THE PRESIDENT AT WORK

[Music] so [Music] hey big enough for two emperors a pope and a grand llama so wrote thomas jefferson of the white house for all the united states the house of history as they left their marks on the nation so has each of the 34 presidents who lived here left some reminder of his tenancy from jefferson who advised that its design be copied from the mansion of an irish duke to johnson who has ordered that its interior be decorated with austere simplicity and through half a century the simple oval office has become to all the world symbol of the nation's strength her focal point of power sixteen hundred people work on the president's staff by 9 am most of them have checked into the white house or the executive office building next door in the president's day 7 to 9 a.m pass in the mansion living quarters where his activities and guests are off the record and he can study the night's report from the white house communications center in the west wing three of his five secretaries prepare the mountain of paperwork that awaits the president anticipating his arrival special assistants like former advertising man jack valenti set the order for items they wish the president to see there's barely time now for bill moyers special assistant doubling his press secretary to make one last check of the news wires word is passed he's on the way only now the lights go on juanita roberts collects for his eye the urgent business of the day and secret servicemen relieve the guards who stand at all other times beside the office door comes now bearing a private dream in which he scoops up the nation of his two hands and molds it to suit himself he may be plagued by a foreign war which he dares not leave nor cannot end by an ebbing measure of public love but of his vision he is sure he would dissolve the sea and heal the sick rebuild the cities and enrich the farms retrain the old and educate the young and he is determined that no man nor institution shall stand in the way of accomplishment he has given the dream a name the great society the desk is franklin roosevelt's the news tickers behind him in a massive white cabinet are his gone is the random clutter of kennedy's day for lyndon johnson is impatient with diversion hungry for results but you take it from me i worked harder and longer on this measure than any measure i've ever worked in since i came to washington in 1931. franklin roosevelt's new deal opens lyndon johnson's eyes to the power of big government these are the influences that shape his way he sees the hardships of depression-dazed america footloose people wandering his native texas in search of necessities and becomes convinced that the cure rests in washington in the hands of federal administrators [Music] and there is the influence on lyndon johnson of cannae mr sam sam rayburn speaker of the house and one of the most detroit politicians of his day from mr sam johnson learns the secret of controlling the intricate machinery that makes congress run as senate majority leader he samples power and finds it sweet the agonizing helplessness of his role as observer of john kennedy's struggles with a truculent congress this too leaves its mark the bleak parched earth of texas is remembered best of all initiative made possible his escape but his compassion goes deep for those left behind and his conviction is strong that only great government can lift from them the oppressive burden of the [Music] land he dictates strategy in his weekly meetings with congressional leaders all pros at this business they share intelligence he receives from white house legislative aides prowling capitol hill in emergencies the vice president or the president himself steps in sometimes a phone call sways a vote sometimes a commitment of support for a long cherished project in private interview face-to-face confrontation he is the master of legislative give and take [Music] the president relies on personal contact to accomplish his aim the waiting rooms of the oval office are always full but the public rarely learns the names of daily visitors for if it were released that one senator met with a president his fellow senators would have to be accorded the same privilege or risk a loss of prestige these are proud and independent men and they jealously guard their role in the congress lyndon johnson knows this well he understands their problems caters to their vanities and prods them quietly while publicly roaring their praise the president still follows each bill through the congress but there is less arm-twisting and application of his personal persuasion for these methods though quick to succeed for the most likely to boomerang over the years the white house has developed into one of the world's most important sources of news and for the reporters covering this exalted beat the outer lobby of the west wing is refuge and domicile the president's office is 20 paces beyond the far door but at times it might be a thousand miles away for shielded by the wall newsmen rarely learn more than the president wants them to know all is well if the stories they file are favorable but reports carrying criticism can bring angry personal rebuttal from the inner office the call comes at 11am and 4pm each day briefing time for the white house press bill moyers makes the announcements of white house activity that form a part of the next day's news as interim press secretary his honesty and integrity strengthened the president's relations with the press one problem remains the president's contention that public criticism of his programs is not in the national interest the press secretary is referee and peacekeeper in this running battle for moyers the measure of success is the public's acceptance of the president and the programs of his administration disapproval irks the president according to most white house observers when it's reflected in slight drops in public opinion he turns accusingly to the press and indicates that they have been somehow remiss in their reporting if he is larger than life in other matters if he works harder talks longer acts quicker than most in his desire for approval reporters find lyndon