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Murphy Martin Commentary
June 29, 2006
"Presidents -- Past and Present"
The last couple of weeks we have
looked into immigration problems facing President Bush. Problems
being debated in Congress but certainly not the total subject
matters that will determine what happens in congressional elections
this fall. The subject of Iraq remains center-stage and the
Democrats inability to come up with a consensus "anti-war" position
is more of a midterm problem for them than ALL of the questioning of
this administration's handling of numerous other
problems.
The waning days of George W. Bush brings to mind how past presidents
had their legacies indelibly affected by WARS! Harry Truman
and Lyndon Johnson
are two I discussed the subject of war with after they finished
their time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
When Truman became the 33rd president of the United States when
Franklin Roosevelt died on April 12,1945, little did he know he
would have such an impact on World history. Throughout his tenure,
Truman wrestled with decisions that might have overwhelmed most
people, not the least of which was his decision to use the atom bomb
to end World War Two. Mr. Truman acted decisively on each decision
without regard to how his actions might affect his personal
popularity. His actions were not unlike some of those regarding Iraq
made by the current occupant of the White House.
During one of his morning walks in New York City in 1967, I asked
the former president what was his toughest decision while president?
I fully expected him to say the decision to use the atom bomb, but
he surprised me when he said: "Korea was the most important decision
I made. That affected the whole free world and that was the reason
for that" When I asked why was that tougher than using the atom
bomb, Mr. Truman said: "The atom bomb was a weapon of war and I used
it to end the war....wasn't anything heart-breaking about using the
atom bomb. Saved, I guess, about 150,000 of our kids from getting
killed, and as many on the other side., and probably five times that
many from getting injured for life."
And just like that, with moral clarity, the decision had been made.
I wondered whether it had been a military decision or a joint
presidential-military decision. Surely it wouldn't have rested in
the hands of one man alone? Mr. Truman told me: "Of course I had to
make the decision. Who else could make it?" Did he have any regrets?
"Not the slightest. I haven't dreamed about it since.....They had
plenty of notice it would be used if they (the Japanese) didn't
stop. They told me to go to hell and I sent them there and that's
all there was to it!"
Going back to his decision identified as the most important of his
time in the White House, Mr. Truman said he did not do a lot of soul
searching about those decisions. "Korea was a situation that had to
be met. You don't have to do any soul searching when you're
president of the United States!"
That feeling probably played a major role in Mr. Truman also telling
me: "The happiest day of my life was the day I walked OUT of the
White House." Obviously he honored "The Buck Stops Here" plaque he
had on his desk and he had no regrets about any decisions he made
while there.
Probably no president took office under more stirring and dramatic
circumstances than did Lyndon Baines Johnson. Having already spent
almost two
decades on Capitol Hill, he found himself elevated to the presidency
by one of the greatest tragedies, the assassination of John
Fitzgerald Kennedy. Lyndon Johnson was a man more tolerated than
accepted in Kennedy circles. Lyndon Johnson was sometimes crude,
sometimes earthy but always the master politician.
Perhaps no other human being could have pulled together a stunned
country as Johnson did. Calling in chits from long, laborious days
on Capitol Hill, Johnson pushed through legislative needs of the
country. Got a civil rights bill passed and in 1964 he trounced his
challenger Barry Goldwater. I was assigned to cover LBJ the last
six-weeks of that campaign. And, on election night I was feeding
"live" spots from Austin to ABC-TV coverage. Dan Rather was there
for CBS and Nancy Dickerson was there for NBC. We chatted with the
President at the Driskill before he moved on to the Municipal
auditorium to wait out Goldwater's concession. That never came that
night and the President finally headed back to the ranch about 4AM
the day after he had soundly trounced Barry Goldwater. That might
well have been the peak of euphoria for Lyndon Johnson's political
life.
WAR ---the Viet Nam war became a bigger and BIGGER problem,
He used every tactic stepped -up bombing--reduced bombing! It was
all cratering! What had been an unbelievable political career for
Lyndon Baines Johnson was no longer working!
