Both Interior and Califano were there, it was a meeting of the Cabinet's "DH" committee and both secretaries are members. With regards to health insurance: most likely yes (I've never read anything about this in any of my sources), but there's likely an "opt-out" option and RFK could certainly afford the best specialists in the country; he was always ensuring his friends got the best possible private care IOTL and paying for it if required. As POTUS this is a moot point because the White House doctor takes care of everything. One thing I don't know is whether the WH doctor treats the First Family: I'd say no but I could be wrong.
The Impossible Dream
- Thread starter RogueBeaver
- Start date
The White House, Sept. 3
Bobby had scheduled two meetings for today: one meeting with Bundy and Kissinger to discuss the new North Vietnamese leadership that would arise following Ho Chi Minh’s death the previous day, the other to discuss the burgeoning bussing crisis. First was the Vietnamese meeting, which Kennedy judged more important strategically.
9:30 AM, the Oval Office
Kennedy sat in the “magic circle” where he held his discussions with close advisers rather than the Oval Office desk, flanked by Bundy, Kissinger and Kissinger’s aide Morton Halperin. Kissinger began: “Mr. President, the most likely outcome is that Pham Van Dong retains the premiership with one of the old guard becoming president. Another outcome, which is quite unlikely given the party structure, is that he combines both the offices.” “I agree with Henry” replied Bundy. “Pham is the one who will become paramount; we didn’t know Khrushchev would be top dog in ’53 or ’55 but we found out very quickly. We believe the situation is the same here.” Bobby quickly replied: “That’s what I was thinking as well. Many of these Communist countries are the same, once the founding father dies they quickly move to a more collective leadership. Even in China, Mao deals with the big picture and Zhou with daily management and riding herd on the bureaucracy. Pham’s someone we can deal with: he’s less ideological and more pragmatic, being a career diplomat tends to isolate you from the power struggles at home. As long as we keep hammering away at the North Vietnamese defences and the Trail there will be room for negotiations.” After another 45 minutes of general foreign policy discussion Kennedy dismissed the trio and returned to his desk to continue the day’s business. We need to discuss bussing in the next two weeks Kennedy wrote in a memo to Fred Dutton.
Sept. 10, 3 PM, the West Wing
Bill Clinton was busy writing a memo for Fred Dutton, the White House Chief of Staff, regarding the proposed healthcare legislation, but was about to go on break.
The Oval Office
Bobby had summoned Carl Sanders, Nick Katzenbach and Pat Moynihan to his hideaway in the Executive Office Building to discuss the bussing dilemma, which the Supreme Court was due to rule on within the next six months. He had read memos from differing sources, all urging caution and a conciliatory approach. Kennedy instinctively disliked bussing: his fierce commitment to racial equality did not supersede the fact that children would endure long transit times, sometimes passing multiple schools before arriving at their destination. Bobby, who had been intimately involved with the drafting of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, knew that two of its amendments specifically prohibited bussing. Nick Katzenbach had reminded him of this back in January. Kennedy had also read an unsigned memo that had hit on a compromise; bussing was only to be implemented when evidence of de jure segregation across multiple school districts was found. He hit the buzzer: “Fred, who wrote this memo?” “One of my political staffers; the kid from Arkansas is the author.” “Get Clinton in here right now” Kennedy ordered. When he arrived, Kennedy asked “so you wrote this?” “Yes Mr. President.’ “Fortunately, I agree with you. There will be some amendments required to the Act as it currently stands, but explain this about a 50-mile limit?” “Mr. President, 50 miles is the average distance required to make such legislation work effectively in rural areas. In urban areas I expect it will be a non-issue, but I didn’t think setting two standards would be a good idea.” After some brief discussion they all left. “Mr. Clinton, a moment. You just ensured yourself a permanent position if you want it, the letter will be in the mail around Christmastime.”
Sept. 30, the White House
Kennedy met with Pat Moynihan and Joe Califano to discuss the draft healthcare legislation which Bobby knew would preoccupy most of 1970, along with the FY 1971 budget, which would include a proposed VAT and increased federal gas tax. Combined with the proposed reduction in personal income taxes, even Treasury Secretary Nelson Rockefeller called the draft budget “a combustible melange that might blow up like in our face like a grenade or as beautifully as Fourth of July fireworks display.” Califano outlined HEW’s draft proposal to Kennedy: tentatively entitled “Bluecare”.
PRESIDENT/ PM ONLY
From: Joe Califano
Attn: The President
CC: Pat Moynihan
Oct. 17, 1969
Mr. President,
After lengthy deliberations and consultations with our interdepartmental working group, we have devised a draft healthcare bill for submission to Congress either after the Christmas break or just prior to it. A summary will be found below, and roughly 60 pages of various briefing documents are attached- we tried to condense as much as possible.
- Medicare Part D, prescription drugs, a bulk purchase agreement.
- A non-contributory Medicare for children fewer than 18 and pre/natal/post natal care for mothers.
- An expansion of Medicaid, raising reimbursement levels and the Federal kick-in, establishing national standards of care.
- An opt-out program for adults who don't qualify for Medicaid, where they can choose between a Medicare public option and a voucher for a private plan.
- Federal malpractice insurance and caps on malpractice lawsuits (important for getting the AMA defused)
- A "play or pay" mandate on larger employers.
Joe: Approved in full- see me tomorrow before we brief Congressional leaders in a few weeks’ time. Excellent job: everything I wanted and both Scott and Jerry Ford told me that they’re open to helping us pass, though many GOP members will still oppose, we’ll likely have a 2-1 vote in favour in both House and Senate.
Oct. 19, aboard Air Force One, somewhere over Ohio, enroute to Indianapolis
Bobby had been planning this speech for weeks, but the time had finally come to “cross the T” in his words and disarm his critics on both left and right. Kennedy’s Indianapolis speech would be even more famous than his last one, and as he joked to Fred Dutton “and this one will be actually written before I go on air”. Soon Kennedy landed at the airport aboard Air Force One to be greeted by Indianapolis Mayor Dick Lugar and Indiana Governor Edgar Whitcomb. He drove to the NBC studios and began his address at 8 PM local time.
“My fellow citizens, I was elected to the Presidency just under a year ago on a pledge to reform the federal government and end the Vietnam War which has so deeply divided the nation over these past four years. Over these past ten months significant progress has been made towards these goals, with troop levels down by nearly 60% since January and further withdrawals are planned for later this year. One thing is for certain: the era of all-encompassing government is over. The solutions which were advanced in the past two generations, namely the New and Fair Deals, the New Frontier, the Great Society, all were designed for their particular decade or era. The problems of the 1970s require new solutions that will be meeting this upcoming decade’s unique challenges to our domestic and overseas security. My goal is that of a more federal union, returning to states prerogatives that have been the subject of jurisdictional intrusions by the federal government, along with an increased role of the free market. Hence the term “market federalism”, which summarizes the philosophy by which, this Administration is operating.”
Nov. 8, Old Senate Office Building
Ted Kennedy was working in his Senate office when the phone rang: it was Bobby’s chief of staff, Fred Dutton, who said that his brother wished to see him. He had planned to be having dinner at the White House tonight anyways, so all he had to do was arrive at the White House couple of hours early.
4:30 PM
“Fred, where’s Bobby?” “He is where he normally is on a Friday before Ethel comes home with the kids: in the basement pool and he wants you to join him to discuss the healthcare bill.” Ted quickly went down to the basement, where he joined his brother in the pool. “Ted, what do you think the chances are of passing the draft bill I sent you?” “Bobby, I think passage is assured. The bulk purchase agreement for Medicare Part D will get the AARP on board, the Medicare opt-in allows for incremental implementation of universality, in French they call it “etapisme”. Opt-out allows the public a choice, which is central to both our philosophies, companies won’t complain about the vouchers either, malpractice insurance and a liability cap will defuse the AMA. In short, I think you’ve got everything covered and we’re set to implement universal healthcare in this country. My only bit of advice would be to wait until January; otherwise it will be bogged down in committee and forgotten by the public over Christmas recess. Are you planning to include it in the State of the Union?” “Not just include it, it will be the centrepiece. Now let’s get ready for dinner, shall we?”
Dec. 2, the White House
Now that healthcare was on track, Bobby decided that the next item on his domestic legislative agenda would be a line-item veto and an omnibus crime bill, but that would have to wait until after what he foresaw would be “the biggest domestic battle of my presidency” with Bluecare. He had no intention of getting into what he knew would be the subject of a constitutional challenge before the Supreme Court, namely the line-item veto. Bobby had often complained to both Jack and Ted that “otherwise good legislation gets scrapped because pork or interest-group amendments are quietly put in there. With a line-item veto we can pitch the chaff and pass the wheat.” Nonetheless, he had ordered Katzenbach and White House Counsel Burke Marshall to devise a draft bill that would pass SCOTUS muster, though Bobby had tentatively decided to delay introducing such legislation until 1971 when his Supreme Court nominees would be in place and likely rule favourably on such a proposal. He also decided to introduce the crime bill later in the spring of 1970. As Bill Clinton and Fred Dutton later explained “the Republicans would be banging on about ‘half-socialized medicine’ while we passed a crime bill that would meet Ronald Reagan’s standards of law enforcement and thus be caught in an extremely uncomfortable position.”
Pres. Robert Kennedy announces the submission of the administration's healthcare plan, codenamed "Blue Chip" to Congress, Dec. 9
“Fence-sitters achieve nothing but involuntary vasectomies.”- Attributed to Robert Kennedy
“The Administration’s proposed healthcare bill is worse than socialized medicine, because it enables so-called “choice” through the front door while allowing all the interest groups such as the President’s friend Walter Reuther and his UAW to have group pools, for no other reason as to ensure the unions’ cooperation in turning out the Democratic vote in the upcoming midterm elections.”
- Gov. Ronald Reagan’s national televised address, Dec. 11
“Reagan is a benign demagogue, a fear monger, a Goldwaterite and a prick, while happening to be the leader of the opposition. Not necessarily in that order.”
- President Kennedy, privately
Dec. 20, the Oval Office
“Governor, the President will see you now.” Ronald Reagan entered the Oval Office and shook hands with Kennedy: the 6” 3 Reagan towered over the 5” 9 Kennedy and Kennedy stared down the photographers who tried to snap pictures. Both sat down and discussed the past year in domestic politics: Reagan admitted to the President that “you caught us bathing and stole our clothes with the budget and welfare reform”. Bobby laughed and replied “Governor, I’ll try to not do it too often, otherwise your party will be in continuous violation of the laws on public decency.” Despite their cordial talks, Kennedy told Dutton and Clinton later “if anything derails, we’ll have a very tough fight against Reagan in ’72. If everything goes according to plan, he’ll wait and I’ll kick the ass of whomever they nominate.” Bobby had formally confirmed Reagan in all but name as the leader of the opposition.
Bobby and Jackie Kennedy with their families in Sun Valley, Idaho, Dec. 27
Bobby had scheduled two meetings for today: one meeting with Bundy and Kissinger to discuss the new North Vietnamese leadership that would arise following Ho Chi Minh’s death the previous day, the other to discuss the burgeoning bussing crisis. First was the Vietnamese meeting, which Kennedy judged more important strategically.
9:30 AM, the Oval Office
Kennedy sat in the “magic circle” where he held his discussions with close advisers rather than the Oval Office desk, flanked by Bundy, Kissinger and Kissinger’s aide Morton Halperin. Kissinger began: “Mr. President, the most likely outcome is that Pham Van Dong retains the premiership with one of the old guard becoming president. Another outcome, which is quite unlikely given the party structure, is that he combines both the offices.” “I agree with Henry” replied Bundy. “Pham is the one who will become paramount; we didn’t know Khrushchev would be top dog in ’53 or ’55 but we found out very quickly. We believe the situation is the same here.” Bobby quickly replied: “That’s what I was thinking as well. Many of these Communist countries are the same, once the founding father dies they quickly move to a more collective leadership. Even in China, Mao deals with the big picture and Zhou with daily management and riding herd on the bureaucracy. Pham’s someone we can deal with: he’s less ideological and more pragmatic, being a career diplomat tends to isolate you from the power struggles at home. As long as we keep hammering away at the North Vietnamese defences and the Trail there will be room for negotiations.” After another 45 minutes of general foreign policy discussion Kennedy dismissed the trio and returned to his desk to continue the day’s business. We need to discuss bussing in the next two weeks Kennedy wrote in a memo to Fred Dutton.
Sept. 10, 3 PM, the West Wing
Bill Clinton was busy writing a memo for Fred Dutton, the White House Chief of Staff, regarding the proposed healthcare legislation, but was about to go on break.
The Oval Office
Bobby had summoned Carl Sanders, Nick Katzenbach and Pat Moynihan to his hideaway in the Executive Office Building to discuss the bussing dilemma, which the Supreme Court was due to rule on within the next six months. He had read memos from differing sources, all urging caution and a conciliatory approach. Kennedy instinctively disliked bussing: his fierce commitment to racial equality did not supersede the fact that children would endure long transit times, sometimes passing multiple schools before arriving at their destination. Bobby, who had been intimately involved with the drafting of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, knew that two of its amendments specifically prohibited bussing. Nick Katzenbach had reminded him of this back in January. Kennedy had also read an unsigned memo that had hit on a compromise; bussing was only to be implemented when evidence of de jure segregation across multiple school districts was found. He hit the buzzer: “Fred, who wrote this memo?” “One of my political staffers; the kid from Arkansas is the author.” “Get Clinton in here right now” Kennedy ordered. When he arrived, Kennedy asked “so you wrote this?” “Yes Mr. President.’ “Fortunately, I agree with you. There will be some amendments required to the Act as it currently stands, but explain this about a 50-mile limit?” “Mr. President, 50 miles is the average distance required to make such legislation work effectively in rural areas. In urban areas I expect it will be a non-issue, but I didn’t think setting two standards would be a good idea.” After some brief discussion they all left. “Mr. Clinton, a moment. You just ensured yourself a permanent position if you want it, the letter will be in the mail around Christmastime.”
