Jump to content
The Education Forum

The LBJ Legacy Crowd and the attack on The Men Who Killed Kennedy - 2004


Guest Robert Morrow

Recommended Posts

Guest Robert Morrow

When the History Channel aired the Men Who Killed Kennedy - The Guilty Men, it provoked a firestorm of outrage from the LBJ Legacy crowd and the establishment in general. In my view that is because it got a little too close to the truth - perhaps even the "bullseye" of the truth.

Episodes 7, 8, and 9 were shown only one time on TV; they were popular with the audience and then they were promptly banned by History Channel executives. I am posting some of the media coverage of that brouhaha.

THE GUILTY MEN ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2004

Was LBJ Involved? | Historians to Settle JFK-LBJ Flap

Austin, Texas (AP) -- The History Channel has asked three historians to review the credibility of a
documentary it aired that claimed President Lyndon Johnson was involved in the Kennedy assassination.

Former Johnson staffers and family members have been demanding an independent investigation and a retraction of the allegations in the documentary. History Channel executives said they will broadcast results of their review.

“We appreciate the decision by The History Channel to appoint three outstanding historians to investigate the accusations,” said Tom Johnson, chairman of the LBJ Foundation and no relation to the former president.

He called the allegations in the documentary reprehensible and said Johnson
family and former staff members will cooperate fully with the investigation.

The History Channel aired the documentary, “The Guilty Men,” in November as one of several programs exploring conspiracy theories surrounding President Kennedy’s death. President Johnson was Kennedy’s vice president at the time of the assassination.

Former aides to Johnson, along with former presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and President Johnson’s widow, Lady Bird Johnson, sought an independent probe of the claims.

“Nothing is more important to The History Channel than the integrity of our programming,” Dan Davids, executive vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “We take their concerns about historical accuracy and fairness very seriously and are taking appropriate action.”

Davids said the station is “deeply saddened that we have caused discomfort to the former First Lady, Mrs. Johnson and her family.”

Lady Bird Johnson, 91, who does not speak clearly since a 2002 stroke, was unavailable for comment. But in a letter to the television executives she described her distress over the allegations.

“It saddens me beyond words that such an outrageous charge without foundation
could be aired when the men so libeled can no longer defend themselves,” the letter said.
-- Television disclaimer shown on ABC News, 2:46 P.M.; November 22, 1963

The historians reviewing the allegations are authors Robert Dallek, considered an authority on the presidency; Stanley Cutler, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin and a leading authority on 20th century American political and constitutional history; and Thomas Sugrue, an award-winning teacher and author at the University of Pennsylvania.
-- Johnson leaving Parkland Hospital after the shooting in Dallas…

Executives from A&E Television Networks, which owns the History Channel, met last week with Tom Johnson; Larry Temple, president of the LBJ Foundation; journalist Bill Moyers; and Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Association of America.

T

he program was based in part on a book published in 2003 by Barr McClellan, who claims the law firm he quit a quarter-century ago was involved in convoluted plots that link Johnson to at least 11 deaths, including President Kennedy’s. The Associated Press. Copyrighted 2004. All rights reserved.

The controversial film that was banned from the History Channel!
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [MISSING] Final Chapter
A NIGEL TURNER film EXCLUSIVE produced especially for THE HISTORY CHANNEL C. 2003
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday, November 17, 2003 10 PM EST on THE HISTORY CHANNEL
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Edited by Robert Morrow
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Robert Morrow

THE GUILTY MEN ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2004

Was LBJ Involved? | Historians to Settle JFK-LBJ Flap

Austin, Texas (AP) -- The History Channel has asked three historians to review the credibility of a
documentary it aired that claimed President Lyndon Johnson was involved in the Kennedy assassination.

Former Johnson staffers and family members have been demanding an independent investigation and a
retraction of the allegations in the documentary. History Channel executives said they will broadcast
results of their review.

“We appreciate the decision by The History Channel to appoint three outstanding historians to investigate the accusations,” said Tom Johnson, chairman of the LBJ Foundation and no relation to the former
president.

He called the allegations in the documentary reprehensible and said Johnson
family and former staff members will cooperate fully with the investigation.

The History Channel aired the documentary, “The Guilty Men,” in November as one of several programs
exploring conspiracy theories surrounding President Kennedy’s death. President Johnson was Kennedy’s
vice president at the time of the assassination.