The last time I saw Mr. Johnson he had retired to his beloved ranch
in the Texas Hill Country. I was working with Ross Perot on a POW
project we had started at WFAA-TV in Dallas before Ross embraced it
with all his heart and soul.
Tom Johnson was Mr. Johnson's press
aide and Tom had called me and said Mr. Johnson would like to visit
with Ross and me at his ranch. We chartered a small plane and flew
to the ranch where LBJ was waiting in one of his big Lincoln
convertibles. We touched down about 10AM and for the next six hours
he took us all over the ranch. He talked about everything--Viet Nam,
other problems and said he would like to help us in our POW efforts
but he felt very strongly that if the North Vietnamese learned that
he was involved they would not do anything for us. We agreed and the
conversation rambled on in all directions.
Lyndon Johnson was still in obvious pain brought on by his inability
to solve the Viet Nam conflict. The agony was obvious. That
afternoon when our Beach Baron lifted off the LBJ-Ranch
runway---Perot turned to me and asked: "What did he want?" I said:
"Ross, I believe the man was just lonesome!"
He was lonesome for the high-paced political life he had mastered
for so many years and the spotlight that accompanied it! He was back
at the place he loved---The Texas Hill Country---but the memories of
Vietnam were still ringing in his head!
As I think of Presidents-Past and Present-I see starkly contrasting
men. Harry Truman made multiple decisions involving more than one
war while he was in office and as he said years later: "The happiest
day of my life was the day I walked out of the White House!"
Lyndon Johnson on the other hand, after more than two decades of
service in Washington including some six years in the White House,
when he realized he could not end the Viet Nam War, he chose not to
run for re-election and retreated to his Hill Country Ranch a
troubled, lonesome man.
I wonder which of these men President Bush will resemble when he
completes
his term. In many ways he appears to be unyielding like President
Truman and in some ways he seems to use that LBJ invitation: "Come
let us reason together!"
Iraq may determine if George W.Bush spends time out-of-sight on his
Crawford Ranch, like LBJ, or out-and-about in public like Mr. Truman
and this president's father George H.W. Bush.
Time will tell and another WAR will have determined a
president's legacy!
Murphy Martin
Keep your comments coming!
murphy@murphymartin.com
Your thoughts and comments forwarded to my website will be
appreciated.
e-mail
murphy@murphymartin.com
Previous commentaries:
"Expensive Babies"
"Change of Pace"
"Yesterday Katie Said Goodbye to Today"
"Musical Chairs Continue at ABC-TV"
"No Quick
Support for Bush Plan"
"Moussaoui
Meeting with Virgins Delayed"
"What the Hell Happened?"
"His Name is Still Magic"
"The Tallest Pine is Gone"
"Keeping America Free"
"Remembering"
"Christians vs Muslims"
"Bush Bucks Bashing"
"Early Look at 2008"
"Contrasting Memories"
"Reporter's Rough Roads"
"Another Cowboys Loss"
"People, Places and Things"
"Super Bowl Wasn't So Super"
"State of the Union"
"Is God Dead in Europe?"
"Remembering Dr. King"
"This Week in Review"
"New Year, New Challenges"
"The Party's Over"
"Democracy in the Middle East"
"Unfinished Business"
"Merry
Christmas Rules"
"Bush
Unveils Plans"
"Today is Special"
"Border
Security Now!!!"
"Stupidity Loses Financing"
"Crisis Christians"
"They
Led the Way"
"Sadistic Saddam Hussein"
"Bourbon Street Bashing"
"Hurricane Aftermath"
"Standing Tall"
"Never a Dull Moment"
"Another Hero Laid to Rest"
"Blame Game"
"Senior Thoughts For the Young"
"Role Model Challenge"
August 18 - "Network News Anchors"
August 11 - "Now All Three Are Gone"
August 4 - "Trust in the Media"
July 28 - "Television Then and Now"
July 21 - "The Mick"
July 14 - "Forty Years and Counting"
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