Master of the Senate (221 page)

Lyndon knew:
The description of Johnson’s strategy and tactics is from interviews with Horace Busby, Ed Clark, John Connally, Walter Jenkins, Mary Rather, and Mary Louise Glass Young, and from Dugger, pp. 351–55, and Sherrill, pp. 155–66.

Persuaded Ed Johnson:
“Clifford—Tel. to LO—Talk
W
Frank Myers,” undated, Box 73, LOP, FDRL; Dugger, p. 351.

“He suggested”:
Lyle OH, p. 38. “We did an awful lot of research on Olds,” Walter Jenkins recalls (Jenkins OH IX, p. 25).
HUAC memorandum:
“Information from the files of the Committee on Un-American Activities, United States House of Representatives; date, July 14, 1949; subject, Leland Olds,” quoted in
Hearings
, pp. 255–56. And Johnson’s staff was also in communication with HUAC: Busby, Young interviews; Young to Johnson, Oct. 10, Box 216, JSP.

Coordinating research in Austin:
Clark, Jenkins, Yarborough interviews.
Wirtz description:
Caro,
Path
, pp. 373–76.

Johnson decided:
Lyle OH, Busby interview and OH.
Forty thousand shares; “‘Communists!’”:
Clark interview.
“I don’t care”:
Rather to Johnson, Sept. 20, 1949, Box 216, JSP.
Wirtz hated:
Clark, Hopkins, L. E. Jones, Rather, Harold H. Young interviews.
Sent lists:
Clark to Johnson, Sept. 8, 1949, Box 216, JSP.
Suggestions:
Francis to Johnson, Aug. 8, Sept. 16, Box 336, JSP.
Culled:
Johnson to Francis, Aug. 28; to Nixon, Sept. 24, Box 336, JSP. He also asked HUAC for information on William Berle (Glass to Johnson, Oct. 10, Box 863, JSP).

“A hero of mine”:
Rauh interview.

They believed:
Cohen, Corcoran, McCulloch, Rauh, Rowe interviews.
The link:
Caro,
Path
, pp. 450–51, 469, 518–19.
Brief disagreement:
Olds to Ellis, Feb. 17, 1960, Box 6, WHCF, OF, HSTL.
“In fact”:
Olds to James Lee, June 15, LOP, FDRL.
“What can I do”:
William A. Roberts to Olds, June 15, Box 75, LOP, FDRL.
The assumption:
For example, Cooke to Johnson, June 18, Box 75, LOP, FDRL. Cooke noted that eight of the thirteen members of the Commerce Committee were Democrats, and said, “We who supported you in the past urge you to press for favorable action Olds.”

“Good deal”:
“Kefauver,” “Miscellaneous Notes,” Box 73, LOP, FDRL.
“Afraid”:
Olds’ note to himself, undated but August from surrounding materials, following a conversation with Clark Clifford, “Miscellaneous Notes: Phone Conversations re Nom.,” Box 73, LOP, FDRL.
Believed … Kerr:
For example,
SLP-D
, June 19;
NYP
, July 1, 13.
“Rather agreed”:
“Kefauver, 8/18,” “Miscellaneous Notes,” Box 73, LOP, FDRL.
“Serious danger”:
Stokes,
WS
, Aug. 25.

“Open hostility”:
Olds to Fred Freestone, Sept. 16, Box 74; Olds’ “Desk Diary,” Sept. 22, Box 73, LOP, FDRL.
Five members:
WS
, Aug. 25.
Now seven:
Ed Johnson to Lyndon Johnson, Aug. 24, in
Hearings
, p. 1.
“Unalterably”; “unsatisfactory”:
Olds, “Clifford—Tel to LO,” undated, Box 73, LOP, FDRL. And McGrath’s report to Clifford, who relayed the report to Olds, shows how totally Olds’ fate was linked to his abandoning his attempts to make natural gas companies adhere to the law. After talking to Clifford, Olds made the following note to himself: “Reed—will not be opposed if before my nomination amendments to natural gas act are passed.”
Johnson’s reason for increase:
The New Leader
, Oct. 15; Busby interview.
Truman had:
MW to Clifford, Aug. 8, Box 12, Papers of Clark Clifford, HSTL.

“Stacked”:
“Clifford—Tel to LO,” undated, Box 73, LOP, FDRL.
“I am”:
Olds to Berle, Sept. 15, 1949, Box 74, LOP, FDRL.
“Seldom”:
Childs,
NYP
, July 1, 1949.
“We thought”:
McCulloch interview.
Olds had no idea:
MuCulloch, Rauh, Van Scoyoc interviews.

