EARLY SUICIDE BOMBER

Toledo Blade ^ | November 21, 2003 | Robin Erb

[JesseHousman]

In 1960, Richard Pavlick drove his 1950 Buick to Florida and wired it with dynamite to blow up John F. Kennedy.

On a bright Sunday morning nearly 43 years ago, a ramshackle Buick crept through the posh streets of Palm Beach, Fla., toward a sprawling, Mediterranean-style mansion.

[JesseHousman]

... he was not someone acting with "random impulse. He had planned the assassination with care."

Had Mr. Kennedy been killed, Lyndon B. Johnson would have been sworn in as president in January, 1961.

I had forgotten about this pre-innaguration incident.

[martin_fierro]

[buffyt]

Gee, I don't remember hearing about this at all back when it happened. But we were at the 6th floor of the Book Depository in Dallas in July... and they had many articles there about all the death threats Kennedy received while president. Growing up in Okla. I was not aware that he was so hated. I grew up in a very conservative Democrat family - yes there were conservative Dems back then - and we respected the president. Never heard a bad word about him till after he was killed.

[RonHolzwarth]

Let's all save our hatred for the ballot box!

Deal?

[steplock]

It's a shame he didn't decide to go after Johnson instead - and then we probably would NOT have had Vietnam, the "un-great society" and other welfare garbage we have today.

btw ... I even had a dimocrat try to tell me last week that Johnson was actually a republican! Still trying to re-write history when they get caught!

.

[ikka]

Pavlick confessed, according to authorities and to Mr. Baughman. Ultimately found incompetent to stand trial, he was sent to a federal mental institution and later - after Kennedy was killed - to a New Hampshire facility.

...

A New Hampshire newspaper took up his cause and Pavlick was released in 1966, having never stood trial.

The Kennedy's were worse in this case than anything that Ashcroft has ever done. Putting someone away for 5 years without trial? Without him actually doing anything to harm the president? In those days it was not illegal to own dynamite (right now you can own dynamite but it is very restricted and you need all kinds of licenses).

[Dick Vomer]

Uhhhhh...... "Camelot" never did occur.... it's more bull spread by the libs.... Kennedy cheated on his wife, used more narcs/amphetamines than Rush but was cannonized by the liberal rump licking media.... so the "Camelot" myth continues.

Yawnnnnn...ok now what is my memory of American History.....as told by the libs...

Kennedy =good,
Nixon= bad,
Ford =clumsy,
Reagan= dumb and mean,
Bush Sr.= whimp,
Clinton =greatest political mind, genius and compassionate,
Bush Jr.= dumb (takes after Reagan) right wing Nazi, vote cheater, and oh dumberer.

yep that's about it.... oh yeah, I forgot... America = bad,

anything socialist, communist, environmentalis European, gay, = GOOD...

Yep, I've got all the info I need. What a relief!

[JesseHousman]

Thanks for posting the pix. I scanned and (I thought) correctly formatted for posting to the article, but they didn't post properly so I gave up.

[JesseHousman]

I like these ratings best:

Calvin Coolidge (****). Totally unappreciated now, his revenue acts of 1924-26 sharply reduced income, inheritance and gift taxes and most excise taxes from World War I, freeing up private investment to produce a booming prosperity. Immigration quota cut to 150,000 yearly. Gutsy veto of veterans' bonus (but here I disagree). Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact renouncing war was an idealistic effort that may, God willing, someday be re-kindled.

Herbert Hoover (no stars). A superb individual but as president, awful. Totally failed to confront the Great Depression; worsened it with Smoot Hawley tariff from which a global trade war ensued. London Naval Treaty gave impetus to Japan to increase its navy, which started a naval arms race ending in World War II.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (No Stars). Jaunty salesmanship, rhetorical spins instilled confidence that was important for the nation after Hoover, with Social Security and other social legislation needed; but higher taxes (a jump from 3.5 percent in 1933 to 6.9 percent in 1940) worsened things. Even with workfare, joblessness never dipped below 14 percent until WW II. Failure to anticipate Pearl Harbor despite our goading Japan to war was a grave error; gullible belief in "Uncle Joe" Stalin produced a Cold War legacy that lasted almost two generations.

Harry Truman (*). Better than expected but despite myth-makers, not great. Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO saved Europe but bungling that produced the loss of China to communism stays with us yet. Korean War "police action" unnecessary, caused by Dean Acheson's well-publicized failure to include South Korea in our defense perimeter. Unparalleled domestic scandals, internal revenue fixes, red infiltration certified by Venona papers documentation; unconstitutional seizure of steel mills mar his record.

Dwight Eisenhower (***). Bringing peace to Korea by letting it lay there festing for another generation to contend with, working with John Foster Dulles to keep the peace via Eisenhower Doctrine by walking the brink, yet avoiding dangerous excursions. Early civil rights effort at Little Rock a needed step. Bad Supreme Court appointments of Earl Warren and William J. Brennan led to runaway activist court, a problem that bedevils us today.

