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1) How much focus will you give to civil rights in your first congressional address? B. Mention civil rights briefly in the speech without going into any detail. 2) What will be your initial policy towards South Vietnam? D. George Ball Option November 25,1963  You and Lady Bird follow the Kennedy family as JFK's body is laid to rest at Arlington. On the day of the funeral service, your Secret Service agents request that you not walk along with the Kennedys but go in a car instead - you refuse. So as you walk with the grieving family, you are surrounded by a team of men whose faces constantly search for a threat that hopefully isn't there. Behind you is a parade of world leaders, even more than expected: King Baudoin of Belgium, Queen Frederika of Greece, Prince Philip of England, President Lübke of West Germany, President Macapagal of the Phillipines, General Park Chung Hee of South Korea, President De Gaulle of France and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. Behind them is a procession of illustrious leaders and foreign ministers from seemingly every nation on the planet. Never before has America seen so regal a state funeral. But the most touching moment is near the end, just before the horses begin trudging the former President's carriage away to Arlington, when his son John F. Kennedy Jr raises his hand to his brow in salute. And all of this is transmitted live to almost every American in their home. Those without televisions visit those who do. There are only twelve channels - and all of them are playing the funeral anyway. Few of the cameras focus on is the new President, preferring the beautiful widow, the grieving brother, the innocent child. This is the Kennedys' day. But you are unconcerned with the nation's attention. There is work to be done. After the funeral you use the unique opportunity to meet with the heads of state from all over the globe. State Department officials hand you note cards with talking points for each one. They remember Kennedy's disdain for you and your foreign policy experience. He even forbade you from visiting the Soviet Union when you were traveling near that nation once during his term. But their concerns are unwarranted. More than the note cards, you rely on your old skill of glad-handing that you learned while campaigning in Texas. You've always been able to earn a man's trust with a handshake, and you do so now. You even pose for a picture and brief conversation with Soviet official Anastas Mikoyan. And of course, afterwards you have one-on-one meetings with a few select leaders. As the day ends, you see one last opportunity for political gain. Many state governors are in Washington for the funeral, and you gather them late in the evening. Appealing to their own executive worries and woes, you ask for their help dealing with congress. Whether it's the emotions of the day or your diplomatic ability is irrelevant, as the governors go away promising whatever aid they can deliver. November 26, 1963 Your speech to Congress and the Nation is later today, but the morning is spent on other things. You are phoning every senator to explain how the Mundt bill would be a repudiation of both Jack Kennedy's memory as well as an insult to the new President. You impress upon each man that you would take a vote in favor of the bill as an insult. You don't just stop when you know you've won though - you want that bill to be crushed. So you keep working all morning, ordering Mansfield and Humphrey to keep working recalcitrant senators. "Why vote for a bill and anger a President if it won't even win passage?" becomes the new tactic. Shortly before your speech, you hear that the Mundt bill has been defeated 56 to 37. You head for the House Chamber, flooded with television lights and packed full with politicians, their families, observers, and foreign dignitaries. You pass by the front row, containing Supreme Court Justices, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and your Cabinet members. Robert Kennedy stares at the floor. "All I have I would have gladly given not to be standing here today," you begin as a deep silence falls over the Chamber. "The greatest leader of our time has been struck down by the foulest deed of our time. Today John Fitzgerald Kennedy lives on in the immortal words and works that he left behind. He lives on in the mind and memories of mankind. He lives on in the hearts of his countrymen." You speak of of the dreams of John F. Kennedy - conquering space, partnership around the world, the Peace Corps, education for all children, commitments to allies in South Vietnam and West Berlin. You speak of the necessity now of not dwelling on this evil moment, not being drawn into it or consumed by it, but moving forward and continuing. You refer at length to the need for passage of legislation that has been stuck in Congress - tax reform and a budget. You refer only briefly to civil rights, but it causes applause from everyone but the Southern delegation. In fact, you have to take frequent pauses for the applause. As the speech comes to a close, you end it with the words from a song: "America, America, God shed his grace on thee. And crowned thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea." Everyone in the Chamber rises to their feet and cheers for their new President. The eyes of the nation are finally firmly upon you. November 27, 1963 You read the newspaper's opinions of your speech, they are largely glowing. None had predicted your rhetorical ability, and remembering you only as "Uncle Cornpone", they had expected something tacky and inexpert. Perhaps because of these low expectations, your speech is considered a wild success. Some of the liberal newspapers do throw a few sharp criticisms at what they see as minimizing the most pressing moral issue of our time: civil rights. However, even they admit that last night's performance went far above and beyond anyone's imagining. Now, in the President's office with the blessing of America, you have to turn to the business of government. Thanks to Jack Ruby's actions, wild rumors are swirling the nation. Some are agitating for action against Russians or Cubans, and anti-communist factions in Congress have already started forming investigatory committees. Others seem to