but this could have predated 1963), that there were xerography machines that produced page copies - such as from a book or a legal document - in negative. Meaning that in the copy, white space was dark, and print and dark space in pictures were white. I many times got adults at our small-town library to make such copies for me. Does anyone remember this type of xerography? Could it have affected Nagell's copy of Oswald's ID?

Really. "12 years after her death, we look back on Judith Campbell Exner." Why, pray tell?

An aside question, for those into other Lansdale adventures: does anyone know the approximate date (year?) of the famous photo of Lansdale at dinner with Oliver North, John Singlaub, Medardo Justiniano, and Andy Messing? The subject was Central America.

OK, so his impotence was why Jackie went on an extended European holiday, flirted (or more) with Gianni Agnelli and Aristotle Onassis, and almost ended the marriage, but was talked out of it by Papa Joe's millions. And Mary Pinchot Meyer loved him only for his fine, opiated mind. And secretaries "Fiddle" and "Faddle" were only window dressing to make him seem virile. "My presence should be enough to perform that diversion!" cried jealous Jackie.

Lisa Pease discusses Oswald's defection, and his operative's work under James Angleton:

Tippit next stopped a car driven by a man named Jim Andrews. He got out of his car and looked in the space between the front and back seat of Andrews' car. This has been discussed in several places. Does anybody know what make/model/color Andrews' car was? It might be important to why Tippit pulled Andrews over. The way that Morales has been aggrandized over the years from his first appearance in Fonzi's book is really weird to me. As far as why David Morales was ignored for so long (before he began appearing in everyone's theories), I suspect a kind of intellectual race blindness was involved. As the mysterioso "big Indio," he may not have attracted the research interest that a suit-and-tie Beltway "whitebread" type would. Ted Shackley, for instance, was much more visible over several operations across his career (Laos, Phoenix Program, Wilson-Terpil), and so overshadowed Morales' on-the-ground work out of JM/Wave. Anonymity and race may have worked in Morales' favor in his career - he blended in among mixed cultures, and may have been perceived by those he confronted as an enforcer rather than as an operational officer (again, the "big Indio" who couldn't possibly be an equal among gentleman spooks). His paranoia and braggadocio at the end of his life may have been prompted in part by realization that he would always be an outsider who "knew too much" in CIA culture, a military grunt raised up by the college-tie crowd for his ruthlessness and operational ability in non-white cultures. Prior neglect for him because of that status may now be increasing his notoriety among researchers. (Though I'm not sure it's wise to underestimate anyone who worked in Shackley's world, in Miami or Saigon.) These are difficult, but real, issues to confront, and I hope I've used some sensitivity.

I was also interested because I thought I was seeing the squared top of a van, perhaps the legendary gun shop van, behind the "figure" in that "uncirculated" Nix copy

Ferrie's accepted alibi for 22 November is that he was in a Louisiana courtroom on business for G. Wray Gill, Carlos Marcello's attorney. I'm not sure if there's an official record showing he was there. I was more interested in how this unidentifiable figure, which is visible in other Nix copies, seems to move in this copy and not in others - but maybe it's an illusion and maybe mere fakery. Maybe it's just trees and leaves in the background.

Ron, if lost, remember that Prouty cited Lansdale as Allen Dulles' s protege, noting that Dulles's backing got Curtis LeMay to promote Lansdale to Air Force general. However Lansdale may have regarded Kennedy, it's always been "Dance with the one(s) what brung ya." Kennedy didn't give EGL the Vietnam ambassadorship, and Mongoose foundered under uncertain policy control. Lansdale's zeal for a Castro assassination couldn't have helped in the last days of Mongoose. Lansdale may even have been shunted aside by JFK and RFK as a part of the Dulles-LeMay gang. How did LeMay, two years older than Lansdale, hang on at JSOC while Lansdale was retired from USAF, if not by power of reputation? Kennedy should have packed off LeMay with Lemnitzer, but the PR angle on losing two seasoned Chiefs would have been bad. It might have happened had Kennedy won in 1964.

Both Rothstein and Rosenthal regarded as NYPD intelligence players? Any other players from NYPD?

How do you imagine Hunt's "sacrifice" would play out? Notoriety for Hunt would to lead directly to CIA, and the concept of a "rogue" would be an unthinkable liability for the Agency in 1963. Watergate burglary and conspiracy were an infinitely easier sell years later, after Hunt "retired." Doug Caddy, other than the "alien presence" attribution, did Hunt say anything else about the assassination or about JFK? What was his attitude, if he showed any?

