 Telephone conversation between President Johnson and Senator Richard Russell on November 29, 1963 at 855 p.m. The President's friend, A. W. Morsand, also speaks with Senator Russell. Hello. Senator Russell, 2191. I hate to bother you again, but I want you to know that I made an announcement. What announcement what? Of this special commission. Oh, you have already? Yes. And now I've got Chief, may I read it to you? Yes. The President announced that he is appointing a special commission to study and report upon all the facts and circumstances relating to the assassination of late President John F. Kennedy and the subsequent violent death of the man charged with the assassination. The President stated that the majority and minority leadership of the Senate and the House had been consulted with respect to full special commission. The members of the special commission are Colin, Chief Justice Earl Warren Chambers, Senator Richard Russell Georgia, Senator John Cooper Kentucky, Representative Hale Boggs, Louisiana, Representative Gerald Ford Mission, Honorable Alan Dulles, Washington, Honorable John J. McCloy, New York. The President stated the special commission is to be instructed to evaluate all available information concerning the subject to the inquiry. The Federal Bureau of Investigation pursuant to an earlier directive of the President is making complete investigation of facts. An inquiry is scheduled by Texas Court of Inquiry convened by the Attorney General of Texas under Texas law. The special commission will have before it all evidence uncovered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and all information available to any agents of the federal government. The Attorney General of Texas has also offered his cooperation. All federal agencies and offices are being directed to furnish services and cooperation to the special commission. The commission will also be empowered to conduct any further investigation as deemed desirable. The President is instructing the special commission to satisfy itself that the truth is known as far as it can be discovered and to report its findings and conclusions to him, to the American people and to the world. Well, Mr. President, I know I don't have to tell you my emotion to you, but I just can't say it on that commission. I highly honored you. Thanks for being in connection with me. But I couldn't say that with the Chief Justice Warren. I don't like that man. I don't have any confidence in him, even though I realize he's a businessman. So you get the understanding that he's a... Dick has already been announced and you can serve with anybody for the good of America. And this is a question that has a good many more ramifications than on the surface. We've got to take this out of the arena where they testified that Khrushchev and Castro did this and did that and kicking us into a war that can kill 40 million Americans in an hour. And you put on your uniform in a minute. Now, the reason I asked Warren is because he's the Chief Justice of this country. And we've got to have the highest judicial people we can have. The reason I ask you is because you have that same kind of temperament. And you can do anything for your country. And don't go to give me that kind of stuff about you can't serve with anybody. You can do anything. It's not only that. I don't think Chief Justice should have saved us. Well, Chief Justice will do anything he can to save America. And right now we've got a very touchy thing. And the way do you look at this evidence? The way do you look at this report? I'm not going to lead you wrong and you're not going to be an old dog tray company. But you never turned your country down? Well, this is not me. This is your country. And the members of the Special Commission are Chief Justice Warren, Senator Richard Russell, and I go right down the list. Now, I've got Alan Dulles and John McClellan. But you're my man on that commission. And you're going to do it. And don't tell me what you can do and what you can't because I can't arrest you. And I'm not going to put the FBI on you, but you're that damn show going to serve. I'll tell you that. And A.W. Morton's here and he wants to tell you that how much all of us love you. Wait a minute. Well, I know, Mr. President, you all told me you're going to name me. I told you. I told you today I was going to name you Chief Justice when I called you. I did, right? I did. You were talking about getting somebody on the Supreme Court. That's right. What do you think you're going to get? Now, you didn't tell me you're going to name me. I told you I was going to name Warren. You said be better than name Holland. Oh, no. We talked and I said talk wouldn't do, Coach. No, that's right. That's right. And I've got to get the highest justice I can get. He turned Bobby Kennedy down. Bobby, they talked to him and he just said he wouldn't serve under any circumstances. I called him down and I spent an hour with him. And I begged him as much as I'm begging you. I just said, now here's the situation. I won't tell you what, Mr. President. You've always told me. No, I haven't, no. No, I haven't. Mr. President, please. No, it's already done. It's been announced. Yes, sir. I mean, I gave it. I gave it. I gave the announcement. It's already in the papers and you on it. And you're going to be my man on it. And you just, you just forget that. Now, wait a minute. Whatever you want to say or do, and I'll be