Former aides to Johnson, along with former presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and President
Johnson’s widow, Lady Bird Johnson, sought an independent probe of the claims.

“Nothing is more important to The History Channel than the integrity of our programming,” Dan Davids,
executive vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “We take their concerns about
historical accuracy and fairness very seriously and are taking appropriate action.”

Davids said the station is “deeply saddened that we have caused discomfort to the former First Lady, Mrs.
Johnson and her family.”

Lady Bird Johnson, 91, who does not speak clearly since a 2002 stroke, was unavailable for comment.
But in a letter to the television executives she described her distress over the allegations.

“It saddens me beyond words that such an outrageous charge without foundation
could be aired when the men so libeled can no longer defend themselves,” the letter said.

-- Television disclaimer shown on ABC News, 2:46 P.M.; November 22, 1963

The historians reviewing the allegations are authors Robert Dallek, considered an authority on the
presidency; Stanley Cutler, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin and a leading authority on 20th
century American political and constitutional history; and Thomas Sugrue, an award-winning teacher
and author at the University of Pennsylvania.
-- Johnson leaving Parkland Hospital after the shooting in Dallas…

Executives from A&E Television Networks, which owns the History Channel, met last week with Tom
Johnson; Larry Temple, president of the LBJ Foundation; journalist Bill Moyers; and Jack Valenti, head
of the Motion Picture Association of America.

The program was based in part on a book published in 2003 by Barr McClellan, who claims the law firm
he quit a quarter-century ago was involved in convoluted plots that link Johnson to at least 11 deaths,
including President Kennedy’s. The Associated Press. Copyrighted 2004. All rights reserved.
The controversial film that was banned from the History Channel!

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [MISSING] Final Chapter
A NIGEL TURNER film EXCLUSIVE produced especially for THE HISTORY CHANNEL C. 2003
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday, November 17, 2003 10 PM EST on THE HISTORY CHANNEL
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Edited by Robert Morrow
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Robert Morrow


History Channel Mulls JFK - Johnson Film Probe

AP Wire Service: 01/03/04 “JFK Conspiracy Show Sparks Outrage" / AP Wire Service: 02/05/04 “LBJ Widow, Ex-Presidents Demand Film Probe”
AP Wire Service: 02/08/04 “History Channel Mulls JFK Film Investigation” / AP Wire Service: 02/14/04 “Historians to Settle LBJ-JFK Flap”
AP Wire Service::04/02/04 “History Channel to Air LBJ Rebuttal" / AP Wire Service: 04/07/04 “History Channel Withdraws JFK Conspiracy Show”

Thursday, February 5, 2004 | Associated Press

Los Angeles (AP) --- Former aides to President Lyndon Johnson met with History Channel executives
Wednesday to demand a re-examination of a program that accused Johnson of conspiracy in the Kennedy assassination.

“We can’t let stand the blatant falsity of the allegation in that program,” Larry Temple, special counsel in
the Johnson White House and president of The LBJ Foundation, said after the meeting in New York.

The aides, along with former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and Johnson’s widow, Lady Bird Johnson, want an independent probe of the claims in The Guilty Men, which the channel aired last November.

Temple, along with journalist Bill Moyers; Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Association
Of America; and Tom Johnson, chairman of the LBJ Foundation, met for an hour with Nickolas Davatzes, president of A&E Television Networks, which includes the History Channel.

Davatzes and History Channel executive vice president Dan Davids agreed to consider their request,
Tom Johnson said Wednesday. “They made no commitment whatsoever” to an investigation, he said. “I told
them we would not accept a whitewash… and are not yet abandoning the potential for litigation.” No indication
was given of when a History Channel decision would be made, he said.

Davatzes and Davids listened to the concerns presented “and took them very seriously,” according to a History
Channel statement Wednesday. “The History Channel strives to present history in an accurate manner.”

Kennedy’s killing remains a controversial event and the channel presented a series of
programs that looked at many conspiracy theories about Kennedy’s death, some contradictory,
“The History Channel does not endorse any specific theory,” the statement said.

Tom Johnson said the executives expressed concern that the issue had been
“ratcheted” up by letters from Ford, Carter and Mrs. Johnson to the chief executives
of NBC, Hearst Corp. and The Walt Disney Corp., which owns A&E Networks.

