March 18, 1968 - LBJ Refuses RFK Offer To Stay Out of Race; Western Europe Reacts

Senator Robert Kennedy and the Johnson administration have exchanged politically explosive charges over Kennedy's proposal to stay out of the Presidential race contingent upon a revision of U.S. policy in Vietnam. Multiple sources in the administration claim that Kennedy delivered what they termed an "ultimatum" that President Johnson appoint a blue ribbon panel to revise US war policy in Vietnam. The President rejected the idea as totally unacceptable politically. Counter-charges have been swapped by both sides. Kennedy acknowledges proposing the commission but insists that the published reports are a distortion that he blamed on leaks to the media from the White House. In a 1,500-word statement, Kennedy said he told Defense Secretary Clark Clifford that if the President acknowledged the need for a commission as a genuine solution rather than a public relations idea, Kennedy had no need to enter the race. The administration, however, alleged that Kennedy's proposal included Johnson making an acknowledgement that Johnson had "grave doubt of the wisdom of his past course and why this reappraisal was necessary" and that Kennedy wanted to actually be on the commission, a charge the Kennedy campaign denied. Johnson immediately dismissed the proposal and, again invoking the patriotism argument, declared that North Vietnam would think U.S. resolve was weakening.

Despite widespread affection for Kennedy's late brother, President John F. Kennedy, much of Western Europe reacted cynically to Kennedy's entry into the Presidential race. Kennedy is viewed as opportunistic after not entering the race until the "peace candidate," Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy, came very close to beating Johnson in the New Hampshire primary last Tuesday. Lord Harlech, the former British Ambassador, was generally optimistic in his assessment of Kennedy's entry, though it should be noted Harlech is a close friend of the Kennedy family. Elsewhere, however, reaction was cynical. Kennedy's announcement was front page news in Paris with the headline, "McCarthy's Success Awakened Kennedy's Ambition." The Communist daily l'Humanitie, which normally ignores U.S. politics, ran Kennedy's announcement at full column length with an accompanying photograph. Newspapers in Italy relegated the Kennedy news to the inside pages.


SOURCES

"LBJ Spurns RFK Offer To Stay Out of Race, Nashua Telegraph, March 18, 1968, pp 1-2.

"W. Europe Takes Cynical View of RFK's Bid for Presidency," Bridgeport Telegram, March 18, 1968, 12.