Blood, Money, & Power: How LBJ Killed JFK

Ring of Truth to It !

There are many people who cannot accept the harsh reality of American politics, and those people will not like what Barr McClellan has to say in this book. His motive in revealing all this information is unclear to me, and yet I believe he is very accurate, as far as he goes, from what I have heard or have been told over the last 40 years, while living in Dallas and elsewhere. President Johnson was a powerful and complex man, and many people were rightly afraid of him. He was a 'natural' - a political genius. Politics is a bad business on all sides. Even having read this now and accepted most of it, I would still have chosen Lyndon Johnson over his opponents. Sad to say, I never actually liked President Kennedy or subscribed to his myth, and I liked Robert Kennedy even less. People believe what they want to believe anyway, but there are many social and psychological reasons why people cannot face the truth.

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Disturbing View of Texas Politics and LBJ

This book is a must read, not because of what the author proves or disproves, but because of his unique perspective. Even in graduate Political Science they never tell you this stuff. Do you want a window to the real world? Forget the weak editing of the manuscript, it's what is said that's vastly important here. Operating as a promising young attorney in the Texas state capital of Austin, Barr's boss was Lyndon Johnson's primary lawyer and closest confidant. And some kind of lawyer was he. The author's inside view of the most aggregious and shocking state political system one could imagine will make your toes curl. This is the American political system in its worst possible light. In a down-home arena where political corruption was accepted and the American system of grass-roots democracy was mocked beyond belief, he provides a sweeping and I must say altogether disgusting view from the inside. To think that a long-time Senate leader, Vice President and President of the United States was spawned from this swamp is truly to be made vomitous. Maybe his early detractors knew something when they tagged LBJ as 'Lyin' Lyndon in disparaging political ads of the 1940s. It is not hard to perceive the author's genuine personal pain in disclosing his role at being associated, even if at the periphery, with a full set of unsavory and, it seems, criminal players not to mention the Texas oil-men who do not get off light in this read. His courage in coming forth is to be commended, though even he obviously chides himself for waiting so long. The desire for personal safety can no doubt be a great motivator. In many cases he found himself working side-by-side on a daily basis with corrupt people in the know, with secrets they were dying to get off their chest. Several it appears were willing to talk extensively. For sycophants of the American political ideal, your fantasies about the 'good ole days' will evaporate. American democracy? It becomes a sad, poignant joke in this book, at least in the Texas of the past. Decent people brought to their knees by corruption so blatant it begs disbelief. Bought and paid for judges and rulings, over and over again. Yes, the justice system in Texas was rotten, we suspected...but the mechanics of how-it-played-out. Wow! Without the insights of this book, you will forever be exposed as worse than naiive in any intelligent discussion of American politics. If your haven't read this yet, don't bother voting for the candidate of your choice in the next election, because you are not sufficiently informed to make an intelligent choice. You might find out later that you voted for someone resembling the LBJ that the author portrays in his book and might have cause to sincerely regret it later. And what about that state supreme court justice or local county judge. Do you really know them that well? Where are the investigative reporters when you truly need them. Despite his foray into the unbelievable miasma that was Texas in the 1944-1963 era, his ability to definitively link LBJ directly to the Kennedy assassination is still tenuous. The author certainly provides ample and illuminating evidence of why Kennedy was hated and feared politically. The prospect of his soon-to-be-attained 2nd term was apparently driving certain people crazy. No doubt. He also provides a fascinating review of LBJ's precarious political standing in the wake of seemingly imminent disclosures related to newsworthy people such as Billy Sol Estes and Bobby Baker, among others. Was he on the verge of all out discovery as a corrupt politician? Could supporters of LBJ be driven to commit a murder they knew would propel him into the White House (in an hour) and in so doing allow him the ability to shut down any cases that might be building against him? In their mind, how else could Bobby Kennedy, the attorney general at that time and a private detractor of LBJ, be rendered impotent. There is a lot of circumstantial evidence related to

Right-wing Smoke and Mirrors

I've read everything I could get my hands on re: the JFK assassination and this book falls into the 'aluminum foil hat' bunch. Most of Mr. McLellan's assertions simply don't hold water for any serious student of this event. My opinion? Save your money and your time.

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Republican propaganda?

