Camelot Forever

[hcallega]

Camelot Forever

The reality is that while John F. Kennedy was a deeply flawed man and an imperfect President, the actions that he took made an incredible impact on the United States of America. His leadership, whether it be in Cuba, Vietnam, or the Soviet Union, set the tone for the next generation of American foreign policy. His actions at home on Civil Rights, poverty, and health care were equally monumental. Yet JFK is still a paradox. A man who inspired so many was almost constantly ill, and was at the very least a weak husband. But it is his flaws that make him human, and make him one of the most tangible Presidents in American history.
-Doris Kearns Goodwin, The Kennedy Legacy: Why Jack, Bobby, and Ted Still Matter


Over the years and decades since Jack Kennedy's Presidency, historians and academics have painted him as a romantic hero. The popularity of branding his time in the White House as some sort of American Camelot is a perfect example. But Kennedy was no King Arthur. Nor was Robert Kennedy Lancelot or Joe Kennedy Merlin. If anything, the term "Irish Mafia" best suits them. They were bullies who used manipulation and black-mail to get their way. For every so-called positive, there is an equal and far worse negative. The facade of Camelot, largely purported by Kennedy loyalists in academia such as Arthur Schelsinger and Ted Sorrensen, is just that: a facade. The reality is far darker, far deeper, and far less understood by the public at large.
-Pat Buchanan, Shadows Over Camelot: How the Irish Mafia Took Control of the White House and American Politics


"This is Walter Cronkite from our newsroom. There has been an attempt as you may know by now on the life of President Kennedy. He was wounded while driving from the Dallas Airport to downtown Dallas along with Governor Connally of Texas. They have been taken to Parkland Hospital where their condition is as of yet unknown. We have not been told their condition. At Dallas in the downtown hotel room, a group had been gathering to hear President Kennedy, to await his arrival. Let's switch down there now, where Eddie Barker of KRLD is on the air."
-Walter Cronkite, CBS News, November 22, 1963.


"President Kennedy was hit once in the upper arm. The bullet became logged in the humerus, and was removed upon his arrival at Parkland General Hospital. He is in serious but stable condition. Officer Clint Hill of the United States Secret Service was whot once in the head. He was pronounced Dead on Arrival upon reaching the Emergency Room. His family has been contacted. Governor Connally was struck in the chest by a single round, is in critical condition following two emergency surgeries. We will present more updates as information becomes available."
-Acting White House Press Secretary Malcolm Kilduff, evening of November 22, 1963.


"Well, I can remember Mr. Oswald walking quite briskly in my direction. We had been told to keep a look out for suspicious looking folks, that fella was pretty odd looking. His face was pale and he kept looking around. It could have been anybody, but when you hear that the President has been shot, as an Officer of the Law you have to be assertive. When Mr. Oswald didn't respond to my request to slow down so I could ask him some questions, I moved towards him at which point he reached for his pocket. At that point I drew my side arm and pushed him to the ground. I was able to restrain him and disarm him. I suppose it was just dumb luck that he happened to have been the shooter."
-Officer J.D. Tippit, Dallas Police Department, in an interview with Chet Huntley, December 12th, 1963.


"We need to get the President back to Washington as soon as possible. If this is some sort of international conspiracy, they're going to know he's here and come for him."

"Lyndon, I don't think it's safe for my husband to be flying in his condition. We should wait until the morning."

"Mam, we need to move him as soon as possible. So if that means tonight, then we go back to D.C. tonight. If that means tomorrow morning, than we go back tomorrow morning. Whatever Dr. Burkley says is what we'll do. Right now I'm the highest competent authority in this country, so we're going to do what I say."
-Vice-President Lyndon Johnson and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Evening, November 22, 1963.


From all I can tell, Jack is going all right. He got back into Washington at 3 o'clock this morning, which is plenty early but no one was asleep anyway. He's conscious and is in surprisingly good spirits. No one has told him about Agent Hill yet. Jack will want to call his widow right away, so I'll wait until he's gotten some sleep. Lyndon is staying in Dallas for the time being. The Secret Service said it wasn't safe for both the President and Vice-President to be on the same plane until we find out who was behind all of this. I'm glad to here Governor Connally is going to be all right. We don't need any more casualties in all of this. The nation has already been shocked. I just hope we can get some momentum from this.
-RFK's Journal. November 23, 1963.

[MRX]

Very interesting so far.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Oddly enough, Pat Buchanan is Irish.

[patrick1]

Oddly enough, Pat Buchanan is Irish.

Despite the name Patrick and being a traditionalist Catholic, Buchanan only has at most a quarter Irish ancestry.  Buchanan is a Scottish surname and his paternal ancestry has been in this country for several hundred years.

[Joe Republic]

Buchanan is a Scottish surname and his paternal ancestry has been in this country for several hundred years.

Ah, but you're forgetting America's favorite tradition of claiming to actually be Irish (as if it were a race) despite having a tenuous connection at best, and certainly never actually having ever been there.

