Nation: THE RENUNCIATION

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Cordial Confrontation. He avoided partisan politics, despite rising pressures to endorse Hubert Humphrey. Said Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield after a breakfast meeting: "I think he will keep hands off and let the Democratic Convention decide."

Bobby Kennedy, for one, wanted to make sure of that. He requested a meeting "to discuss how we might work together in the interest of national unity during the coming months," and Johnson quickly agreed to the get-together. It was their first formal session since the bitter 45-minute confrontation in the White House 14 months ago, when the President angrily lashed out at Bobby for having fostered rumors that he had received a Viet Nam peace feeler during a European visit. Now, in an hour-long meeting described by both sides as "cordial," Johnson briefed Kennedy on the crises confronting the nation and told him, in effect: "If you want to assume this burden and if the people want you to, why should I stand in the way?"

Still, the roots of the Johnson-Kennedy antagonism go deep, and many Democrats anticipate that sooner or later the President will do something to prop up Humphrey. For the time being, Johnson is determined not to let partisan politicking dilute his withdrawal gesture and thereby diminish his effectiveness as a negotiator with Hanoi. "When the time comes to take an active part," he told newsmen after his speech, "I will make my announcement. I don't want to get into that now."

Dead Pigeon. In the Republican camp, officials were concerned that Johnson's withdrawal would make things inestimably more difficult for their prospective nominee, Nixon. "We had a pigeon," said a Nebraska Republican, referring to Johnson, "and he flew the coop." Indeed, a quickie Louis Harris Poll, taken in the first two days after the President's announcement, showed Nixon runnning behind all of the likely Democratic candidates. Kennedy led Nixon 41% to 35%; McCarthy led 39% to 33%, after trailing Nixon by 9% a month back; and Humphrey, 35% to 34%.

As a result, even though Nixon romped through last week's Wisconsin primary with 80% of the vote, some Republicans are convinced that the upshot of Johnson's action will be to bring New York's Governor Nelson Rockefeller back into the race. For the time being, Rocky was holding back, still maintaining that a genuine draft was the only thing that could return him to contention. "Sure, Johnson's out," said a Rockefeller aide, "but that doesn't change our problem—the Republican Party. They don't want Rockefeller. It's as simple as that." In an effort to remedy the problem, a group of influential Republican moderates laid plans for the formation of a National Rockefeller for President Committee. Rocky gave the committee his quiet approval, but even so, unless he begins campaigning actively, it is questionable whether many party professionals will be eager to risk Nixon's revenge by supporting him.