The letters pressed the case for an investigation by independent journalists or historians of
The Guilty Men, one of a series of documentaries (along with The Smoking Guns and The Love Affair) aired
by the History Channel to mark the 40th anniversary of Kennedy’s murder in Dallas, in 1963.
-- Was it Johnson’s conspiracy?

The Johnson camp expects a probe will find the film falsely accused Johnson of conspiring to kill
Kennedy, Temple said, and wants either an on-air program or a statement retracting the allegations.

The documentary “clearly has resulted in misleading a lot of people, particularly young people, who have written to The LBJ Library asking, ‘How can you have this monument to a murderer?’” Temple said. [AP article edited in form]

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

THE GUILTY MEN DVD FEATURE THE SMOKING GUNS and THE LOVE AFFAIR NOVEMBER 17, 2003
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday NOVEMBER 17, 2003 10 PM 9 CENTRAL ONLY on THE HISTORY CHANNEL *** A Special History Channel Presentation in Conjunction with the Fortieth Anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination ***
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [Missing] Final Chapter
Was LBJ Involved? |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| November 22, 1963 ||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

JFK Documentary Sparks Outrage Et tu, Lyndon?

WASHINGTON (AP) – January 3, 2004 – Two former presidents and the widow of Lyndon B. Johnson are calling on the History Channel to investigate a documentary it aired alleging President Johnson was involved in the Kennedy assassination.

Lady Bird Johnson said the film “falsely and irresponsibly” accuses her husband of conspiring to kill President
Kennedy. No accusation made against Johnson “has hurt as painfully,” the 91-year-old former first lady said in a January 29 letter. Her husband died in 1973. Copies of her letter were sent to the chief executives of three companies that own A&E Networks, which includes the History Channel. The letters went to Bob Wright of NBC, Victor Ganzi of Hearst Corp. and Michael Eisner of The Walt Disney Co.

Former Presidents Ford and Carter also sent letters citing the documentary, The Guilty Men, which aired last
November as part of a series of History Channel specials on the Nov. 22, 1963 assassination. Gerald Ford, noting that he is the only surviving member of the Warren Commission that determined Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing Kennedy, called the History Channel documentary “reprehensible.”

Alleging that Johnson, as Kennedy’s vice president, was part of a conspiracy to murder him is “the greatest, most damaging accusation ever made against a former vice president and president in American history,” Ford, 90, wrote in his January 23 letter. The letters were released Monday to The Associated Press by Tom Johnson, chairman of the LBJ Foundation and a representative of the Johnson family.

Calls to NBC and Disney were not immediately returned. “We don’t comment on correspondence with our chief executive officer,” said Hearst spokesperson Paul Luthringer.
-- The motorcade on Houston, facing the Texas School Book Depository Building.

Tom Johnson said he and three other former Johnson aides planned to meet Wednesday with executives of the History Channel and A&E Television Networks to press for an investigation and for its findings to be made public. Nickolas Davatzes, president of A&E Television Networks, is expected to take part, History Channel spokeswoman Lynn Gardner said Tuesday.

Associated Press. All rights reserved. | Was Lyndon B. Johnson involved?

Copyright 2004 Comstock, Inc., and FoxNews.com | The LBJ story they didn’t want you to see!
Whitewash? AP Wire Service: 04/02/04 “History Channel Schedules Program Rebutting Assassination Claims Against President Johnson”
Cover-up? AP Wire Service: 04/08/04 “LBJ Aides Laud TV Show Rejecting Claim of LBJ Involvement in JFK Assassination ‘Victory for Truth’”

BLOOD, MONEY & POWER: How LBJ Killed JFK DVD PROGRAM RATING: 10 -10 picture. 10 -10 audio. DIGITAL.
By Barr McClellan | c. 2003 Hannover House Feature Running Time: Approx. 100 Minutes / Color / Digitally Mastered

“Read not to contradict and confute, nor believe or take for granted, but to weigh and consider.” -- FRANCIS BACON
Note: As a direct result of the controversy in the showing of this program, The History Channel has since apologized to
Lady Bird Johnson and her family and will no longer air “The Guilty Men” program or make it available on home video.
|| THE SMOKING GUNS and THE LOVE AFFAIR ||
WARNING: These films removed and no longer available by THE HC | This program for personal viewing only and NOT FOR SALE.
DVD sleeve inserts designed by INQUESTFORTRUTH. The video content of this program were digitally transferred into DVD+R format.
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [Missing] Final Chapter
A NIGEL TURNER film EXCLUSIVE produced especially for THE HISTORY CHANNEL C. 2003
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday, November 17, 2003 10 PM EST on THE HISTORY CHANNEL
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

