When the CIA Infiltrated a Presidential Campaign (LBJ was a son of a gun)

Politico is still trying to poo poo the “deep state” thing. (One figures that it almost must being the publication that it is.) But the attached article is an interesting bit of history.

(From Politico)

Over a six-week period in the late summer of 1964, Hunt deployed Continental Press staff to undertake a new type of project: infiltrating the presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater on behalf of President Lyndon Johnson.

There is some dispute about whose idea this was. In a memoir published in 2007, Hunt claimed the idea to spy on Goldwater originated in the White House. Johnson, had, Hunt claimed, “become obsessed with obtaining his competitor’s plans.” Having come to office through tragedy, and deeply resenting suggestions that he wasn’t up to the job, Johnson yearned for a blow-out victory in 1964’s presidential race…

…Whether the impetus came from the White House or Langley, it is clear that Hunt arranged the infiltration of the Goldwater campaign headquarters. “My subordinates volunteered inside, collected advance copies of position papers and other material, and handed them over to CIA personnel,” Hunt wrote. Hunt’s assets included a secretary on Goldwater’s campaign staff who provided advance copies of speeches and press releases. A female CIA employee who worked from the Continental Press offices would pick up the material and deliver it to Cooper.

LBJ wasn’t squeamish about using the inside information, and he did so in a blunt fashion that must have made CIA officers cringe. Goldwater campaign staff noticed that the Johnson campaign had the unnerving habit of responding to points in their candidate’s speeches before he had delivered them. Johnson didn’t seem to care that his actions made clear to Goldwater that he was being spied on.

Oh LBJ, you were just not a good president.

And I love that at the end of the article Politico explains that Goldwater kept the spying he thought was going on quiet and that that was somehow some sort of noble move. In contrast of course to Trump who is airing the deep state dirty laundry.

Note to Politico: Goldwater lost.

Click here for the article.

http://www.againstcronycapitalism.org/