Barr McClellan, a lawyer for Texas oil companies and the father of George W. Bush's White House press secretary, strips the JFK assassination of any political motive and reduces it to the personal motives of one Democrat. LBJ, says McClellan, killed JFK because he was greedy for power and was afraid of having his corruption exposed. Period. There is no mention of JFK's decision to bring the troops home from Vietnam, 'shatter the CIA into a thousand pieces,' get rid of the oil depletion tax credit, or end segregation--all the reasons for which the far right wing despised him. That far right wing is now in power and openly asserts its hatred for 'liberal senators from Massachusetts.' I do believe Johnson played a role in the cover-up (though not necessarily the assassination itself), but for political, not personal, motives. This book talks a lot about Texas oil men, yet never once mentions George H. W. Bush--how is that possible? Finally, McClellan says Oswald was one of the shooters, which any reputable assassinationr researcher knows is not true. Oswald could not have fired a rifle that day because he had no gunpower residue on his cheek when he was tested for it.

McClellan shines the light on the dark side of LBJ

Everyone from an expert on the assasination to a newer researcher should read this book. Why? Because Barr McClellan, who worked as a partner in the lawfirm that represented LBJ, tells an excellant tale of a politician who was willing to do whatever he had to do to stay afloat. McClellan explains how LBJ's polical future hung in the balance in 1963. After having accepted JFK's offer of the VP, LBJ had given up his powerful position as Majority leader of the Senate. He felt powerless, although he was one hearbeat from being President. But, as some scandals threatened to cost him his place on the 64 ticket, or worse, his political future, LBJ came to his personal crossroads. Facing political extinction (and maybe jail), LBJ did the only thing he felt he could do in order to ensure that he would descend to the throne that he knew would never be his naturally, remove JFK. LBJ and his powerful personal attorney have been overlooked and have been considered above suspicion by most people. Well, think again!

Fascinating Information

As someone who has been an Adjunct American History Prof I read this book and the ideas and motives of the main characters seemed very plausible to me. One only has to research American foreign policy in the Middle East since 1935 and the oil industry in general to understand the importance of oil in this country. I loved the information and thought that the chain of events could have very likely occurred. What would make this book unbelievable(and any other book concerning 'conspiracies')to many Americans is the fact that they can't conceive of people in power who have no loyalty to the nation and who are ruthless human beings without conscience. I would add that the book is poorly written which makes it difficult reading. I would suggest the author work with a first-rate editor or ghostwriter.

A Terrific Read

This is a terrific read. The book needed a more literate editor, so you may have to suppress your shudders at grammatical solecisms. And of course we can never really know what happened. But the framework of raw facts is there, matters of public record anyone can check. By now it is not possible to be a grown-up and still believe the Warren Commission Report; some naysayers are sounding as though they really don't believe Kennedy was murdered at all. I am tired of this smug refusal to read respectfully what four decades of historians and forensic investigators are recording. American democracy was put at stake in 1963; our Constitution calls for transfers of power without assassination. McClennan has put together known facts and his own experiences in a way that has rather impressive explanatory power. Thus far the book has not been suppressed; but the History Channel tape, 'The Guilty Men,'based on this book, cannot be obtained any longer. Why should ideas, however unwelcome, be suppressed in a free country? I was lucky enough to acquire a tape while they were still available, and seeing and hearing the people in this book adds considerably to the force of this material.

This is fact

What many people miss like,D. Baynard Hermann, is that the trajectory of the bullet falls off course, my uncle was one of the men who helped simulate the JFK assassination, he quickly wrote that in his investigation the shot would be impossible to make with a Mannlicher-Carcano Rifle that Oswald was to use. Any one who has viewed the zapruder film can quickly realize that their was more then one Assassin.

Let's All Grow Up, Turn off Star Trek and Leave Our UFOs at Home

Awwwww, c'mon guys......gimme a break, okay? This was yet another in an ongoing total waste of money! Kennedy has now been killed by: the Mafia, the French Mafia, the KGB, the Cubans, the CIA and (now) half the State of Texas. Did you leave out the little green men who didn't want a man on the moon by 1970? Everybody but Oswald, who only hated Kennedy, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the Cuban Missile 'Crisis' fiasco and only happened to be a trained sniper with sniper rifle. Can't you just accept that your 'god' (small g) went down to one as small and common as Oswald? Guess not! Stop looking for evolved answers to explain the death of Kennedy. Oswald killed him. It was easy enough for a trained sniper with a sniper's rifle. Go read Case Closed, by Posner and face reality. All your silly little nonsense is pathetic after all these decades. Climb aboard your UFOs with your conspiracy theories in hand, fly into the Bermuda Triangle, talk about it there with Elvis, but watch out for the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot, who also like to hang out there, in Atlantis. That's where you all belong, watching Star Trek reruns.

