News Archive - Dec 2008

LBJ Suspected Nixon of Treason

December 8, 2008: "This is treason," President Johnson told Senator Dirksen in one of the recently released LBJ phone calls, in reference to 1968 Republican candidate Richard Nixon's sabotaging of Vietnam peace talks. "I know," Dirksen replied." See an article in the Austin American-Statesman. The calls do not illuminate how LBJ learned of Nixon's behind-the-scenes manipulation of the South Vietnamese government's changing posture during the peace talks, but LBJ discussed it with top advisors including Dean Rusk and Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey. Allegations that Nixon used intermediary Anna Chennault to scuttle the peace talks, thereby aiding his narrow election victory over Humpthrey, have been previously written about in such books as Anthony Summers' The Arrogance of Power and Larry Berman's No Peace, No Honor: Nixon, Kissinger, and Betrayal in Vietnam (see review in Asia Times).

LBJ Library Releases Last Batch of Presidential Phone Calls

December 5, 2008: The LBJ Library has released the last set of Presidential phone calls, covering the period from May 1968 to Jan 1969 - see this Dallas Morning News article, this press release from the Library, and a page of highlights. Since it is known that LBJ used a taping system during his Vice-Presidency (the calls made in the immediate aftermath of the JFK assassination were done using this system), it is expected that Vice-Presidential recordings may be released by the LBJ Library in the future.