think the State of Texas, where Kennedy died, was somehow complicit in the deed. And you aren't deaf to the accusation that the person who gained most from your predecessor's death was you. Your initial inclination is to let the Texas State Court of Inquiry handle the investigation: murder is not a federal crime, even murder of the President. And as a Texan you know what a bunch of federal investigators running down there and interrogating people will be seen as - carpetbagging interference by an overzealous and unconstitutional authority. But the newspapers are calling for national action, and accusations are already flying that Texas is mishandling the investigation. You could hand the investigation over to your friend J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI, but liberals dislike that organization and its controversial Director. You could form a Presidential Commission granted wide-ranging powers with congressional approval, but it may lack access to all the resources of an organization like the FBI. Finally, you could put the Justice Department in charge of the investigation. Whether the Attorney General Robert Kennedy would see this as a peace offering or an insult you can't tell, and giving a foe like him this source of power might be dangerous. 1) Who will investigate the Kennedy assassination? A. The Texas Court of Inquiry has the only real legal jurisdiction. B. The FBI has the resources and means to get to the bottom of this. C. A Presidential Commission will lend credibility to whatever conclusion is reached. D. Robert Kennedy's Justice Department will be uniquely motivated to investigate.
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Dec 10, 2015 09:16
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D Give Bobby the opportunity to find the killers.
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Dec 10, 2015 09:43
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Bobby Kennedy's brother just got shot and even if he decides to take a swing at me along the way, Jumbo will protect. Secure in my genital dominance over the Irishman, I endorse option D: Let Bobby get that son of a bitch. Maybe it'll be some of those oil millionaire pricks.
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Dec 10, 2015 10:01
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Gonna go with D as well. also this thread is awesome
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Dec 10, 2015 10:08
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C- We shouldn't hand over justice to an annoying relative of a victim, just because the guy is popular. A presidential assassination is no family affair, it's the moment to assert presidential power and to show everybody in the nation that Jumbo and LBJ are in charge. Seriously, gently caress Bobby Kennedy. I`d rather let Jumbo investigate the affair than allow that little piece of poo poo any more moments in the spotlights than he is already getting.
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Dec 10, 2015 10:10
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No sense burning that good will by taking over what should be a state's issue, A. If they want help, give it to them, but we need to hold this good will until we really need it.
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Dec 10, 2015 13:40
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Letting Bobby spearhead the investigation of his brother's death is a major conflict of interests. As much as I like Bobby, this is the time for the President to exert special authority. C.
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Dec 10, 2015 14:10
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D. The state board, the FBI, and even a presidential commission might not be able to contain public concern if the investigation gets messed up, but no one will doubt Bobby's intentions. And if he does mess it up, only he will get blamed.
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Dec 10, 2015 14:18
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I reach inside the Resolute desk and click open the secret chamber within. A small metal phone, specially designed for this compartment, appears. Normal circumstances would never demand this course of action be taken, but the death of a president isn't exactly normal. The call goes out to London, to a beekeeping sanctuary known to none but a few. Over the line, a clipped English accent in reply. "Mr. President?" "Mr. Holmes. I've got a job for you."
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Dec 10, 2015 15:28
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C We need an independent body to take over the investigation.
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Dec 10, 2015 15:29
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B - Bobby's bloodlust is appealing, but he's way too close to this to keep a clear head. Plus, the damned networks might feel inclined to set up a new Kennedy Channel on TV since now everything is apparently all Kennedy all the time. Let's not waste time on distractions and give it to the real professionals. Those bastards in Texas can suck my juris-dick-shun.
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Dec 10, 2015 15:38
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Hoover is terrible, don't let the FBI anywhere near this. C is probably the option that will yield the best results. I like the idea of getting a PR boost by handing it over to Kennedy but it's unpredictable.
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Dec 10, 2015 15:43
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Sheng-ji Yang posted:also this thread is awesome joke answer: nuke robert f kennedy Dogstoyevsky has issued a correction as of 15:47 on Dec 10, 2015 |
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Dec 10, 2015 15:44
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A Let the Texans finish their investigation, if it isn't enough, set up the federal review later.
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Dec 10, 2015 15:46
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C. Hoover's too busy with COINTELPRO, and Bobby is too busy grieving. We don't want to overtax the resources of the local boys, since they're mostly busy beating up hippies and minorities.