johnson most human he goes to bed late and rises early and the words i never heard him say are i'm tired so says jack valenti perhaps somewhat ruefully for presidential assistance simply keeping up with their boss is a grueling experience always on call their work days may stretch into 18 or 20 hours punctuated by explosive outbursts of impatience but anything less than total dedication there is one presidential duty that has bedeviled every chief executive since george washington greeting the ceremonial visitor need to celebrate these meetings has given rise to the one-minute white house scrimmage photographers and newsreel cameramen covering the president are rushed into the oval office as the ceremonial visit comes to an end and given one minute to take their pictures in an already full calendar more than the minute crowds the schedule and these are after all less than crucial encounters yet part of a presidential day please still another ceremonial activity requires presidential participation the swearing-in of key government officials new cabinet members agency chiefs and ambassadors are honored in these routine affairs calling for a presidential speech followed by the oath of office to office now have come individuals with whom lyndon johnson feels the great personal rapport so vital to his administration experts in their fields they have direct access to the president [Applause] if there is one distinguishing feature it is their willingness to work anonymously be background figures to johnson's starring role he carefully selects men who know the intricacies of capitol hill and get along well with congressmen and they prove their value by paving the way for overwhelming legislative achievements in a record week 600 pens go out in a texas-sized celebration of [Music] accomplishment [Applause] so to vice president hubert humphrey the reasons for success are clear and i can honestly say that the members of the 89th congress have been to the white house more in six months then some senators and congressmen have been to the white house in uh in 16 years or 20 years to senator throughst and morton the dangers of success are many is the great society the answer is not the president setting in motion forces that will destroy the american society i grant his arm-twisting skill in pushing them through the congress i am a child of the congress for more than 30 years the hill was my home and i am here tonight among those that i know and those that i respect and those that i love as he carves the great society he finds far more controversy over his method than the results though critics talk of socialization existing measures of approval and popularity show him far ahead of his detractors he cannot match his domestic achievements with success in foreign affairs though he tries to use them the same methods don't work the luster of his accomplishments is dimmed by the war that rages in vietnam it forces him to dissipate his energies and those of his government [Music] in the innermost sanctum the private presidential dining room four men discuss vietnam's agonizing alternatives rusk mcnamara bundy and lyndon johnson they must choose between two alternatives one is fire in the sky commitment just short of total national emergency and the other is a low-key build-up of the men and materials needed to stem the viet cong tide between these he must choose [Music] word goes out through the west wing offices the president wants to talk he wants expert advice and his aides began arranging off the record meetings with government officials foreign affairs experts military men in short all those whose judgment in these affairs he trusts the conferences will have a dual purpose to elicit a broad range of opinion and to secure unanimous agreement on whatever alternative is selected some term the method government by consensus for its design is to produce a united front on crucial matters a new atmosphere pervades the long rambling walks with reporters around the south lawn the talks are off the record and in the course of them the president uses newsmen as sounding boards trying to sense the pull of public opinion from the content of reporters questions it is almost impossible to clear the official calendar of appointments scheduled months in advance receptions with foreign emissaries cannot be cancelled without harming u.s prestige however burden the president must fulfill these long-standing obligations time is running out with the necessity for decision pressing him the reception line is used as a means to pass an important message to the president by mcgeorge bundy some men are quick to decide slow to act this has never been the case with lyndon johnson he is primarily a man of action but this decision he punders wrong to the muffled temple of the news ticker more and more the line of discussion favors fire in the sky in effect the presidential declaration of a state of emergency but even from his closest advisors the president withholds commitment i'm going he says to camp david lyndon johnson seems resigned to the necessity of fire in the sky but just before going he has told aids i got just a little weak spot in my stomach his doubts must be resolved during a weekend at the peaceful retreat in maryland's catoctin mountains far from reporters cameras and the normal pressures of government behind him in washington a bulky bureaucracy concentrates its efforts on maintaining a flow of digestive information toward the pinnacles of government in the operations center of the state department wires from embassies all over the world carry summaries of foreign reaction to the problem of vietnam monday morning four days since the start of the crisis period bill moyers announces the president's intention to hold an important press conference in less than 48 hours on wednesday morning there are no further details he can give no indication of what the president plans to say for no decision has been reached at camp david i hereby resign from my position as an associate justice of the supreme court of the united states in order to assume the responsibility on this monday arthur goldberg takes office as ambassador