Ex-Presidents, Johnson Widow Call for JFK Film Probe

AP via TBO ^ | February 2,2004 | Lynn Elber

[John W]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two former presidents and the widow of Lyndon B. Johnson are calling on the History Channel to investigate a documentary it aired alleging President Johnson was involved in the Kennedy assassination. Lady Bird Johnson said the film "falsely and irresponsibly" accuses her husband of conspiring to kill President Kennedy.

No accusation made against Johnson "has hurt as painfully," the 91-year-old former first lady said in a Jan. 29 letter. Her husband died in 1973.

Copies of her letter were sent to the chief executives of three companies that own A&E Networks, which includes the History Channel. The letters went to Bob Wright of NBC, Victor Ganzi of Hearst Corp. and Michael Eisner of The Walt Disney Co.

Former Presidents Ford and Carter also sent letters citing the documentary, "The Guilty Men," which aired last November as part of a series of History Channel specials on the Nov. 22, 1963 assassination.

Ford, noting he was the last surviving member of the Warren Commission that determined Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing Kennedy, called the History Channel documentary "reprehensible."

Alleging that Johnson, as Kennedy's vice president, was part of a conspiracy to murder him is "the greatest, most damaging accusation ever made against a former vice president and president in American History," Ford, 90, wrote in his Jan. 23 letter.

The letters were released Monday to The Associated Press by Tom Johnson, chairman of the LBJ Foundation and a representative of the Johnson family.

Calls to NBC and Disney were not immediately returned.

"We don't comment on correspondence with our chief executive officer," said Hearst spokesman Paul Luthringer.

Tom Johnson said he and three other former Johnson aides planned to meet Wednesday with executives of the History Channel and A&E Television Networks to press for an investigation and for its findings to be made public.

Nickolas Davatzes, president of A&E Television Networks, was expected to take part, History Channel spokeswoman Lynn Gardner said Tuesday.

Other Johnson aides scheduled to participate are Jack Valenti, now head of the Motion Picture Association of America; journalist Bill Moyers; and attorney Larry Temple.

"I'm puzzled, bewildered, that a distinguished enterprise like the History Channel would put on the air such garbage, such ugliness," Valenti said in November. "It makes one sick."

When the Kennedy series aired, the History Channel said in a statement that the point of view in "The Guilty Men" was "meticulously researched."

"By presenting different viewpoints we enable our viewers to decide to agree or disagree with them and to arrive at their own conclusions," the channel said.

[breakem]

I think the logic is, hire a murderer so when he testifies against you you can say "who can believe a murderer." Not many preachers privy to murder conspiracies.

[FreedomCalls]

This photo of the limo with the door open shows how Connally's seat is about six inches lower than Kennedy's. Your drawing shows them sitting at the same height. Having Connally six inches lower will place the projectile on a straight line exiting Kennedy and entering Connally. Your drawing shows them sitting at the same height and dislaces the trajectory. Why would you lie about such a thing?

[LisaMalia]

Oswald: "I'm a patsy."

He also said...(I'm paraphrasing here)...."I am waiting...umm..for someone...umm....to come forward....."

Haunting words, indeed. I was 7 when JFK was killed, and remember my mom saying even then that Oswald didn't act alone, if at all. My older sister read a copy of the Warren Report right after it came out, and said it was garbage.

[TrueKnightGalahad]

QED: your knowledge of physics is just that...elementary. Nothing whatever in the evidence demonstrates your claim that the bullet "hung" in mid-air for 2 seconds, and your angular drawing is so completely contrary to fact (i.e., the actual positions of the President and Governor Connolly at the time of the shot) as to be laughable. Why not do some actual research for yourself rather than spout the lunacy du jour of the conspiracy nuts?

[tpaine]

breakem wrote:
before I post an opinion on this thread would someone tell me the official FR position? Don't want to be wrong.


______________________________________


Whatever position you take, it could be construed as disruption..

It depends on who sees your stance as an insult, and your motive in being so fractious..
Your crime is in the eye of the beholder.

[FreedomCalls]

Starting with actual facts would be good.

[#3Fan]

Very good post. I agree that we shouldn't assume that Johnson ordered it, but it's obvious he was instrumental in carrying it out. JFK made a lot of enemies and Hoover was wacky when it came to the civil rights movement, thinking that civil rights leaders were part of a communist conspiracy, so I think that they all got together and decided to do it for America, in their eyes, Johnson more for himself. Johnson had the connections to do the job, what with his way of operating when it came to Henry Marshall.

[B4Ranch]

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/bogus3.gif

[FreedomCalls]

but it's obvious he was instrumental in carrying it out.

"Obvious"?

[Ann Archy]

BRING IT ON!!

[FreedomCalls]

thinking that civil rights leaders were part of a communist conspiracy

They weren't?

[#3Fan]

I'm not sure I believe all the theories that the government, the FBI, Secret Service, the military, and the mob all conspired together... But why is it such a wild theory that more than one person conspired to kill JFK?

Especially when the House Committee on Assassinations admitted years after the Warren Report that it was a conspiracy.

[FreedomCalls]

?

[Ann Archy]

You have NO idea if LBJ was involved....NONE....none of us do either....but we have suspicions.

[woofie]

Maybe GW did it

[FreedomCalls]

Did you read HCA report? And why was the HCA saints and the WC patsys?

[FreedomCalls]

but we have suspicions.

Do you have the same suspicions that if you just believe hard enough that Tinkerbell will live?

[tpaine]

Euro-American Scum:
Oswald got off three shots in five and a half seconds

______________________________________


As if that is difficult! LOL! You've never shot a rifle have you?
32 -FC-

---

You can't show us where anyone who ever tried was able to duplicate the shots..
Laugh all you want, but serious riflemen have known for years that the single gunman theory is BS.

[B4Ranch]

Go here and read up:

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/sbt.htm

I did for a moment and the bullet path picture was there too.

[#3Fan]

Explain how the bullet entered Kennedy at a 45 degree downward angle and the came out farther up on the body at the throat and then entered Connally at a 39 degree downward angle. A bullet entering Kennedy at a 45 degree downward agle would've exited his stomach and hit the floorboard before it ever reached Connally.