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Dec 10, 2015 15:49
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sullat posted:C. Hoover's too busy with COINTELPRO, and Bobby is too busy grieving. We don't want to overtax the resources of the local boys, since they're mostly busy beating up hippies and minorities. I don't think that the local boys are busy beating up "hippies" (never heard the term). But they are in fact busy countering the threat posed by Beatnicks.
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Dec 10, 2015 16:42
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C: But keep them on a tight enough leash that they don't figure out we were behind it.
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Dec 10, 2015 17:10
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D: Making Bobby a closer ally is a nice side effect of granting him the investigation. Taking advantage of his drive and unquestionable motives is nice as well. But most of all, Bobby has spent the last 3 years surrounding himself with some truly outstanding attorneys who will run a great investigation and mitigate the effects of his personal grief. And if you think I trust Hoover or the Texans...
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Dec 10, 2015 17:23
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B - The administration needs to focus on pushing through policy rather than getting into a petty fight over this investigation. We need the public to not associate the LBJ administration with the assassination as we move forward.
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Dec 10, 2015 17:41
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Can't wait for Hoover to pin the assassination on MLK if B wins.
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Dec 10, 2015 18:10
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D but have J Edgar sabotage the investigation
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Dec 10, 2015 18:48
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C That little poo poo Bobby would waste all his time and energy trying to pin it on us.
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Dec 10, 2015 18:51
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C, minimize Bobby while asserting the authority of the office
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Dec 10, 2015 18:58
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Ya'll are gonna make Bobby a superstar with your D votes and he'll get the nomination over us. A Let Texas deal with it, stay the hell away
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Dec 10, 2015 19:30
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A
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Dec 10, 2015 19:39
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hosed up that no one wants sherlock holmes to solve the kennedy assassination
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Dec 10, 2015 19:41
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Changing my vote from a modified D to B.
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Dec 10, 2015 19:55
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Homework Explainer posted:hosed up that no one wants sherlock holmes to solve the kennedy assassination gently caress the British. Also, answer A.
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Dec 10, 2015 19:57
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D, Kennedy's staff is excellent and, hate us as he may, he'll want the truth to be revealed. Also we should consider seriously getting rid of Hoover. The fact that we aren't confident turning to the FBI with this should be a clear sign he needs to be replaced.
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Dec 10, 2015 20:22
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D. Let's see how Bobby handles being a detective.
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Dec 10, 2015 20:54
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rakovsky maybe posted:1) Who will investigate the Kennedy assassination? Well, let's see. A means Texas will appreciate us not stepping in, but they'll probably bungle it and we'll look bad. B means, while nobody roots out communists and traitors like J Edgar (even if there aren't any around), it'll look heavy handed and half the country won't believe him. C works as long as we don't bungle it, plus it might turn up some juicy intel on our political opponents. D will make Bobby untouchable if he pulls it off, and we can't have that. C has my vote. e: count so far: A 5 B 3 C 8 D 7 Sherlock Holmes 1 SixFigureSandwich has issued a correction as of 21:49 on Dec 10, 2015 |
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Dec 10, 2015 21:45
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Obdicut posted:D, Kennedy's staff is excellent and, hate us as he may, he'll want the truth to be revealed. you dont just "get rid" of hoover
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Dec 10, 2015 21:47
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E - Let Texas handle it but send a few FBI agents to assist and make sure they don't gently caress this up.
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Dec 10, 2015 23:03
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Sheng-ji Yang posted:you dont just "get rid" of hoover It'd take some doing, but he's a wildcard with too much power. Bobby hates him too so we can leverage that. We're not going to deflate Robert Kennedy, we need to find issues that we can work with him on, where we're aligned, and keep him busy with those.
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Dec 10, 2015 23:48
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Never forget the next election! C is the best choice, it'll sound good to the public, keep a future primary rival from gaining clout, and Texas is in the bag anyway, they can whine all the way to the voting booth
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Dec 11, 2015 00:29
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D
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Dec 11, 2015 00:41
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I say D If Bobby Kennedy ends up pursuing his own brand of unique street justice who am I to say that isn't best.
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Dec 11, 2015 00:51
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If vietnam blows up in our faces the rest of you are going to regret giving Bobby even more a national profile at the convention.
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Dec 11, 2015 01:12
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Gotta go with C. Show the strength of the office, the dedication of effort toward the memory of Kennedy can earn us goodwill with the people, and we can maybe, if we're not terrible, cover up anything really bad that comes up. Hoover would probably get it done but in the worst possible way. Bobby would probably get it done but he'd use the political points against us eventually. Texas would gently caress it up because Christ, they're a bunch of pissant state cops. From goddam Texas.
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Dec 11, 2015 01:17
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C because we don't want to hand a huge political platform to one of our chief rivals.
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Dec 11, 2015 01:47
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