Sept. 30, the White House
Kennedy met with Pat Moynihan and Joe Califano to discuss the draft healthcare legislation which Bobby knew would preoccupy most of 1970, along with the FY 1971 budget, which would include a proposed VAT and increased federal gas tax. Combined with the proposed reduction in personal income taxes, even Treasury Secretary Nelson Rockefeller called the draft budget “a combustible melange that might blow up like in our face like a grenade or as beautifully as Fourth of July fireworks display.” Califano outlined HEW’s draft proposal to Kennedy: tentatively entitled “Bluecare”.
PRESIDENT/ PM ONLY
From: Joe Califano
Attn: The President
CC: Pat Moynihan
Oct. 17, 1969
Mr. President,
After lengthy deliberations and consultations with our interdepartmental working group, we have devised a draft healthcare bill for submission to Congress either after the Christmas break or just prior to it. A summary will be found below, and roughly 60 pages of various briefing documents are attached- we tried to condense as much as possible.
- Medicare Part D, prescription drugs, a bulk purchase agreement.
- A non-contributory Medicare for children fewer than 18 and pre/natal/post natal care for mothers.
- An expansion of Medicaid, raising reimbursement levels and the Federal kick-in, establishing national standards of care.
- An opt-out program for adults who don't qualify for Medicaid, where they can choose between a Medicare public option and a voucher for a private plan.
- Federal malpractice insurance and caps on malpractice lawsuits (important for getting the AMA defused)
- A "play or pay" mandate on larger employers.
Joe: Approved in full- see me tomorrow before we brief Congressional leaders in a few weeks’ time. Excellent job: everything I wanted and both Scott and Jerry Ford told me that they’re open to helping us pass, though many GOP members will still oppose, we’ll likely have a 2-1 vote in favour in both House and Senate.
Oct. 19, aboard Air Force One, somewhere over Ohio, enroute to Indianapolis
Bobby had been planning this speech for weeks, but the time had finally come to “cross the T” in his words and disarm his critics on both left and right. Kennedy’s Indianapolis speech would be even more famous than his last one, and as he joked to Fred Dutton “and this one will be actually written before I go on air”. Soon Kennedy landed at the airport aboard Air Force One to be greeted by Indianapolis Mayor Dick Lugar and Indiana Governor Edgar Whitcomb. He drove to the NBC studios and began his address at 8 PM local time.
“My fellow citizens, I was elected to the Presidency just under a year ago on a pledge to reform the federal government and end the Vietnam War which has so deeply divided the nation over these past four years. Over these past ten months significant progress has been made towards these goals, with troop levels down by nearly 60% since January and further withdrawals are planned for later this year. One thing is for certain: the era of all-encompassing government is over. The solutions which were advanced in the past two generations, namely the New and Fair Deals, the New Frontier, the Great Society, all were designed for their particular decade or era. The problems of the 1970s require new solutions that will be meeting this upcoming decade’s unique challenges to our domestic and overseas security. My goal is that of a more federal union, returning to states prerogatives that have been the subject of jurisdictional intrusions by the federal government, along with an increased role of the free market. Hence the term “market federalism”, which summarizes the philosophy by which, this Administration is operating.”
Nov. 8, Old Senate Office Building
Ted Kennedy was working in his Senate office when the phone rang: it was Bobby’s chief of staff, Fred Dutton, who said that his brother wished to see him. He had planned to be having dinner at the White House tonight anyways, so all he had to do was arrive at the White House couple of hours early.
4:30 PM
“Fred, where’s Bobby?” “He is where he normally is on a Friday before Ethel comes home with the kids: in the basement pool and he wants you to join him to discuss the healthcare bill.” Ted quickly went down to the basement, where he joined his brother in the pool. “Ted, what do you think the chances are of passing the draft bill I sent you?” “Bobby, I think passage is assured. The bulk purchase agreement for Medicare Part D will get the AARP on board, the Medicare opt-in allows for incremental implementation of universality, in French they call it “etapisme”. Opt-out allows the public a choice, which is central to both our philosophies, companies won’t complain about the vouchers either, malpractice insurance and a liability cap will defuse the AMA. In short, I think you’ve got everything covered and we’re set to implement universal healthcare in this country. My only bit of advice would be to wait until January; otherwise it will be bogged down in committee and forgotten by the public over Christmas recess. Are you planning to include it in the State of the Union?” “Not just include it, it will be the centrepiece. Now let’s get ready for dinner, shall we?”
Dec. 2, the White House
Now that healthcare was on track, Bobby decided that the next item on his domestic legislative agenda would be a line-item veto and an omnibus crime bill, but that would have to wait until after what he foresaw would be “the biggest domestic battle of my presidency” with Bluecare. He had no intention of getting into what he knew would be the subject of a constitutional challenge before the Supreme Court, namely the line-item veto. Bobby had often complained to both Jack and Ted that “otherwise good legislation gets scrapped because pork or interest-group amendments are quietly put in there. With a line-item veto we can pitch the chaff and pass the wheat.” Nonetheless, he had ordered Katzenbach and White House Counsel Burke Marshall to devise a draft bill that would pass SCOTUS muster, though Bobby had tentatively decided to delay introducing such legislation until 1971 when his Supreme Court nominees would be in place and likely rule favourably on such a proposal. He also decided to introduce the crime bill later in the spring of 1970. As Bill Clinton and Fred Dutton later explained “the Republicans would be banging on about ‘half-socialized medicine’ while we passed a crime bill that would meet Ronald Reagan’s standards of law enforcement and thus be caught in an extremely uncomfortable position.”
Pres. Robert Kennedy announces the submission of the administration's healthcare plan, codenamed "Blue Chip" to Congress, Dec. 9
“Fence-sitters achieve nothing but involuntary vasectomies.”- Attributed to Robert Kennedy
“The Administration’s proposed healthcare bill is worse than socialized medicine, because it enables so-called “choice” through the front door while allowing all the interest groups such as the President’s friend Walter Reuther and his UAW to have group pools, for no other reason as to ensure the unions’ cooperation in turning out the Democratic vote in the upcoming midterm elections.”
- Gov. Ronald Reagan’s national televised address, Dec. 11
“Reagan is a benign demagogue, a fear monger, a Goldwaterite and a prick, while happening to be the leader of the opposition. Not necessarily in that order.”
- President Kennedy, privately
Dec. 20, the Oval Office
“Governor, the President will see you now.” Ronald Reagan entered the Oval Office and shook hands with Kennedy: the 6” 3 Reagan towered over the 5” 9 Kennedy and Kennedy stared down the photographers who tried to snap pictures. Both sat down and discussed the past year in domestic politics: Reagan admitted to the President that “you caught us bathing and stole our clothes with the budget and welfare reform”. Bobby laughed and replied “Governor, I’ll try to not do it too often, otherwise your party will be in continuous violation of the laws on public decency.” Despite their cordial talks, Kennedy told Dutton and Clinton later “if anything derails, we’ll have a very tough fight against Reagan in ’72. If everything goes according to plan, he’ll wait and I’ll kick the ass of whomever they nominate.” Bobby had formally confirmed Reagan in all but name as the leader of the opposition.
Bobby and Jackie Kennedy with their families in Sun Valley, Idaho, Dec. 27
John Fredrick Parker
Donor
Nice prose speech; I'm still waiting for a speech more poetic that Bobby was certainly capable of.
Nice
brilliant. I just slogged through the 4 pages in two days and it is as usual awesome. One thing, this Medicare Pt. D, what's the big deal? I thought prescriptions only got big in the Pharma boom of the 90s? Same with liability caps, there haven't been any major abestos lawsuits AFAIK correct? Both IMHO would be rather none issues in the '70s.
Jan. 7, 1970, Cabinet Room
President Robert Kennedy was conducting a meeting of the Cabinet’s “E” committee, which had come up with the FY 1971 draft budget. “Mr. Rockefeller has the floor.” “Thank you Mr. President. The draft budget includes a further 5% reduction in corporate taxes, balanced by a 3-cent increase in the federal gas tax and we are proposing to enact a 5% VAT to further pay down the deficit. If federal spending continues to be held at or slightly below current levels the budget can be balanced by FY 1973 and our first surpluses will start appearing in FY ’74.” “That’s the best economic news I have heard in recent years, for now I hope to make surpluses the norm and not an aberration as we have recently been accustomed to. There is going to be a problem in Congress with the gas tax and especially the VAT. Most of them like direct taxes, even many of the Republicans. VAT is of course a European invention, and all the usual suspects will start frothing at the mouth. Nonetheless, this is the MTFS that I have committed us to for the duration of this term and in all likelihood for the second term as well.”
Jan. 28, Joint Congressional Session, State of the Union Address
President Robert Kennedy delivers his 1970 State of the Union address, Jan. 29, 1970.
“Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, Vice President Sanders, members of the Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: as we gather tonight our country is at war and the economy is in a slowdown. Yet the state of the Union has never been stronger. I am asking the Congress to enact this administration’s healthcare plan with all due possible speed. Universal, quality healthcare is not a luxury, an entitlement or even ‘socialism’ as was mentioned in a recent response to our healthcare proposal. The first universal health insurance plan was proposed by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1883, and he could hardly be called a socialist or even a liberal by period or modern standards. When you have been to the Mississippi Delta as I have, and seen the starvation, the Third World conditions, children who will never develop their full mental faculties because they have been starved before their fifth birthday, that is a crime against morality. Are we to tell those children and their parents that if they do not qualify for Medicaid and cannot afford private insurance they do not have the right to healthcare? If they are not healthy, how can they find work, get an education and move up the socioeconomic ladder that has always been the centrepiece of the American Dream? I am also asking the Congress to enact the budget that has been submitted to them. If we continue down the current fiscal path there will be a balanced Federal budget by 1972 and the first surpluses in 1973. Surpluses should be a habit, not an aberration at the crest of a boom. With fiscal responsibility come some sacrifices, but it would be a much greater wrong to shoulder our children and unborn grandchildren with debt incurred from our recklessness.”
Feb. 12, the Oval Office
Bobby was meeting with Nick Katzenbach to discuss the upcoming crime bill. Tentatively entitled “Violent Crime Control Act”, it would ban the importation and manufacture in the United States of 20 firearms deemed to be assault rifles by an administration advisory board composed of senior police officials and firearms experts overseen by Senator Russell Long (D-LA). In addition, the federal death penalty would be expanded to 40 new offences, mostly relating to terrorism and violent crime. Finally, there would be 120,000 new police officers hired and so-called “boot camps” operated by the states under overall federal supervision. Kennedy had found both Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders “all wanting to claim credit for our work” in his own words. Bobby told Katzenbach: “this is the sort of crime bill I would have loved to have done at Justice, but now I’m doing it as President. I hunt in my spare time; you don’t need anything that has more than a 10-round clip and certainly nothing that is not bolt-action. Anyone who does doesn’t have the best of intentions and after all, the goal is to eat, not to empty whole clips into the animal.” Both men thought that VCCA would be “a golden ticket” for Democrats in November and Kennedy, meeting with incumbents up for re-election and the most promising new candidates, told them “keep hammering away at all that we’ve accomplished with a Democratic Congress and how much more can be done. Especially mention healthcare, welfare reform and the crime bill.”
Feb. 27, the White House
After the crime, healthcare and budget bills had been signed earlier in the week, Bobby was meeting with Kissinger, Bundy and Vance to discuss the war and foreign policy generally. The President wanted new foreign policy avenues pursued now that Indochina was finally coming to a close. “Our priorities should be an arms agreement with the Soviets, especially on ballistic missiles, and more importantly, we absolutely have to exchange embassies with Peking and if possible, shift our Kush alliance from Pakistan to India.” Kissinger, Vance, and Bundy were unsurprised at the President’s goals: he had mentioned them all many times since 1965 except India. Kissinger began: “Mr. President, there are three reasons to go to China. One is for its own sake, which is an admirable goal but not a foreign policy objective. The others are to create a new balance of power after last year’s border war in Mongolia and establish a tacit anti-Soviet alliance with China.” “I concur with Henry” Bundy added. Kennedy replied: “My reasoning is a mixture of 2 and 3: we need to preserve our post-Indochinese influence in Asia. It will anger the Koreans and the Japanese, but this is a geopolitical absolute in my opinion.” Vance: “The Soviets are open to a new treaty: Brezhnev believes he can work with you. I however do not see a reason to shift the Kush balance towards India. It is a Soviet client state in all but name. Mao and Zhou don’t answer to anyone; Gandhi is working on a Friendship Treaty with Gromyko as we speak.”
Mar. 15, the White House
Bobby was meeting with his national security team, though this time he had invited British Ambassador John Freeman to join their discussions in the OEOB, which included Rhodesia. “Mr. Freeman, what exactly is Harold going to do about Rhodesia? Is he going to allow another apartheid state to emerge in Southern Africa?” “Mr. President there is little we can do but negotiate with Smith: we certainly can’t send in troops to depose his regime and re-impose British rule. As you know there is a strong likelihood of an election soon-.” “I thought Heath was the one who had to deal with the rugby boys, apartheid apologists, if not supporters, and their Powellite ilk as we saw two Aprils ago? Besides, I wouldn’t want to be fighting an election in that economy. When you are flat on your back and just starting to get back up in the polls, it is not a good time to tempt fate.” The discussion moved on to the failed coup against Sihanouk by Lon Nol: he had asked for CIA support but Kennedy had told Helms that such aid was “out of the question. It could disrupt the extremely fragile balancing act in Cambodia and cause that whole tinderbox to go up in flames.” “A second front in Indochina is the last thing we need right now: when the South Vietnamese are ready to conduct those operations themselves that is who will do it, I spoke with Thieu and he thinks ARVN and VNAF are ready for such a mission.” As they were leaving, Kennedy told Vance: “Cy, walk with me” and they returned via the basement corridors to the White House. “In the Pentagon budget, I want funds made available for the procurement of 747s for the presidential fleet. Why can’t I have something that Pan Am does?” “Consider it done Bob, delivery should be expected within a year.”