Leaving the video's David Ferrie-in-Dealey-Plaza ID totally aside, what do competent film evaluators think of this "hidden figure" shown in a "previously unavailable Nix original copy"? What about the proffered "enhancement" of the "figure"? Just curious, not deluded.

And, you know, when I say that part about "pending" and "eventual" agendas out loud (as it were), the idea of an Oswald brought back as an all-purpose patsy and/or "assassin" seems even less strange to me than it already does. There's always a long game factored into power's planning. But we digress....

My feeling is that the Mockingbird control strategy has changed from burying dissent and pacifying the suspicious to fomenting suspicion and dissatisfaction for divisive social and political ends, some of them not existing but pending, or eventually desirable to power.

Loved that as a kid - but not paranoid enough for the real world. Needs action by the second step.

Nice finds, Ron. Remember that Lansdale, with his approval of "gangster elements," consulted with Oliver North and John Singlaub on the Contra War.

The cast is somewhat diminished compared to Jackie, and few paid for that experience. Even a film based on Robert Caro's books would be an improvement in truthfulness. This looks more like a picture about a beleaguered, middle-aged astronaut who suddenly gets the moonwalk Go signal. That said, I loved Woody Harrelson''s work in the True Detective ensemble cast, and many outings in Jennifer Jason-Leigh's career, and Bill Pullman's. There will probably be an award for Woody in LBJ, based on the longtime regard for him, which I share. But people wanting a more nuanced LBJ film should check out HBO's Path to Power with Michael Gambon, probably on DVD now.

I know "we're not ready" for a film of the conspiracy allegations and Johnson-warts-and-all , but we're not going to see any blemishes here beyond his toilet habits, nor any inkling from this of his corruption. In the IMDB listing, Bobby Baker is not among the characters. So - no different from any TV miniseries.

It's on Dave Perry's webpage (see link in post). Perry is good at debunking stuff that's crying to be debunked, but an irritant to honest researchers. Handle with care. I tend to believe him on the Ricky White affair, on the grounds that no one in film or publishing put credibility in the "evidence" or the tale. I get the feeling - from more sources than this - that the clergyman was a fast-buck seeker. It's a shame that so many people expect so much money out of a book deal, when the royalties can be hideously small.

I don't dispute you, but how could silencing Oswald be accomplished by Ferrie waiting for a phone call at a skating rink? Who would have needed Ferrie's convincing on that? Someone once suggested (I forget where I read this) that Ferrie went to take that call because he was trying to save Oswald from execution. Can't provide details on this. Whatever he did, Ferrie brought two teenage boys, which suggests he needed cover and alibis. If he was going to fly someone out, what would he have done with the boys? Alternately, if he had some in-town action or meeting planned, he would have needed to ditch them for a time. Maybe he was the bagman for some payoff. So, who knows? Like to see Jim Di's take on this one, or any other opinion or research.

To pilot a planeload of conspirators to Mexico or Central America has been a popular supposition.

Ferrie's money probably came from Marcello, and he was probably under pressure to stay local and connected.

Methinks David Ferrie should have left Louisiana by 1964.

Ricky White told Larry King that his father was a member of the "Right Wing of the CIA". He was on Larry King LIve and still couldn't get a book deal? I think absence of the diary collapsed the thing. I'd love to see that show. I'd love to know if there was really a diary/novel. Too bad no iPhone pictures back then. "He spilled his guts that night, he told her (Geneva White) everything. There are a lot of other events that I'm very privy to, I have many hours of tapes that are locked in a vault and are safe, I've got affidavits, and I'm here to tell you that there's a lot of stuff that'd blow your mind." Rev. Jack Shaw Claimed to be the White family minister http://dperry1943.com/ricky.html

Yet some organization (formal, informal, hybrid) built his well-publicized and evidenced "Lefty Lee" legend domestically, in New Orleans and Dallas and Mexico City, and created a look-no-further patsy. Plans for a political assassination may not have inspired the defection, but his return and subsequent activities are another development. Also, add up his unaccounted for expenses: an office on Camp Street in NOLA, helpers to hand out leaflets, a "trip to Mexico" (or hiatus somewhere in September 1963) while he was "drifting between jobs" - the latter is also part of his "disgruntled" legend. Oswald is most probably ONI. What CIA and FBI did with him is to be explored.