[AGL] one reason I admired Lady Bird

[Fontaine Maverick]

No, he didn't get stoned to death, but he did lose alot. 

Michael, you had to know a little bit about the scandal; this piece is from 1998 OUT Magazine  http://home.nyc.rr.com/alweisel/outwalterjenkins.htm

Best history so far that I have found, lots of political background, salient details including J. Edgar Hoover's somewhat kinder response, but REAL long, so in summary. 

Jenkins was with LBJ from the late 40's to october '64 and extremely
loyal and according to Bill Moyers: 

"When they came to canonize political aides, [Jenkins] will be the first summoned, for no man ever
negotiated the shark-infested waters of the Potomac with more decency or
charity or came out on the other side with his integrity less shaken,"

Anyhow,Jenkins ended up in the hospital, and when the scandal broke, LBJ
immediately cut his ties:

Later that night Johnson's press secretary, George Reedy, confirmed the
story for the press, weeping as he made the announcement. "Could this be
 true?" a bewildered Johnson asked Fortas when told of Jenkins' arrest.
The president, who was attending the annual Al Smith dinner in New York
that night, immediately asked Fortas to seek the resignation of his
closest aide, despite pleas to wait from friends and advisers. Jenkins,
groggy from the drugs he had been given, tendered his resignation
without protest. Then Johnson summoned his pollster to determine the
 incident's effect on his re-election campaign. "I had a profound
disappointment in the president," says Ramsey Clark. "His immediate
decision was to completely insulate himself from the issue, to protect
the power of his political and presidential position. Nothing should be
 extended from that to help Walter."
When I met him some fifteen years later, he was still as they say "a broken man" 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Michael Eisenstadt 
  To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s 
  Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 9:46 AM
  Subject: Re: [AGL] one reason I admired Lady Bird


  This was the washroom scandal that Jenkins was caught indulging
  in? Now if it had been Iran in 2007, he would have been stoned to death.
  Instead he went home and frequented sit-down restaurants. I
  don't think this officially qualifies for heartbreak. Just my opinion.
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Fontaine Maverick 
    To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s 
    Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 8:58 AM
    Subject: [AGL] one reason I admired Lady Bird


    There is a clip of a phone conversation (statesman website) btwn Ladybird & Lyndon discussing Walter Jenkins the morning after his "downfall" - she wants to issue a very kind and supportive press statement and give Jenkins a job, and Lyndon is very nervous about the political fallout. Heartbreaking. 

    I got to know Jenkins and his daughter in later years (early 80's) as they spent time in the restaurant I worked at, Mariposa Express.
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