Comments on: LBJ: The President Who Marked His Territory

By: Raj

Raj — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:29:42 +0000

I have spent quite a bit of time studying LBJ and the era. He represented the best and the worst of America. To illustrate here is my favorite LBJ story from Robert Dallek:

Since one of Harry Trumanâ€™s dreams had been universal health care, Lyndon Johnson decided to sign the Medicare bill in Independence, Missouri, so that the ailing Truman could attend.

During the signing LBJ was concerned about Trumanâ€™s health. He knew that Truman, like LBJ, had a bad heart so he asked Truman if he had an Army corpsman stationed at his house.

When Truman asked if that was legal Johnson replied, â€œHell, you were president of the United States. You can have anything.â€

LBJ then assigned one to Truman.

When Johnson left the White House he took an Army corpsman to his ranch. One day a reporter was visiting and noticed the corpsman. He asked if it was legal for one to be stationed there.

LBJ replied, â€œHarry Truman has one.â€

By: Jason Calley

Jason Calley — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:28:45 +0000

All you people who are praising Johnson need to re-evaluate your ethics. He rigged the election to get his Congressional seat. He bullied his way through Washington. He lied America into a totally un-needed war. He is directly responsible for the death and maiming of (at least) hundreds of thousands of people, including women and innocent children. He was a monster.

“Oh, but he did so much GOOD!” Don’t even go there… All the good he accomplished was done in ways that increased his power and the amount of money funneled to his friends. We are not talking about building some schools but also stealing a library book. We are talking about signing some good laws at home (for money and power), but also authorizing genocide.

Evil.

By: arfies

arfies — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:40:40 +0000

Another LBJ penis story: “In his recent biography of Lyndon Johnson, Flawed Giant, Robert Dallek writes, â€œDuring a private conversation with some reporters who pressed him to explain why we were in Vietnam, Johnson lost his patience. According to Arthur Goldberg, LBJ unzipped his fly, drew out his substantial organ and declared, â€˜This is why!â€™â€ (read more at badattitudes.com/Organ.html )

Sheesh. So essentially, thousands died because of Johnson’s obsession with his johnson.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:16:19 +0000

I first learned about LBJ’s conversations in the toilet via a Seinfeld episode. Lol.

By: brick_city_man

brick_city_man — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:09:52 +0000

Wonder if Slick willy kept that buzzer in working condition? And on the off chance he finds himself residing there once again whether or not HRC will have it torn out

By: Viola

Viola — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:35:51 +0000

I think I now have a favorite president. I’m not sure why I can’t type well on Fridays.

By: Viola

Viola — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:24:13 +0000

Wow. LBJ was a total bad ass! I actually never knew any of this about him. I think I know have a favorite president.

By: Will

Will — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:57:55 +0000

I’m pretty sure that I once heard that LBJ’s shower was rather intimidating, having more than double the standard water pressure, multiple shower heads, and small spray jets on the walls. I think that it pinned some staff member to the wall when they tested it out.

By: Doc

Doc — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:53:06 +0000

It’s taken me a long long time to get over LBJ’s acceleration of the VietNam conflict. I was there from mid ’68 untill early ’70. I blamed the war on LBJ. I was wrong.

Yes, he ramped it up with the bogus Gulf Of Tonkin Resolution, but if one looks back into the history of our involvement there one finds Eisenhower’s fingreprints, along with JFK’s.

He was a great president (makes me feel a bit sick to say that, though), and his record on civil rights and other basic human needs will, I believe, place him in history as one of the greats.

Too bad the current occupant of the Oval Office will not be remembered so kindly…

By: xxx

xxx — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:43:20 +0000

I think I read somewhere (if I recall correctly, it was in “The Know-It-All” by AJ Jacobs, which I first heard about on MentalFloss) that LBJ was a well-endowed man, so it’s no surprise that he brought people into the bathroom to continue conversations in order to show his “superiority”.