LBJ vs. RFK: a case of mutual contempt.(excerpt from book, 'Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, and the Feud that Defined a Decade,' by Jeff Shesol)

From: Washington Monthly | Date: October 1, 1997| Author: Shesol, Jeff | Copyright information

The LBJ and RFK feud had its origins in the awkward, tentative way in which John F. Kennedy offered the vice-presidential slot to LBJ at the '60 Democratic Convention. JFK knew Johnson was vital to his chances of victory, but he never expected LBJ to accept. Three testy RFK-LBJ meetings are profiled.

The story unfolds like a Greek tragedy played out on a nation's center stage. The protagonists are flawed, very human men, and their conflict illuminates not only their characters bu...

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