to the united nations it is a tribute to the president's persuasive powers that he has convinced goldberg to resign from the supreme court to take the post once appointed few men in history have stepped down from the bench as the ceremony ends in view of guests and reporters the president makes it a special point to kiss mrs rusk it is a gesture of support for his secretary of state that speaks far more eloquently than words it is pure johnson a strange mixture of loyalty sentiment bravado and humanity through the private entrances to the white house comes a steady stream of visitors to meet singly and in groups with the president the experts the president listens estimates what each alternative will mean politically to allies to neutrals to the soviet union and china and gives no indication of which he favors lest it cause advisors to swing in his direction [Music] with a possibility of widespread troop commitment perhaps even the declaration of a national emergency the attention of the entire nation focuses on the white house gestures of support commingle with anguished protest [Music] [Applause] on wall street always a barometer of national reaction activity dwindles trading reflects confusion and uncertainty of direction for if the president pulls all the stops and does mobilize on a full wartime basis most market forecasts will have to be totally revised [Applause] [Music] by nine o'clock tuesday evening the last of the meetings have ended the last of the experts gone with his personal staff the president reviews the factors that have brought him to decision but the process is inexplicable and those close to him know it their role now is to help him formulate the thoughts that will go into his speech of explanation tomorrow it will take till early wednesday to complete a workable draft of his talk [Music] in two days of meetings withdrawal had gone unconsidered whatever their personal objections senators military experts and diplomats agreed finally to quietly but substantially increase united states commitment and this is what he wanted council first unanimous accord later with no look back nor recrimination why must young americans born into a land who can say why a president decides perhaps because he was a texas hill country boy because he knew hunger because he coveted power or because he sought universal approval or for a dozen such reasons he has absorbed fact advice information subjected them to the force of his emotions and intellect and produced a decision because he holds a lonely mandate freely given [Applause] he is president and he must decide and when it is over he reaches out for support in the way of all men he rarely leaves the white house cares little for washington in general but after two weeks of confined and concentrated work the temptation to break loose becomes irresistible and so he does [Music] [Applause] [Music] lyndon johnson cannot resist responding to such a display of affection his hands bear scars from years of enthusiastic response to crowds they need only welcome him to be welcomed in return there is no surer sign of restlessness than the president's sudden decisions to break routine and pay an unscheduled call at one of the departments [Music] the stern excitement of a presidential visit ripples through giant agencies like the commerce department with earthquake-like tremors the halls suddenly fill with excited government workers hoping for a glimpse of the president [Music] as all presidents lyndon johnson has sought this role so he cannot complain of its rigors he has assumed great personal control of the apparatus of government and so the demands on his time and energy rise the enormous pressures of schedule problems and decision burden his mind [Music] at andrews air force base in washington a specially fitted jet transport waits on the president's command the call has come scepter this is crown he's on the way and to those manning the jet it means the president's helicopter has left the white house soon he will be texas bound aboard air force one the name given any plane that carries the president [Applause] after a texas style lunch chili a turkey sandwich and a cup of soup work goes on aboard air force one staff members rush to complete work on press releases memos and mail in order to leave free time for the president once they reach austin wherever he goes the sense of strength goes to no president one observer is written has so gathered to himself the power of government he has his finger on every lever back in washington and that's what he cares about two and a half million pieces of mail a year arrive at the white house but to reach the president the letter must come through a long screening process if it is presented to him it often carries a staff note suggesting alternatives for action that may be required once the suggestion is accepted or comment written an initial lbj it becomes a command order it happens about two and a half hours out of washington it is something that is felt rather than seen the atmosphere in the plane changes he's coming home in the moments before landing washington formality gives way to texas conflict of this place lyndon johnson's father had said i like to come home to the hills here's where they know when you're sick here's where they care when you die [Music] raised in the land of extremes lyndon johnson is a man of extremes he possesses great compassion and the savage temper warmth and generosity alternate with the tyrant's harshness the land has shaped him and when he seeks ideas or inspiration he returns here so the cycle begins anew lyndon johnson returns to washington to the seat of his administration and the source of his power john f kennedy had written the american presidency is a formidable exposed and somewhat mysterious institution it is formidable because it represents the point of ultimate decision in the american political system it is exposed because decision cannot take place in a vacuum the presidential office is the vortex into which all the elements of national decision are irresistibly drawn and it is the measure of lyndon johnson that this is where he wants to be [Music] foreign