THE GUILTY MEN ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ ForRelease.com / the archive

Was LBJ Involved? | History Channel Proceeds with Encore Broadcast of Documentary

About LBJ’s Involvement in the JFK Assassination

Defying Pressure from Former Johnson Aides and Jack Valenti, Network Schedules
Rebroadcast of Controversial Documentary, ‘The Men Who Killed Kennedy: The Guilty
Men’ for Friday, Nov. 21 at 8:00 p.m. EST on The History Channel

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 / PRNewswire / ---- The History Channel will rebroadcast a program tonight detailing evidence of LBJ’s involvement in the JFK assassination, despite protests from former Johnson aides, including outspoken Motion Picture Association President Jack Valenti. The program, entitled “The Guilty Men” is part of Nigel Turner’s award winning series, “The Men Who Killed Kennedy” and will be shown at 8:00 p.m. EST.

According to History Channel spokeswoman, Lynn Gardner, the episode was based largely on new evidence presented by a former LBJ attorney, Barr McClellan, in the book “Blood, Money & Power: How
L.B.J Killed J.F.K”. The episode features other witnesses and sources, including LBJ’s former mistress, who have verified Johnson’s admission of participation in Kennedy’s murder 40 years ago.

“The History Channel does not say that any of these theories are correct nor does not in any way say that the theory in this program is correct,” the channel said in a statement. “We are, however, presenting a point of view that has been meticulously researched. By presenting different viewpoints we enable our viewers to decide to agree or disagree with them and to arrive at their own conclusions,” the channel said.

Tom Johnson, who worked in the Johnson White House and Jack Valenti, another former Johnson aide, criticized the History Channel earlier this week for broadcasting the new material. Despite harsh comments attributed to them by the Fox News Channel, both Johnson and Valenti confirmed that they had not read McClellan’s book and could not refute any of the evidence presented in either the book or documentary.

“After forty years of cover-up, the America public demands to know the truth,” said Eric Parkinson, President of Hannover House, the publisher of McClellan’s book. “A recent ABC poll showed that more than 80% of Americans are skeptical of the Warren Commission’s report that a lone-gunman is responsible. The new evidence presented in McClellan’s book verifies beyond question the high-level participants and planning behind the assassination and cover-up. It’s clear that the Warren Commission report was severely compromised under pressure from the Johnson White House, so it’s no surprise that former Johnson aides would want to censor the release of this material,” Parkinson concluded.

“Blood, Money & Power: How L.B.J. Killed J.F.K.” by Barr McClellan is available online at Amazon.com, BN.com, and other web retailers, and is available at most key book chains nationwide. The book is 464 pages, hardcover, and is priced at 24.95 s.r.p. ISBN 0-9637846-2-5 http://www.barrmcclellan.com/ CONTACT: Eric Parkinson, +1-818-481-5277, or Cathy Gaccione, +1-479-521-4999, both of Hannover House.

Web site:
http://www.hannoverhouse.com/
http://www.barrmcclellan.com/

Copyright 2003 PRNewswire
Issued: 11/21/2003 07:15 PM GMT
The controversy… the film that was banned by The History Channel!
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [MISSING] Final Chapter
A NIGEL TURNER film EXCLUSIVE produced especially for THE HISTORY CHANNEL C. 2003
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday, November 17, 2003 10 PM EST on THE HISTORY CHANNEL
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Edited by Robert Morrow
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Robert Morrow

THE GUILTY MEN ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2004
Was LBJ Involved? | Historians to Settle JFK-LBJ Flap

Austin, Texas (AP) -- The History Channel has asked three historians to review the credibility of a
documentary it aired that claimed President Lyndon Johnson was involved in the Kennedy assassination.

Former Johnson staffers and family members have been demanding an independent investigation and a
retraction of the allegations in the documentary. History Channel executives said they will broadcast
results of their review.

