The Congressman can’t stifle some bemusement as he displays a laudatory card sent to him by LBJ on the occasion of his (LBJ’s) birthday.
Candid Chats on the Life and Career of the Sixteen-Term Texas Congressman
The Congressman can’t stifle some bemusement as he displays a laudatory card sent to him by LBJ on the occasion of his (LBJ’s) birthday.
My daughter, Bergan Casey, has this shadow box now. It contains all things “Johnsonian,” including tie clasps, a Rolex watch and cigarette packs from Air Force One. Johnson loved to present gifts; everything was embossed with his initials or the Presidential seal.
This story makes me uncomfortable. My father, a proud Populist Democrat, cut his political teeth working with Lyndon Johnson and other members of the Great Society. Jake was a poor country boy who worked hard and made good, and he was grateful.
LBJ showed Jake how things were done, and often — unintentionally — how they should NOT be done. When Johnson died in 1973, it liberated Daddy. He was free to be his own man and not just “the President’s Congressman.” For 31 years, Daddy represented Texas’ 10th Congressional District to the best of his considerable ability, and treated everyone, whether Republican or Democrat, with respect. This video clip expresses his appreciation for LBJ’s friendship, but ignores the harsh demands, cruelties and verbal abuse which Johnson’s inner circle routinely absorbed.
My feeling is, President Lyndon Johnson should have cherished JAKE’S notes and “Picklebelia”!