246. Editorial Note
The following exchange took place during a telephone conversation between President Johnson and McGeorge Bundy, President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs, that began at 9:04 a.m. on February 22, 1966:
President: “Raborn’s recommendations and judgments to me—and I have seen a good deal of Raborn, alone, just sit and talk to him—and if anything he has too much confidence in his people, and he’s too complimentary of ’em, and he feels that they’re doing too well, and he is totally oblivious to the fact that he is not highly regarded and he is not doing a good job. He thinks that he’s made a great improvement and he’s a great success. And I’m afraid Helms lets him think that and I’m afraid that others tell him that, and I think that—”
Bundy: “That’s a better way for it to be though. It makes it easier to deal with when and if you get ready to. Clark [Clifford] is your best counselor on that. He’s very thoughtful about it, very watchful.” (Johnson Library, Recordings and Transcripts, Recording of a Telephone Conversation between the President and Bundy, Tape F66.08, Side A, PNO 1) The portion of the conversation printed here was prepared in the Office of the Historian specifically for this volume.