“We appreciate the decision by The History Channel to appoint three outstanding historians to investigate the accusations,” said Tom Johnson, chairman of the LBJ Foundation and no relation to the former
president.

He called the allegations in the documentary reprehensible and said Johnson
family and former staff members will cooperate fully with the investigation.

The History Channel aired the documentary, “The Guilty Men,” in November as one of several programs
exploring conspiracy theories surrounding President Kennedy’s death. President Johnson was Kennedy’s
vice president at the time of the assassination.

Former aides to Johnson, along with former presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and President
Johnson’s widow, Lady Bird Johnson, sought an independent probe of the claims.

“Nothing is more important to The History Channel than the integrity of our programming,” Dan Davids,
executive vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “We take their concerns about
historical accuracy and fairness very seriously and are taking appropriate action.”

Davids said the station is “deeply saddened that we have caused discomfort to the former First Lady, Mrs.
Johnson and her family.”

Lady Bird Johnson, 91, who does not speak clearly since a 2002 stroke, was unavailable for comment.
But in a letter to the television executives she described her distress over the allegations.

“It saddens me beyond words that such an outrageous charge without foundation
could be aired when the men so libeled can no longer defend themselves,” the letter said.
-- Television disclaimer shown on ABC News, 2:46 P.M.; November 22, 1963
The historians reviewing the allegations are authors Robert Dallek, considered an authority on the
presidency; Stanley Cutler, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin and a leading authority on 20th
century American political and constitutional history; and Thomas Sugrue, an award-winning teacher
and author at the University of Pennsylvania.
-- Johnson leaving Parkland Hospital after the shooting in Dallas…
Executives from A&E Television Networks, which owns the History Channel, met last week with Tom
Johnson; Larry Temple, president of the LBJ Foundation; journalist Bill Moyers; and Jack Valenti, head
of the Motion Picture Association of America.

The program was based in part on a book published in 2003 by Barr McClellan, who claims the law firm
he quit a quarter-century ago was involved in convoluted plots that link Johnson to at least 11 deaths,
including President Kennedy’s. The Associated Press. Copyrighted 2004. All rights reserved.
The controversial film that was banned from the History Channel!
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [MISSING] Final Chapter
A NIGEL TURNER film EXCLUSIVE produced especially for THE HISTORY CHANNEL C. 2003
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday, November 17, 2003 10 PM EST on THE HISTORY CHANNEL
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

THE GUILTY MEN| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2004 Larry Fine, Reuters
Was LBJ Involved? | History Channel withdraws show on JFK conspiracy

NEW YORK (REUTERS) – The History Channel apologized and said it was withdrawing a controversial documentary aired last November that accused former President Lyndon B. Johnson of complicity in the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

A statement from The History Channel said The Guilty Men program had “failed to offer viewers context and perspective.”
“The show wasn’t vetted as properly and thoroughly as it should have been,” station General Manager Dan Davids told Reuters.

“The History Channel apologizes to its viewers and to Mrs. Johnson and her family for airing the show.”

The History Channel said the documentary was withdrawn from home video sales and would no longer be broadcast on the network. Davids said the station would also strengthen it review procedures, especially of controversial shows.

“The Guilty Men,” the ninth episode of The Men Would Killed Kennedy series was produced by Briton Nigel Turner. It centered on the theory of author Barr McClellan, a former lawyer in a firm that represented Johnson, in his book Blood, Money & Power: How LBJ Killed JFK. His book was published by Hannover House last October.

The documentary, shown in the week of the 40th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, caused a storm of protest from prominent veterans of the Johnson administration, including broadcaster Bill Moyers and Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America.

In response, The History Channel assembled three historians to review the show. They slammed the LBJ conspiracy theory as “entirely unfounded” and concluded that the documentary should not have been broadcast in the first place.

The historians are presenting their findings in a one-hour discussion on The History Channel on Wednesday night.

“The History Channel accepts the criticisms of these historians,” Davids said. “We have a great responsibility (to our viewers) and this time we did not live up to it.”

Book author McClellan, interviewed on the documentary program, said he tried to cooperate with the reviewing panel by sending them material but never heard back from them.