All dates are 1949 unless otherwise indicated.

Room 312:
That room has been renumbered, and is now Room 318 in the Senate’s Russell Building.

Olds didn’t know:
Busby, Rauh, Van Scoyoc interviews.
Lyle’s testimony:
“Reappointment of Leland Olds to Federal Power Commission,”
Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, United States Senate, Eighty-first Congress, First Session, Sept. 27, 28, 29, and Oct. 3, 1949
, Washington: Government Printing Office, 1949 (hereafter identified as
Hearings)
, pp. 28–101.

Tobey sympathetic:
Othman,
El Paso Herald Post
, Sept. 28.
Had given proxy:
Tobey to
Johnson, Sept. 29, Box 216, JSP.
“A man has”:
Tobey,
Hearings
, p. 30.
“The Congressman”:
Lyndon Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 31.

“Without objection”:
Lyndon Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 44.
“Shocked”:
McFarland,
Hearings
, p. 101.
Tobey left:
That evening, he took back the proxy he had given Lyndon Johnson and gave it to Ed Johnson instead, writing Lyndon, “I will explain more fully when we meet again” (Tobey to Johnson, Sept. 29, Box 216, JSP).

“Mr. Olds”:
Lyndon Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 106.
“Rejected”:
Olds,
Hearings
, p. 108.
Never … for
Daily Worker:
Hearings
, pp. 132–33.
“An open book”:
Hearings
, p. 154.

Capehart began:
Hearings
, p. 107.
“Mr. Chairman”:
McFarland,
Hearings
, p. 101.
“Let us”:
Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 108.

“Had he not”; “it may be:
Johnson, Olds,
Hearings
, p. 110.
“When you accepted”:
Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 111.
Brandishing it:
Johnson’s demeanor at the hearings is described by Busby and Van Scoyoc. Sherrill (
Accidental President
, p. 159) speaks of the “cold sarcasm” with which Johnson questioned Olds, and of his “mocking” Olds.
“It was my”:
Hearings
, p. 111.
“Did you ever”:
Capehart,
Hearings
, p. 110.
Olds’ exchange with McFarland:
Hearings
, pp. 111–22.
“I am telling”:
Olds,
Hearings
, p. 114.
“Wirtz picked up”:
Yarborough, quoted in Steinberg,
Sam Johnson’s Boy
, p. 295.

“Is it correct”; “‘yes’ or ‘no’”:
Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 120.
“No, sir”:
Olds,
Hearings
, p. 120. His exchanges with Johnson, Cape-hart, and Reed are on pp. 120–25.

“The important thing”:
Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 126.
“Let me make”:
Reed,
Hearings
, p. 126.
“A full-fledged … Communist”:
Reed,
WP
, Sept. 29.

“Rocked”:
HP
, Sept. 29.
“Tic”:
Busby interview.
“He kept”:
Van Scoyoc interview.

Stokes, Othman columns:
WS, WDN
, Sept. 28.
Johnson felt:
Busby, Jenkins interviews. Johnson began the afternoon session by saying, “During the lunch hour I was informed, and, I might say, somewhat entertained by today’s press reports on our hearings…. While we are waiting for some of the members, I would like to put in the record …” And he proceeded to read the two columns into the record verbatim.
“So far”:
Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 133.
“Frequently”:
Olds, Johnson,
Hearings
, pp. 134, 135.
“I thought”:
Hearings
, p. 145.

“Make it clear”:
Olds,
Hearings
, p. 136.
“What date”:
Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 136.
Found:
His letter—Olds to William Barlo, Sept. 18, 1939—was inserted in
Hearings
, p. 138, after the hearings were over.

“I gather you”; “I do not think”:
Johnson, Olds,
Hearings
, p. 142.
“You are aware”; “I did not know”:
Johnson, Olds,
Hearings
, p. 143.

The impression; Johnson’s demeanor:
Busby interview.
“You do not”; “unless I can answer”:
Johnson, Olds,
Hearings
, pp. 155, 156.
Unleashed Capehart:
Hearings
, pp. 151–52.

“Olds’ FPC record”:
“Reward for Service,”
New Republic
, Oct. 10.

“Do you really believe”:
Hearings
, p. 197.
Johnson’s response:
Hearings
, p. 198.
“Single-minded”:
Reed,
Hearings
, p. 174.