SAM 28000 undergoing acceptance trials, Nellis AFB, May 1970
Mar. 31, the White House
Bobby was meeting with his brother Ted to discuss the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act (PHCSA) which he would be signing the following day. Both brothers agreed that smoking should not be encouraged on the airwaves or in public advertising, but neither wanted “smoking to become a criminal offence” in Bobby’s words. “For those who indulge once in a while on a happy occasion such as we are one thing, but daily cigarettes are a nasty habit that is in effect slow-acting cyanide throughout the body. Once you see a colour X-ray of the lungs, you’ll understand what I mean Teddy.” Both laughed and then proceeded to discuss Bobby’s latest idea, one that had only been discussed with Cyrus Vance and senior Pentagon officials: that of abolishing the draft. “I want to see it replaced by an all-volunteer military or at the very least a lottery system that doesn’t exempt the privileged by means of draft deferments. This will strangle the antiwar movement in a near-instantaneous fashion while substantially improving efficiency at the same time. You go to Vietnam and you see 40% of a battalion are black or Hispanic, where is it written that the poor should undertake the burden of fighting in Indochina or that people of our background are exempt? I do mean a battalion: the amount of blacks or Chicanos you see in the Air Force or Navy as pilots or staff officers can be counted on both our hands. That’s not going to be fixed by affirmative action; it can only be remedied by greater access to post-secondary education, quality healthcare like we just passed, etc. That Pentagon war will be won by domestic battles, and that’s something the Republicans understand better than the Democrats. The idea of a high-school-educated kid flying a Phantom, mastering the switchology, electronics, is not only absurd; it is extremely dangerous to the war effort.”
President Robert Kennedy and his brother, Majority Whip Ted Kennedy, listen to Congressional deliberations on VCCA, March 31
VNAF 536 TFS F-4 taxies in, Tan Son Nhut AFB, April 1970
Apr. 22, the Oval Office, 8:00 PM
Bobby had decided after an early supper with the family to listen to the British election returns on BBC World Service while being filled in by US Ambassador to Britain Walter Annenberg on local developments. Beside him was Henry Kissinger, in whom the President often confided. “To be honest, I think Harold deserves to lose. He’s a great friend of mine, always has been and always will be. But leading a socialist party, being a pragmatist surrounded by ideologues living in some “New Jerusalem” fantasyland hasn’t helped him a single bit. The economy is in the tank, they just lost the World Cup, and Labour does not have a plan to deal with the currency crisis nor the urgent industrial reforms that are desperately needed. In addition, Harold screwed up the timing: I warned Freeman that it was too soon but Harold likes this little surprise gimmickry: the equivalent would be taking a shot as soon as the target enters the reticule instead of waiting for the animal to move to the centre of the scope. Nor do I believe that Heath should win; while I think he’ll solve the currency crisis and many of the domestic issues, Heath is obsessed with the idea of taking Britain into the EEC, has staked his whole political career on it. De Gaulle was right; if the UK enters they will have to choose between us and the Commonwealth or Europe, but the General was mistaken in one part. Heath will choose Europe and he makes Fidel’s friend across the border look positively pro-American in comparison. Has anyone at State done an analysis on this or have they all joined the Europhile cheerleading squad?” “You can’t trust too many of our European specialists-““You’re telling me. I don’t want to deal with those damn women at the European desk ever again, they sound worse than they were when my brother was President, and that’s saying something. Henry, the only European advice I want to hear is from you.” Approximately an hour later they both heard the announcement: “the 315th seat has been declared Conservative, and Mr Heath and Mr Wilson will be making announcements shortly.” Kennedy decided to call Heath the following morning, though the Tories would win 341 seats for an overall majority of 52.
UK general election, 23 April
630 Commons seats
Conservative: 341 seats (+81)
Labour: 276 seats (-88)
Liberal: 6 seats
Other: 7 seats
Incumbent Prime Minister: Harold Wilson (Lab)
Subsequent Prime Minister: Ted Heath (Tory)
New British Prime Minister Ted Heath enters No 10, 23 April
President Robert Kennedy was conducting a meeting of the Cabinet’s “E” committee, which had come up with the FY 1971 draft budget. “Mr. Rockefeller has the floor.” “Thank you Mr. President. The draft budget includes a further 5% reduction in corporate taxes, balanced by a 3-cent increase in the federal gas tax and we are proposing to enact a 5% VAT to further pay down the deficit. If federal spending continues to be held at or slightly below current levels the budget can be balanced by FY 1973 and our first surpluses will start appearing in FY ’74.” “That’s the best economic news I have heard in recent years, for now I hope to make surpluses the norm and not an aberration as we have recently been accustomed to. There is going to be a problem in Congress with the gas tax and especially the VAT. Most of them like direct taxes, even many of the Republicans. VAT is of course a European invention, and all the usual suspects will start frothing at the mouth. Nonetheless, this is the MTFS that I have committed us to for the duration of this term and in all likelihood for the second term as well.”
Jan. 28, Joint Congressional Session, State of the Union Address
President Robert Kennedy delivers his 1970 State of the Union address, Jan. 29, 1970.
“Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, Vice President Sanders, members of the Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: as we gather tonight our country is at war and the economy is in a slowdown. Yet the state of the Union has never been stronger. I am asking the Congress to enact this administration’s healthcare plan with all due possible speed. Universal, quality healthcare is not a luxury, an entitlement or even ‘socialism’ as was mentioned in a recent response to our healthcare proposal. The first universal health insurance plan was proposed by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1883, and he could hardly be called a socialist or even a liberal by period or modern standards. When you have been to the Mississippi Delta as I have, and seen the starvation, the Third World conditions, children who will never develop their full mental faculties because they have been starved before their fifth birthday, that is a crime against morality. Are we to tell those children and their parents that if they do not qualify for Medicaid and cannot afford private insurance they do not have the right to healthcare? If they are not healthy, how can they find work, get an education and move up the socioeconomic ladder that has always been the centrepiece of the American Dream? I am also asking the Congress to enact the budget that has been submitted to them. If we continue down the current fiscal path there will be a balanced Federal budget by 1972 and the first surpluses in 1973. Surpluses should be a habit, not an aberration at the crest of a boom. With fiscal responsibility come some sacrifices, but it would be a much greater wrong to shoulder our children and unborn grandchildren with debt incurred from our recklessness.”
Feb. 12, the Oval Office
Bobby was meeting with Nick Katzenbach to discuss the upcoming crime bill. Tentatively entitled “Violent Crime Control Act”, it would ban the importation and manufacture in the United States of 20 firearms deemed to be assault rifles by an administration advisory board composed of senior police officials and firearms experts overseen by Senator Russell Long (D-LA). In addition, the federal death penalty would be expanded to 40 new offences, mostly relating to terrorism and violent crime. Finally, there would be 120,000 new police officers hired and so-called “boot camps” operated by the states under overall federal supervision. Kennedy had found both Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders “all wanting to claim credit for our work” in his own words. Bobby told Katzenbach: “this is the sort of crime bill I would have loved to have done at Justice, but now I’m doing it as President. I hunt in my spare time; you don’t need anything that has more than a 10-round clip and certainly nothing that is not bolt-action. Anyone who does doesn’t have the best of intentions and after all, the goal is to eat, not to empty whole clips into the animal.” Both men thought that VCCA would be “a golden ticket” for Democrats in November and Kennedy, meeting with incumbents up for re-election and the most promising new candidates, told them “keep hammering away at all that we’ve accomplished with a Democratic Congress and how much more can be done. Especially mention healthcare, welfare reform and the crime bill.”
Feb. 27, the White House
After the crime, healthcare and budget bills had been signed earlier in the week, Bobby was meeting with Kissinger, Bundy and Vance to discuss the war and foreign policy generally. The President wanted new foreign policy avenues pursued now that Indochina was finally coming to a close. “Our priorities should be an arms agreement with the Soviets, especially on ballistic missiles, and more importantly, we absolutely have to exchange embassies with Peking and if possible, shift our Kush alliance from Pakistan to India.” Kissinger, Vance, and Bundy were unsurprised at the President’s goals: he had mentioned them all many times since 1965 except India. Kissinger began: “Mr. President, there are three reasons to go to China. One is for its own sake, which is an admirable goal but not a foreign policy objective. The others are to create a new balance of power after last year’s border war in Mongolia and establish a tacit anti-Soviet alliance with China.” “I concur with Henry” Bundy added. Kennedy replied: “My reasoning is a mixture of 2 and 3: we need to preserve our post-Indochinese influence in Asia. It will anger the Koreans and the Japanese, but this is a geopolitical absolute in my opinion.” Vance: “The Soviets are open to a new treaty: Brezhnev believes he can work with you. I however do not see a reason to shift the Kush balance towards India. It is a Soviet client state in all but name. Mao and Zhou don’t answer to anyone; Gandhi is working on a Friendship Treaty with Gromyko as we speak.”
Mar. 15, the White House
Bobby was meeting with his national security team, though this time he had invited British Ambassador John Freeman to join their discussions in the OEOB, which included Rhodesia. “Mr. Freeman, what exactly is Harold going to do about Rhodesia? Is he going to allow another apartheid state to emerge in Southern Africa?” “Mr. President there is little we can do but negotiate with Smith: we certainly can’t send in troops to depose his regime and re-impose British rule. As you know there is a strong likelihood of an election soon-.” “I thought Heath was the one who had to deal with the rugby boys, apartheid apologists, if not supporters, and their Powellite ilk as we saw two Aprils ago? Besides, I wouldn’t want to be fighting an election in that economy. When you are flat on your back and just starting to get back up in the polls, it is not a good time to tempt fate.” The discussion moved on to the failed coup against Sihanouk by Lon Nol: he had asked for CIA support but Kennedy had told Helms that such aid was “out of the question. It could disrupt the extremely fragile balancing act in Cambodia and cause that whole tinderbox to go up in flames.” “A second front in Indochina is the last thing we need right now: when the South Vietnamese are ready to conduct those operations themselves that is who will do it, I spoke with Thieu and he thinks ARVN and VNAF are ready for such a mission.” As they were leaving, Kennedy told Vance: “Cy, walk with me” and they returned via the basement corridors to the White House. “In the Pentagon budget, I want funds made available for the procurement of 747s for the presidential fleet. Why can’t I have something that Pan Am does?” “Consider it done Bob, delivery should be expected within a year.”
SAM 28000 undergoing acceptance trials, Nellis AFB, May 1970
Mar. 31, the White House
Bobby was meeting with his brother Ted to discuss the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act (PHCSA) which he would be signing the following day. Both brothers agreed that smoking should not be encouraged on the airwaves or in public advertising, but neither wanted “smoking to become a criminal offence” in Bobby’s words. “For those who indulge once in a while on a happy occasion such as we are one thing, but daily cigarettes are a nasty habit that is in effect slow-acting cyanide throughout the body. Once you see a colour X-ray of the lungs, you’ll understand what I mean Teddy.” Both laughed and then proceeded to discuss Bobby’s latest idea, one that had only been discussed with Cyrus Vance and senior Pentagon officials: that of abolishing the draft. “I want to see it replaced by an all-volunteer military or at the very least a lottery system that doesn’t exempt the privileged by means of draft deferments. This will strangle the antiwar movement in a near-instantaneous fashion while substantially improving efficiency at the same time. You go to Vietnam and you see 40% of a battalion are black or Hispanic, where is it written that the poor should undertake the burden of fighting in Indochina or that people of our background are exempt? I do mean a battalion: the amount of blacks or Chicanos you see in the Air Force or Navy as pilots or staff officers can be counted on both our hands. That’s not going to be fixed by affirmative action; it can only be remedied by greater access to post-secondary education, quality healthcare like we just passed, etc. That Pentagon war will be won by domestic battles, and that’s something the Republicans understand better than the Democrats. The idea of a high-school-educated kid flying a Phantom, mastering the switchology, electronics, is not only absurd; it is extremely dangerous to the war effort.”
President Robert Kennedy and his brother, Majority Whip Ted Kennedy, listen to Congressional deliberations on VCCA, March 31
VNAF 536 TFS F-4 taxies in, Tan Son Nhut AFB, April 1970
Apr. 22, the Oval Office, 8:00 PM
Bobby had decided after an early supper with the family to listen to the British election returns on BBC World Service while being filled in by US Ambassador to Britain Walter Annenberg on local developments. Beside him was Henry Kissinger, in whom the President often confided. “To be honest, I think Harold deserves to lose. He’s a great friend of mine, always has been and always will be. But leading a socialist party, being a pragmatist surrounded by ideologues living in some “New Jerusalem” fantasyland hasn’t helped him a single bit. The economy is in the tank, they just lost the World Cup, and Labour does not have a plan to deal with the currency crisis nor the urgent industrial reforms that are desperately needed. In addition, Harold screwed up the timing: I warned Freeman that it was too soon but Harold likes this little surprise gimmickry: the equivalent would be taking a shot as soon as the target enters the reticule instead of waiting for the animal to move to the centre of the scope. Nor do I believe that Heath should win; while I think he’ll solve the currency crisis and many of the domestic issues, Heath is obsessed with the idea of taking Britain into the EEC, has staked his whole political career on it. De Gaulle was right; if the UK enters they will have to choose between us and the Commonwealth or Europe, but the General was mistaken in one part. Heath will choose Europe and he makes Fidel’s friend across the border look positively pro-American in comparison. Has anyone at State done an analysis on this or have they all joined the Europhile cheerleading squad?” “You can’t trust too many of our European specialists-““You’re telling me. I don’t want to deal with those damn women at the European desk ever again, they sound worse than they were when my brother was President, and that’s saying something. Henry, the only European advice I want to hear is from you.” Approximately an hour later they both heard the announcement: “the 315th seat has been declared Conservative, and Mr Heath and Mr Wilson will be making announcements shortly.” Kennedy decided to call Heath the following morning, though the Tories would win 341 seats for an overall majority of 52.
