Camelot's Court: Inside the Kennedy White House (62 page)

judicial appointments, 251, 292

LBJ, 123–24, 168–70

McCone, 209, 217, 288–89, 292–93, 314, 318, 367, 368, 371, 374–77

McNamara, 71, 85, 86–89, 102, 126, 146, 149, 162, 179, 185, 216, 240, 245, 279, 282, 297, 298–99, 302, 310–11, 318, 328, 332, 333, 375, 386

as “a ministry of talent,” x, xii, 76, 126

model for managing, 27, 111–12

national security team, 67–76, 162, 222, 225–26, 409

O’Brien, 109, 112–14

O’Donnell, 42–43, 81, 109, 110–12, 226, 227, 317, 339, 351, 364, 369

Powers, 32, 109–10, 136, 144, 335

reliance on himself vs. advisers, x, 25, 27, 35, 58, 105, 111, 144, 149, 156–57, 187, 188–89, 279, 323, 432

Republicans among, 22, 76, 82, 85, 89, 102, 104, 116–17, 288

RFK as principal adviser, xi, 38–65, 67, 141, 142, 145–46, 173, 175, 279, 283, 318, 320, 321, 328, 333–34, 357, 373 (
see also
Kennedy, Robert “Bobby”)

Rostow, 91–93, 126, 136, 146, 164–65, 170–71, 229–30, 232, 234–36, 238, 243, 277–78, 279

Rusk, 97–101, 133, 139–40, 143, 150–51, 162, 179, 227–28, 240, 245, 279, 300, 302–3, 304, 323, 328–29, 333, 364, 371, 398

Salinger, 109, 110, 111, 114–16, 153, 203, 229

Schlesinger, 76, 81–83, 126, 136–37, 140–41, 142, 143, 146, 279–80, 288–89, 360, 389

Sorensen, x, 76, 80–81, 109, 126, 165–66, 177, 279, 302, 318, 323, 359–60

Stevenson, 94–95, 142–43, 211, 228, 301, 302, 308, 386

swearing in of, 126

Taylor, 157–58, 228, 232, 234, 235, 238, 239–40, 279, 284, 297, 298, 299, 305, 311, 315, 317–18, 346, 398, 400–401

Thompson, 311, 312, 313–14, 328, 333, 358, 367–68

Treasury Secretary candidates, 83, 116

White House staff, 108–16

women missing from, 104

Congressional years, 2

advantages of family, 4–6

congressional primary (1946), 37–38

as congressman, 13, 38

father’s ambitions and, 12–13

father’s influence and, 37–38

father’s money and, 4, 37–38, 42

Galbraith as adviser, 19, 21

Goodwin and, 130

interest in vice presidency (1956), 46–49

military service emphasized, 37

national exposure, working for Stevenson (1956), 50

O’Brien and, 112

O’Donnell and, 42

political connections and, 4, 37

reluctance to seek office, 12–13

Senate campaigns, 42–44, 112

as Senator, 14–15

Sorensen and, 78–79, 80

speechmaking, 36

domestic issues, xi, 106–8

backseat to national security, 17

campaign promises, 17–18

civil rights and racial issues, xi, 1, 60, 62, 107, 108, 122, 173–76, 205, 251, 258–59, 282–83, 291–92, 352–54, 402–3

convention acceptance speech and, 107

economy, 1, 20, 107, 116, 121

education, 107

FDR’s New Deal and, 18

health care, 107–8

legislative record, 335–36

lost national purpose and, 107

New Frontier, 19, 26, 251

poverty, 107

seniors, 107–8

space race, 177–80

State of the Union (1962), 251

steel industry and, 259–60

tax reform, 107, 108

unemployment, 107

foreign policy issues, x, xi, 105

anti-colonialism, 102–3, 159

Bay of Pigs and, xi, 133–56

Berlin and, 67, 180–86, 201–5, 221–29

Berlin Wall and, 225–26

Cold War, 16, 22, 78, 180–86, 177, 179, 190–200, 209, 212, 235–36, 243, 359–60, 382–83

containment of communism and, xi, 67, 96–97, 128, 169 (
see also specific issues
)

control of, from White House not State Department, 99, 103, 139

Cuba and Castro, 156–57, 213–21, 253–54, 331, 360–77, 383–90

Cuban missile crisis, 287–329

de Gaulle and, 186–89

Eisenhower and, 23–24

idealistic plan, 120

Inaugural Address and, 106

Khrushchev and, 194–200, 201, 210–11, 228–29, 246, 255

lack of clear agenda, 17

Laos, 23, 67, 158–60, 232, 233

Latin America and Alliance for Progress, 128, 130–31, 139, 167, 216, 252–53

“missile gap” and, 20, 67

national security organization and, 23

nuclear war concerns, xi, 1, 17, 67–68, 70, 72, 93, 105, 158, 185, 191, 201, 205, 207–13, 223, 363 (
see also
Cuban missile crisis)

