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."

[Shooter 2.5]

A lot of librarys have all 26 volumes. They also can be downloaded from the web.

This will get you started:

http://www.jfk-assassination.de/WCR/index.html

[justshutupandtakeit]

Who knows what rifle was involved in anything. Was it the rifle Alex Hiddel purchased from Klein's complete with scope attached OR was it the rifle "Oswald" brought into Dial Ryders gun shop on November 4, 1963 TO HAVE A SCOPE MOUNTED?

Since "Oswald" was at work on that Monday at his job at TBD what "Oswald" was at the gun shop? Since "Oswald" was at work the next Thursday, 11/7/63 which "Oswald" was at the Furniture Mart in Irving complete with wife and child? Since "Oswald" was at work the prior Friday, 11/1/63 what "Oswald" bought ammunition at Morgan's Gun Shop.

Were these "Out of body experiences" of LHO. There are dozens of similiar sightings of "Oswald" when "Oswald" was supposed to be at work or at the Paines home.

I don't trust any of the evidence the FBI ever touched not one bullet, fragment, photo, note NOTHING.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Among the numerous problems with the Tippett killing is the eyewitness who place "Oswald" already in the Texas Theater where he was moving from seat to seat. Dallas Evangelist Jack Davis believed "Oswald" "was looking for someone in the theater." Twenty four people were in the theater at that time and who could have verified his presence and the time he was there. But their names and addresses, obtained by Dallas Police, "DISAPPEARED." Convenient, no?

Police arrived at the Tippett murder and found THE WALLET left by the killer containing the indentification of Lee Harvey Oswald and Alex Hiddel. When police arrived at the Texas Theater and arrested Oswald Detective Paul Bentley removed a WALLET from his left rear pocket and found identification for Lee Harvey Oswald and Alex Hiddel.

What can be concluded from those unpleasant facts. Mainly that the killer of Tippett MADE SURE LEE HARVEY OSWALD WAS FINGERED FOR THE POLICEMAN'S MURDER. What else could be concluded? That LHO carried several wallets at the same time?

I trust NO evidence handled by the FBI. NO ORIGINAL EVIDENCE was released by the FBI to the Commission ONLY COPIES and photographs of the original evidence were released.

[justshutupandtakeit]

While that link is as inconsistent and contradictory as most things in this case, I thank you for posting it. What is NOT mentioned is that the FBI was asked to test the bag found to determine if it was the same kind of paper as used in the TBD. The FBI produced two reports. One report said it was the same paper. The other report said it was NOT the same paper. Which one is correct?

[justshutupandtakeit]

The limo was cleaned within 24 hours of the killing. It was re-built before the Warren Commission was through.

As anyone watching the Laci Peterson case will tell you this limo was NOT treated as law enforcement normally treats a crime scene.

[Shooter 2.5]

You were already notified that they even scraped the windshield for bullet fragments.

It's just more proof the third shot came from the rear.

[justshutupandtakeit]

By June, 1960 J. Edgar Hoover was aware of an Oswald in the States and an Oswald in Russia and he wrote memos to that effect.

Helping "Oswald" pass out leaflets in New Orleans was Charles Hall Steele, an FBI informant. The arresting officer thought the leafletting "fight" was a staged event, designed to draw attention. Everyone else connected to this incident and the subsequent radio interview WAS CONNECTED EITHER TO THE FBI OR THE CIA. Thus, it is reasonable to assume Oswald was too.

At the same time another "Oswald" was seen by Franses Hise, William Crowe, Wally Weston, Dixie Lynn, Kathy Kay and others meeting with Jack Ruby at the Carousel Club in Dallas. Who was this "Oswald".

There is almost nothing in this case which comes from the FBI that can be called a "fact."

[justshutupandtakeit]

Nothing which comes from the FBI can be considered evidence but through Blind Faith. It has been caught changing testimony (even of its own agents), suppressing evidence, and destroying evidence. This pattern is true as regards the car, I am sure, since it was not preserved as a crime scene but cleaned within a day of the event.

Scrapings from the limo IN NO WAY prove there were no shots fired from the front. In fact, the lack of massive amounts of evidence which would have resulted from having JFK's brains blown into the car from a rear head shot is the best proof that it didn't happen that way.

You claim the head shot was no more than 88 feet. This would mean that the shot was taken at about a 50 degree angle. Hence, almost all of JFK's brains would have been blasted into the car NOT out of the car to the rear.

There is zero proof that the head shot was from the rear. NOT a SHRED of it.

[Shooter 2.5]

This "other" Oswald:

Did the Klingons Clone or Replicate him?

[justshutupandtakeit]

You tell me. While one "Oswald" was in N.O. working at the Reilly Coffee co. another was receiving telegrams at 1501 W. 7th in Fort Worth.

While one was at work another was running around Dallas having a scope put on a gun which already HAD A SCOPE.

While one had his tonsils taken out in 1945 another was TWICE treated for tonsillitis in the Marines.

While one shot himself in the left arm with a .22 derringer in October of 1957 another had NO SCAR when his body was autopsied. Nor did it have the 3 inch mastoid scar behind his left ear from a 1945 operation AS NOTED BY THE MARINE MEDICAL EXAMINATION.

