President s daily brief delivering intelligence to the first customer. 50 years ago, president johnson in an address to American Business leaders said a long axiom in my political thinking is a mans judgment is no better than his information on any given subject. Since its creation, the president s daily brief has served to provide our commanders in chief with the intelligence that informs Vital Decisions relating to our foreign and National Security policy. In short, these classified documents offer president s the tools they need to render their best judgment. First known as the president s intelligence checklist, or the pickle when it was introduced in june 1961, the document became known as the president s daily brief, or pdb in december of 1964. It represents the distillation of intelligence material deemed worthy of a president s attention, providing not just news, but importantly, context and analysis. Todays program which includes our nations top intelligence officials will she
He wasnt always right. In fact, he predicted that dewey would win in 1948. But he was right about world war iii. And he talked a lot about that later on in the book, the drew pearson diaries. It covers 1960 to 1969. Several places in there, he talks about the danger of war and how the russians he doesnt think the russians really want war. He interviewed the biggest russian leader of that era several times, khrushchev. Khrushchev works into his thoughts and dealings with the russians frequently. Brian there is a lot i want to just lay down some of the things he did and tell me if any of this is right or wrong. First to report of general patton slapping the soldier. Tyler 1943. Brian general Douglas Macarthur sued him for defamation, but pearson threatened to publish his letters from his mistress. Tyler yes. And macarthur backed off. In fact, those letters are still around. I got a call about them several years ago from a guy who just researched them because he was a because his lawyer a
Mother married him he married my mother, or my mother married him. But i was four. He played a big role in my life. He died when i was 37. Very sad. But he was an amazing, remarkable man. He did everything. Just everything. Brian someone who has never heard of him, what did he do . Tyler he was a remarkable journalist. He invented the washington, d. C. , column, which is now occupied by i dont know how many people. And he wrote a column unlike men and he wrote a column, unlike men today or women today, seven days a week, every day of the year. He wrote a column. Mostly about washington, but all kinds of things. He flew around the world. Started out as a young man interviewing europes 12 greatest men. That is how he actually started and made a name for himself. Brian where was he from originally . Tyler he was born in evanston, illinois. His father was a professor in english at northwestern. And his dad got a job at Swarthmore College in pennsylvania. Ien drew was about 5 or 6, think, a
Cspan sarah brady, can you remember when you decided to write a book . Guest it was just a little bit over a year ago, right around christmas time. Cspan why did you do it . Guest actually, i swore id never do a book unless it was a great mystery novel. And some members of my board suggested it to me, and i thought about it, and i had been reflecting on for the last nine months i had been diagnosed with cancer, and all of a sudden had a chance to reflect on my life. And for the first time, i guess i thought, well, maybe i do have a few things i can impart to people. Ive been through a few unusual fights in my life. Maybe ill tell this story. Cspan what was it like . Guest actually it was a wonderful exercise in going back through your life. Life gets so hectic day in and day out, going from one thing to another. The last especially the last 20, 21 years, 22 years, have just gone so fast, i havent been able to catch up with them and going back and reflecting over all those years has bee
[inaudible conversations] good evening. Good evening. Im the director of the president ial library and i want to welcome you here tonight for a conversation between joe califf on and bob schieffer. The top domestic assistance from 1965 to 1969 and was responsible for helping to put into place many of the programs of the Great Society. Prior to that he was a special assistant to secretary defends robert mcnamara. Joe went on to serve as the secretary of Health Education and welfare from 1977 to 1979. And then served as the chairman and president at the center on addiction and Substance Abuse at columbia university. He is the author of nine books including the triumph and tragedy of Lyndon Johnson. Originally published in 1992 by simon and schuster the book has been re released and is now back in publication. Thats a very unusual in the book industry for a book that is 20 plus years to be released and it speaks to the excellence of this volume. Tonight joe will talk about his book and ab