Ron Bulman Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, W. Niederhut said: Kirk, To what extent was LBJ an idealist? It's an interesting question. My take is heavily influenced by studying Phillip Nelson's two books* on the subject, which paint a very dismal portrait of LBJ as a deeply disturbed narcissist and sociopath-- a man who would do, literally, anything to acquire power and public acclaim. Apparently, LBJ never shrank from blatant sycophancy, stuffing ballet boxes, accepting kickbacks, manipulating agencies, bribery, threats, and even murdering people to ascend to the highest public office in the land. Mr. Caddy and others are far more familiar with the sordid details of LBJ's history than I am, including the allegations of Billy Sol Estes, et.al. If LBJ was, in fact, a narcissist and a sociopath, his promotion of JFK's domestic political agenda-- including the Civil Rights Act-- after 11/22/63 was most likely based not on idealism, but on his assessment of his own political self-interest. My hunch is that he was willing to antagonize Richard Russell and his old Dixiecrat Congressional colleagues in 1964 because he knew that he needed to woo the liberal majority of the Democratic Party to get re-elected. Perhaps he was also anxious to minimize any suspicion of his involvement in JFK's assassination-- in the same way that he carefully insisted that he had not altered JFK's Vietnam policy. Of course, the end result of his machinations was the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Great Society legislation. He did good. As I said above, I would file this one under, "God works in strange ways." As for JFK's relationship with the VP Bobby called, "Colonel Cornpone," Nelson depicts JFK as being cordial but wary of Lyndon. I recall an anecdote from Nelson's books in which LBJ is hanging around the White House, and JFK worriedly asks Bobby, "What is Lyndon doing here?" * https://www.amazon.com/LBJ-Mastermind-JFK-Assassination/dp/B00BAFOTXI/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Phillip+Nelson&qid=1625617396&s=books&sr=1-1 https://www.amazon.com/LBJ-Mastermind-Colossus-Phillip-Nelson/dp/1628736925/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=Phillip+Nelson&qid=1625617435&s=books&sr=1-10 W, that is probably the best synopsis on LBJ I've read. Not that I'm and expert on him. I was once proud as a kid that the President was from my home state. Little did I know. I have and have read Mastermind, and a little more on him, but not Colossus. He was a narcissist, sociopath and racist. I don't have your credentials by any stretch, just an undefined interest as a Major starting Junior College in Psych/Sociology before changing to management. Thus maybe five or six courses in the subjects eventually before graduation. But, for what it's worth, I firmly believe your spot on. I argued with Jeff Morley some years ago on his website that LBJ's passing of JFK's work on civil rights in particular was self serving. I believe it's in Nelson's book I read of LBJ chunking rocks at "his" swimming hole to run the blacks off. That to me was also self serving, and illustrative of his perspectives from early on. Regarding voting rights, Blacks voted almost exclusively Democrat at the time. Passing the act would help him get re elected, as would civil rights, and more. I do believe LBJ was informed in advance of what was to happen. So he wouldn't freak out and so he would be prepared to cooperate with the cover up immediately. It's not impossible his connections in Dallas were used. E.G. Wade, his appointed Judge Sarah T. Hughes ready and waiting to swear him in, with a smile on his part. It is disconcerting thinking of him as opposed to our most recent ex president. If LBJ grew up in NYC with a rich daddy might the last four years have happened in the 1960's? Where might we be now? Edited July 7, 2021 by Ron Bulman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James DiEugenio Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 We will be reviewing the New York Magazine piece of crud. And also the Rothmiller sci fi piece. Only at Kennedys andKing.com Who else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Gallaway Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 On 7/3/2021 at 5:03 PM, Pete Mellor said: The centre spread of todays 'Daily Mail' in the U.K. (July 3rd) has more Anti-Kennedy Nonsense claiming:- A Los Angeles policeman (Mike Rothmiller) says an ultra-secret Police Department file names JFK's brother Bobby Kennedy as the killer of Marilyn Monroe-and actor Peter Lawford confessed to the cop that he watched the murder unfold. Yeah Pete, My son sent me that this morning. This guy waits 40 years to come out with a book saying Peter Lawford confesses that Bobby poisoned Marilyn Monroe. Hyeahh! Apparently this last photo taken of John Lennon and Paul Mac Cartney together was also taken at Peter Lawford's Malibu house by May Pang in 1974. Lennon rented the house from Lawford in his "Lost summer" in L.A. or whatever you call it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James DiEugenio Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 (edited) BTW on Rothmiller, we have the guy who on that who I think is the best on the MM stuff, Don McGovern. He