One was in Memphis at Electronics School in September of 1957 while the other was in Japan in the Marines. One spoke Russian fluently while the other spoke almost none.

At any rate Hoover was aware of the doubling while one "Oswald" was in Russia as a "defector." Argue with him about it.

[Shooter 2.5]

You were shown the moment of impact twice. It shows the skull pulled loose into JFK's face. At the front. Small hole in, Large hole out.

The two bullet fragements were found at the front of the limo. One cracking the windshield and the other bending the chrome.

Connelly heard the shots from the rear.

Eyewitnesses saw Oswald firing from the window.

Two people heard the three shots from the fifth floor.

His rifle.
His ammo.
His prints.
His shirt thread on the buttplate.
His place of work.
He was only one of a few to leave.
He killed the officer.
His revolver.
His ammo.

No shooter at the fence or the bridge.

[Tares]

You didn't answer the question:

If Oswald didn't kill Tippet, but he was captured 30 minutes later with the gun that was used to kill Tippet, and the police didn't plant it, how did Oswald end up with the murder weapon?

[Tares]

You didn't answer the question:

If Oswald did not try to kill Gen. Walker, is Marina Oswald in on the conspiracy? Why does she insist, to this day, that Lee Harvey Oswald tried to kill him?

[justshutupandtakeit]

I don't know that she continues to maintain that since she has changed her story wrt the JFK killing. Nor does it change Walker's contention that LHO did NOT shoot at him or the witnesses claiming two people were involved. IF it was LHO then he was part of a conspiracy wrt that shooting.

She essentially says that she went along with the WC out of "blind faith." That would make her part of the conspiracy to some degree. She has since turned against the conspiracy, however which is what is important.

If you really want to get into it there are many questions about Marina in Russia and the ease with which she was able to marry a foreigner and leave when that was almost impossible for the average Soviet.

[The KG9 Kid]

I tried to reason with these two, but it's a loss. You're not dealing with rational people. They are convinced of a conspiracy, but don't quite know why. I'm even getting lectured by person who doesn't know very much about shooting at all.

Any further attempts at reason here just makes it a meeting of two fools, Shooter.

[Tares]

I don't know that she continues to maintain that...

Reread post 505. Reread posts 489 and 492.

Marina Oswald has always testified that her husband tried to kill General Walker. Is Marina Oswald lying when she says her husband tried to kill General Walker?

[justshutupandtakeit]

What the Z film shows is JFK's top right side of the head exploding. It does NOT show everything blowing DOWN into the car as a shot from Oswalds position would have done.

FBI work is so compromised one cannot say anything positive about its "evidence."

People also heard shots from the Grassy Knoll.

Any indentification of people standing in windows on the sixth floor is problematic at best and likely utterly unreliable. He could never have made it to the lunchroom from that position since there was a lady on the stairs who stated that no one went past her. I am assuming any "identification" on the sixth floor is either: the result of FBI intimidation, FBI lying or people trying to ingratiate themselves by apeing the story desired to be heard. Arnold Rowland, Carolyn Walther, Ruby Henderson, Richard Carr and Ron Fisher stated they saw TWO men on the sixth floor one in a white shirt with a rifle and another in a dark shirt. Who was with Oswald?

No one had any clear idea where the shots were coming from and many said the grassy knoll was the source of some.

Rifle? You mean the one with the scope or the one which was taken to the gun store by "Oswald" to have a scope attached while "Oswald" was at work?

Ammo? You mean the ammo bought by "Oswald" while "Oswald" was at work.

There were no prints indicating he had handled the gun that day nor did the paraffin test show he had fired a rifle.

A thread "which could not be excluded" but not stated with any certainty.

If witnesses are to be believed Oswald either A) had a double or B) left work with great regularly without it being known.

There were no credible witnesses placing him at the scene of Tippett's murder. Witnesses Smith, Jack Tatum, Callaway, Brock and Scroggins saw a man in light colored clothing shoot the officer when arrested Oswald had a brown shirt. The jacket ditched by the shooter was a medium all of Oswald's were small.Benavides described a man whose hairline was different than Oswald's. The cabby, Scroggins, saw the killer and neither he nor Benvides could id Oswald as the shooter. Other witnesses placed Oswald IN the Theater before the shooting.

None of your other tags are either proof or without considerable controversey as to their accuracy.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Those posts do not reflect Marina's current thinking as I quoted from a 1996 letter. She rejects her previous comments in that letter and states that she now believes LHO was an agent and DID NOT shoot JFK. I am assuming she changed her mind about the Walker attempt and, at any rate, Walker claims the bullet he took from his wall was NOT the one the WC claimed was shot at him.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Yeah, "rational" people believe in magical bullets and ignore ANY evidence of a conspiracy.

Oh, BTW 75% of the American people are apparently irrational since they do NOT believe the WC Report.

[Celtic Conservative]

i always thought Johnson set Him up

So does My mother, to this day .Gonna hafta tell Her about this book. Many people back then made some rather pointed remarks about Kennedy being assassinated in Johnsons home state. Sounds like the book might be worth a look.

Slainte,

CC