Coonskins on the Wall

THE PRESIDENCY

Despite his preoccupation with Viet Nam, President Johnson was, as usual, busy with other matters.

In a Cabinet Room ceremony, he received a report from the President's Council on Aging, made a vigorous off-the-cuff plea for passage of his medicare bill. Recalling that he and John Kennedy talked about medicare in almost every state in the 1960 campaign, Johnson said that there had been "deafening applause" every time it was mentioned. "So make no mistake about it," he said. "The people are ahead of us in this field. They want this program. They will support this program. They are going to have this program. I think that before the leaves turn brown in the fall, and before we go back to counsel and consult and exchange views with our constituencies, that we can have, as we say in my country, the coonskins on the wall instead of just a lot of conversation about them."

Still Smarting. Turning to Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the President told the council that in its efforts to fur ther medicare it would "have not only the blessings of this Administration, but the very active understanding and cooperation of this virile young Vice President. He will be here on the job working with you every minute of the day, north, south, east and west." Then, apparently still smarting from criticism for failing to send Humphrey to the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill, the President added: "If he is not out of the country attending some funeral, he will be here working for you."

That night, the President and Mrs. Johnson hosted the third in a series of ten White House receptions for Congressmen and their wives. While the women joined Lady Bird in the White House television theater for a movie on White House history, the Congressmen talked shop with Johnson and several top aides. Two nights later the Johnsons held a similar reception. This time the feature attraction was a color film, to be televised nationwide this spring, called "Paintings in the White House: A Close-Up."

The Record. Near week's end, the President presided at a swearing-in ceremony for Postmaster General John

Gronouski, who is beginning his second term in office.* Noting that Gronouski has promised overnight mail service throughout the U.S., Johnson joked: "I am for it. I would only point out that until that promise is fulfilled, I want the press to duly record that it is John Gronouski's promise, not mine. But if it does come to pass, it will be the record of the Johnson Administration."

* The Postmaster General is the only Cabinet member with a statutory term of office. He serves the same term as the President who appoints him, plus one extra month.

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