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The Most Compelling Explanation Yet

It is very obvious that John Kennedy was shot at from the front in addition to the shots from the rear. Written by an insider to LBJ, this by far is the most compelling explanation of the assassination. Oswald said it best--'I am a patsy.'

Not very likely...

The theory seems plausible until it includes Oswald as a shooter. Oswald was probably involved in the world of spy vs. spy in some capacity, large or small, but I don't think he fired a rifle that day. He was what he said he was: a patsy.

Powerful summary of first hand knowledge and historical documentation.

I hadn't thought about this crime in years but when I heard of this book I decided to read it to see if this latest theory had any substance. It does and tenfold at that. However, some readers may see this as Texas bashing. It isn't in my opinion. The author points out political and cultural climate that developed LBJ and Clark. The same type of environments can be said to have molded many other politicians in the Northeast or Midwest or anywhere. Evil can find fertile ground anywhere people crave money and power and will do anything to satisfy their lust.

Thoughtful and thought-provoking

Good background information prior to the assassination plus the 'inside' scoop on the horrible deed itself. The author also shows his struggles leading to these ultimate revelations. I hope that he writes more once additional documents are released.

In America--the Truth Must Be Told

This book is phenomenal in tracing the escalating greed and corruption of LBJ. The book brings out the chronology matched with the undisputed events to trace a terrible group of men who never had enough power and would do anything to protect it. The evidence and insider view is compelling. This book is a must read for anyone interested in true American values.

Blows the Doors off of Corruption at the Highest Levels

This book reveals the corrupt path to power of LBJ. In spite of all the attempts to conceal the truth, this book leaves little doubt, and the title says it all. What remarkable courage of the author.

Insignt into POWER

This book was a great read, and very hard to put down. At the same time it is sad, and upsetting to think that all of this CAN happen (or DID HAPPEN)and be covered up for years while other 'stories' are allowed to make the circuit and muddy the waters. It is a simple example of raw power, greed, and ego out of control.

The book your government doesn't want you to read.

The book clearly shows how Johnson circumvented and controled the political climate in Texas through murder, deceit, and double dealing and made himself rich in the process. By having many people 'taken care of for good' Johnson rose to ultimate power in the US Senate while his lifelong buddy and power monger, Ed Clark, controlled and manipulated the law and state government in Texas. As the truth comes out about the planning, execution, and cover-up of the coup, one has to agree that Johnson not only knew about what was going to happen to Kennedy. He and Ed Clark were intimately involved with the operation and able to 'silence' anyone that threated to blow their cover while Clark was in power in Texas and Johnson the whole United States.

Phenomenal--the Truth is Revealed!!

This book carefully connects LBJ's continuing rise to power with ever heightened corruption. LBJ's 'henchmen' and other power hungry people must not be let off the hook. Years later, this book reveals what must be--which is why the silence as to the facts presented in the book is deafening.

Evidence That Demands A Verdict

At last, someone with insider information and the courage to share it with the world has come forward. That person is Barr McClellan. The information he has to share is irrefutable evidence that Lyndon Johnson was a conspirator in the assassination of President Kenndey. McClellan's book, BLOOD, MONEY AND POWER, is a must read for anyone interested in demanding that justice be served, even if it happens forty years after the crime.

This Book Reminds Us All in America the Truth Prevails

Do not fear the naysayers and the continued attempts to coverup a horrible wrong from our past. We must face the truth to not allow such corruption to happen ever again. The plot to assassinate JFK has never been fully revealed until now. Most Americans do not believe the Warren Commission's conclusory 'findings.' Finally, this book carefully shines the light on the power-mad conspiracy in Texas that led to JFK's murder and LBJ's coup. The evidence in this book is overwhelming and the fingerprint of Wallace ties it all back together. This book must be read and remembered by all in public service that to serve the public is not to seek personal power and gain at any expenses.