“It doesn’t seem as if they treated the subject fairly at all,” McClellan said in a telephone interview Wednesday from his home in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Reuters News Service: April 7, 2004 19:06 ET

The controversial film that was banned from The History Channel!
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [MISSING] Final Chapter
A NIGEL TURNER film EXCLUSIVE produced especially for THE HISTORY CHANNEL C. 2003
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday, November 17, 2003 10 PM EST on THE HISTORY CHANNEL
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Robert Morrow

||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2004
Was LBJ Involved? | EX-PRESIDENTS, WIDOW WANT JFK FILM PROBE
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – Two former presidents and the widow of Lyndon B. Johnson are calling on the History Channel to investigate a documentary it aired alleging President Johnson was involved in the Kennedy assassination.

Lady Bird Johnson said the film “falsely and irresponsibly” accuses her husband of conspiring to kill President Kennedy.

No accusation made against Johnson “has hurt as painfully,” the 91-year-old former first lady said in a Jan. 29 letter. Her husband died in 1973.

Copies of her letter were sent to the chief executives of three companies that own A&E Networks, which included the History Channel. The letters went to Bob Wright of NBC, Victor Ganzi of Hearst Corp. and Michael Eisner of the Walt Disney Co.

Former presidents Ford and Carter also sent letters citing the documentary, “The Guilty Men,” which aired last November as part of a series of History Channel specials on the Nov. 22, 1963 assassination.

Ford, noting he was the last surviving member of the Warren Commission that determined Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing Kennedy, called the History Channel documentary “reprehensible.”

Alleging that Johnson, as Kennedy’s vice-president, was part of a conspiracy to murder him is “the greatest, most damaging accusation ever made against a former vice-president and president in American history,” Ford, 90, wrote in his Jan. 23 letter.

The letters were released Monday to the Associated Press by Tom Johnson, chairman of the LBJ Foundation and a representative of the Johnson family.

“We don’t comment on correspondence with our chief executive officer,” said Hearst spokesman Paul Luthringer, and calls to NBC and Disney were not immediately returned.

Tom Johnson said he and three other former Johnson aides planned to meet Wednesday with executives of the History Channel and A&E Television Networks to press for an investigation and for its findings to be made public.

Nickolas Davatzes, president of A&E Television Networks, was expected to take part, History Channel Lynn Gardner said Tuesday.

Other Johnson aides scheduled to participate are Jack Valenti, now head of the Motion Picture Association of America; journalist Bill Moyers (formerly Johnson’s press secretary); and attorney Larry Temple.

“I’m puzzled, bewildered, that a distinquished enterprise like the History Channel would put on the air such garbage, such ugliness,” Valenti said in November. “It makes one sick.”

Fox News Service, Tuesday, February 3, 2004 -- Designed by INQUESTFORTRUTH.

The controversial film that was banned from the History Channel!
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [MISSING] Final Chapter
A NIGEL TURNER film EXCLUSIVE produced especially for THE HISTORY CHANNEL C. 2003
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday, November 17, 2003 10 PM EST on THE HISTORY CHANNEL
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2004
Was LBJ Involved? | EX-PRESIDENTS, WIDOW WANT JFK FILM PROBE
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – Two former presidents and the widow of Lyndon B. Johnson are calling on the History Channel to investigate a documentary it aired alleging President Johnson was involved in the Kennedy assassination.

Lady Bird Johnson said the film “falsely and irresponsibly” accuses her husband of conspiring to kill President Kennedy.

No accusation made against Johnson “has hurt as painfully,” the 91-year-old former first lady said in a Jan. 29 letter. Her husband died in 1973.

Copies of her letter were sent to the chief executives of three companies that own A&E Networks, which included the History Channel. The letters went to Bob Wright of NBC, Victor Ganzi of Hearst Corp. and Michael Eisner of the Walt Disney Co.

Former presidents Ford and Carter also sent letters citing the documentary, “The Guilty Men,” which aired last November as part of a series of History Channel specials on the Nov. 22, 1963 assassination.

Ford, noting he was the last surviving member of the Warren Commission that determined Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing Kennedy, called the History Channel documentary “reprehensible.”

Alleging that Johnson, as Kennedy’s vice-president, was part of a conspiracy to murder him is “the greatest, most damaging accusation ever made against a former vice-president and president in American history,” Ford, 90, wrote in his Jan. 23 letter.

The letters were released Monday to the Associated Press by Tom Johnson, chairman of the LBJ Foundation and a representative of the Johnson family.