John F. Kennedy (*). Charisma aside, the Bay of Pigs with JFK shrinking from use of air cover was the most reckless gaffe in foreign policy history, which his exemplary Cuban Missile Crisis negotiation didn't erase, leading to humiliation with Khrushchev, face-saving Vietnam buildup to show "manhood." But tax cut of $10 billion, puny by today's standards, spurred prosperity and is cited today by GOP supply-siders (but some Republicans opposed it then as "the biggest gamble in history").

Lyndon B. Johnson. (no stars). Disastrous Vietnam expedition and ineffective "war on poverty" helped the poor marginally, spurred unrealistic expectations, prompting widespread urban discontent. Richard Nixon (*). Ineffective handling of economy, implementing of more intrusive government and the Watergate scandal. Only saving grace: the "journey of peace" to China.

Gerald Ford (**). A brave but politically disastrous pardoning of Nixon; Helsinki agreement eased East-West tensions; Mayaguez Incident where U.S. forces rescued vessel and all 39 crewmen from Cambodian pirates. His "Whip Inflation Now" plan fizzled.

Jimmy Carter (no stars). Ineptitude: no saving grace.

Ronald Reagan (****). Stunning economic success: taxes cut by 25 percent across the board; top marginal tax rate slashed from 70 to 50 percent, while Fed tight-money approach stifled inflation. Joblessness grew at first, then 5 million new businesses and 20 million new jobs were created, unleashing prosperity. He ignored deficits to grant defense buildup by more than 50 percent. His SDI wins the Cold War in estimate of Alexander Bessmertnykh, former USSR foreign minister; bold strategy leading to overthrow of USSR.

George H.W. Bush (*). Nicaragua victory with fall of Sandinistas. Some good Supreme Court appointments. Broken pledge on tax hikes a disaster. Economy dipped, started to pick up, but he gets no credit for it.

Bill Clinton (no stars). Good economy a Bush legacy but overshadowed by weak foreign policy, vacillating defense, impeachment.

George W. Bush. (***, incomplete). Superb leadership qualities; anti-terrorism program guts, but Iraq remains to be seen. Tax cuts starting to work, producing beginnings of prosperity.

[skinkinthegrass]

Kennedy =good,

Johnson =????

Nixon= bad,

OK, I'm nitpicking..but, We gotta know. :))

[Charles Henrickson]

Reportedly a former postal worker

Of course.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

And Camelot would have never materialized.

It never did materialize. "Camelot" is a myth.

[tet68]

"It shows you how history can turn on a dime, and how the world can change in an instant," said Robert Dallek

Unfortunately, the dime was in Mr. Kennedy's pocket. hehe.

[jordan8]

Belmont, N.H., city of hate.

[Verginius Rufus]

I had never heard of this incident. FDR was almost killed by an assassin in February 1933 (whose bullet killed the mayor of Chicago)...our history would have been changed more by that than by missing out on the Kennedy presidency, I think.

According to the Social Security Death Index, Richard Pavlick was born 13 February 1887 and died in November 1975. His last residence was Manchester, NH.

[Dick Vomer]

Kennedy =good,
Johnson =????

Nixon= bad,

OK, I'm nitpicking..but, We gotta know. :))

OK

Johnson....= Texan therefore = no class (no IVY League), stupid, coniving, lazy.... anything good came off the great "Camelot" aura that survived Kennedy.

Vietnam was all Johnson's fault cause Kennedy wouldn't have done anything bad.... since he is full of "Camelot" stuff. and nobody would have died and communism wouldn't have occured in Southeast Asia...etc.

All "liberal good stuff" like the civil rights stuff = good= came from the same "Camelot" juice that spilled onto the dumb Texan...

just remember for all history majors....

anything southern except for gay authors, manic-depressive self loathing liberal southerners or minority and illegal aliens that vote Democrat = VERY BAD...

that all northern, Bi-coastal, bisexual, bilingual, ivy league, communist, socialist, environmentalist, anti-American, = VERY GOOD..

put that on all reports, make projects for school reports, have study findings that reflect that... you'll get an "A" and off to graduate school you go.

Academia is so easy... hahahahahahaha

[Lancey Howard]

(( ping ))

You may find this interesting.

[Indrid Cold]

FDR was also almost the victim of a fascist coup d'etat cooked up by wealthy industrialists. They wanted Marine Gen. Smedley Butler to lead the coup, but he remained true to the president and ratted them out. Everything was hushed up remarkeably well, considering the heavy hitters involved. Imagine our staying out of WWII...

[skinkinthegrass]

...that all northern, Bi-coastal, bisexual, bilingual, ivy league, communist, socialist, environmentalist, anti-American, = VERY GOOD.. put that on all reports, make projects for school reports, have study findings that reflect that... you'll get an "A" and off to graduate school you go. Academia is so easy... hahahahahahaha

Sir, Your logic is impeckable...I salute you! :))