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LBJ Hits Back at Goldwater

Oct. 3, 1964 - President Johnson today labeled Senator Barry Goldwater the “frightening voice of the Republican party” as he rejected the Arizonan’s charge that the Johnson Administration is “soft on Communism.”

The President, in measured tones and a voice of ice, called the charge “nonsense” and said it was the “accident” of a “third-string speech writer.”

He advised Goldwater to drop it and expressed the belief that Goldwater would after more careful thought. He did not, however, refer to the Senator by name.

It was the harshest direct contradiction of Goldwater so far in the campaign.

The Senator made his charge in Cincinnati last Tuesday and renewed it last night.

The President’s retort came at the end of a news conference in his White House office, during which he was free-swinging, wryly humorous, at times sarcastic and aggressive. He was seated part of the time, while at others he stood behind his desk, gesticulating before reporters crowded around him. He called once for an orange drink, and sent aides scampering after documents.

At times combative, Johnson brushed aside reporters’ questions and chastised them with unsolicited advice.

When the President was asked to reply to the “soft-on-Communism” charge, he bent his head for a long moment’s thought, as though deeply offended.

“I don’t want to reply in kind,” he began, “to a charge of that nature.”

“I see in the papers — that is the only information I have — the new and frightening voice of the Republican party is merely trying out this charge at the moment to see if it works,” he continued. “On that basis, my own advice would be to drop it.”

This was in apparent reference to a remark by Goldwater at Lima, Ohio, the day after he initiated the charge, when the Senator said, “We’re going to wait and see what the reaction is before we push it.

At that time, Goldwater also said the charge was suggested on advice from former President Hoover and former Vice President Nixon. Nixon denied on Thursday that he had given such advice to Goldwater.

Of this aspect, the President said:

“Both President Hoover and Vice President Nixon are men I have known for many years and have worked with them, and I doubt very much that either of them would make such a suggestion about me or about my Cabinet or this Administration.

“My own belief is that this sort of nonsense was the product of some third-string speech writer and accidentally got into the public print without prudent or careful screening.

“As far as I’m concerned, I intend to ignore it. I think when the Republican candidate really has a chance to think about it and study it, he will stop it.”



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