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.

[BigBobber]

According to Spector, the last.. - Which makes no sense, but hey..

No, your team says it was the second shot that missed. That's where the "three shots in 5.8 seconds" comes from. If either the first or last shot missed, it would allow 5.8 seconds for only two shots.

You Oliver Stone groupies who look to Hollywood lefties for answers are good at picking apart the Warren Commission. What you're not good at is forming a theory that fits all of the evidence in this case. Please explain to me where the multiple shooters were positioned and the timing of the shots to cause the wounds to Kennedy and Connolly and to match the Zapruder film.

Feel free to use the figure in Post 4 for your explanation. I'm dying to find out how the entrance wound to the throat came in from high in the sky. Where some consprators flying in a black helicopter over Dealy Plaza?

[tpaine]

According to Spector, the last.. - Which makes no sense, but hey..

No, your team

I belong to no 'team', hotshot.

says it was the second shot that missed.

Read the report.. Spector likes the third as the miss..

That's where the "three shots in 5.8 seconds" comes from. If either the first or last shot missed, it would allow 5.8 seconds for only two shots.

OK, fine, - the second shot went far above the limo to strike the curb near the underpass. -- Which makes the third even more rushed for our marksman. And more impossible for the rational rifleman to swallow.. - No wonder no one has ever duplicated such a scenario..

You Oliver Stone groupies who look to Hollywood lefties for answers are good at picking apart the Warren Commission.

Empty rhetoric.. Ollie is an idiot.

What you're not good at is forming a theory that fits all of the evidence in this case.

Nope, the warren commission failed, not me..

Please explain to me where the multiple shooters were positioned and the timing of the shots to cause the wounds to Kennedy and Connolly and to match the Zapruder film.

You tell me, hotshot.. I only know that the single gunman theory is flawed, as I've outlined.

Feel free to use the figure in Post 4 for your explanation. I'm dying to find out how the entrance wound to the throat came in from high in the sky. Where some consprators flying in a black helicopter over Dealy Plaza?

We're all dying to know what happened..
Why are you 'dying' to back up the governments version?

[Polybius]

So then what are you saying? The autopsy photo is a fake?

Kennedy didn't have earlobes and the back of his head was gone. Those photos are of someone else.

"The back of Kennedy's head" was not "gone".

The right parietal region of the skull was gone. The occipital bone was right where it should be.

If you look at the photo in Post 37 carefully, you can see the cavity where the right parietal bone and overlying scalp should be at the upper right hand edge of the photo.

The autopsy X-Rays confirm that the portion of the skull that was "gone" was the right parietal region and portions of the right frontal region. Radiologist Reports

On the X-Rays below, the lateral view (side view) is on your right hand side. On that lateral view, the face is towards your right hand side and the back of the skull is towards your left hand side. Black represents "air density" which represents, in layman's terms, "the part of the skull that's gone".

As to "earlobes", the photo in Post 37 is showing the superior-posterior portion of the ear.

[spodefly]

I saw a piece on TV where they had recreated the layout of Dealey plaza and the height of the 6th floor window. The 2 shots that scored were basically around 100-150 meters, and the vehicle at the point of the shots was moving directly away from the shooters position, straight line.

I didn't see it as an Expert shot (and I too shot Expert.) The most difficult part was the cycle time of the crap bolt action rifle Oswald was allegedly using.

[BigBobber]

Just as I thought. You have nothing, zip, zilch, nada in the way of an alternate theory of how Kennedy was killed. Tell us how it was done, and we'll see if your theory can stand up to scrutiny.

Face it, you're on the same team as a bunch of Castro-loving Hollyweidos and other assorted lefties. Their goal is to cover up for their little commie hitman - Oswald - and pin the blame on Republicans. And you believe them?

[Erasmus]

Allan Sherman, from his album "My Son the Folk Singer."

Also--

"There was a man, his name was Lang
And he had a neon sign....
Now mister Lang was very old
So we called it 'Old Langs's Sign.'"

[Ichneumon]

You can't show us where anyone who ever tried was able to duplicate the shots..

Sure we can.

In fact, despite the claims of countless conspiracy theorists that "no one" has been able to duplicate the shooting that would have been required, in fact numerous recreations have had no problem whatsoever doing so. For example, CBS reconstructed the shooting for a 1975 documentary. Eleven volunteers took three shots each at a moving target using a Carcano rifle, without even doing any prior practice on that model of rifle. Their times ranges from 4.1 seconds (total) to slightly more than 6 seconds, with the average being 5.6 seconds and 2 hits out of 3. Furthermore, the House Select Committee in 1977 did a reconstruction and found that their test shooter could hit all targets with 1.66 seconds between shots.

Now tell us another funny one.

Laugh all you want, but serious riflemen have known for years that the single gunman theory is BS.

Horse manure. *I* could have made those shots, and I'm not even a "serious rifleman". And Oswald was better than I am:

He [Oswald] was also trained in the use of the M1 rifle (2). On December 21, 1956, after three weeks of training, he shot 212, two points over the score required for a "sharpshooter" qualification, the second highest in the Marine Corps (3). Such a score indicated that from a standing position, he could hit a ten-inch bulls-eye, from a minimum of 200 yards, eight times out of ten (4).

