LBJ was behind JFK's assassination, upcoming book contends

Knight Ridder Newspapers ^ | Aug. 20, 2003 | HYE JEONG

[new cruelty]

GULFPORT, Miss. - (KRT) - The father of the White House press secretary claims in his upcoming book, "Blood, Money & Power: How L.B.J. Killed J.F.K.," that former President Lyndon B. Johnson was behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Barr McClellan, father of White House press secretary Scott McClellan and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Mark McClellan, is preparing for a Sept. 30 release of a 480-page book by Hannover House that offers photographs, copies of letters, insider interviews and details of fingerprints as proof that Edward A. Clark, the powerful head of Johnson's private and business legal team and a former ambassador to Australia, led the plan and cover-up for the 1963 assassination in Dallas.

Kennedy was shot and killed while throngs watched his motorcade travel through Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Vice President Johnson was sworn in as president shortly after on Air Force One.

"(Johnson) had the motive, opportunity and means," said McClellan, 63, who was a partner in an Austin law firm that served Johnson. The book, McClellan said in an exclusive interview at his Orange Grove home, is about "(Johnson's) role in the assassination. He was behind the assassination, how he was and how it all developed."

McClellan and his wife have lived in Gulfport since 1998, where his wife's family lives. McClellan consults for some businesses on the Coast and writes books.

McClellan said he includes information in the book that alludes to Johnson's role in the assassination. An example is a story that was told to him by the late Martin Harris, former managing partner at the law firm, as told to Harris by Clark.

McClellan writes in his book that in a 1961 meeting on Johnson's ranch outside Johnson City, Texas, Johnson gave Clark a document that may have helped the assassin:

"Johnson suddenly let Clark go. `That envelope in the car,' he said quietly, almost an afterthought, `is yours.' Stepping toward the car, he muttered, `Put it to good use.' He turned, putting his arms across Clark's shoulders, pulling him along, (and) the two walked toward the convertible.

"As they drove back to the ranch, Clark opened the envelope. It contained the policy manual for protection of the president."

Barry Bishop, senior shareholder of Clark's former law firm, defended the attorney.

McClellan's theory is "absurd," Bishop said over the phone. "Mr. Clark was a big supporter of Mr. Kennedy. The day that President Kennedy was assassinated, there was going to a be a dinner that evening in Texas. Mr. Clark was a co-sponsor of that dinner."

McClellan's book is just one of numerous conspiracy theory books that criticize the conclusion of the FBI's investigation of the assassination, that found that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman.

According to the Warren Commission's 1964 report, "Examination of the facts of the assassination itself revealed no indication that Oswald was aided in the planning or execution of his scheme."

But that hasn't stopped people from writing books that challenge the Warren Commission's findings. Other ideas about who was behind the assassination include U.S. intelligence agents, the Mafia, Nikita Khrushchev, the military-industrial complex and Cuban exiles.

So why should people believe McClellan? What makes his book different?

"The big beauty is, (readers) don't have to believe a word I say," McClellan said. "They can believe the fingerprint examiner. They can believe the exchange of memos and letters."

"The book is the evidence," said Cecile McClellan, McClellan's wife, who has edited much of the book. "When you read that book and look at those exhibits, and say, `Do I believe this?' There it is … It's like (McClellan is) a lawyer presenting this book to the jury. You make your own decision. He's putting it all out there."

The theory that Johnson was involved is "exceedingly unlikely," said John C. McAdams, who is an outspoken supporter of the Warren Commission's findings and teaches a course on the JFK assassination at Marquette University in Milwaukee. "What did he (McClellan) find in the documents, and what does it, in fact, indicate? If he's looking at all the documents everyone else is looking at, I would want to know which documents he's interpreting as L.B.J."

Eric Parkinson, president of Truman Press Inc., the parent company of Hannover House, said the book comes out at a good time.

"Now, 40 years later, it's appropriate that this additional information be brought to light. It (the book) will provide closure for a lot of people."

McClellan began working with Clark in 1966 and said he had no role in the conspiracy. But he did hear rumors about it.

"When I first started work there and was told that Clark was behind the assassination, I didn't believe it. It was, `This guy you really liked, John Kennedy - he was killed by the guy you're working for now.' I think I went into a bad case of denial."

McClellan said he learned of Clark's role several times, from Clark and others in the law firm, including while he was acting as Clark's lawyer. The case involved the 1969 application for Clark to drill an oil well and name it after himself.