UK general election, 23 April
630 Commons seats
Conservative: 341 seats (+81)
Labour: 276 seats (-88)
Liberal: 6 seats
Other: 7 seats
Incumbent Prime Minister: Harold Wilson (Lab)
Subsequent Prime Minister: Ted Heath (Tory)
New British Prime Minister Ted Heath enters No 10, 23 April
Log-rolling, essentially. You need to give the AARP something and you need to give the AMA something. Prescriptions weren't as big news as they are today, but it was always a major missing part of Medicare. Lawsuits are smaller bore than they would be today, but it's still the case that the AMA are perfectly placed to wreck the venture (largely over reimbursement rates - note that most people are getting covered under a public plan, which pays less than private plans). Lowering their overhead costs allows you to cut a deal without blowing a giant hole in the budget.
EDIT: on a separate note, what's happening in terms of the economy, especially in reference to demobilized veterans and declining military spending?
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A quick update: 1970 will be finished today and probably part of 1971 as well. Tomorrow will be Campaign '72, which I know everyone is eagerly awaiting.
P.S.: I wish to thank Steven for his advice on the healthcare plan; normally I'd save that for the credits at the end but I thought it best to publicly thank you now.
Edit re economy: the deficit is being slowly reduced, growth is at 2.2% for 1969, scheduled to hit 2.8% for 1970, since the new fiscal regime won't take full effect till '71. More on that in the next update.
P.S.: I wish to thank Steven for his advice on the healthcare plan; normally I'd save that for the credits at the end but I thought it best to publicly thank you now.
Edit re economy: the deficit is being slowly reduced, growth is at 2.2% for 1969, scheduled to hit 2.8% for 1970, since the new fiscal regime won't take full effect till '71. More on that in the next update.
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Forgive an incredibly petty question that has been bothering me since I began reading this excellent TL:
Did Bobby wear a wig while he completed his campaign for President? I noticed his head was shaved during surgery, yet can't see an ill-looking, bald man romp home with the Presidency as he did. The pictures you've cited also show him with his buoyant locks as usual. Is it right to assume he did indeed wear a wig?
Did Bobby wear a wig while he completed his campaign for President? I noticed his head was shaved during surgery, yet can't see an ill-looking, bald man romp home with the Presidency as he did. The pictures you've cited also show him with his buoyant locks as usual. Is it right to assume he did indeed wear a wig?
Not a silly question at all. No, they did not completely shave his head; just a patch in the lower part of the skull so that they could drill and operate. That's in the medical article on the OTL surgery I linked on page 1. Bobby's hair was usually moderate- after '63 he abandoned the crew cut look forever. At point in '67 his hair extended to the back of his collar before it was cut again. The hair would probably grow back given how it grew IOTL. Besides, if a hair implant was needed, he'd get it: Bobby was quite fussy about his tan if not his hair.
Here's what I meant with regards to the at times lengthy hair- this is 1967. No, that's not a Cubano that Bobby's lighting up, before you ask. The man does live in Virginia, after all. (and smoking was not a frequent occurrence, FYI)
In contrast to this picture taken 4 months earlier (June/Feb. 1967)
http://www.corbisimages.com/images/...8&uniqID=b7c8a04f-016e-4535-8074-4862f77cdadc
Bobby's hair was usually moderate- after '63 he abandoned the crew cut look forever. At point in '67 his hair extended to the back of his collar before it was cut again. The hair would probably grow back given how it grew IOTL. Besides, if a hair implant was needed, he'd get it: Bobby was quite fussy about his tan if not his hair. Here's what I meant with regards to the at times lengthy hair- this is 1967. No, that's not a Cubano that Bobby's lighting up, before you ask. The man does live in Virginia, after all. (and smoking was not a frequent occurrence, FYI)
In contrast to this picture taken 4 months earlier (June/Feb. 1967)
The Oval Office, May 11
“Good morning Mr. President. I am calling to announce that as we discussed, the invasion of Cambodia has begun. Sihanouk will not deal with this problem, so Vietnam has to, as I discussed with you last week.” “Thanks for the heads-up and best of luck.” Such was part of the hour-long conversation Bobby had had with Nguyen Van Thieu the previous Thursday and was now being discussed with the NSC team. Kennedy was in the Situation Room with Cyrus Vance and Bus Wheeler monitoring the action in real time: the incursion by ARVN forces supported by VNAF was going as planned. “If they can clear NVA out of the border regions then there’s a decent chance that their aircraft can close the Trail” Wheeler told Kennedy. Vance interjected: “if they succeed”, unwittingly annoying Kennedy, who sometimes thought his Defence Secretary too pessimistic in such situations. As the three men continued monitoring the live feed from [CLASSIFIED], they heard a muffled banging on the locked steel doors. Kennedy got up and barked: “Sergeant, who is that?” “One of your aides Mr. President, he doesn’t have security clearance.” Turning to Vance and Wheeler, Bobby said “excuse me a moment” and quietly exited briefly. It was Fred Dutton: “Bob, VCCA passed 321-104 in the House and 88-4 in the Senate; the Conference should have it on your desk by next week.” “Fred, that could have waited: what’s going on right now is somewhat more important. I’ll be with you in about 20 minutes, go back to the Oval and wait for me.”
May 27, Andrews AFB
Bobby was at Andrews as Prime Minister Ted Heath descended the steps of the RAF VC10, and the two men shook hands at the foot of the stairs while Kennedy led Heath and their entourage towards Marine One for the short hop to the White House, where the bilateral talks would be held with Kissinger and Home both assisting their principals.
The Cabinet Room
After what Kennedy later called “the usual pleasantries” all four men got down to business. Heath described to Bobby at length the Arms Crisis which was rocking Taoiseach Jack Lynch’s government “to the core” as Heath put it. Kennedy replied, somewhat surprising Heath: “At the very least Lynch should resign as Taoiseach or call an election, because he obviously knew about it. I have run covert operations: even plausible deniability gives you more than enough detail. Anyone who believes he didn’t know is an idiot or a fool. The problem is that while this is an aberration, Lemass wouldn’t have done this in all likelihood, most of the Irish political establishment would sympathize with the final end goal of reunification, through terrorist means if necessary. Rest assured that the CIA is monitoring this very closely.” Heath, “quite pleasantly surprised” as Carrington told an aide, replied “Mr. President, we are also keeping a close eye on this, but as you said, Lynch will probably sweep it under the rug.” Then the two discussed other issues: the Vietnam War, where Heath praised the President for “aiming for the best possible solution and succeeding against the odds” and more controversially they discussed Britain’s renewed negotiations with President Pompidou to lift the French veto on Britain’s EEC entry. Home had warned Heath: “whatever you do, don’t mention it. Robert Kennedy is an active Euroskeptic and the whole tone of US EEC policy is different than it was when his brother was in office.” Heath still wanted to know whether Kennedy would intervene with Pompidou but did not want confrontation. “If I may ask, what will your policy be on our entry?” Kennedy replied “with a distinct edge in his voice”: “Non-interference, non-indifference. I don’t agree but I will respect the decision that is reached in Parliament or in a referendum, as you see fit.” As Kissinger recalled in 1980, “it was a small taste of less diplomatic events to come.”
June 12, the Oval Office
Bobby was having another of his twice-weekly sessions with his brother Ted to discuss legislative strategy, this time about the 23rd Amendment that would lower the voting age to 18 for the first time. The brothers were both highly enthusiastic, Bobby recalling the many times he had promised in the ’64 and ’68 campaigns he had promised to “lower the voting age to six if I could” and then pledging to “run for President when you’re old enough to vote for me.” Now it would become reality, though Bobby, much more than Ted, knew that “they won’t vote Democratic by default just because they’re young. Most kids are not the hippies or alienated generation you see on TV; they are essentially short-haired squares and the white-collar ones, the wise guys, they are natural Republicans. Remember Bloomington Med Teddy?” “I forgot about that, you were right Bob. Still, we can expect better turnout in ’72.” “Especially if the Republicans go off the deep end, as Nelson has told me they are. Reagan might be their leader but as a governor he can’t project on the national stage the way, say, Nixon and I did 3 or 4 years ago. I don’t see any long-term strategy from the GOP: we’ve had compromises on the means while achieving passage of the ends. What are they going to run against? Providing health insurance to starving children in Watts, the welfare reform that Bill Buckley has enthusiastically endorsed? Winding down the war much quicker than expected? Balancing the budget for the first time since 1965, the first consistent surpluses since Ike’s presidency? No, what we are going to do, and I’ve told Larry [O’Brien] personally, is produce an ad that juxtaposes Reagan’s inveighing against socialized medicine in ’64 and last Christmas with an image of a poor Mississippi family and ask “a Democratic Congress allowed this child”- pan to one of the new clinics, preferably in a Northern city- “to receive healthcare coverage while the Republicans”- back to that Reagan snippet- inveighed against “socialized medicine”. “You’re being ruthless again Bobby.” Bobby grinned and said “yes, but it’s for the kids this time.”
“I couldn’t have done it better myself.”- Karl Rove upon seeing the “BCE4” ad, 2003
July 5, the Oval Office
Bobby was meeting with Nick Katzenbach and Fred Dutton to discuss another incoming Supreme Court resignation: Hugo Black had informed the Justice Department that he intended to retire before the fall term began in September due to ill-health and Kennedy had to nominate a second new justice. Many candidates were considered, including Harry Blackmun, Kennedy’s old Yale critic Alexander Hickel, and Robert Braucher of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Again, Bobby selected the one on the bottom of the list: Reynaldo B. Garza, long recognized as the leading Hispanic lawyer in the United States, who had been considered but ultimately rejected by Lyndon Johnson for a Supreme Court seat. “This is a perfect nomination: I’ve always felt that the Court should be a little bit more diverse than Newport”- Katzenbach chuckled- “, liberals are happy at a progressive Hispanic on the Court, and I’m very happy that his views on moral issues and the line-item veto coincide with mine. If we have one more SCOTUS appointment I will not have to worry about reopening the abortion debate: Hufstedler is pro-choice but believe it is an issue for the states to decide. We’re probably secure right now but I don’t deal in maybes.” Bobby then met with Rockefeller and Volcker to discuss the economic situation, which all three agreed was going to “burst into sunshine in the next eighteen months”, with the deficit down by nearly two-thirds since Kennedy’s inauguration eighteen months previously. Republicans had largely voted against the budget due to the VAT, and Kennedy was “almost childishly excited” in Rockefeller’s words, at the prospect of painting his administration as fiscally disciplined while the Republicans “are in an ideological fantasy world of never-ending tax cuts while talking about deficit reduction.” Two days later Bobby sent Garza’s nomination to the Senate and granted an exclusive interview to the New York Times’ Ruben Salazar, talking about “a new era in America, where anyone, regardless of their gender, ethnic or racial background, can reach the highest positions in this wonderful nation of ours.”
Kennedy announces Reynaldo Garza's nomination to the Supreme Court, July 6
July 31, aboard Air Force One, somewhere over Afghanistan
Bobby was quietly thrilled as Air Force One approached Delhi, where he would be holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and touring India. For the first time in many years there would be no visit to Pakistan, and following the Indian trip he would be flying to the Middle East for his first visit since he toured the region as a Boston Globe war correspondent in 1948, over two decades previously. In addition to his briefing material, Kennedy was reading recent issues of The Hindu Times and The Times of India to inform himself on local issues, as well as a biography of the Mahatma to keep him in tune with the Prime Minister. “Attention, we are now beginning our descent into Delhi; all passengers please fasten your seatbelts and extinguish your smokes.”
Government House, Delhi
Both Kissinger and Desai were banished from the room; as Gandhi and Kennedy sat down to discuss bilateral relations. Kennedy said: “Madam Prime Minister, there has not been a good relationship between the United States and India in recent memory, and I believe that this intolerable situation must be rectified. Dialogue should be fostered, and my goal is for India, not Pakistan, to be the United States’ primary partner in the Kush. Gandhi was pleasantly surprised: never before had an American President been so forthright and obviously sincere about this issue. Also, it was obvious that Kennedy was a man she could work with on bilateral issues. She replied: “I will not make any long-term commitments, but I agree that better relations must be fostered. India will not terminate its membership of the Non-Aligned Movement (obviously not, certainly not on the first visit) but we will delay pursuing the Soviet-Indian Friendship Treaty for a short period. “Thank you Madam Prime Minister. In return, I will eliminate import duties on Indian agricultural exports to the United States.” After the two hammered out the joint communiqué and a joint tour of Delhi, Kennedy boarded Air Force One and headed to Tel Aviv, then Cairo.