prioritizing of, 16–17, 28, 106, 121, 260

response to the JSCP, 74

Soviet Union and, 105–6, 186–201

State of the Union address (1962) and, 251–52

test ban treaty and, 207–13, 255–57, 336, 356–60, 379–83

U. S. as defender of freedom and, 252

Vietnam, 160–67, 218, 229–49, 260–78, 280–87, 336–52, 390–419

presidency (
see also specific events
)

as activist president, 27–28

approval ratings, 258–59, 335, 373

assumptions about national defense, 88

as Camelot, 422

censorship of press, 141

close victory and response to narrow margin, 21–24, 105, 108

Congress and, 113–14

cynicism and, 2

decision-making, x, 25, 27, 35, 58, 105, 111, 112, 156–57, 422

de Gaulle meeting, 186–89

distrust of U.S. military establishment, 68–71, 149, 270, 381

first day in office, 127

first use of live televised press conferences and, 115–16, 127–28

“fog of uncertainty” beginning, 1–2

four-nation trip (1963), 391

Inaugural Address, 104–6, 126, 127, 130

LBJ as vice president and, 26–27, 114, 167, 245, 297, 353

leadership seen as weak, 198, 202, 203, 204, 222, 247, 254–55, 283, 292, 295

legislative agenda, 114

legislative record, 335–36

liberals and, 78, 79, 84, 94, 151, 153, 155, 251

Meredith’s enrollment in Ole Miss and, 282–83

moon landing and, 177–80

muzzling of military speechmakers, 71, 72

nationally televised address on West Berlin (July 25, 1961), 222–25

national security and, 177

Nixon meeting post-election, 22

Peace Corps and, 121, 128–30, 131

“peace speech,” 359–60, 380

political realities and policy, 247–48, 255, 273, 350

pressures of the job, 248–49

re-election plans, 335–36, 354, 377, 419

reporters, the media, and, 153, 205, 276, 277, 286, 292, 296, 337, 338–39, 393, 394–95, 412

sensitivity to “the soldier’s role,” 75

speech to Cuban exiles, 364–65

speech to joint session of Congress (May 25, 1961), 176–77

speechwriters for, 92, 251, 279–80 (
see also
Schlesinger, Arthur; Sorensen, Theodore)

