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Declassified LBJ Tapes Accuse Richard Nixon of Treason

Hugh Pickens writes writes "After the Watergate scandal taught Richard Nixon the consequences of recording White House conversations, none of his successors has dared to do it. But Nixon wasn't the first. He got the idea from his predecessor Lyndon Johnson, who felt there was an obligation to allow historians to eventually eavesdrop on his presidency. Now David Taylor reports on BBC that the latest set of declassified tapes of President Lyndon Johnson's telephone calls show that by the time of the Presidential election in November 1968, LBJ had evidence that Nixon had sabotaged the Vietnam war peace talks — or, as he put it, that Nixon was guilty of treason and had 'blood on his hands'. It begins in the summer of 1968. Nixon feared a breakthrough at the Paris Peace talks designed to find a negotiated settlement to the Vietnam war that he knew would derail his campaign. Nixon therefore set up a clandestine back-channel to the South Vietnamese involving Anna Chennault, a senior campaign adviser. In late October 1968 there were major concessions from Hanoi which promised to allow meaningful talks to get underway in Paris. This was exactly what Nixon feared. Chennault was dispatched to the South Vietnamese embassy with a clear message: the South Vietnamese government should withdraw from the talks, refuse to deal with Johnson, and if Nixon was elected, they would get a much better deal. Meanwhile the FBI had bugged the ambassador's phone and transcripts of Chennault's calls were sent to the White House. Johnson was told by Defense Secretary Clark Clifford that the interference was illegal and threatened the chance for peace. The president gave Humphrey enough information to sink his opponent but by then, a few days from the election, Humphrey had been told he had closed the gap with Nixon and would win the presidency so Humphrey decided it would be too disruptive to the country to accuse the Republicans of treason, if the Democrats were going to win anyway. In the end Nixon won by less than 1% of the popular vote, escalated the war into Laos and Cambodia with the loss of an additional 22,000 American lives, and finally settled for a peace agreement in 1973 that was within grasp in 1968."

2 of 536 comments (clear)

  1. Re:The First October Surprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    We 've been too busy polishing our freedom sticks, reading our bibbles and wrenching as much power from the evil government so as to return it to the churches where it belongs - they say they want less government - but they don 't tell you the rest of the plan - kill public schools and the social programs - social security - medicaid - so that people have to turn to the Lord and his church for those needs. There is no deed too dirty, there is no lie too big as long as it is in service to the god of their religion.

  2. Re:Fuck Republicans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Abraham Lincoln a Republican President freed the Black Slaves of America along with the rest of the Republicans that fought for the North. The Democrats were for continuing the blacks as slaves even the Democrats that lived in the Northern states. It was the Confederacy that susceeded from the Union and started the Civil War when Lincoln won the election because they knew Lincoln would push Congress to abolish Slavery in the USA. Lincoln was the first Republican President. The Republicans have always been against slavery and for human rights for all races and still are.

    Theodore Roosevelt a Republican bought the Panama Canal zone from the French and built the Panama Canal. Teddy also started the National Park system of the USA and the first National Park in the whole world, was Yellow Stone National Park. Teddy gave Yellow Stone Park to all citizens of the USA. Now many countries all over the world have started National Parks. Republicans were the first party for the environment starting with Teddy. Teddy also delivered the "Square Deal and regulation of industry". Which helped the working classes. BTW it was crazy and stupid Jimmy Carter a Democrat President that gave away the Panama Canal zone for nothing.

    Thomas Woodrow Wilson a Democrat President led America into WWI. Warren G. Harding a Republican President led us from WWI into "nomalcy". President Harding led the country away from Wilsons socialistic views and returned it to the Capitalistic systems and freedom we all love, with the greatest landslide Presidential election victory in USA history.

    Franklin D. Roosevelt a Democrat President led the USA into WWII. Dwight D. Eisenhower a Republican President as General and Commander of all the Armed forces of the USA led the USA to victory over Germany and Japan so America could keep the freedom we now have. Roosevelt died before WWII ended but Eisenhower won the war anyways.

    Harry S. Truman a Democrat President was vice-President under FDR and took over the Presidency when FDR died in office. Truman gave away most of Eastern Europe to Russia at the end of WWII. The USA won the war but Truman was too soft and inexperienced (sounds like Obama doesn't it, that's what happens facing Communist countries like Russia with soft Presidents), so Truman faced an international crisis at the end of WWII, he couldn't handle it and he lost most of Eastern Europe to Russia in negotiations, which started the cold war with Russia. Then just a few years later Truman led the USA into the Korean War. "The war remained a frustrating stalemate for two years, with over 30,000 Americans killed, until a peace agreement restored borders and ended the conflict.[127] In the interim, the difficulties in Korea and the popular outcry against Truman's sacking of MacArthur helped to make the president so unpopular that Democrats started turning to other candidates." wikipedia.org

    Lyndon B. Johnson a Democrat President led the USA into the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon a Republican President led the USA out of Vietnam and ended the Draft. Nixon also opened the doors to trading with China.

    Reagan and George Bush both Republican Presidents won the cold war against Russia and freed Eastern Europe, that truman gave away to Russia, without firing a shot. They built the "big stick" which included the Military Machine we have today including the Stealth Bombers and fighters, again so we Americans can all be free instead of bowing to a Communist Dictator like Castro or Stalin. Reagan and George Bush also improved the economy to great and new heights that was totally destroyed under Jimmy Carter's, a Democrat President,with Carter's extremely high taxes and the running of the printing presses that caused run away inflation. (This is why many see Barack Hussein Obama as another Jimmy Carter, it has already been tried in the USA and failed miserably. This is not change nor nothing new. It is just a return to the failed policies of Jimmy Carter)

    George Bush also won the Gulf war against Iraq and Sadam Hussein. Freeing Kuwa