Tel Aviv, Aug. 3
Kennedy met Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in her Tel Aviv offices: their agenda was to discuss the War of Attrition that had wound down after Nasser’s death in May and the accession of Anwar Sadat to the Egyptian presidency. Bobby believed that there could be some sort of informal armistice: “all it would require is an end to Israeli military operations in Egypt, at least now that Sadat has expelled his Soviet advisers and is moving towards a pro-Western outlook. I am prepared, and Prime Minister Demirel in Turkey is as well, to move in that direction if you are.” Meir recalled Kennedy’s longstanding support of Israel but also his call for direct negotiations between Israel and the Arab states in 1967. Nonetheless, she was prepared to trust Kennedy: “Mr. President, three years ago you said that there should be direct negotiations between us and the Arabs. Now you are saying that the United States should play a direct role?” “Mrs. Meir, there is the ideal, and there is what is politically realistic. I also have to deal with AIPAC at home, which is not favourable to closer ties with the Arab states, though they can be safely ignored.” Meir smiled at Kennedy and said: “pay no attention to them. They do not represent the position of my government, nor, as I am sure you know, most American Jews.” With a dismissive wave of her hand Meir said: “AIPAC are tools of Menachem Begin, even if they are not aware of this yet.” “That’s what I was thinking as well” Kennedy replied.
Robert Kennedy kayaking in Netanya, Aug. 2
After Cairo, Kennedy returned home to a domestic scene that was very different than the one when he had left Washington two weeks earlier…
“Good morning Mr. President. I am calling to announce that as we discussed, the invasion of Cambodia has begun. Sihanouk will not deal with this problem, so Vietnam has to, as I discussed with you last week.” “Thanks for the heads-up and best of luck.” Such was part of the hour-long conversation Bobby had had with Nguyen Van Thieu the previous Thursday and was now being discussed with the NSC team. Kennedy was in the Situation Room with Cyrus Vance and Bus Wheeler monitoring the action in real time: the incursion by ARVN forces supported by VNAF was going as planned. “If they can clear NVA out of the border regions then there’s a decent chance that their aircraft can close the Trail” Wheeler told Kennedy. Vance interjected: “if they succeed”, unwittingly annoying Kennedy, who sometimes thought his Defence Secretary too pessimistic in such situations. As the three men continued monitoring the live feed from [CLASSIFIED], they heard a muffled banging on the locked steel doors. Kennedy got up and barked: “Sergeant, who is that?” “One of your aides Mr. President, he doesn’t have security clearance.” Turning to Vance and Wheeler, Bobby said “excuse me a moment” and quietly exited briefly. It was Fred Dutton: “Bob, VCCA passed 321-104 in the House and 88-4 in the Senate; the Conference should have it on your desk by next week.” “Fred, that could have waited: what’s going on right now is somewhat more important. I’ll be with you in about 20 minutes, go back to the Oval and wait for me.”
May 27, Andrews AFB
Bobby was at Andrews as Prime Minister Ted Heath descended the steps of the RAF VC10, and the two men shook hands at the foot of the stairs while Kennedy led Heath and their entourage towards Marine One for the short hop to the White House, where the bilateral talks would be held with Kissinger and Home both assisting their principals.
The Cabinet Room
After what Kennedy later called “the usual pleasantries” all four men got down to business. Heath described to Bobby at length the Arms Crisis which was rocking Taoiseach Jack Lynch’s government “to the core” as Heath put it. Kennedy replied, somewhat surprising Heath: “At the very least Lynch should resign as Taoiseach or call an election, because he obviously knew about it. I have run covert operations: even plausible deniability gives you more than enough detail. Anyone who believes he didn’t know is an idiot or a fool. The problem is that while this is an aberration, Lemass wouldn’t have done this in all likelihood, most of the Irish political establishment would sympathize with the final end goal of reunification, through terrorist means if necessary. Rest assured that the CIA is monitoring this very closely.” Heath, “quite pleasantly surprised” as Carrington told an aide, replied “Mr. President, we are also keeping a close eye on this, but as you said, Lynch will probably sweep it under the rug.” Then the two discussed other issues: the Vietnam War, where Heath praised the President for “aiming for the best possible solution and succeeding against the odds” and more controversially they discussed Britain’s renewed negotiations with President Pompidou to lift the French veto on Britain’s EEC entry. Home had warned Heath: “whatever you do, don’t mention it. Robert Kennedy is an active Euroskeptic and the whole tone of US EEC policy is different than it was when his brother was in office.” Heath still wanted to know whether Kennedy would intervene with Pompidou but did not want confrontation. “If I may ask, what will your policy be on our entry?” Kennedy replied “with a distinct edge in his voice”: “Non-interference, non-indifference. I don’t agree but I will respect the decision that is reached in Parliament or in a referendum, as you see fit.” As Kissinger recalled in 1980, “it was a small taste of less diplomatic events to come.”
June 12, the Oval Office
Bobby was having another of his twice-weekly sessions with his brother Ted to discuss legislative strategy, this time about the 23rd Amendment that would lower the voting age to 18 for the first time. The brothers were both highly enthusiastic, Bobby recalling the many times he had promised in the ’64 and ’68 campaigns he had promised to “lower the voting age to six if I could” and then pledging to “run for President when you’re old enough to vote for me.” Now it would become reality, though Bobby, much more than Ted, knew that “they won’t vote Democratic by default just because they’re young. Most kids are not the hippies or alienated generation you see on TV; they are essentially short-haired squares and the white-collar ones, the wise guys, they are natural Republicans. Remember Bloomington Med Teddy?” “I forgot about that, you were right Bob. Still, we can expect better turnout in ’72.” “Especially if the Republicans go off the deep end, as Nelson has told me they are. Reagan might be their leader but as a governor he can’t project on the national stage the way, say, Nixon and I did 3 or 4 years ago. I don’t see any long-term strategy from the GOP: we’ve had compromises on the means while achieving passage of the ends. What are they going to run against? Providing health insurance to starving children in Watts, the welfare reform that Bill Buckley has enthusiastically endorsed? Winding down the war much quicker than expected? Balancing the budget for the first time since 1965, the first consistent surpluses since Ike’s presidency? No, what we are going to do, and I’ve told Larry [O’Brien] personally, is produce an ad that juxtaposes Reagan’s inveighing against socialized medicine in ’64 and last Christmas with an image of a poor Mississippi family and ask “a Democratic Congress allowed this child”- pan to one of the new clinics, preferably in a Northern city- “to receive healthcare coverage while the Republicans”- back to that Reagan snippet- inveighed against “socialized medicine”. “You’re being ruthless again Bobby.” Bobby grinned and said “yes, but it’s for the kids this time.”
“I couldn’t have done it better myself.”- Karl Rove upon seeing the “BCE4” ad, 2003
July 5, the Oval Office
Bobby was meeting with Nick Katzenbach and Fred Dutton to discuss another incoming Supreme Court resignation: Hugo Black had informed the Justice Department that he intended to retire before the fall term began in September due to ill-health and Kennedy had to nominate a second new justice. Many candidates were considered, including Harry Blackmun, Kennedy’s old Yale critic Alexander Hickel, and Robert Braucher of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Again, Bobby selected the one on the bottom of the list: Reynaldo B. Garza, long recognized as the leading Hispanic lawyer in the United States, who had been considered but ultimately rejected by Lyndon Johnson for a Supreme Court seat. “This is a perfect nomination: I’ve always felt that the Court should be a little bit more diverse than Newport”- Katzenbach chuckled- “, liberals are happy at a progressive Hispanic on the Court, and I’m very happy that his views on moral issues and the line-item veto coincide with mine. If we have one more SCOTUS appointment I will not have to worry about reopening the abortion debate: Hufstedler is pro-choice but believe it is an issue for the states to decide. We’re probably secure right now but I don’t deal in maybes.” Bobby then met with Rockefeller and Volcker to discuss the economic situation, which all three agreed was going to “burst into sunshine in the next eighteen months”, with the deficit down by nearly two-thirds since Kennedy’s inauguration eighteen months previously. Republicans had largely voted against the budget due to the VAT, and Kennedy was “almost childishly excited” in Rockefeller’s words, at the prospect of painting his administration as fiscally disciplined while the Republicans “are in an ideological fantasy world of never-ending tax cuts while talking about deficit reduction.” Two days later Bobby sent Garza’s nomination to the Senate and granted an exclusive interview to the New York Times’ Ruben Salazar, talking about “a new era in America, where anyone, regardless of their gender, ethnic or racial background, can reach the highest positions in this wonderful nation of ours.”
Kennedy announces Reynaldo Garza's nomination to the Supreme Court, July 6
July 31, aboard Air Force One, somewhere over Afghanistan
Bobby was quietly thrilled as Air Force One approached Delhi, where he would be holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and touring India. For the first time in many years there would be no visit to Pakistan, and following the Indian trip he would be flying to the Middle East for his first visit since he toured the region as a Boston Globe war correspondent in 1948, over two decades previously. In addition to his briefing material, Kennedy was reading recent issues of The Hindu Times and The Times of India to inform himself on local issues, as well as a biography of the Mahatma to keep him in tune with the Prime Minister. “Attention, we are now beginning our descent into Delhi; all passengers please fasten your seatbelts and extinguish your smokes.”
Government House, Delhi
Both Kissinger and Desai were banished from the room; as Gandhi and Kennedy sat down to discuss bilateral relations. Kennedy said: “Madam Prime Minister, there has not been a good relationship between the United States and India in recent memory, and I believe that this intolerable situation must be rectified. Dialogue should be fostered, and my goal is for India, not Pakistan, to be the United States’ primary partner in the Kush. Gandhi was pleasantly surprised: never before had an American President been so forthright and obviously sincere about this issue. Also, it was obvious that Kennedy was a man she could work with on bilateral issues. She replied: “I will not make any long-term commitments, but I agree that better relations must be fostered. India will not terminate its membership of the Non-Aligned Movement (obviously not, certainly not on the first visit) but we will delay pursuing the Soviet-Indian Friendship Treaty for a short period. “Thank you Madam Prime Minister. In return, I will eliminate import duties on Indian agricultural exports to the United States.” After the two hammered out the joint communiqué and a joint tour of Delhi, Kennedy boarded Air Force One and headed to Tel Aviv, then Cairo.
Tel Aviv, Aug. 3
Kennedy met Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in her Tel Aviv offices: their agenda was to discuss the War of Attrition that had wound down after Nasser’s death in May and the accession of Anwar Sadat to the Egyptian presidency. Bobby believed that there could be some sort of informal armistice: “all it would require is an end to Israeli military operations in Egypt, at least now that Sadat has expelled his Soviet advisers and is moving towards a pro-Western outlook. I am prepared, and Prime Minister Demirel in Turkey is as well, to move in that direction if you are.” Meir recalled Kennedy’s longstanding support of Israel but also his call for direct negotiations between Israel and the Arab states in 1967. Nonetheless, she was prepared to trust Kennedy: “Mr. President, three years ago you said that there should be direct negotiations between us and the Arabs. Now you are saying that the United States should play a direct role?” “Mrs. Meir, there is the ideal, and there is what is politically realistic. I also have to deal with AIPAC at home, which is not favourable to closer ties with the Arab states, though they can be safely ignored.” Meir smiled at Kennedy and said: “pay no attention to them. They do not represent the position of my government, nor, as I am sure you know, most American Jews.” With a dismissive wave of her hand Meir said: “AIPAC are tools of Menachem Begin, even if they are not aware of this yet.” “That’s what I was thinking as well” Kennedy replied.
Robert Kennedy kayaking in Netanya, Aug. 2
After Cairo, Kennedy returned home to a domestic scene that was very different than the one when he had left Washington two weeks earlier…
Bobby's moves towards a more amicable agreement with India are interesting and provided an intriguing alternative to Nixon's rapprochement with China at this time. It is going to be hard for Mao to survive in this timeline unless he manages to reinvent himself yet again when in office. The opening of talks and trade with the United States didn't save the PRC, but it did do a lot of good, and if Bobby is serious about improved relationships with Delhi then Beijing is going to find itself increasing isolated in international affairs.
Great work as always though RB, I look forward to reading more!
Great work as always though RB, I look forward to reading more!
Sept. 10, the White House
Bobby had returned home to finally begin plotting midterm election strategy. Both the DCCC and DSCC, along with their Republican counterparts, were overflowing with cash and polls showed a 2-point Republican lead in the generic ballot. As Larry O’Brien pointed out, that would mean “the sure election of Speaker Jerry Ford and a small chance of Majority Leader Hugh Scott come January.” Kennedy wanted the Democrats to hold both houses of Congress and would be touring the country in support of selected candidates. In June, at the request of the White House, Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-NY) had founded the Democratic Federalist Council (DFC) with which approximately 35% of Democrats in the House and 22 of 56 senators were affiliated with. In the primaries Bobby had covertly supported DFC-affiliated candidates over their rivals; in Fred Dutton’s words “he was aiming to purge while retaining overall control and plausible deniability”. Among the losers had been Adam Clayton Powell, forced out after direct White House intervention on behalf of his challenger Charles Rangel. In a conversation with Andrew Young, Young had called Powell “a corrupt, farcical disgrace of our community”. Soon the Justice Department would indict him on charges of money laundering and tax fraud. In the interim, Kennedy had learned that a planned Palestinian uprising had been aborted after the assassination of multiple PLO figures in a Jordanian-Israeli joint operation the previous night. “No great loss” Kennedy said casually to Kissinger. On a related note, Ronald Reagan had informed him that Sirhan’s execution was to take place in early December, and Reagan noted to Ed Meese after their conversation: “showed that the President is slowly coming around to my point of view on the death penalty, if quite understandably.”
Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN), DFC cofounder and staunch White House ally.