“A full-fledged”:
Reed,
WP
, Sept. 29.
“
SENATOR REED
”; “
SENATOR SAYS
”:
NYT, WP
, Sept. 29.

“The money”:
Gunther interview.
“Despicable”:
W P
, Sept. 30.
“I found”:
Mellett,
WS
, Oct. 1.
“And then”:
Van Scoyoc interview.
Johnson making calls:
Busby, Jenkins interviews.
Stopwatch:
Pearson,
WP
, Oct. 4; Busby interview.

“Witnesses”:
Joseph P. Harris, “The Senatorial Rejection of Leland Olds: A Case Study,”
APSR
, Sept. 1951, p. 681.
“You have”:
Alpern,
Hearings
, p. 213.
“If we”; “Well, I”:
Johnson, Alpern,
Hearings
, p. 214.
“The courageous”:
Alpern,
Hearings
, p. 215.
Exchange over time:
Hearings
, p. 215.

“Human memory”:
Proctor,
Hearings
, p. 219.
“A man”:
Houston,
Hearings
, p. 205.
“Any”:
Sanders,
Hearings
, p. 207.
“Numerous”:
Van Scoyoc to Caro, Dec. 7, 1992 (in author’s possession).

“The man”; “We never”:
CCC-T
, April 6, 1980.
“Am sure”:
Johnson to Nixon, Sept. 3. Nixon had, in fact, volunteered Head’s services to Johnson for the Olds fight, writing Johnson that “His head is really in the task assigned him. Here is hoping for success.” Both from “Appts—Olds, Leland,” Box 336, JSP.

“Is Mr. Bonner”; “a traitor”:
Johnson, Bonner,
Hearings
, pp. 255, 259–60.

“All the more”:
Head,
Hearings
, pp. 280–85.

Told callers:
Busby interview.
“Now, Mr. Bonner”:
Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 257.
“Dear Lyndon”:
Bonner to Johnson, Oct. 31, Box 216, JSP.
Reading the Photostat:
Hearings
, pp. 255–56.
Bricker:
Hearings
, pp. 258, 285.

Headlines:
H P, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune
, Sept. 30.

“The rumor”:
Hearings
, p. 252.

“I think”:
Hearings
, p. 173.
“Not be available”; “the material”:
Olds to Johnson, Sept. 29, Box 74, FDRL.
Cooper’s call:
Olds’ Desk Diary, Sept. 29, Box 11, LOP, FDRL.

“I had asked”:
“Conversation with Leland Olds” (verbatim typed transcript), Sept. 30,
Box 336, JSP.
“Very kind”:
“Later Conversation with Leland Olds,” Sept. 30; Olds’ Desk Diary, Sept. 30, Box 73, LOP, FDRL.

“At the outset”; “Do you repudiate”:
Hearings
, pp. 291–94, 305–06, 313–20.
“The committee has not”:
Johnson,
Hearings
, p. 316.

“I am not asking”:
Hearings
, p. 313.
“The question”:
Hearings
, p. 315.

“Mr. Olds himself”:
Lincoln, “The Political Mill,”
WS
, Oct. 15.
“Chameleon-minded”:
DMN
, Oct. 5.
“He is”:
McNaughton to Bermingham, Oct. 7, McNaughton Papers, HSTL.

“I am aware”:
Truman to Ed Johnson, Oct. 3, in
NYT
, Oct. 5.
“Beside the point”:
Ed Johnson to Truman, Oct. 4, in
NYT
, Oct. 5.
7–0 vote:
Lyndon Johnson to Ed Johnson, Oct. 4, Box 316, JSP;
NYHT, NYT
, Oct. 5.
“President Truman’s”:
NYT
, Oct. 6.

Rebel yells:
Danciger to Johnson, Oct. 5, Box 321, JSP.
“What a subcommittee!”:
“Washington Wire,”
New Republic
, Oct. 10.
“Olds, shouts”:
“The Enemies of Leland Olds,”
New Republic
, Oct. 17.
“I know of”:
Lerner, Childs,
NYP
, Oct. 6.
“Vendetta”:
The Nation
, Oct. 15.
“This is the reason”:
Stone,
Baltimore Sun
, Oct. 7.
“Hardly”:
Joseph C. Harsch, “State of the Nation,”
Christian Science Monitor
, Oct. 12.
Editorial:
WP
, Sept. 30.