By the same token LBJ, ever the consummate political chameleon and 'chancer', may just have been sucking up the zeitgeist; the Civil Rights movement was unstoppable in any event. He knew supporting change in this area was key to his re-election in 1968, as well as providing him with extra ballast for his legacy, something that Johnson became increasingly obsessed with.
Ultimately though, there was little redemption for Number 36 on either fronts. At that point, the Vietnam War that was -- and always had been -- America's to lose and [lose] badly, had 'won out' in more ways than one. If nothing else the sheer political and financial cost of Vietnam meant that many of the Great Society programs stalled or weren't adequately implemented or supported. The attention that managing his "b*tch" progressively demanded, undermined further any level of priority Johnson might've otherwise accorded his domestic agenda, no matter how genuinely committed he might have been to it.
Although one might have never viewed LBJ as a man prone to regrets, much later after leaving the presidency and before he died, he did according to some folks, genuinely regret this outcome. Better late than never? Or too little, too late? One suspects the latter, a theme we shall return to shortly.
The Big Swinging Dicks of Texas
As we've established, at its 'simplest', the story goes that it was LBJ who ordered the Hit because he wanted JFK's gig. As we know, LBJ and those involved -- including his 'big swinging dick' Texas oilmen political patrons such as Clint Murchison, DH Byrd, and HL Hunt, and fellow plotters such as Edward Clark and Mac Wallace -- were very matter of fact about committing high treason, criminal conspiracy and assassination. For them it hardly mattered they were murdering their president. For his part Kennedy was just another obstacle in the way of their collective, unbridled ambitions.
Yet like anything to do with the JFK hit, it is not all that straightforward. Like JFK, LBJ also had a lot of skeletons in the closet, albeit decidedly more felonious. Even before his rise to the VP's job, the Feds, the mainstream media and even the Congress, his old stomping ground and normally friendly political territory -- were applying the blowtorch to the belly. In varying ways they were onto him for some of his numerous dodgy dealings in agricultural subsidy scams and defense contract kickbacks back in Texas amongst many other swindles and feloniously inspired deals. His past was catching up with him quickly and inexorably.
To illustrate, two of his closest, long-time cronies Bobby Baker and Billy Sol Estes were targets of various corruption investigations and intense media scrutiny. It was only a matter of time before they would be cornered, and in doing so [would] take down the VP with them. As Johnson was a direct -- albeit mostly arms length -- participant and beneficiary of these scams and back door deals, he knew this time it could well bring him undone.
This would especially be the case if either or both Baker and Sol Estes cut a deal to spare them some time in the joint. LBJ had no illusions they'd plea bargain, fingering him for sure; loyal acolytes to be sure, but not that loyal. Not even trusted fixer cum consigliore Edward Clark (of whom more later) would be able to save his ass from a long stretch on the Federal dime. To illustrate how fine LBJ 'cut his cloth' here, it's notable that Congressional investigations into Sol Estes' and Baker's dodgy dealings were taking place in real time just as JFK's brains were being turned into minced meat in Dallas.
Of course once he took the Oval Oath, LBJ made it the first order of business to shut down these committees. Even more ominously for Johnson, any continuance of them might open up a Pandora's Box by revealing his by now well-documented complicity in several murders that took place as a result of attempts to cover up these scams, and for which -- by most highly credible accounts -- he (LBJ) had given the final nod. It would be game over for the VP, his boyhood dream of making it to the White House quickly morphing into a nightmare trip to a rectangular 12x8x10 steel and concrete 'office' in the Big House instead, with prison authorities promptly 'losing the key' to his newly acquired accommodation.
This scenario was not going to happen on the Veep's watch. On this he was resolute. Usurping the presidency was the only game in town if he was to head off various investigations and beat the rap that would almost certainly follow if he didn't act. LBJ was also aware that JFK and RFK were working to fuel the investigations into his dodgy past partly as payback for him effectively blackmailing Jack to nominate him as his VP in the 1960 election. At the very least they were determined not to include him on the VP ticket in 1964. At this stage of the game LBJ had nothing to lose.
As indicated though, there was no love lost between LBJ and RFK, and Jack himself was decidedly unimpressed with his VP's performance, especially his failure in utilizing his undoubted legislative skills and conniving, political arm-twisting propensities ('The Treatment' as it was affectionately known on the Hill), and Senate connections in helping him (JFK) achieve his political and/or legislative goals. Both the Kennedys suspected (rightly as it turned out) that Johnson was deliberately dragging the chain and using his well-connected power base both inside and outside the Senate to stonewall JFK's legislative agenda.
It is fair to say though they didn't fully appreciate LBJ's reasons behind, and motives for, such underhanded, treacherous shenanigans. Not until it was too late. For both of them.
End Part One (of Two Parts).
To Be Continued....
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