Oct. 1, the Oval Office
Kennedy had summoned his Latin American team to the Oval Office: the Chilean presidential election was a dead heat and Bobby had ordered Dick Helms to “use any non-lethal means necessary to ensure that Castro’s friend Allende is not elected”. CIA aid had largely gone to former president Jorge Allesandri’s National Party, but the September result had been too close to call. Only a forceful intervention by the US Embassy in Santiago had prevented the attempted assassination of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Rene Schneider, a constitutionalist, by Gen. Roberto Viaux, an Agency client. Bobby had told Helms at the time “if they do that, the public will just see the military trying to alter results they don’t like by extralegal means, and it would irreparably harm our relatively good reputation in Latin America.” Simultaneously there was the Autumn Crisis in Canada, which had begun with the kidnapping of Quebec’s labour minister Pierre Laporte and the British trade commissioner in Montreal, James Cross on Sept. 27. Bobby was in continuous contact with Ted Heath and Pierre Trudeau, sometimes holding conference calls with the two others discussing ongoing events. When Trudeau declared martial law, Kennedy agreed with the decision but said it was “misused as an excuse to persecute political opponents” and called the later infamous barn-burnings “rank amateurism and substituting police work for political work that could not be done otherwise.” Later that week it was announced that both Cross and Laporte had been freed by a joint RCMP-QPP SWAT assault on the terrorists’ hideout. Again, Kissinger noted that “the crisis had not improved the President’s relationship with either man, even though the perfect outcome was achieved.”
Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau leaves an emergency Cabinet meeting, Oct. 1
Chilean presidential election (Congressional Runoff) Oct. 24
200 electors
(NP) Jorge Alessandri: 111
(UP) Salvador Allende: 89
Incumbent President: Eduardo Frei (CD)
President-elect: Jorge Alessandri (NP)
Jorge Allesandri casts his ballot in the 1970 presidential election
Oct. 27, the White House
At another poolside strategy session, Bobby and Ted Kennedy joined Larry O’Brien in discussing the midterms that would be held in a week’s time. Bobby had persuaded Mike Mansfield to exchange the Majority Leadership for the chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee, replacing “that scholarly Dixiecrat asshole Bill Fulbright”. Ted would become Majority Leader if the Democrats retained control of the Senate in November. “Teddy, to be honest I’d prefer Jerry Ford to Hale Boggs as Speaker but we’d never get more civil rights legislation through and there would be budgetary issues just like there were last time.” “If our polling is correct, Jerry Ford, not Hale Boggs, will be standing behind you at the next State of the Union address.” Bobby swam towards O’Brien and said “explain that.” “Most voters tend to see the administration and you personally, as separate entities. Even among Republicans your approval rating is approaching the early forties, but after the Rangel and Dodd scandals and the various minor scandals in New York”- Kennedy splashed O’Brien in mock annoyance- “they want to have a split Congress and you in the White House. Jess Unruh wants you to come to California and campaign for him.” “Reagan will kick Jesse’s ass, and there’s no point in trying to alter that outcome. Reagan will keep the statehouse for as long as his name is on the gubernatorial ballot- mark my words. Where I will be going is New Mexico for Joe Montoya, helping Tunney in California, Stevenson in Illinois, and Stu Symington in Missouri. Carl is heading to Tennessee to give Al Gore a critical boost and also to Georgia to help Jimmy Carter win that runoff; he’s the first Southern gubernatorial candidate to sign on with the DFC.”
Kennedy addresses a crowd of 13,000 at a Tunney rally in Los Angeles, Oct. 26
President Robert Kennedy speaks on behalf of Democratic senatorial candidate Adlai Stevenson III (D-IL) from Chicago City Hall. Mayor Richard Daley is in the background. Oct. 28
U.S. midterm elections, Nov. 3
House
Democratic: 245 seats (+4)
Republican: 190 seats
Incumbent Speaker: Hale Boggs (D-LA)
Senate
Democratic: 54 seats (-2)
Republican: 45 seats (-1)
Incumbent Majority Leader: Mike Mansfield (D-MT)
Majority Leader-elect: Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Buckley (C-NY) defeats Goodell (R-NY, I)
Tunney (D-CA) defeats Murphy (R-CA, I)
Weicker (R-CT) defeats Duffey (D-CT)
Stevenson (D-IL) defeats Smith (R-IL, I)
Tydings (D-DE) - DEM HOLD
Metzenbaum (D-OH) defeats Taft (R-OH)
Gore (D-TN) - DEM HOLD
California gubernatorial election, 1970
(R) Ronald W. Reagan: 61.1%
(D) Jesse M. Unruh: 38.7%
Incumbent Governor: Ronald Reagan (R)
Nov. 12, the Oval Office
Bobby had been “thrilled” with the midterm results “the best since FDR in ‘34” and began to plan his legislative strategy for 1971 with his brother Ted and Speaker Hale Boggs. “This year is the year that we abolish the draft, passes the line-item veto, move onto India Phase II and begin the Chinese process. Less on the table than the previous two years but that’s a testament to our efficiency in ramming through the program. Finally, I expect the Supreme Court to rule on our bussing plan which is attracting flak from both sides again. I do not want to hear a word about ’72 until June at the absolute earliest, for right now all there is are Reagan and a bunch of Goldwaterite hacks. Nor am I sure Reagan wants to run; does he want to risk running against me when half his party doesn’t share his ideological convictions and my job approval is 40% even among Republicans? Any of the others would guarantee something like ’64, which should be our aim. What is most urgent on the domestic front is the line-item veto and getting the budget to my desk as without being modified in content, I don’t care how the title page reads. Do you think anyone on either side of the aisle has serious objections to that Ted?” “Jim Eastland, Sam Ervin, Goldwater-““Goldwater’s Goldwater, and Sam’s Constitution ends before the Civil War, excepting the 22nd of course.” “Bob, you have the Supreme Court votes to ensure passage regardless of frivolous lawsuits launched by kamikaze senators.” Bobby had told Ted privately about China but not O’Brien, “Because that’s way above Larry’s pay grade.” Even Ethel did not know, nor anyone in the administration except Vance, Bundy, Kissinger and Rockefeller.
Nov. 30, the White House
Kennedy met with his staff, Nick Katzenbach and Burke Marshall to discuss an initiative that had been developed by Marshall in coordination with the Justice Department: tort reform. Bobby had long been interested in putting an end to frivolous investment suits and imposing much higher standards on securities lawsuits. The draft legislation, titled “Private Securities Litigation Reform Act” (PSLRA) would require documented evidence of an investment fraud before a trial could even begin. “It makes no sense to cry wolf and go into pre-trial while the lawyers tie themselves up in procedural minutiae that result in hefty bills before the trial even begins. It is outrageous bilking of a client who does not understand that this is all just for show: things that could be waived by mutual consent between opposing counsels and are completely unnecessary.” “I agree with you 100% Bob, and this legislation will put an end to all this.”” How’s it looking in Congress?” “Better than expected: the liberals and most Republicans will vote for it, but the GOP moderates and some of ours will vote against. As usual, they want to sleep with the ABA instead of protecting the average citizen, but passage is assured.” “On another note, have you heard about this new Federalist Society set up by some young lawyers at Yale? They’re aiming for a national organization and it seems to be an interesting project.” Bobby, who had heard about the Society firsthand from Bobby Jr., now a HLS student, replied succinctly: “Four words: Republican lawyers’ lobbying group. Nothing less and they’re aiming for influence across the country. There will be FS judges, legislators who are lawyers, maybe SCOTUS justices once I leave office. Now listen, I know that the Bicentennial is coming up but I certainly did not authorize a return to the legal status quo circa 1776.”
Kennedy and Katzenbach, Nov. 1970
Dec. 11, White House Residence
Bobby was having a quiet dinner with the whole family, including Jackie and Ted, and after dinner, along with Ethel, the four were alone. Jackie started broaching an issue that had come up two years previously: “I just wanted to tell you all that I’m engaged to Aristotle Onassis.” Ethel interjected “shrilly as usual” in Jackie’s acerbic recollection to both brothers later: “so you’re moving with the kids to Greece?” Before Jackie could respond, Bobby looked at both women in a way that demanded silence: “Jackie, we want you to be happy, and if you think you will be happy with him that is your right. There are essentially two issues: one is that Onassis has business ties to the junta; that’s not a problem considering we have no issues with the junta right now, but the public doesn’t like them. Only a few people know the exact numbers, including me. Much more importantly, there is the religious issue. I know that Cushing will be sympathetic but the Vatican will not be particularly happy about this.” “The kids will still be raised Catholic obviously; they’ve both been confirmed so I don’t see where the problem is.” “Jackie, I am not a priest, I can’t answer that question. Ask Cushing for advice; none of us know the answers to these questions. My only answer to you is that we will support you no matter what happens.” Jackie changed the subject: “where are we all going for New Year’s?” Bobby replied: “depends. Air Force told me that Aspen and Vermont are going to be under blizzard conditions, so unless anyone wants to go to Salt Lake again it would be best to go to Florida; we have not been there since Dad died.” “Sounds like a plan.” “Incidentally, these will be our last flights on the 707, when the New Year comes they will be put in reserve as Air Force Two and replaced with the 747s I ordered last year.” “Like the Pan Am ones?” “Yes Ethel, but with presidential accommodations- enough room for everyone.”
Bobby, Ted and Joan Kennedy in Palm Beach, Christmas 1970
Air Force One at Tyndall AFB, Palm Beach, Dec. 30
Bobby had returned home to finally begin plotting midterm election strategy. Both the DCCC and DSCC, along with their Republican counterparts, were overflowing with cash and polls showed a 2-point Republican lead in the generic ballot. As Larry O’Brien pointed out, that would mean “the sure election of Speaker Jerry Ford and a small chance of Majority Leader Hugh Scott come January.” Kennedy wanted the Democrats to hold both houses of Congress and would be touring the country in support of selected candidates. In June, at the request of the White House, Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-NY) had founded the Democratic Federalist Council (DFC) with which approximately 35% of Democrats in the House and 22 of 56 senators were affiliated with. In the primaries Bobby had covertly supported DFC-affiliated candidates over their rivals; in Fred Dutton’s words “he was aiming to purge while retaining overall control and plausible deniability”. Among the losers had been Adam Clayton Powell, forced out after direct White House intervention on behalf of his challenger Charles Rangel. In a conversation with Andrew Young, Young had called Powell “a corrupt, farcical disgrace of our community”. Soon the Justice Department would indict him on charges of money laundering and tax fraud. In the interim, Kennedy had learned that a planned Palestinian uprising had been aborted after the assassination of multiple PLO figures in a Jordanian-Israeli joint operation the previous night. “No great loss” Kennedy said casually to Kissinger. On a related note, Ronald Reagan had informed him that Sirhan’s execution was to take place in early December, and Reagan noted to Ed Meese after their conversation: “showed that the President is slowly coming around to my point of view on the death penalty, if quite understandably.”
Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN), DFC cofounder and staunch White House ally.
Oct. 1, the Oval Office
Kennedy had summoned his Latin American team to the Oval Office: the Chilean presidential election was a dead heat and Bobby had ordered Dick Helms to “use any non-lethal means necessary to ensure that Castro’s friend Allende is not elected”. CIA aid had largely gone to former president Jorge Allesandri’s National Party, but the September result had been too close to call. Only a forceful intervention by the US Embassy in Santiago had prevented the attempted assassination of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Rene Schneider, a constitutionalist, by Gen. Roberto Viaux, an Agency client. Bobby had told Helms at the time “if they do that, the public will just see the military trying to alter results they don’t like by extralegal means, and it would irreparably harm our relatively good reputation in Latin America.” Simultaneously there was the Autumn Crisis in Canada, which had begun with the kidnapping of Quebec’s labour minister Pierre Laporte and the British trade commissioner in Montreal, James Cross on Sept. 27. Bobby was in continuous contact with Ted Heath and Pierre Trudeau, sometimes holding conference calls with the two others discussing ongoing events. When Trudeau declared martial law, Kennedy agreed with the decision but said it was “misused as an excuse to persecute political opponents” and called the later infamous barn-burnings “rank amateurism and substituting police work for political work that could not be done otherwise.” Later that week it was announced that both Cross and Laporte had been freed by a joint RCMP-QPP SWAT assault on the terrorists’ hideout. Again, Kissinger noted that “the crisis had not improved the President’s relationship with either man, even though the perfect outcome was achieved.”
Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau leaves an emergency Cabinet meeting, Oct. 1
Chilean presidential election (Congressional Runoff) Oct. 24
200 electors
(NP) Jorge Alessandri: 111
(UP) Salvador Allende: 89
Incumbent President: Eduardo Frei (CD)
President-elect: Jorge Alessandri (NP)
Jorge Allesandri casts his ballot in the 1970 presidential election
Oct. 27, the White House
At another poolside strategy session, Bobby and Ted Kennedy joined Larry O’Brien in discussing the midterms that would be held in a week’s time. Bobby had persuaded Mike Mansfield to exchange the Majority Leadership for the chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee, replacing “that scholarly Dixiecrat asshole Bill Fulbright”. Ted would become Majority Leader if the Democrats retained control of the Senate in November. “Teddy, to be honest I’d prefer Jerry Ford to Hale Boggs as Speaker but we’d never get more civil rights legislation through and there would be budgetary issues just like there were last time.” “If our polling is correct, Jerry Ford, not Hale Boggs, will be standing behind you at the next State of the Union address.” Bobby swam towards O’Brien and said “explain that.” “Most voters tend to see the administration and you personally, as separate entities. Even among Republicans your approval rating is approaching the early forties, but after the Rangel and Dodd scandals and the various minor scandals in New York”- Kennedy splashed O’Brien in mock annoyance- “they want to have a split Congress and you in the White House. Jess Unruh wants you to come to California and campaign for him.” “Reagan will kick Jesse’s ass, and there’s no point in trying to alter that outcome. Reagan will keep the statehouse for as long as his name is on the gubernatorial ballot- mark my words. Where I will be going is New Mexico for Joe Montoya, helping Tunney in California, Stevenson in Illinois, and Stu Symington in Missouri. Carl is heading to Tennessee to give Al Gore a critical boost and also to Georgia to help Jimmy Carter win that runoff; he’s the first Southern gubernatorial candidate to sign on with the DFC.”