At the time, McClellan said he asked Clark about the rumors he had been hearing. He said Clark talked in code, but he said, "He wanted the payoff for it. When you mention Dallas, you were talking about the assassination. We had a discussion about it. That's in the book, pretty much verbatim."

But why didn't McClellan go public with the information back then?

"When you get inside the attorney-client privilege, you find out a whole lot," McClellan said. "At the time I thought everything I learned was privileged. I've since found out that there's no privilege for lawyers who plan crimes," he said, referring to Clark.

McClellan said he left the law firm in 1982 because Clark wanted him to represent a company that would conflict with interests of McClellan's other clients. Then, he said, Clark sued him over a personal loan. McClellan counter-sued. Then the bank holding the loan sued.

"When I found out what they were going to do to me, I got mad. The gloves came off. I said, `Forget it. They're not going to get away with this anymore.'"

But it took years before McClellan was able to publish the book that he said supports his assassination theory.

Finally in 1994, the 14-year legal battle with the lawsuits ended with dismissals. By that time, Clark had been dead for two years.

McClellan said he was trying to get a book out in 1984, while Clark was alive. "He knew I was going public - from the affidavits in one of those three lawsuits," McClellan said. And he said a book agent he approached in 1984 told him to "do an investigation."

So he began.

"I wanted to be comfortable with what I knew," McClellan said. He said it took a long time to verify fingerprints with several experts and to find a publisher.

"A lot of it wouldn't have been available except that old Clark's records" were bequeathed to Southwestern University, McClellan said, making them available for research. Previously "they were stored in his private records. I'm sure if he had thought about it before he died, he would have probably thrown away a few."

McClellan had been writing bits and pieces of the book since he left the law firm. He logged numerous hours of research and 10 researchers helped him, he said.

Supporters and detractors have talked to McClellan about possible repercussions from the book, McClellan said, but he's not losing any sleep.

McClellan said he hasn't had any overt threats. He said people imply retributions, like suggesting that "I'm not going to make it in Austin. `You're going to be out of here.'"

McClellan said at least some in his family accept his work on the book.

"They said, `OK, I guess that's what Dad's doing now,'" McClellan said.

But he said he has not had the chance to ask sons Scott and Mark for their reactions.

"I assume that they know about it," McClellan said. "They know what I'm doing. They're not going to comment on it. The oldest, Mark, was then maybe 15 when I left the law firm."

When asked if he was concerned for the safety of his twin sons, Dudley, an Austin lawyer in private practice, and Bradley, a Texas state associate attorney general, McClellan said: "The Democrats are pretty much out of power, really, in the state of Texas. So as far as Republicans go, they're in good shape. My ex-wife (Carole Keeton Strayhorn) - she's the comptroller of the state of Texas. There's really none of this influence or anything like that."

[Zack Nguyen]

Having read Robert Caro's fantastic book Master of the Senate, I cannot think of anything LBJ would not have done for more power. He is one of those rare men that the more you learn about him, the less sympathetic he becomes. The man would have throttled his own mother to win an election.

[Shooter 2.5]

Try looking at the still frames. There is no visible damage to the rear of the right ear. All of the visible damage is at the front.

If it was from the front, where's the bullet and how did it pass through a windshield with a only a small crack in it?

[slimer]

Perhaps it was Johnson and Johnson.

[rockfish59]

LBJ was a fag!

[The KG9 Kid]

"... it seems to me that your conclusion is at odds with your explanation. That is, Oswald was what I've always been told--barely competent. Hell, ALL marines are riflemen. He was at the lowest possible standard."

Lowest possible standard for a Marine, which is way way above your average Cub Scout competancy, you understand.

Oswald did manage to shoot in the middle of the pack at Sharpshooter capability. He was competent enough.

We're only talking about 150 to 277 feet where the Dallas shots were made. That's not even 100 yards at the greatest range, and the first shot was at 50 measly paces. He had a sighted-in 4x scope on his Carcano shooting down from a kneeling prone position resting on a window ledge at a non-deflecting target. A Marine with even the lowly pizza-box (Marksman) shooting badge should be able to get at least one shot through a donut hole at that range under those circumstances. A part of Oswald's rifle qualification as a Marine, part of his score involved prone shooting at man-sized targets 500 (five hundred) yards away.

