I wrote this out to make sure it doesn’t go more than five minutes there are to
go more than five minutes there are to
go more than five minutes there are to my knowledge for surviving male members
my knowledge for surviving male members
my knowledge for surviving male members of President Kennedy’s White House staff
of President Kennedy’s White House staff
of President Kennedy’s White House staff take Goodwin the father of doing man who
take Goodwin the father of doing man who
take Goodwin the father of doing man who introduced me Chuck Daly Harris Wofford
introduced me Chuck Daly Harris Wofford
introduced me Chuck Daly Harris Wofford and me I arrived in June of 1961 and was
and me I arrived in June of 1961 and was
and me I arrived in June of 1961 and was staff assistant to the president
staff assistant to the president
staff assistant to the president responding responsible for finding
responding responsible for finding
responding responsible for finding people to suggest to him for
people to suggest to him for
people to suggest to him for presidential appointed positions it was
presidential appointed positions it was
presidential appointed positions it was a small office which has now morphed
a small office which has now morphed
a small office which has now morphed into the White House personnel office I
into the White House personnel office I
into the White House personnel office I found what I now call the traditional
found what I now call the traditional
found what I now call the traditional presidency as opposed to today’s version
presidency as opposed to today’s version
presidency as opposed to today’s version JFK’s total staff was 77 and opposed to
JFK’s total staff was 77 and opposed to
JFK’s total staff was 77 and opposed to perhaps 1,200 today and that included
perhaps 1,200 today and that included
perhaps 1,200 today and that included many typists and outlying groups like
many typists and outlying groups like
many typists and outlying groups like the President’s Commission on physical
the President’s Commission on physical
the President’s Commission on physical fitness
fitness
fitness there was no chief of staff he was his
there was no chief of staff he was his
there was no chief of staff he was his own chief of staff there were no staff
own chief of staff there were no staff
own chief of staff there were no staff meetings because no one had the right to
meetings because no one had the right to
meetings because no one had the right to call one he knew all the key people
call one he knew all the key people
call one he knew all the key people before they came to the White House it
before they came to the White House it
before they came to the White House it was a personal team everybody was on a
was a personal team everybody was on a
was a personal team everybody was on a first-name basis except for the
first-name basis except for the
first-name basis except for the President himself including the vice
President himself including the vice
President himself including the vice president
president
president which he didn’t take kindly to he didn’t
which he didn’t take kindly to he didn’t
which he didn’t take kindly to he didn’t think in terms of an organization chart
think in terms of an organization chart
think in terms of an organization chart he picked people he knew and trusted and
he picked people he knew and trusted and
he picked people he knew and trusted and figured that they would find a set of
figured that they would find a set of
figured that they would find a set of responsibilities and figure out ways to
responsibilities and figure out ways to
responsibilities and figure out ways to carry out those responsibilities
carry out those responsibilities
carry out those responsibilities as things went along after about four or
as things went along after about four or
as things went along after about four or five days after the inaugural professor
five days after the inaugural professor
five days after the inaugural professor after shlessinger great Harvard
after shlessinger great Harvard
after shlessinger great Harvard historian came over from an office in
historian came over from an office in
historian came over from an office in the East Wing went into the Oval Office
the East Wing went into the Oval Office
the East Wing went into the Oval Office and said mr. president I’m not sure I
and said mr. president I’m not sure I
and said mr. president I’m not sure I exactly know what I’m supposed to be
exactly know what I’m supposed to be
exactly know what I’m supposed to be doing around here president said don’t
doing around here president said don’t
doing around here president said don’t worry Arthur I don’t know what I’m
worry Arthur I don’t know what I’m
worry Arthur I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing I do there was
supposed to be doing I do there was
supposed to be doing I do there was nothing either organizationally or
nothing either organizationally or
nothing either organizationally or culturally to discourage never mind
culturally to discourage never mind
culturally to discourage never mind prevent me when I had a superb idea that
prevent me when I had a superb idea that
prevent me when I had a superb idea that was going to save Western civilization
was going to save Western civilization
was going to save Western civilization from going to talk to Mac Bundy the
from going to talk to Mac Bundy the
from going to talk to Mac Bundy the National Security Advisor or his deputy
National Security Advisor or his deputy
National Security Advisor or his deputy you know they never adopted any of my
you know they never adopted any of my
you know they never adopted any of my ideas you cannot see what a mess the
ideas you cannot see what a mess the
ideas you cannot see what a mess the world just
beginning with Nixon
beginning with Nixon it all changed from the office of the
it all changed from the office of the
it all changed from the office of the president to the Department of the
president to the Department of the
president to the Department of the presidency characterized by much more
presidency characterized by much more
presidency characterized by much more hierarchy structure and protocol does
hierarchy structure and protocol does
hierarchy structure and protocol does that work better who knows it all
that work better who knows it all
that work better who knows it all depends on your criteria but a staff of
depends on your criteria but a staff of
depends on your criteria but a staff of so many people with access to so many
so many people with access to so many
so many people with access to so many resources has transformed the presidency
resources has transformed the presidency
resources has transformed the presidency into an operating agency CF Iran gained
into an operating agency CF Iran gained
into an operating agency CF Iran gained and markedly thereby has reduced the
and markedly thereby has reduced the
and markedly thereby has reduced the checks and balances in our system of
checks and balances in our system of
checks and balances in our system of governance
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