European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1965, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes sunday april 18, 196s Johnson sometimes Colu White House lonely acres the presidency a Job in world s finest prison editor s note if Petit lob which include Pri vate planes a Nice Home lop pay Aid All und of fringe benefits. But the presidency tar More than that. The world most powerful office know ii moment of ordeal Momenta of Triumph and a been called the finest pita of in the by Frank Cormier Washington a Lyn Don b. Johnson says the Ameri can presidency offer the bes working conditions in the world Good pay expert help an fringe benefits that would be the envy of a maharajah. Don t feel sorry for me hence remarked to a group of newsmen who were tra Lllan him around he while House Yard. You should feel Jorry for at. Johnson went on to de Tail All the advantages of be ing president an annual Sal Ary of 1150,000 free use of an historic mansion around the clock assistance from experts in an out of government a full staff of maids Cook valets and masseur a personal physician Freedom from commuter worries use of a private air Leet to go anywhere at any Lime and most important the personal satisfaction of Grap pling with the challenges of Ajob that is never done. This War. Johnson mood of the moment How Ever. Re is not always so in thus Aitto. Like Many presi Dent he chafes at Security dictated curb on his Freedom of movement. Just As Harry a Truman use to Call the while House the finest prison in the world sometimes refers to his temporary Home As lonely acre and complains about be tog locked up behind that big Lack Iron fence.". For All i ebullient talk about having the Best Job in the world or. Johnson know Blackmo ments. This Loo i part of the Job. One such moment was recorded on March 1 when or. Johnson addressed prominent educators even As problems in Viet Nam and Selma ala., multiplied. Speaking extemporaneously and with obvious Candor he confessed i Don t know what will rewritten about my adm Nistra Prei Dent Johnson at a news conference. Don t feel sorry for me Congress record debated by Frank Washington Fuji the nth Congress has embarked on it annual easter vacation. Everyone agreed it had accomplished Morein three month than Tome do in a year but Tome party opinion differed on whether it a Good or bad. Democrat used such words As historic to describe the record so far. President Johnson called it without equal or close parallel in modern times. Houe Republican whip Leslie c. Aren Sof Ilu nol conceded that we re doing a lot of he added though i m not Fireall of pm Are Houe gop Leader Gerald r. Ford or. said the House had been the vie. Us of political karate and he said the rejected gop alternatives to some of the measure that have been enacted would have gotten better result at in cod at any rate Here the record that con Dremnen can reflect on while they re Vaca a Onang until april m a general school Aid Bill the first has been enacted. There i a new economic development program for the poverty Wear appalachian Region. The Rouse has passed and the Senate is sure to a massive medical care plan for the aged. The new voting rights Bill is ready for Early action in Bot the House and Senate. Speaker John w. Mccormack d-mas., this legislative Progress remark be compared the first 100 Days of tenth Congress to the famous first 100 Days of the 73rd, alien president Franklin , under near panic conditions rammed much of the new Deal program through. A belter comparison might be made with Eleazer the Tith Congress of 1 3about which me Cormack did some worrying Back in de Cember. President Johnson s november election sweep had carried lopsided demo cratic majorities into the House and new Congress opened with 25 democrats in the House and Only 140 the Senate the balance was 67 to 11. The first reaction of democratic congressional leaders was unrestrained Joy. Then they recalled was the year for set the election record both for himself and for House that convened in january 1m7, comprised 933 democrats Only 8 republicans and 11 of miscellaneous political faiths. In the Senate there were 79 democrats Only 17 republicans and 4 other minority backers figured the fight was All Over. But it turned out that Roosevelt had already had his Best Luck. Having mus Cle to spare the democrats forgot How Touse it. With presentation of the president s supreme court packing plan the democratic majorities flew into pieces. Ii could have happened again in . Johnson a consensus theory of government partly explains Why it has has limited his requests As sweeping us they May seem to opponents to what he thought he could get. He has not flown in the face of Public for the presidential Arm twisting complained of by Ford and other Republican leaders. Democrats View this More As Friendly persuasion. It is a fact that or. Johnson a worked himself i aides and his Tele phone night and Day to get his program through Congress. He can be expected to continue to do so and with considerable Success on most issues. Lion. Nothing really seems to Loright from Early in the morning till late at these words Mirror Theden Palm hat occasionally afflicts everyone who achieve the presidency the frustration that once prompted George Washington to exclaim i had rather be in my grave than in fee still no one Ever was dragged with kicking heels into the presidency and certainly Johnson. For Many men in Public life the presidency is the treasure it the end of the Rainbow. It Isth world s most powerful of fice wrapping around one Manthe combined mantles of King and prime president is chief of stale and head of government. He Isco Mandor to Char of of the armed forces architect of for eign Ihil icy. Principal Initiator of legislation Leader of his Politi Cal party and in later decades Lender of the free All this he presidency offers its occupant what Thoeodore Roosevelt termed this bully in other words the office has such a commanding Eminence the president is free to preach exhort and cajole on any topic he wants to spotlight. This does t mean the presi Dent will be heeded but he will be hard. Or. Truman did lot of pulpit ering about civil rights and fair employment practices Back in the 1940s, but Wilh very limited Delano Roosevelt on the other hand used the Whitehouse pulpit in 1940-41 to sell n traditionally isolationist poo Pic on taking a major hand in aiding Britain a Gunst nazi Germany. Or. Johnson has a bit of the evangelistic preacher in his makeup too and l hesitated to use his pulpit to promote civil right Laws and to awaken Public con Cern about lingering poverty amid Prosperity. Because people listen when the president Speaks even if they disagree he is Able to exert greater moral suasion than any other Man in chief executives have capitalized on their ability to exert moral leadership. Roose velt for example used the enormous audiences for his radio fireside Chals to nuke presidential preaching one of the most powerful tools of the office. President John f. Kennedy did much the same thing with televised news conferences. Others like Calvin Coolidge have preferred silence. Coolidge used to it was in the National interest for him to take Lone afternoon naps because Hati Hildn l be initiating anything while asleep. A president word Are Pon dered not Only in the United slates hut around the president Dwight d. Eisenhower helped set powerful forces in Molina with a speech in hip United nations in which he advocated an International atoms for a Price program. B r. C a v s f. Different men use the influence of Tea. Office in different ways ump residency a n fluid Ever changing institution. Or John son uses every bit of Infra ence he can meter when a Cess try. And has Hunt a Strong presidency one of Ike Strong esl. In fact. While the next Man in the while hone com he another Coolidge the tread however seems to be toward stronger presidential Leader ship. Every president tries to Lethis own Arlor lies for dealing with his varied assignment. But events outside i control have u Way of forcing shift in priorities. In a very real sense the presidency is a creature of the limes. And changing time often Linore even thwart the Belt Laid Tilting of president. Wilson took office orca the new Freedom an it Lou Domestic program. But events overtook his Effort and he i renumbered As a War time Hoover will forever be associated with the Chickenis every pot slogan yet he u remembered As a hard time president. Re Rouban edition army Haw aim Force Loco Ljames w. Campbell Usa Elmer d. Frank .v.v. A. " no Henry i. Epstein. Creul 1 / i directory of new ouriau1 is a on. . A Toni of circulation offices or. A it if. A