Oswald's rifle was capable of printing three round groups the size of a dime at 100 yards, according to FBI testimony using data they got from several shooters who were all NRA Master riflemen. They just noted that the strikes were off by several inches up and to the right. That's to be expected from a rifle with a mounted scope that's been dropped, mishandled, collected as evidence, fiddled with, and who knows what else before it went into evidenciary lockup. They knocked the scope off it's zero at some point between the time Oswald would have shot Kennedy and the time that the FBI ballistics lab reproduced the scenario a few years later for the Warren Commission. That's reasonable. They ran the tests using the rifle as it was collected without adjustment. If they even removed the receiver from it's stock, or the scope from it's mount, that's a complete write-off of the scope zeroing even if they otherwise treated it as a piece of fine china.

The Kennnedy Assassination was two 50 and 90 yard shots in 8 seconds, and conspiracy theorists have been making it out to be that Lee Harvey Oswald needed to be Annie Oakley to make those shots.

[Tall_Texan]

Also look into the flight LBJ was on when Kennedy was shot, LBJ redirected it to Texas before any word of the assasination was known on board. He knew, and wanted to get to the scene ASAP.

Huh? Johnson was on the trip with Kennedy. They both slept at the Texas Hotel in Ft. Worth the night before and flew the extrememly short distance to Love Field together - JFK in Air Force One, LBJ in Air Force Two. Johnson was in the motorcade in a car behind Kennedy's. He did not need to change his flight plans to be there because he was already there. He had something of a front row seat before a black Secret Service agent climbed on top of him.

If there was any controversy on his flying, it was his insistance that he and JFK's body both were flown back to Washington on Air Force One as soon as possible. But first, he wanted to be sworn in and that is the famous photo you see of him, Judge Hughes and the blood-spattered Jackie Kennedy with LBJ's hand raised.

There is an interesting point to this photo. Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry, rather than coordinating the hunt for the killer(s) or securing the police facilities for the presumed flood of witnesses and suspects, was photographed on Air Force One with LBJ, witnessing the swearing in. Some believe that Curry was not out trying to find the gunmen because he already knew who the real killer was.

[Ditter]

I was 23 when JFK was assinated & I rememer it well. I didn't think much about LBJ having done it at the time, but later I read Paths to Power & Means of Ascent. Those are 2 of the three books by Robert Caro on LBJ. After reading those biographies I became convinced that Johnson killed Kennedy. When you find out what LBJ was like, how ruthless & driven he was, you see that killing Kennedy was the only way he would ever become president. Lyndon Johnson HAD to become president & assination was his only route.

[19th LA Inf]

<> HUH? LBJ was in the same parade with Kennedy in another car. In fact, some witnesses said he was seen putting his fingers in his ears just before the shot.

[Ditter]

My husband is an excellent rifle shooter. He has been to the Book Depository & stood at the window that Oswald shot from. He said Oswald passed up an easy shot & took a difficult one. He doesn't believe, after seeing the place, that Oswald hit him.

[breakem]

Well let me mix up the thread a little more. Many here are on the trail of who benefited from JFK's death. The answer is many. You can also ask the question why would the mafia kill a US president. Possibly as payback.

Here's the story I heard and I can't remember where I read or heard it.

RFK was hard after the mafia and the unions which had opened pension funds for mafia benefit. Supposedly, RFK hated the mafia so much he had New Orleans boss Marcello "arrested" and taken into Guatamala and released in the hills without any money. This after failing to be able to deport him in federal court in NO.

Given all that the mafia saw going on, Giancana in Chicago was getting a little PO'd. He dispatched Johnny Roselli and another guy to go talk to Joe Kennedy to remind him that his son owed his election in great part to the mob including the WVA primary which had knocked Humphrey out of the box for the nomination.

Papa Joe said he would talk to the boys when they came home for X-Mas (1962?. In the meantime, Joe had another stroke, a debilitating one, and reportedly he never spoke to the boys. The rest is as we know.

Another group which "benefited>"

[Interesting Times]

It was Guy Hickey with the AR-15.

I read Mortal Error years ago, found it quite plausible, and have wondered since if anyone had ever followed up on that theory. Do you know if, for example, any photograph of the SS car just after the first shot has ever turned up?

[The KG9 Kid]

"... Good lord, you've never shot a rifle at a melon before, have you? I suggest you try it so you know what you're talking about.

I'll give you a hint. Little hole in, big hole out."