back. Hello, Senator? Yeah. Oh, we just sitting here talking. He said, I've got one man on there. They're smart and all the rest of them put together. I ain't butting you up, Senator. You know just like I. Well, God damn it, you know, I'm not that kind of seller. And I just heard that. I just want you, I don't want you to know that. Because, hell, he's been on you. You know that. And he just got through saying, he said, I've got one man on there. He's smart and all the rest of them put together. Yeah. That's the truth. You know it. You know, I know it, Senator. Well, how you that, Bill? I don't know when I've been in this, sir. Well, how you that, Bill? I don't know when I've been in this, sir. I'm unhappy about the things I have missed. Well, I know what you, you can take them, got them out of here. You took them from here for years, and the hard ones, and the tough ones, and you can take care of it, and you can take care of yourself. Well, you come to us. But you don't, don't, don't say you can't do anything. Because you're the best candy man there is. Oh, no. Oh, no. Nick? Yeah. Now, we're, we're going into a lot of problems. I saw, we had lunch together, and I saw Sanders, and I saw, I've seen a good many people since then, and they saw Wilkins today at Long Talk with him. Now, these things are going to be developing. And I know you're going to, I know you're going to have your reservations and your modesty, and you're going to have a, wait a minute, now wait a minute, I understand that. But now your president's asking you to do these things, and there's some things that I want you in besides civil rights. And by God, you're going to be in them, because I can't run this country by myself. Well, my future's behind me, and that's not in and into it at all. Well, your future, your future is, your future is your country. And you're going to, you're going to do everything you can to serve America. I just haven't, I can't do it. Oh, well, now, well, all right, we'll just, we'll just make the time. Well, we'll just make the, we'll just make the time. There's not going to be any time to begin with. All you're going to do is evaluate a Hoover report he's already made. Well, we'll move that past, aren't we? Well, okay, well anyway, we won't move in the past or you want to move. But, but you're going to, you're going to lend your name to this thing, to this thing because you have the CIA committee in the Senate and you're going to, you're going to have a, you're going to have Fulbright and Hickenlooper on it because this thing is breaking faster than you think. And I already talked to Hickenlooper and Fulbright and asked him to go with you, said on your committee because I don't want, I don't want these things torn up. Secretary of State came over here this afternoon. He's deeply concerned, Dick, about the idea that they're spreading throughout the Communist world that Khrushchev killed Kennedy. Now, he didn't. He didn't have a damn thing to do with it. Well, I don't think he did directly. Well, I know Khrushchev didn't because he thought he'd get along better with Kennedy than anybody. All right, all right, but we got to have some people. I wouldn't be surprised if Castro had... All right, then okay, that's what we want to know. And people got confidence in you and you can just be surprised or not surprised. They want to know what you think. And if my A.W. Morrison, the one, wants to know what you think. And you... If you start taking advantage of Mr. Berman... No. No, you're not... I'm taking advantage of Mr. Berman. No, I'm not. I'm taking advantage of him. I won't tell your husband. Maybe he'll be my friend for you. He won't. He's my... I know of him. I don't know if he'll be... I'll be taking advantage of him. Well, we grew up... So, you're going to say, I'm saying you're going to keep that pride and if you... If you can't do it, Khrushchev killed little Bobby up there. Let him play. Put a couple of players on it. Oh, is that right? Crazy. I don't mean it. When you just come to get ready, come on, man. And you just... You just... They can't... Oh, he ain't done it. There's no news about that of me. I just... Well, I'll just tell you the one. I'll have to use them any person. No problem. I'm a... I'm a... I'm a... I don't... I don't forget friends and anybody to stand up and be proud. I don't... I'm glad to serve on these things. No, sir. That's rough. Oh, rough on that. No, it's not rough. It's about this. I talked to Jim Easton, Jim Easton. The thing about... Yeah. Jim Easton. He... I talked... I talked to everybody. All right? Now, a damn while, I'm not sure if folks are going to be proud of us. Well, I'm sure they will. No, sir. No, we're not. We're not. We're not. We're not full investigation. Well, we're the top of the list, Jim. Well, we're half an American actor. Well, all of that was lost off in the show. Well, of course. But how do I stop? How do I stop? I don't know. I've worked for about one month. I didn't say... I didn't say anything wrong. I should have thought of it. Well, it's not to have had that kind of a hearing. And it's... I don't know. And the kid had been stopped some other way, though. What do you think? It's not to be interested in. I've gone wrong now about putting you on a commission. Of course you don't know. All right, boy. I don't know. Well, I'm going around. Warren, but you like him. It's over. Come on. Come on. Well, we can give him some. How are you? Well, I'm not