“We don’t comment on correspondence with our chief executive officer,” said Hearst spokesman Paul Luthringer, and calls to NBC and Disney were not immediately returned.

Tom Johnson said he and three other former Johnson aides planned to meet Wednesday with executives of the History Channel and A&E Television Networks to press for an investigation and for its findings to be made public.

Nickolas Davatzes, president of A&E Television Networks, was expected to take part, History Channel Lynn Gardner said Tuesday.

Other Johnson aides scheduled to participate are Jack Valenti, now head of the Motion Picture Association of America; journalist Bill Moyers (formerly Johnson’s press secretary); and attorney Larry Temple.

“I’m puzzled, bewildered, that a distinquished enterprise like the History Channel would put on the air such garbage, such ugliness,” Valenti said in November. “It makes one sick.”

Fox News Service, Tuesday, February 3, 2004 -- Designed by INQUESTFORTRUTH.

The controversial film that was banned from the History Channel!
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [MISSING] Final Chapter
A NIGEL TURNER film EXCLUSIVE produced especially for THE HISTORY CHANNEL C. 2003
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday, November 17, 2003 10 PM EST on THE HISTORY CHANNEL
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Robert Morrow

They killed the story. Then The History Channel buried it.
Lyndon Johnson Aides Angry at History Channel JFK Documentary

AP Wire Service: 01/03/04 “JFK Conspiracy Show Sparks Outrage" / AP Wire Service: 02/05/04 “LBJ Widow, Ex-Presidents Demand Film Probe”
AP Wire Service: 02/08/04 “History Channel Mulls JFK Film Investigation" / AP Wire Service: 02/14/04 “Historians to Settle LBJ-JFK Flap”
AP Wire Service: 04/02/04 “History Channel to Air LBJ Rebuttal" / AP Wire Service: 04/07/04 “History Channel Withdraws JFK Conspiracy Show”

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 | Associated Press

Hollywood --- A television documentary claiming Lyndon B. Johnson help plot the Kennedy
assassination was condemned as an absurd smear by Johnson’s family and former
staff members.

A History Channel film that aired Monday alleges that then-Vice President Johnson
and members of his staff were responsible for President Kennedy’s 1963 killing,
said LBJ Foundation Chairman Tom Johnson, no relation to the former president.

“I do not know of a greater injustice to the reputation of a former president – especially
to be on the History Channel,” Tom Johnson, who worked in the Johnson White House,
said in an interview Tuesday.

He and Jack Valenti, another former Johnson staff member and current president of the
Motion Picture Association of America, issued a joint statement on behalf of the Johnson
family and others.

“Sadly, President Johnson and the staff members who are wrongly smeared by the
conspiracy theorists are no longer alive to defend themselves,” the statement said. “In
televising this production, the History Channel has distorted history beyond recognition.”

The latest program aired as part of an umbrella series titled, “The Men Who Killed
Kennedy,” a package of documentaries about various conspiracy theories regarding
Kennedy’s death, said channel spokeswoman Lynn Gardner.

The films in “The Men Who Killed Kennedy” series are from producer Nigel Turner and
have aired before on cable TV, channel spokeswoman Gardner said.
--Z frame 312; 1/18th. of a second before head impact.

Monday’s film, titled “The Guilty Men,” was based in part on the book, “Blood, Money &
Power: How L.B.J. Killed J.F.K.” by Barr McClellan, she said.

“The History Channel does not say that any of these theories are correct nor does not in
any way say that the theory in this program is correct,” the channel said in the statement.
“We are, however, presenting a point of view that has been meticulously researched.

“By presenting different viewpoints we enable our viewers to decide to agree or disagree
with them and to arrive at their own conclusions,” the channel said. [ Please turn over... ]
Now see the film banned from the History Channel… you decide!
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [Missing] Final Chapter
A Special History Channel Presentation in Conjunction with the Fortieth Anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday NOVEMBER 17, 2003 10 PM 9 CENTRAL ONLY on THE HISTORY CHANNEL
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT A NIGEL TURNER FILM. PRODUCED by NIGEL TURNER for THE HISTORY CHANNEL
Was LBJ Involved? |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| November 22, 1963 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Lyndon Johnson Aides Angry at… Et tu, Lyndon?

Kennedy was shot in Dallas on November 22, 1963. The Warren Commission concluded
Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole assassin, but claims of more extensive plots continue to
fascinate the public.