really knows that field. He and I will be doing a co written review of the new Mark Shaw book. Edited July 7, 2021 by James DiEugenio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela Brown Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 Kirk Galloway said, "This guy waits 40 years to come out with a book saying Peter Lawford confesses that Bobby poisoned Marilyn Monroe." For what reason is RFK yet again placed at the center of the death of MM? And after all this time? I sensed, when I was pushed up against his car in SF just before he was killed that there was or is something I need to do, and maybe getting to the bottom of this is it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Bauer Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 10 hours ago, James DiEugenio said: BTW on Rothmiller, we have the guy who on that who I think is the best on the MM stuff, Don McGovern. He really knows that field. He and I will be doing a co written review of the new Mark Shaw book. JD, I don't recall reading or hearing your radio interviews where you mention anything regards the Dorothy Kilgallen story. I await your review of Mark Shaw's latest book. Besides the MM theories, to what extent do you feel Kilgallen was murdered and by those truly connected to JFK's killing in Dallas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Allison Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 Seems like a good time to point out that accusing famous people of murdering other famous people is the height of intellectual laziness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James DiEugenio Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 (edited) Good one Matt. Joe, I reviewed both of Shaw's books on Kilgallen. I thought the first one was Ok, I thought the second one was pretty much a waste of paper. He could have said everything he had to say that was new in an essay. What Shaw does with the MM case is fundamentally ludicrous. Bobby Kennedy was not in LA . And the photographs produced by the late Sue Bernard proves this. Shaw clearly does not know very much about the case so he does not even know how to match up photographs in space or time. Edited July 8, 2021 by James DiEugenio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Bauer Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 6 minutes ago, James DiEugenio said: "Joe, I reviewed both of Shaw's books on Kilgallen. I thought the first one was Ok ..." Okay in what way if you could explain? You obviously feel that Kilgallen was indeed murdered. Would you consider that whoever did murder her was or was not connected in anyway to those who killed JFK? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James DiEugenio Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 No one can answer that question Joe. Simply because there was no inquiry into her death. Not even an inquest. The work that Sara Jordan and Lee Israel did, which is where Shaw's first book came from, would seem to indicate Ron Pataky. But I think its too late for that, and Ron might even be dead by now. https://kennedysandking.com/john-f-kennedy-reviews/was-dorothy-kilgallen-murdered-over-the-jfk-case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Mellor Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 18 hours ago, Kirk Gallaway said: Yeah Pete, My son sent me that this morning. This guy waits 40 years to come out with a book saying Peter Lawford confesses that Bobby poisoned Marilyn Monroe. Hyeahh! Apparently this last photo taken of John Lennon and Paul Mac Cartney together was also taken at Peter Lawford's Malibu house by May Pang in 1974. Lennon rented the house from Lawford in his "Lost summer" in L.A. or whatever you call it. Kirk, 'Lost weekend'. Ah, happy daze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela Brown Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 6 hours ago, James DiEugenio said: Good one Matt. Joe, I reviewed both of Shaw's books on Kilgallen. I thought the first one was Ok, I thought the second one was pretty much a waste of paper. He could have said everything he had to say that was new in an essay. What Shaw does with the MM case is fundamentally ludicrous. Bobby Kennedy was not in LA . And the photographs produced by the late Sue Bernard proves this. Shaw clearly does not know very much about the case so he does not even know how to match up photographs in space or time. Where may we find this photo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James DiEugenio Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 I decided to do a full scale takedown on Chait. God was this bad. But it helps him keep his job. I mean who cares about research and accuracy? How many of you knew that RFK filed charges agains the Sec of Education in Louisiana? Chait didn't. How many of you knew the Kennedys were building a school district from scratch in Virginia since the state would not finacnce Prince Edward, a predominantly African American district. Chait didn't. And on and on. This is what passes for scholarship in the MSM on JFK. https://kennedysandking.com/john-f-kennedy-articles/jonathan-chait-meets-michael-kazin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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