JUNE 13, 2012
FORMING A GOVERNMENT II
Knoxville, Tennessee (JFK+50) Today we continue our report of Chapter 9 of the book by Kenneth P. O'Donnell & David F. Powers with Joe McCarthy. It is published by Little, Brown & Company.
The title of Chapter 9 is FORMING A GOVERNMENT.
Kenneth O'Donnell says JFK's FIRST CHOICE for Attorney-General was Abraham Ribicoff, but he turned it down.
Ribicoff was concerned that the AG in a Kennedy administration would be responsible for enforcing desegregation in Southern schools.
He felt that the President as a Catholic & the Attorney General as a Jew would "not set well" with Southern Protestants in the enforcing of desegregation.*
*Abe Ribicoff did accept Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare.
Kenny writes that he & JFK then went on a visit to the LBJ RANCH.
After a busy day touring the ranch, LBJ announced at 9 p.m. that it was time for everyone to go to bed because they were all to get up at 5 a.m. the next morning to go deer hunting.
Kenny says that a "look of shock & anguish came over Kennedy's face."
The President-Elect asked LBJ if he was joking.
LBJ answered:
"Of course I'm not joking. You just can't leave this ranch without shooting a deer."
Well, reluctantly the next morning, JFK shot his deer. LBJ would later have it's head mounted & presented to President Kennedy. Johnson wanted it hung up in the Oval Office.
JFK ordered that it be put in the cellar "where nobody can see it." But LBJ was so insistent about it being displayed in a prominent place, JFK relented & had it put above the door to the Fish Room.
Kenneth O'Donnell says JFK's FIRST CHOICE for Attorney-General was Abraham Ribicoff, but he turned it down.
Ribicoff was concerned that the AG in a Kennedy administration would be responsible for enforcing desegregation in Southern schools.
He felt that the President as a Catholic & the Attorney General as a Jew would "not set well" with Southern Protestants in the enforcing of desegregation.*
*Abe Ribicoff did accept Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare.
Kenny writes that he & JFK then went on a visit to the LBJ RANCH.
After a busy day touring the ranch, LBJ announced at 9 p.m. that it was time for everyone to go to bed because they were all to get up at 5 a.m. the next morning to go deer hunting.
Kenny says that a "look of shock & anguish came over Kennedy's face."
The President-Elect asked LBJ if he was joking.
LBJ answered:
"Of course I'm not joking. You just can't leave this ranch without shooting a deer."
Well, reluctantly the next morning, JFK shot his deer. LBJ would later have it's head mounted & presented to President Kennedy. Johnson wanted it hung up in the Oval Office.
JFK ordered that it be put in the cellar "where nobody can see it." But LBJ was so insistent about it being displayed in a prominent place, JFK relented & had it put above the door to the Fish Room.