“I’m puzzled, bewildered, that a distinguished enterprise like the History Channel would
put on the air such garbage, such ugliness,” Valenti said in an interview. “It makes one
sick.”

Another former LBJ aide, journalist Bill Moyers, hadn’t seen the program but called its
premise “absurd,” Liz Carpenter, who was press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson, called
the program “outrageous.”

Attorneys were being consulted but it was unknown if any legal action could be taken,
Tom Johnson said.

The documentary was “exceptionally upsetting” to Johnson’s widow, who recently suffered
a stroke, and daughters Luci and Lynda, Tom Johnson said. President Johnson died in
1973. -- Johnson leaving Parkland after the shooting in Dallas...

The family did not try to block the program’s broadcast as in the case of organized
Republican efforts against CBS’ “The Reagans,” Tom Johnson said. The Reagan drama was
shifted to cable channel Showtime and is showing November 30.

“We left the decision on editorial content and accuracy up to the History Channel,” Tom
Johnson said. Broadcast two times only... the film that was banned from the History Channel!
Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. | Was Lyndon B. Johnson involved?

Copyright 2003 Comstock, Inc., and FoxNews.com | The LBJ story they didn’t want you to see!
Whitewash? AP Wire Service: 04/02/04 “History Channel Schedules Program Rebutting Assassination Claims Against President Johnson”
Cover-up? AP Wire Service: 04/08/04 “LBJ Aides Laud TV Show Rejecting Claim of LBJ Involvement in JFK Assassination ‘Victory for Truth’”

BLOOD, MONEY & POWER: How LBJ Killed JFK DVD program rating: 10 – 10 picture. 10 – 10 audio. DIGITAL
By Barr McClellan | C. 2003 Hannover House Feature Running Time: Approx. 46 Minutes / Color / Digitally Mastered
“He who gains most advantage from a crime is most likely to have committed it” – The Roman playwright, Seneca
Note: As a direct result of the controversy in the showing of this program, The History Channel has since apologized to
Lady Bird Johnson and her family and will no longer air “The Guilty Men” program or make it available on home video.
| Copyright 2003 A&E Television Networks. All Rights Reserved. Cat No. AEE – 71255 DVD / Documentary / DVD was manufactured using the DVD+R format. |
WARNING: This film BANNED and no longer available from A&E Video | This program for personal viewing and is NOT FOR SALE.
DVD sleeve inserts designed by JIM FELICIANO The program content of this video was digitally transferred to the DVD+R format.
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Men Who Killed Kennedy THE GUILTY MEN The [Missing] Final Chapter
A NIGEL TURNER film EXCLUSIVE produced especially for THE HISTORY CHANNEL C. 2003
A HISTORY CHANNEL WORLD PREMIER TELEVISION EVENT Monday, November 17, 2003 10 PM EST on THE HISTORY CHANNEL
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Edited by Robert Morrow
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Robert Morrow

I don't believe I ever saw the history channel episodes on LBJ. Are they available somewhere, or viewable online?

Just keep searching for them on YouTube. It they get knocked off, they will re-appear later.

Watch "The Men Who Killed Kennedy - the Guilty Men - episode 9" at YouTube -

best video ever on the JFK assassination; covers well Lyndon Johnson's role

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember reading, I think in the History Channel's own online forums (the messages were removed), that Jimmy Carter had stated that he got involved and protested for "the sanctity of the Office of the President". Which, in retrospect, seems quite telling and may be the reason why no U.S. President has ever jumped on the "we should have a real investigation" bandwagon after or during his time in office. If it was accepted as fact that one President had been involved in the killing of his predecessor, where would that lead us? I'm for letting the dominos fall as they may, but it seems that our ex-Presidents don't feel that's a good idea.

That the "sanctity of The Office" trumps justice even in the extreme (assassination) is, to me, a disgusting statement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well it probably caused a "controversy" to, what I believe based on evidence, 'confuse & confound' the issue. The "LBJ did it!" issue simply is a talking point that serves that keeps relevant discussion and analysis at bay. So you basically spend another 50 years talking about how one lowly (by virtue of his position relting to the conspiracy before and after the fact), compromised, corrupt southern politician caused one of the most complex black operations in the history of the U.S....

Edited by B. A. Copeland
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...