You're right, of course, but have you ever really looked at the specs for 6.5x52mm Carcano? 2400 fps at the muzzle with a

Look at that projectile: It's a flying golf pencil. You know how those sorts of bullets are... Real penetrators that do complete unknowns after they hit. Capable of just punching straight through, or making things explode. Could be 'little hole in, big hole out' or 'little hole in, big hole out' or 'little hole in, bing-bang around like a moth around a porchlight' or maybe just go haywire upon impact like one of those 'Chinese ground bloom flower' fireworks. A tracer round at night would get the point across about the 'magic bullet', and I've seen quite a lot of that.

I've also seen the pics of the alleged 'Magic Bullet' and though it looks straight when seen from the side, it looks twisted when seen point-on.

You and I have both seen rifle bullets laying downrange that damn near look like they could almost be reloaded after firing, haven't we? I certainly have.

[PhilDragoo]

But the witnesses who claimed the occipital bone was shattered like Dr. Harper and Dr. Cairns said that from the very beginnning, and those are the ones I tend to believe.

The fragment of skull retrieved [Harper fragment] was occipital.

The physicians and nurses at Parkland Memorial reported a large wound of exit in the occipital region, and a small wound of entry in the throat.

The x-rays were tampered with (Assassination Science, ed. James H. Fetzer, Ph.D, Catfeet, 1998).

Conspiracy of Silence, Charles A. Crenshaw, M.C., Penguin/Signet, 1992, collates the testimony of the Parkland staff.

The autopsy at Bethesda is discussed in detail in Best Evidence, David Lifton, Dell, 1980.

Gerald Ford claimed the rear shot was in the neck, but the FBI measured the holes in the suitcoat at 5-3/8" from the collar and in the shirt at 5-3/4" from the collar, making a throat exit wound impossible--just as the Parkland staff said.

Throat shot from front; Oswald in back; QED Warren Commission wrong: Oswald not sole actor.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

I've always thought LBJ was behind it.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

If it was from the front, where's the bullet and how did it pass through a windshield with a only a small crack in it?

To have to pass through the windshield would mean the gunman was at ground level. Kennedy is pushed leftward toward his wife after the hit, so it would be coming from an elevated right angle. That's the way it looks to me, I don't know how a hit from the back would do that.

[jd777]

on a moving target, and it was in less than 6 seconds. With a bolt-action.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... He has been to the Book Depository & stood at the window that Oswald shot from. He said Oswald passed up an easy shot & took a difficult one."

I can believe that, though I've only been at the site once as a kid when visiting Dallas.

However: Have you ever performed a critical task, missed your chance at the easy way, and had to do it the hard way?

Maybe Oswald almost chickened out, was nervous, wiped the sweat off his lip, triple checked his rifle, who knows what.

He was about to assassinate the President of the United States, for gosh sakes. I can't even imagine the pressure, and certainly don't like to think about what was running through Oswald's head when he allegedly did it.

[Paleo Conservative]

evolved_rage

"(Johnson) had the motive, opportunity and means,"

That much has been obvious to anyone who has thought much about the matter. It might be interesting to see how he tries to back it up.

marktwain
I have to admit that the motive, opportunity, and means of Johnson always made me wonder if he was involved. He certainly had the ethics and morals for it.

doug from upland
This is why no DemocRAT would ever have Hillary as VP on his ticket.

Regaurdless of whether LBJ was or was not involved in the asassination of JFK or had the lack of morals to do so, I definitely agree that Hillary Clinton has the moral depravity to do such a think if she were elected Vice President. I agree with doug from upland; any DemocRAT presidential nominee would be a fool to choose Hillary as his running mate. He would be increadibly safe till 12:00 pm. EST January 20, 2007. If you want to understand the significance of that time and date, reread the 25th amendment to the US Constitution.

[The KG9 Kid]

"...on a moving target, and it was in less than 6 seconds. With a bolt-action."

... A smooth Mannlicher bolt action, you know.

The movie JFK did a great disservice by portraying the Carcano as 'the world's worst shoulder rifle' with a kludgy action that showed the actor next to Kevin Costner struggling to cycle the bolt. The smooth bolt cycle is one of the best things about the Mannlicher-Carcano, in reality.

Probably not as silky as a British SMLE Lee-Enfield which is a comparable rifle of the Carcano's time.

Italians make excellent weapons.

[breakem]

According to one report we know what was running though his head. "Do I have change for the soft drink machine." Didn't the first cop or coworker up the steps see him sipping a coke in the luch room. Has that ever been debunked?