[Mechaman]

Buchanan is a Scottish surname and his paternal ancestry has been in this country for several hundred years.

Ah, but you're forgetting America's favorite tradition of claiming to actually be Irish (as if it were a race) despite having a tenuous connection at best, and certainly never actually having ever been there.

^^^^
Quoted for truth.

That's why I always check American when it asks for ethnicity.

*waits for somebody to go on a rant about how checking American is something only Scot-Irish rednecks from Appalachia would do.*

[Mechaman]

Oddly enough, Pat Buchanan is Irish.

Not really odd at all.
He can criticize other Irish Americans without being contradictory.  If he believes that the Kennedy Family operated like the New York Mafia I see nothing wrong with him calling them the "Irish Mafia".  Besides, you forget the tendency for the Irish to fight amongst themselves.........oh yeah I went there.

[hcallega]

"We better make a statement on this. The American people aren't going to be too comfortable with their President being shot. That goes for Democrats and Republicans. I was thinking that tomorrow night, prime time, would be ideal."
"What day is tomorrow, Ted?"
"The 25th, Mr. President."
"Have you got a speech prepared? I'd like to look over it if you do."
"I have a few notes sketched out. It's not too difficult to deliver a good speech after you've been shot, no one expects much. Would you like to read it over now?"
"Yes. It might be easy for you to say it's easy. You don't have to deliver it."


"Today Lee Harvey Oswald was transferred from the Dallas Police Headquarters to the County Jail. There he will be held as he awaits the start of his trial for the attempted murder of President John F. Kennedy. In what is already being called the 'Trial of the Century', suspicions are already swarming about a possible conspiracy to assassinate the President. Federal District Court Judge Joseph Jefferson Fisher has announced that he wants to begin proceedings as soon as possible. In all likelihood, that means sometime early next year. Until then, there will be plenty of time for the public to speculate about Oswald's innocence, and possible outside factors at play."
-Walter Cronkite, CBS News, November 24th, 1963.


"Three days ago, a deranged man attempted to take my life. He was unsuccessful, and he will be punished according to federal law. It is easy to fall into anger, into fear. But we must not. The better angels of America must appear. We now know the power that one man, no matter how insignificant, holds in his hands. He has the power to maim and to kill, to end life. This is something we must live with. The power of man is immense, and we must always know what we are capable of."
-President John F. Kennedy, November 25th, 1963.


"United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy has appointed Dallas District Attorney Henry Wade to lead the prosecution against would-be assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Kennedy stated that 'Mr. Wade knows Dallas and the events surrounding this incident as well as anyone. I am certain that he will lead an arduous and fair prosecution.' In other news, President Kennedy is reportedly in good spirits and recovering nicely. He appeared in a sling during his prime time speech on the 25th, and is preparing for physical therapy in the near future."
-Associated Press, November 29th, 1963.


"So, as you all know, the topic of this meeting is NSAM 263 and Vietnam. First things first, I want to restate my support for the current timetable for withdrawal. Nothing I've seen so far points to any changes in South Vietnam's ability to win the war, which is obviously very concerning. But we have two choices: deploy ground troops, or start giving more responsibility to the Vietnamese Military. As of now I favor the second choice."
"Mr. President, if I may?"
"Yes Bob?"
"We cannot afford to lose South Vietnam. It will be a major victory to Peking and Moscow, something we cannot afford at this time. We also risk the rest of Southeast Asia, which in turn puts India and Pakistan into play. Then the entire Persian Gulf become a flash-point. It's the Domino Effect, and I for one don't believe we can take that risk."
"I understand Bob, and you I agree with your principles. But I'm also not willing to put boots on the ground in some jungle nation 10,000 miles away. You know, Schelsinger told me something I think applies here: 'When the troops arrive there will be bands and parades. But what happens after that?' I agree with that assessment. Unless we are ready for a long and drawn out ground war, I am not willing to keep our men in Vietnam."
"Mr. President, myself and I believe the majority of this group oppose deescalation."
"Ok Mac. Let's have a vote. All in favor of NSAM 263? Let's already count you as a no. Secretary McNamara?"
"Nay."
"General Taylor?"
"Nay."
"Mr. Harriman?"
"Nay."
"Mr. Ball?"
"Yea."
"Mr. Hillsman?"
"Yea"
"Mr. Forrestal?"
"Yea"
"Lyndon?"
"Nay"
"Bob?"
"Yea"
"Well, that was pretty indecisive. I guess that's why I'm the President. We'll continue with the plans to get 1,000 out by the end of the year. Also, we'll follow through with the rest of the plan. Mike, I want you to stay after we adjourn. You're gonna lead this next fact finding mission."
-Cabinet Meeting. December 5th, 1963.

[MRX]

Wonder how the coming election will turn out. Interesting how JFK asks LBJ his vote before his brother's.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Wonder how the coming election will turn out. Interesting how JFK asks LBJ his vote before his brother's.

Very good, I love it
I figure Kennedy was just asking around the table, though.