Kennedy addresses a crowd of 13,000 at a Tunney rally in Los Angeles, Oct. 26
President Robert Kennedy speaks on behalf of Democratic senatorial candidate Adlai Stevenson III (D-IL) from Chicago City Hall. Mayor Richard Daley is in the background. Oct. 28
U.S. midterm elections, Nov. 3
House
Democratic: 245 seats (+4)
Republican: 190 seats
Incumbent Speaker: Hale Boggs (D-LA)
Senate
Democratic: 54 seats (-2)
Republican: 45 seats (-1)
Incumbent Majority Leader: Mike Mansfield (D-MT)
Majority Leader-elect: Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Buckley (C-NY) defeats Goodell (R-NY, I)
Tunney (D-CA) defeats Murphy (R-CA, I)
Weicker (R-CT) defeats Duffey (D-CT)
Stevenson (D-IL) defeats Smith (R-IL, I)
Tydings (D-DE) - DEM HOLD
Metzenbaum (D-OH) defeats Taft (R-OH)
Gore (D-TN) - DEM HOLD
California gubernatorial election, 1970
(R) Ronald W. Reagan: 61.1%
(D) Jesse M. Unruh: 38.7%
Incumbent Governor: Ronald Reagan (R)
Nov. 12, the Oval Office
Bobby had been “thrilled” with the midterm results “the best since FDR in ‘34” and began to plan his legislative strategy for 1971 with his brother Ted and Speaker Hale Boggs. “This year is the year that we abolish the draft, passes the line-item veto, move onto India Phase II and begin the Chinese process. Less on the table than the previous two years but that’s a testament to our efficiency in ramming through the program. Finally, I expect the Supreme Court to rule on our bussing plan which is attracting flak from both sides again. I do not want to hear a word about ’72 until June at the absolute earliest, for right now all there is are Reagan and a bunch of Goldwaterite hacks. Nor am I sure Reagan wants to run; does he want to risk running against me when half his party doesn’t share his ideological convictions and my job approval is 40% even among Republicans? Any of the others would guarantee something like ’64, which should be our aim. What is most urgent on the domestic front is the line-item veto and getting the budget to my desk as without being modified in content, I don’t care how the title page reads. Do you think anyone on either side of the aisle has serious objections to that Ted?” “Jim Eastland, Sam Ervin, Goldwater-““Goldwater’s Goldwater, and Sam’s Constitution ends before the Civil War, excepting the 22nd of course.” “Bob, you have the Supreme Court votes to ensure passage regardless of frivolous lawsuits launched by kamikaze senators.” Bobby had told Ted privately about China but not O’Brien, “Because that’s way above Larry’s pay grade.” Even Ethel did not know, nor anyone in the administration except Vance, Bundy, Kissinger and Rockefeller.
Nov. 30, the White House
Kennedy met with his staff, Nick Katzenbach and Burke Marshall to discuss an initiative that had been developed by Marshall in coordination with the Justice Department: tort reform. Bobby had long been interested in putting an end to frivolous investment suits and imposing much higher standards on securities lawsuits. The draft legislation, titled “Private Securities Litigation Reform Act” (PSLRA) would require documented evidence of an investment fraud before a trial could even begin. “It makes no sense to cry wolf and go into pre-trial while the lawyers tie themselves up in procedural minutiae that result in hefty bills before the trial even begins. It is outrageous bilking of a client who does not understand that this is all just for show: things that could be waived by mutual consent between opposing counsels and are completely unnecessary.” “I agree with you 100% Bob, and this legislation will put an end to all this.”” How’s it looking in Congress?” “Better than expected: the liberals and most Republicans will vote for it, but the GOP moderates and some of ours will vote against. As usual, they want to sleep with the ABA instead of protecting the average citizen, but passage is assured.” “On another note, have you heard about this new Federalist Society set up by some young lawyers at Yale? They’re aiming for a national organization and it seems to be an interesting project.” Bobby, who had heard about the Society firsthand from Bobby Jr., now a HLS student, replied succinctly: “Four words: Republican lawyers’ lobbying group. Nothing less and they’re aiming for influence across the country. There will be FS judges, legislators who are lawyers, maybe SCOTUS justices once I leave office. Now listen, I know that the Bicentennial is coming up but I certainly did not authorize a return to the legal status quo circa 1776.”
Kennedy and Katzenbach, Nov. 1970
Dec. 11, White House Residence
Bobby was having a quiet dinner with the whole family, including Jackie and Ted, and after dinner, along with Ethel, the four were alone. Jackie started broaching an issue that had come up two years previously: “I just wanted to tell you all that I’m engaged to Aristotle Onassis.” Ethel interjected “shrilly as usual” in Jackie’s acerbic recollection to both brothers later: “so you’re moving with the kids to Greece?” Before Jackie could respond, Bobby looked at both women in a way that demanded silence: “Jackie, we want you to be happy, and if you think you will be happy with him that is your right. There are essentially two issues: one is that Onassis has business ties to the junta; that’s not a problem considering we have no issues with the junta right now, but the public doesn’t like them. Only a few people know the exact numbers, including me. Much more importantly, there is the religious issue. I know that Cushing will be sympathetic but the Vatican will not be particularly happy about this.” “The kids will still be raised Catholic obviously; they’ve both been confirmed so I don’t see where the problem is.” “Jackie, I am not a priest, I can’t answer that question. Ask Cushing for advice; none of us know the answers to these questions. My only answer to you is that we will support you no matter what happens.” Jackie changed the subject: “where are we all going for New Year’s?” Bobby replied: “depends. Air Force told me that Aspen and Vermont are going to be under blizzard conditions, so unless anyone wants to go to Salt Lake again it would be best to go to Florida; we have not been there since Dad died.” “Sounds like a plan.” “Incidentally, these will be our last flights on the 707, when the New Year comes they will be put in reserve as Air Force Two and replaced with the 747s I ordered last year.” “Like the Pan Am ones?” “Yes Ethel, but with presidential accommodations- enough room for everyone.”
Bobby, Ted and Joan Kennedy in Palm Beach, Christmas 1970
Air Force One at Tyndall AFB, Palm Beach, Dec. 30
Jan. 11, 1971, the White House
After the long Christmas holidays, Bobby had returned to Washington the previous week to pass PSRLA and a new initiative that Joe Califano had proposed over the break: OSHA. After the Consumer Protection Act’s passage 3 years previously, Kennedy had long wanted federal regulation of the workplace environment, administered by state and local agencies as was his wont. Now that his brother Ted was Senate Majority Leader and his close friend and ally Birch Bayh headed the Health and Labour Committee, domestic legislation would be, in Kennedy’s words “a breeze”. Both pieces of legislation would figure prominently in the upcoming State of the Union address due in two weeks’ time. Bobby met again with the “E” committee, and Volcker reminded them that the FY 1972 budget would be the last with a deficit. All the members, including the President, decided that the MTFS would be retained as permanent fiscal policy. A major saving would come from the abolition of the draft, which Kennedy knew would create “a hell of an uproar” mostly from liberals who preferred the draft. But Bobby had already learned from both Ted and Speaker Boggs that the votes were there and the draft could be abolished by the end of the year. “All the generals and experts I’ve spoken to; Bob McNamara, Cyrus Vance, Andy Goodpaster, Max Taylor, and Omar Bradley: they all agree that this is necessary and that I’m free to invoke their support on this issue. Pure common sense: I have not heard a single expert propose retaining it.”
Jan. 27, Congressional Joint Session
President Kennedy delivers his 1971 State of the Union address, Jan. 27, 1971
“Vice President Sanders, Mr. Speaker, members of the Congress, distinguished guests. The state of our Union has improved substantially over the past year, with increased economic growth and passage of much historic legislation. Our work is far from done however, which is why I am asking Congress to approve the following legislation in the upcoming session. First, I ask you to enact the Occupational Safety and Hazard Act, to create the Agency. In 1968 we passed the Consumer Protection Act to safeguard consumer products from small children and establish federal safety standards for everyday household goods and pharmaceuticals. It is now time that similar regulations are adopted in the workplace: there are members of the audience who themselves have been injured in workplace accidents but are fortunately covered by the healthcare plan we passed a few short months ago… Then there is tort reform, which is why I have submitted the PSRLA for passage through Congress. While I may seem to be committing a sin against my own profession (audience laughter) strict rules of evidence must be in place before a securities fraud trial can begin: it is indecent to bill clients for unnecessary procedural work that leaves clients with the sole satisfaction of an inflated attorney’s bill. Finally, I ask you to do something truly revolutionary, which will change the face of this country forever, namely the abolition of the draft. The commission appointed by the Secretary of Defence, which counts among its members Generals Andrew Goodpaster and Omar Bradley, has recommended that we return to an all-volunteer military. We live in a world with ever-advancing technology and a trim, efficient, rapidly deployable military is what this administration has set as a goal over the past two years. There is no valid reason for the retention of the draft, especially with our role in Indochina coming to an end very shortly.”
Feb. 10, the Oval Office
Bobby was meeting with the “FS” (Foreign & Security) Cabinet committee to discuss developments in Vietnam and more importantly, the SALT talks that were scheduled for later that month in Moscow with Brezhnev. “I have spoken to President Thieu and he informed me that after the success of last year’s Cambodian operation, ARVN now wishes to clear out Laos of North Vietnamese infiltrators and I told him we would be backing him. As you all know the last of our ground troops will be leaving in May and the aircraft will be relocated to Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines by July. With the abolition of the draft sure to pass Congress, taking effect on June 30 if everything goes according to schedule, I can tell the public on July the Fourth weekend that our involvement in Indochina is over after 12 years.” “Mr. President, that is excellent news, but there is also the upcoming summit with Brezhnev that merits serious discussion.” Vance and Kissinger took over: “here’s the draft of our proposal that you requested.” Kennedy knew that the negotiations, begun two years earlier in April 1969, had been bogged down in disputes over ABM systems, but Dobrynin and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Perle had informed Bobby in a late-night phone the previous day that a compromise suitable to both sides had been found. He had been “quite thrilled” by the news, which now meant that “there would be a chance for the furtherance of détente” as Kennedy and Kissinger wanted. After reading the draft, he replied: “this looks fine to me: has the Pentagon signed off?” “Yes, Mr. President, we still fulfill our arsenal targets that you had required and then some.” “Well then, looks like I will be going to Moscow in a couple of weeks to initial this treaty.” Bobby knew many Republicans would be opposed, and that winning them over would be essential to securing ratification.
Feb. 27, Moscow, the Kremlin
Bobby walked through the Kremlin halls with Brezhnev, taking in the sights of all the heroes honoured, not just military but former Soviet leaders as well. Kennedy and Brezhnev “had a good working relationship” in Kissinger’s words, but this time Bobby was quite pleasantly surprised when his aide knocked on his door early the following morning, inviting him to Brezhnev’s dacha. “Why exactly does he want me to go to the dacha?” “Apparently he wants you to join him for a wild boar hunt and a speedboat ride Mr. President.” “That sounds fun to me.” “Henry, you might want to stay behind; I’m not under the impression that hunting and speedboat rides are your thing.” “You guessed correctly Mr. President.” Bobby boarded the limousine with Brezhnev as it sped through the surrounding countryside and they discussed the various passing landmarks. He later told Kissinger that “Brezhnev and I agreed to the plan that you and I had approved before leaving: a tacit alliance with the Soviets against China. I’m set to receive Mrs. Gandhi next month at the White House, and if we can agree to further cooperation then China will be completely quarantined diplomatically. Thus, when we go to Beijing in ’73, I will have some bargaining chips rather than showing up like some random tourist.” In the interim, the two leaders “careened around the lake on the speedboat, obviously enjoying each other’s company” as Dobrynin later wrote his old friend Kennedy. Later that day, in front of assembled Soviet and American journalists, SALT I was signed, with both calling it “an historic moment in Soviet-American relations, one of the most significant of the postwar era.” Bobby later told Vance: “they don’t have to get 13 Republican senators to sign their political death warrant, do they.”
President Robert Kennedy meeting and greeting in Moscow, Feb. 27
Mar. 12, the White House
For the past week Bobby had been dealing with the Pakistani crisis, which had mushroomed into a UDI by East Pakistan and an invasion by the Pakistani military. Kennedy and Kissinger had read the reports from Bobby’s old 1964 rival Ken Keating, now US Ambassador to India, calling the Pakistani actions “textbook genocide”. Both men agreed that “Bangladeshi independence is inevitable and well-deserved given that the Westerners treat them like slaves to be courted at election time and not much more.” Secretly, they both decided to back India’s preparations for a military invasion of East Pakistan, though Bobby had told Indira Gandhi that “the dismemberment of West Pakistan is not an option” which Brezhnev had echoed to the Indian prime minister in a separate conversation. Kennedy himself would later say “the war is what enabled us to change partners in the Kush without an outcry either in Congress or amongst the population.” Gallup polls showed that the American public overwhelmingly favoured India and Bangladesh, and though Republicans led by Barry Goldwater charged that the administration had “followed the public opinion, not led as the President has on domestic issues” the opposite was true. Bobby happily told his brother Ted: “in addition to securing India on our side, this improves my relations with Heath and gives us some leverage in the Commonwealth which helps me in the EEC project I have in mind.” Within a week, Pakistan would unconditionally surrender to the Indian troops, with both the President and his Secretaries of State and Defence watching the ceremony live on television in the Oval Office. Bobby gave the orders to “treat Mrs. Gandhi like you would the Queen when she arrives”, and they were executed to the letter.