[...] Those in charge of the marksmanship branch who were familiar with Oswald's record praised his ability and said he was easily capable of carrying out the JFK assassination. It "was an easy shot for a man with the equipment he had and his ability," said Sgt. [James] Zahm [the NCO in charge of the marksmanship training unit]. Major Eugene Anderson, of the marskmanship branch, said the assassination shots "were not particularly difficult" and that, based on his Marine record, "Oswald had full capabilities to make this shot."

-- "Case Closed", Gerald Posner, p. 20.

(2) Testimony of Maj. Eugene Anderson, WC Vol. XI, p. 302.
(3) Testimony of Lt. Col. Allison Folsom, WC Vol. VIII, p. 304.
(4) Testimony of Lt. Col. Donovan, WC Vol. VIII, p. 296.

But then I guess Sgt. Jahn doesn't count as one of your "serious riflemen", since after all he's only in charge of marksmanship training.

[Ichneumon]

OK, fine, - the second shot went far above the limo to strike the curb near the underpass. -- Which makes the third even more rushed for our marksman.

Nice try, but it's the first shot that missed, and the total elapsed time for the three shots (from first to last) was 8.3 seconds, plenty of time.

And more impossible for the rational rifleman to swallow.. - No wonder no one has ever duplicated such a scenario..

A wise man once said, "never argue with a fool, bet him money". So how much would you like to bet on your claim that "no one has ever duplicated such a scenario"?

[Ichneumon]

The other being a fatal headshot on a target moving away [getting away]...where you'd have to aim precise in order to strike the head. Plus he'd have to factor in the trigger pull on top of the precise aim point, all in nanoseconds of the second shot.

"Nanoseconds"? The third shot came five seconds after the second shot. Try again.

And oh yeah...the bullet would have to first bounce off of something in front of the president in order to actually come back and strike him from the right front.

It would have if it had actually struck him "from the right front", but since it didn't, why are you going on like that?

Oswald's Rifle scores scream [not hint] that he couldnt.

Gee, really? "On December 21, 1956, after three weeks of training, he shot 212, two points over the score required for a "sharpshooter" qualification, the second highest in the Marine Corps (3). Such a score indicated that from a standing position, he could hit a ten-inch bulls-eye, from a minimum of 200 yards, eight times out of ten" (see previous post for source).

Got any more urban legends for us?

[Ichneumon]

And the exit wound from the bullet that went through the windshield and entered Kennedy's throat is...where?

In your imagination.

[Ichneumon]

There was a bullet hole in the windshield.

No, there was not.

[leadpenny]

I think you have to ask yourself why the "Elites," like Velenti, Moyers and others come out of the woodwork when theories are presented to the masses on film or tape. You don't seem to hear from them when the same theories are published in book form.

Thanks for the ping, grizzfan

[Reaganwuzthebest]

The magic bullet theory is nonsense. I think Oswald was definitely on the sixth floor at the time of the shooting, but he had some help.

[NordP]

So, how DOES it feel, guys?

Signed,

Ron and Nancy

[Taliesan]

There was no need for the bullet to either turn or pause. The Magic Bullet Theory always was just a tired straw man argument enjoyed by half-wits.

[carton253]

That is one magic loogey...

[tpaine]

You have nothing, zip, zilch, nada in the way of an alternate theory of how Kennedy was killed. Tell us how it was done, and we'll see if your theory can stand up to scrutiny.

A rational theory can't be formed from the fouled evidence presented from the governments investigations.. -- We can only laugh at Spectors theory.

Face it, you're on the same team as a bunch of Castro-loving Hollyweidos and other assorted lefties. Their goal is to cover up for their little commie hitman - Oswald - and pin the blame on Republicans. And you believe them?

No I don't believe 'them'. Nor do I believe Spectors BS, as you do.. Calm yourself.

[Ditter]

Didn't Ladybird Johnson own the land, about 2200 acres on Clear Lake south of Houston where the Space Admistration offices are located? We owned about that much land not far from there but it was not considered. Imagine that?

[Taliesan]

This thread is a fascinating study in pathological thinking.

"Those shots can't be done."

"In fact, they've been done numerous times. Here is the evidence."

"The evidence is fake. Those shots can't be done."

There is no possible refutation to the argument that the evidence is fake. And the evidence for the evidence is fake.

It is a species of insanity. For years I've said that many people, some even apparently "rational" people, draw the conclusions they want to draw, and the real key to understanding such a person is to find out what he WANTS TO BE TRUE.

These people don't want the simplest explanation (Oswald shot him.) to be true. Do you understand? THEY DON'T WANT IT TO BE TRUE.

[tpaine]

You say the CBS & HSC reconstructions were convincing, - yet non ever are, and more cartoons must be produced every year [bumper crop, 03] to keep the govs pathetic scenario before the public.
And Posners book is a joke, well refuted by many others..