State of the Union address (1962), 251

State of the Union address (1963), 342

transition plan and, 24

use of humor and, 1–2, 379

Vienna summit, 186–200, 210

youthfulness and, 2, 15

as yo-yo form of government, 71

presidential campaign, 16–21

campaign song, 15

The Catholic Question, 18–19, 54, 55

debate with Nixon, 20–21, 115

dirty tricks and, 56

exhaustion and, 2

father and, 3–4, 10, 50–51

funding and budget for, 54

Goodwin and, 130–31

health problems and, 11

image of youthful energy, 15

LBJ as running mate, 57–58, 102

liberals’ support and, 58, 81

“missile gap” and, 20

negative campaigning by, 19–20, 55–56

nomination fight, 52–57

O’Brien and, 113

Oregon primary, 104

RFK as campaign manager, 39, 51–61

Rostow and, 92

Salinger and, 114

Sorensen and, 80

start of, 50–51

television used by, 55

Texas and, 18–19

West Virginia primary, 17–18, 19, 54–55, 86

Wisconsin primary, 53–54, 86, 102

Wofford and, 120

Kennedy, Joseph P., Jr., 7, 9–10, 11, 36

Kennedy, Joseph P., Sr., 6–9, 31

as adviser to JFK, 35–36, 47

as ambassador to Britain, 7–8

character and personality, 44–45

on Dillon, 117

financing campaigns, 4, 36–37, 42

JFK’s presidential campaign, 50–51

Joe Jr.’s death and, 10

as Lovett booster, 84

political ambitions for JFK, 3–4, 10, 12–13, 37

political ambitions for Joe, Jr., 9, 10, 11

political views of, 43

quote on businessmen, 259

repairing his image, 36–37

reputation as Nazi appeaser and anti-Semite, 8, 57

RFK as “another able son,” 44

stroke of, 258

womanizing of, 29, 30

Kennedy, Kathleen, 39, 40

Kennedy, Patrick Joseph “P.J.,” 4

Kennedy, Robert “Bobby,” xi, 35–65, 38–65

anniversary party (1961), 207

anti-communism of, 44, 46, 142

appearance, 39

assassination of, 427

at
Boston Post
, 40

character and personality, 39, 40, 41, 44–45, 49, 51, 52, 61

childhood, 38–39

children of, 41

civil rights and, 60–61, 62, 122, 173, 175–76, 258, 353

family loyalty, 39

father and, 7

focus on domestic corruption, 45–46, 51, 111

foreign travel, 40

hardball approach of, 53–54, 59

at Harvard, 40

integrity of, 45

JFK’s congressional campaign and (1946), 40

JFK’s interest in vice presidency (1956) and, 46–49

JFK’s memory preserved by, 422, 426

JFK’s presidential campaign, 51–61

JFK’s Senate campaign, 42–44, 58

law school and degree, 40–41

as LBJ’s attorney general, 426–27

marriage to Ethel Skakel, 41

Martin Luther King, Jr. and, 60–61

Middle East-Asia trip (1951), 41

military service, 39

at Milton Academy, 39

morality and principles of, 60–61

national recognition (1957), 50

oral history interviews by, 427

presidential ambitions, 336

religious orthodoxy of, 39, 41

Senate seat won by (1964), 427

Soviet Union trip (1955), 46

Stevenson’s campaign (1956) and, 49–50

JFK’s presidency and

anti-Castro campaign, 215–17, 219–20, 253, 287, 301, 306, 365, 368, 370, 373, 376

appointed attorney general, 62–65

Bay of Pigs and, 137–38, 141, 145–46, 151, 152–53, 156–57

Bay of Pigs captives, commitment to, 364

Bay of Pigs failure study, 213

Bohlen, anger at, 312–13

Bowles and, 153–55, 369

on Bundy, 332–33

conflict among advisers and Vietnam, 401

Corbin and, 54, 56, 59

Cuban missile crisis and, 294, 296, 300–302, 305–7, 312–14, 318, 320, 321, 328, 329, 332–34, 361

Cuban policy softens, 386

on Dillon, 117

Dobrynin and, 333–34, 357, 361, 373

Fulbright appointment opposed, 96–97

Harriman and, 193

JFK bypasses as chief of staff, 61–62

on JFK’s health and strains of office, 248–49

on JFK’s opinion of Acheson, 204–5

as JFK’s principal adviser, xi, 38–65, 67, 141, 142, 145–46, 173, 175, 279, 283, 318, 320, 321, 328, 333–34, 357, 373

JFK’s reaction to Khrushchev and, 199

LBJ and, 45, 48, 56, 57–58, 175, 369

as manager of presidential transition, 61–62

Marshall and, 123

McCarthy and, 44–46

McCone and, 288

McNamara and, 85

Meredith’s enrollment in Ole Miss and, 282–83

nuclear test ban treaty and, 357

nuclear war fears and anti-Soviet position, 40

O’Donnell and, 111

Operation Mongoose, 215–17

pool party hijinks, 279

on Rusk, 300, 333

on Schlesinger, 82

Soviet Union and, 254

Stevenson and JFK’s post offers, 95

use of IRS and FBI to threaten opponents, 260

Vienna summit, JFK’s reaction and, 199

Vietnam and, 242, 399, 408, 416

Vietnam negotiated solution, 277

Vietnam statement to reporters, 266

Kennedy, Rose Fitzgerald, 6, 29, 31, 39

Kennedy, Rosemary, 39

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 125

Kennedy or Nixon
(Schlesinger), 81

Khrushchev, Nikita, 20

arms control and, 379

background, 189–90, 194–95

Berlin and, 181, 182, 185, 225–27, 228–29

Castro’s government and, 254

CIA profile, 189, 190

Cuba as obstacle to U.S.-Soviet relations and, 372, 374, 377, 383–84

Cuba missile buildup and, 292–93, 293, 294, 295, 298

Cuban missile crisis and, 304, 313, 314, 319–23, 325–29, 372

de Gaulle’s advice about, 187

disarmament treaty, 210

East Germany peace treaty and, 199–200

Harriman’s advice about, 194

JFK and, 189, 255, 373

JFK asks for public announcement on Soviet withdrawal from Cuba, 386

“kitchen debates,” 20, 197

Laos and, 159, 171

message to Bertrand Russell, 321, 323

nuclear test ban treaty and, 210–11, 255–57, 356–60, 380

nuclear war and, 191, 201, 223, 255

opinion of JFK, 190, 198

response to JFK address on West Berlin, 225

Rusk and, 380

speech on war of national liberation (1961), 166–67

Thompson as expert on, 313

at the U.N. (1956), 195

U.S. first strike concerns, 254

Vienna summit (1961), 194–200

Vietnam and, 170, 245, 246

“we will bury you” quote, 195

King, Coretta Scott, 60, 120–21

King, Martin Luther, Jr., 108, 175

JFK and release from jail, 60–61, 121

on JFK lacking “moral passion” for racial equality, 173, 292

Kissinger, Henry, 183, 184, 202

Kohler, Foy, 183

Komer, Robert, 231

Korean War, 42, 69, 70, 98, 128, 157, 247, 248, 262, 273

Kornbluh, Peter, 144

Krock, Arthur, 247, 413

Krulak, Victor H., 343, 346, 391, 392, 395, 396, 406–7

Kubitschek, Juscelino, 214

Kuznetsov, Vasily, 365–66

Lansdale, Edward, 161, 163, 216–20, 237, 253–54, 265, 280, 409