Apr. 4, Andrews AFB
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi descended the steps of the Indian Air Force 707 to be greeted by Kennedy at the foot of the stairs, and chatting “quite animatedly” made their way to the waiting Marine One for the short hop to the White House where they were to conduct bilateral talks.
The Oval Office
Henry Kissinger later recalled “this was one of the few occasions when the President did not have his taping system activated when meeting a foreign dignitary.” Mrs. Gandhi and Indian Ambassador B.K. Nehru were “profoundly grateful” for US support in the recent war. Kennedy replied: “Mrs. Gandhi, this is not an aberration, as of now our support for India is official policy of the United States government.” He then told her that he had long had such a plan in mind, and “the opportunity arose and we took to the long-term benefit of the bilateral relationship.” Mrs. Gandhi, like Kennedy, liked personal relationships for the conducting of foreign diplomacy, with which both Nehru and Kissinger disagreed with their principals. Nonetheless, as Nehru later wrote in his journal: “Indira and the President discussed a wide variety of issues, not only events in the Kush but in Asia and the world generally. The President agreed to send another shipment of genetically modified crop formula with the FDA’s leading Indian-American scientist at the head of the delegation, and both ‘informally’ agreed to scrap the nascent Friendship Treaty.” Bobby would later recall it as a “highly productive and useful visit, and to top it all off, that was the Friday that the draft abolition bill reached my desk after nearly three months of deliberation. The winter of 1971 was one of the best times of my presidency that started off with dark foreboding but ended up as a magnificent blessing.”
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi addresses a joint Congressional session, Apr. 28
Apr. 27, OEOB
Bobby, Nick Katzenbach and Burke Marshall had been anxious about the Supreme Court’s ruling on the administration’s bussing plan. To their profound relief, the Court found unanimously that their plan was constitutional in accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the opposition was ended once and for all. All three men were happy, especially Kennedy, that “bussing is off the table just as we enter the planning stages for ’72. That might have been a major issue next year, now it is settled case law.” Later that week the line-item veto bill (LIVA) emerged from the House-Senate Conference and was signed by Kennedy on May 1 despite significant Republican opposition.
Kennedy and Katzenbach discuss Swann v. Charlotte, Apr. 30
After the long Christmas holidays, Bobby had returned to Washington the previous week to pass PSRLA and a new initiative that Joe Califano had proposed over the break: OSHA. After the Consumer Protection Act’s passage 3 years previously, Kennedy had long wanted federal regulation of the workplace environment, administered by state and local agencies as was his wont. Now that his brother Ted was Senate Majority Leader and his close friend and ally Birch Bayh headed the Health and Labour Committee, domestic legislation would be, in Kennedy’s words “a breeze”. Both pieces of legislation would figure prominently in the upcoming State of the Union address due in two weeks’ time. Bobby met again with the “E” committee, and Volcker reminded them that the FY 1972 budget would be the last with a deficit. All the members, including the President, decided that the MTFS would be retained as permanent fiscal policy. A major saving would come from the abolition of the draft, which Kennedy knew would create “a hell of an uproar” mostly from liberals who preferred the draft. But Bobby had already learned from both Ted and Speaker Boggs that the votes were there and the draft could be abolished by the end of the year. “All the generals and experts I’ve spoken to; Bob McNamara, Cyrus Vance, Andy Goodpaster, Max Taylor, and Omar Bradley: they all agree that this is necessary and that I’m free to invoke their support on this issue. Pure common sense: I have not heard a single expert propose retaining it.”
Jan. 27, Congressional Joint Session
President Kennedy delivers his 1971 State of the Union address, Jan. 27, 1971
“Vice President Sanders, Mr. Speaker, members of the Congress, distinguished guests. The state of our Union has improved substantially over the past year, with increased economic growth and passage of much historic legislation. Our work is far from done however, which is why I am asking Congress to approve the following legislation in the upcoming session. First, I ask you to enact the Occupational Safety and Hazard Act, to create the Agency. In 1968 we passed the Consumer Protection Act to safeguard consumer products from small children and establish federal safety standards for everyday household goods and pharmaceuticals. It is now time that similar regulations are adopted in the workplace: there are members of the audience who themselves have been injured in workplace accidents but are fortunately covered by the healthcare plan we passed a few short months ago… Then there is tort reform, which is why I have submitted the PSRLA for passage through Congress. While I may seem to be committing a sin against my own profession (audience laughter) strict rules of evidence must be in place before a securities fraud trial can begin: it is indecent to bill clients for unnecessary procedural work that leaves clients with the sole satisfaction of an inflated attorney’s bill. Finally, I ask you to do something truly revolutionary, which will change the face of this country forever, namely the abolition of the draft. The commission appointed by the Secretary of Defence, which counts among its members Generals Andrew Goodpaster and Omar Bradley, has recommended that we return to an all-volunteer military. We live in a world with ever-advancing technology and a trim, efficient, rapidly deployable military is what this administration has set as a goal over the past two years. There is no valid reason for the retention of the draft, especially with our role in Indochina coming to an end very shortly.”
Feb. 10, the Oval Office
Bobby was meeting with the “FS” (Foreign & Security) Cabinet committee to discuss developments in Vietnam and more importantly, the SALT talks that were scheduled for later that month in Moscow with Brezhnev. “I have spoken to President Thieu and he informed me that after the success of last year’s Cambodian operation, ARVN now wishes to clear out Laos of North Vietnamese infiltrators and I told him we would be backing him. As you all know the last of our ground troops will be leaving in May and the aircraft will be relocated to Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines by July. With the abolition of the draft sure to pass Congress, taking effect on June 30 if everything goes according to schedule, I can tell the public on July the Fourth weekend that our involvement in Indochina is over after 12 years.” “Mr. President, that is excellent news, but there is also the upcoming summit with Brezhnev that merits serious discussion.” Vance and Kissinger took over: “here’s the draft of our proposal that you requested.” Kennedy knew that the negotiations, begun two years earlier in April 1969, had been bogged down in disputes over ABM systems, but Dobrynin and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Perle had informed Bobby in a late-night phone the previous day that a compromise suitable to both sides had been found. He had been “quite thrilled” by the news, which now meant that “there would be a chance for the furtherance of détente” as Kennedy and Kissinger wanted. After reading the draft, he replied: “this looks fine to me: has the Pentagon signed off?” “Yes, Mr. President, we still fulfill our arsenal targets that you had required and then some.” “Well then, looks like I will be going to Moscow in a couple of weeks to initial this treaty.” Bobby knew many Republicans would be opposed, and that winning them over would be essential to securing ratification.
Feb. 27, Moscow, the Kremlin
Bobby walked through the Kremlin halls with Brezhnev, taking in the sights of all the heroes honoured, not just military but former Soviet leaders as well. Kennedy and Brezhnev “had a good working relationship” in Kissinger’s words, but this time Bobby was quite pleasantly surprised when his aide knocked on his door early the following morning, inviting him to Brezhnev’s dacha. “Why exactly does he want me to go to the dacha?” “Apparently he wants you to join him for a wild boar hunt and a speedboat ride Mr. President.” “That sounds fun to me.” “Henry, you might want to stay behind; I’m not under the impression that hunting and speedboat rides are your thing.” “You guessed correctly Mr. President.” Bobby boarded the limousine with Brezhnev as it sped through the surrounding countryside and they discussed the various passing landmarks. He later told Kissinger that “Brezhnev and I agreed to the plan that you and I had approved before leaving: a tacit alliance with the Soviets against China. I’m set to receive Mrs. Gandhi next month at the White House, and if we can agree to further cooperation then China will be completely quarantined diplomatically. Thus, when we go to Beijing in ’73, I will have some bargaining chips rather than showing up like some random tourist.” In the interim, the two leaders “careened around the lake on the speedboat, obviously enjoying each other’s company” as Dobrynin later wrote his old friend Kennedy. Later that day, in front of assembled Soviet and American journalists, SALT I was signed, with both calling it “an historic moment in Soviet-American relations, one of the most significant of the postwar era.” Bobby later told Vance: “they don’t have to get 13 Republican senators to sign their political death warrant, do they.”
President Robert Kennedy meeting and greeting in Moscow, Feb. 27
Mar. 12, the White House
For the past week Bobby had been dealing with the Pakistani crisis, which had mushroomed into a UDI by East Pakistan and an invasion by the Pakistani military. Kennedy and Kissinger had read the reports from Bobby’s old 1964 rival Ken Keating, now US Ambassador to India, calling the Pakistani actions “textbook genocide”. Both men agreed that “Bangladeshi independence is inevitable and well-deserved given that the Westerners treat them like slaves to be courted at election time and not much more.” Secretly, they both decided to back India’s preparations for a military invasion of East Pakistan, though Bobby had told Indira Gandhi that “the dismemberment of West Pakistan is not an option” which Brezhnev had echoed to the Indian prime minister in a separate conversation. Kennedy himself would later say “the war is what enabled us to change partners in the Kush without an outcry either in Congress or amongst the population.” Gallup polls showed that the American public overwhelmingly favoured India and Bangladesh, and though Republicans led by Barry Goldwater charged that the administration had “followed the public opinion, not led as the President has on domestic issues” the opposite was true. Bobby happily told his brother Ted: “in addition to securing India on our side, this improves my relations with Heath and gives us some leverage in the Commonwealth which helps me in the EEC project I have in mind.” Within a week, Pakistan would unconditionally surrender to the Indian troops, with both the President and his Secretaries of State and Defence watching the ceremony live on television in the Oval Office. Bobby gave the orders to “treat Mrs. Gandhi like you would the Queen when she arrives”, and they were executed to the letter.
Apr. 4, Andrews AFB
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi descended the steps of the Indian Air Force 707 to be greeted by Kennedy at the foot of the stairs, and chatting “quite animatedly” made their way to the waiting Marine One for the short hop to the White House where they were to conduct bilateral talks.
The Oval Office
Henry Kissinger later recalled “this was one of the few occasions when the President did not have his taping system activated when meeting a foreign dignitary.” Mrs. Gandhi and Indian Ambassador B.K. Nehru were “profoundly grateful” for US support in the recent war. Kennedy replied: “Mrs. Gandhi, this is not an aberration, as of now our support for India is official policy of the United States government.” He then told her that he had long had such a plan in mind, and “the opportunity arose and we took to the long-term benefit of the bilateral relationship.” Mrs. Gandhi, like Kennedy, liked personal relationships for the conducting of foreign diplomacy, with which both Nehru and Kissinger disagreed with their principals. Nonetheless, as Nehru later wrote in his journal: “Indira and the President discussed a wide variety of issues, not only events in the Kush but in Asia and the world generally. The President agreed to send another shipment of genetically modified crop formula with the FDA’s leading Indian-American scientist at the head of the delegation, and both ‘informally’ agreed to scrap the nascent Friendship Treaty.” Bobby would later recall it as a “highly productive and useful visit, and to top it all off, that was the Friday that the draft abolition bill reached my desk after nearly three months of deliberation. The winter of 1971 was one of the best times of my presidency that started off with dark foreboding but ended up as a magnificent blessing.”
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi addresses a joint Congressional session, Apr. 28
Apr. 27, OEOB
Bobby, Nick Katzenbach and Burke Marshall had been anxious about the Supreme Court’s ruling on the administration’s bussing plan. To their profound relief, the Court found unanimously that their plan was constitutional in accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the opposition was ended once and for all. All three men were happy, especially Kennedy, that “bussing is off the table just as we enter the planning stages for ’72. That might have been a major issue next year, now it is settled case law.” Later that week the line-item veto bill (LIVA) emerged from the House-Senate Conference and was signed by Kennedy on May 1 despite significant Republican opposition.
Kennedy and Katzenbach discuss Swann v. Charlotte, Apr. 30
Here's hoping the supreme court oks the line-item veto.
Excellent timeline. Very well written, and I think your use of photos really helps.
Only problem I have with it is, things seem so perfect. Out of nam early, it doesn't look like the Khemer Rouge are going to rise, a universal healthcare that seems pretty appealing, VAT, a surplus, etc etc. Although it looks like storm clouds are gathering what with the Brit PM being pro-EEC and POTUS not so much.
Excellent timeline. Very well written, and I think your use of photos really helps.
Only problem I have with it is, things seem so perfect. Out of nam early, it doesn't look like the Khemer Rouge are going to rise, a universal healthcare that seems pretty appealing, VAT, a surplus, etc etc. Although it looks like storm clouds are gathering what with the Brit PM being pro-EEC and POTUS not so much.
Well it seems that Bobby just added another ethnic group to the Democratic Consituency, in Indian-Americans, with his establisment of Pro-Indian relations with Indira. I had a feeling Bobby would be intiate Detente with the Soviets, after this is a man whose back channel negotations saved the world in those Dark Days of 1962. I love all the domestic policy achievements already achieved by the Kennedy Adminstrations and really have nothing to gripe about it...As you better give us our Kennedy v. Reagan Matchup or there will be consequences and repercussions, JK LOL
Btw, thanks for recommending RFK: A Life, by Evan Thomas...I read a good deal of it through Google Books. I can definatly tell that he was influential in the creation of this great work of art. I will definatley by adding it to my Reading List for this summer
, JK LOLBtw, thanks for recommending RFK: A Life, by Evan Thomas...I read a good deal of it through Google Books. I can definatly tell that he was influential in the creation of this great work of art. I will definatley by adding it to my Reading List for this summer
I shall be interesting to see how China manages in this timeline now that Bobby has started to support India. Mao perhaps lacks the political capital to go back on his anti-Moscow rhetoric but without a major foreign ally, reconstriction post-Leap is going to be very hard to come by. Why do I see the Cultural Revolution going much worse (if that is possible) for the Chinese government. I wonder if the butterflies here are enough to prevent the death of Lin Baio...
Great updates RB, really enjoying this!
Great updates RB, really enjoying this!