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<v Gerald R. "Jerry" Ford>: Yes, Mr. President. How are you, sir?

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<v President Johnson>: Happy Thanksgiving. Where are you?

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<v Ford>: I'm home, sir.

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<v President Johnson>: You mean Michigan?

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<v Ford>: No, no, I'm here in Washington&mdash;

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<v President Johnson>: You're here in Washington? Well, thank God there's somebody in town! &lbrack;Ford chuckles.&rbrack; I was getting ready to tell &lbrack;James&rbrack; MacGregor Burns he's right about the Congress. They couldn't function.

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<v Ford>: I thought your speech was excellent the other day.

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<v President Johnson>: Why, thank you, Jerry. Jerry, I got something I want you to do for me.

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<v Ford>: Well, we'll do the best we can, sir.

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<v President Johnson>: I've got to have a top, blue-ribbon presidential commission to investigate the assassination. And I'm going to ask the Chief Justice to head it, and then I'm going to ask John &lbrack;J.&rbrack; McCloy and Allen Dulles.

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<v Ford>: Right.

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<v President Johnson>: And I want it nonpartisan. Now, I'm not going to point out I got five Republicans, two Democrats, but I'm going to do that, and I'm just . . . then you forget what party you belong to and just serve as an American. 

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And I want &lbrack;Richard B.&rbrack; Dick Russell &lbrack;Jr.&rbrack; and &lbrack;John&rbrack; Sherman Cooper, John Cooper, of the Senate. &lbrack;Ford acknowledges.&rbrack; Dick's on Armed Services over there, and I want somebody on Appropriations who knows CIA over in your shop&mdash;

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<v Ford>: Right.

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<v President Johnson>: &mdash;from the Appropriations angle, 'cause I'm covering the Armed Services angle with Russell.

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<v Ford>: Right.

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<v President Johnson>: I want to ask &lbrack;T.&rbrack; Hale Boggs &lbrack;Sr.&rbrack; and you to serve from the House&mdash;

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<v Ford>: Well, Mr. President&mdash;

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<v President Johnson>: &mdash;it'll be McCloy, and Dulles, and Ford, and Boggs, and Cooper, and Russell, and Chief Justice Warren as chairman.

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<v Ford>: Well, you know very well I would be honored to do it, and I'll do the very best I can, sir.

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<v President Johnson>: You do that, and keep me up to date, and I'll be seeing you.

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<v Ford>: All right. Thank you very much&mdash;

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<v President Johnson>: Thank you.

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<v Ford>: &mdash;and I'm delighted to help out.

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<v President Johnson>: Thank you, Jerry.

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<v Ford>: Thank&mdash;