associated with him. He's got nothing to do with me. Well, I'm afraid to put some honor up against Warren. That's not what I ought to know. It's information. And I've got... I don't know. I know this is a source, but... I mean, this time being a kid, it's what it used to be. Dick, now, do you think I'll give you... Well, I still... I hope to use one. Yeah. Dick, I still feel... I know. So I'll give you a number. What you brought me to Congress in 1952, when no... One morning, I became a... Yes, I found for good. No, I don't think you can... All right. I think I'm... Well, I'm not going to say any more, Mr. President. What do you want? I'm at your command. All right. I'm sure you're going to be at my command. You're going to be at my command long as I'm here. You'll be just a little bit more deliberate and considerate next time about it. But this time, of course, if you've done this, I'm going to do it and go through with it and say I think it's a wonderful idea. Well, I'm not going to be any more deliberate than I've been about this because I've been pretty deliberate. But I'm going to have you on a good goddamn... many things that I have to decide. And you're going to be... you're going to be America's representative. If you don't have any special obligation, I just know you're going to call them as you see them. And I served on you. And I don't give a damn that you have to serve with a Republican. If you have to serve with a Communist. If you have to serve with a Negro. If you have to serve with a Thug. If you have to serve with A.W. Morson. If you can serve with a Communist. I can serve with a Negro. I can serve with a gentleman. But you may have to serve with A.W. Morson, don't you? And if I could serve with A.W. Morson, I would say, Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to serve under you, Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to serve with A.W. Morson. But, uh... Well, we won't scut the... No. Of course, it's better than outside. Okay, Dick. Give Bobby my love and tell him he better get ready to... to give up that fruitful law practice he's got. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. You see, I got him on A. He's making much money as I am. Oh, yeah. His salary's exactly... What about Van Derik? Well, he's running for governor next time, and he'll be elected. Hmm. He'll be elected by me, besides you. Well, those boys will have to, if you need them. Well, I need them. They're damn it, they're hard to play in one time, and I was, don't you remember? No, no. I never did. Nobody ever been more to me than you have, Dick, except my mother. No? No, that's true. I never... I never... I bothered you more and made you... made you spend more hours with me, tell me what is right and wrong, and anybody except my mother. You didn't do more things that you didn't want to do than anybody. No, I never made you doing things wrong. I never made you doing things wrong. I don't know more than anything wrong. I didn't say wrong. That's the stuff. Things I didn't want to do. Well... Bobby and Bobby and I, you're two of the most loyal friends you've got on earth. I know that. They both called me up and said, you just got to do whatever Mr. Johnson said. No, I don't want you to do that. I just want to counsel it. I just want to counsel it. I just want to counsel it. You know, I just want your judgment, and you wear them, and... I don't expect you to stay cool. I don't have it where you go. Right? I'm going to have it both. Don't worry about it, and you want to do it. You know, Mr. Johnson, you know... I do. I do. I know you just can't see and feel anything. Now, that's what it is. To be real, you're my man on earth. I would. I would absolutely. No. Right? No, you wouldn't. Yeah, I would. No, I don't want to. No, I don't want to. You wouldn't. You wouldn't? I don't want to. Well, I would. And I don't want to. I don't. I don't want to. And I wouldn't. And I wouldn't. So, uh, he was doing that. And you'll think, and he said, he was doing that. Yeah, I did. I did. And I didn't know if he was in... I didn't know. He said, he said, and I didn't know if he was in... He said, He told me what he thought about Goldberg. He thought he's terrible. These are our trading track now I said, let me read you on the report. I just picked up one report and read it to him And I said, okay 40 million 40 million Americans involved here Well, you want me to tell you the truth, you know what happened You know what happened? Bobby and him went up to see him today and he turned him down cold and said no Two hours later, I called him and ordered him down here and he didn't want to come 960 come he came down here and he told me no twice And I just pulled out what Hoover told me about a little incident in Mexico City and I said now I don't want the Mr. Crew Jeff to be told tomorrow and be testifying for a camera that he killed his fella and that Castro killed him and all I want you to do is look at the facts and and Bring in the other facts you want in here and determine who killed the prep And I think you put on your uniform. We're all one. That is you are and Do anything you could to save one American life and I'm surprised that you the Chief Justice United States would turn me down And start crying he said well, I won't turn you down. I'll just do whatever you say, but he turned to turn general down Well, I think I ought to I think that's what you do that's kind of American both of you tonight