Nation: The Man Who Quit Kicking the Wall

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Against McNamara, the Humphreymen could and did take counteraction. They circulated among labor leaders a report that the President had decided to choose between Humphrey and McNamara—and leaned to McNamara. The labor leaders, including A.F.L.-C.I.O. President George Meany, rose to the bait, let the President know that McNamara, a former Ford Motor Co. president, was certainly not labor's idea of an ideal Vice President. Moreover, many longtime professionals were strongly opposed to McNamara as a man who, until he went to the Pentagon, had been presumed to be a Republican.

McNamara dropped back in the standings. But that left Bobby, who made no bones of the fact that he wanted the vice-presidential nomination. Always there was the implied threat that if Bobby did not receive the legacy, legions of devoted J.F.K. followers would withhold their support from L.B.J.

That was just the sort of pressure that Humphrey had wisely avoided. The President's response to Bobby came in his remarkable public announcement of July 30 that he was eliminating all Cabinet members from vice-presidential consideration. Most specifically, that meant the Attorney General.

"Take It Easy." At that, Hubert thought he was in, and his belief was bulwarked by a visit from Washington Lawyer James Rowe, one of Lyndon's oldest, most trusted emissaries. Rowe gave Humphrey the green light to go out and "get some exposure." Hubert did just that, taking time from his Senate tasks to make speeches from New York to California. Still, worried about Lyndon's sensitivities, Humphrey was careful not to get overexposed, turned down chances to appear on television.

By the time the Democrats started arriving in Atlantic City, Humphrey felt confident, had reserved a headquarters and communications center taking up a full floor of the Shelburne Hotel. But the word quickly came from the White House to "take it easy." Humphrey wound up sharing a modest, single switchboard headquarters with Gene McCarthy, who remained one of his few ostensible rivals for the Veepship.

Hubert's hopes sagged, but they were revived on Tuesday night, just before the convention started its second session. Humphrey was summoned to Atlantic City's Colony Motel to talk to Johnson's man, Jim Rowe. The President, said Rowe, wanted Humphrey to fly to Washington immediately to accept Lyndon's blessing as the vice-presidential nominee. Unfortunately, the Atlantic City airport was closed down by fog.

Hubert himself would gladly have driven, walked, or even flown under his own power to Washington. But Rowe decided no: Humphrey should wait until the next day. That night Humphrey went to bed happy, awoke next morning to tell Son Doug the good news.

A Few Pauses. On his flight to Washington that day, Humphrey was startled to discover that Connecticut's Tom Dodd had been summoned along with him. Had the President changed his mind? Was Dodd still in the running? Hubert waited apprehensively outside the President's office while Johnson and Dodd talked. Only when Hubert himself huddled with the President were his fears finally allayed.