After a press office mix-up that resulted in a number of reporters turning up at the LBJ Ranch, George Reedy offers his resignation.
The operator connects the call.
President Johnson: Hello?
George Reedy: Mr. President.
President Johnson: Yeah?
Reedy: Can I give them the time of departure on Senator [Hubert] Humphrey?
President Johnson: I don't have it. I don't know. Why?
Reedy: So they can cover it when he leaves if he leaves, if he leaves [unclear].
President Johnson: Oh, he's going to leave here, from here.
Reedy: Is he going to leave from there?
President Johnson: Yeah.
Reedy: OK, sir. Will it be all right if one of the agents or somebody would give me the time when he actually leaves?
President Johnson: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, they'll call and tell when he's left.
Reedy: OK, sir. I thought he was going to leave from Bergstrom [Air Force Base].
President Johnson: Well, he may stop at Bergstrom on his way in, but he's going to leave from here, I'm sure, by plane.
Reedy: Right. OK, sir.
President Johnson: And I'd get him away from that as quick as I could. I'd just tell them he's going leave from out here.
Reedy: OK, sir.
President Johnson: On one of the courier planes coming out.
Reedy: Right.
President Johnson: Any problems with them?
Reedy: Oh, yes sir. There are quite a few.
President Johnson: What are they?
Reedy: Well, I think the pictures started it this morning. And I think mostly that those who went out there and got all this material and those who stayed here waiting for my briefing missed completely. And that--
President Johnson: Well, then why in the hell don't they do one or the other?
Reedy: I don't know, sir. It puts me in a pretty bad spot.
President Johnson: Well, then, why do you send them out? Why don't you keep them in there for your briefing?
Reedy: I didn't send them out.
President Johnson: Well, they're here.
Reedy: They went out on their own hook, sir, because--
President Johnson: Well, then what am I supposed to do? Knock them down and not have anything to do with them?
Reedy: No, sir. The important thing is just that it's--I knew these things were going to happen and I could set them up right. They'd all get it at the same time, and they'd all leave, and that would be that.
President Johnson: Well, maybe we ought to have a new operation.
Reedy: It's all right with me, sir. I'm in a bad spot.
President Johnson: OK. Well, you come out. You want come and talk about it and we'll work out something else and maybe let Bill [Moyers] take them over or you can go back over in the EOB [Executive Office Building] and doing what you were doing. We'll bring him in here [and] put him on it or someone that can, because I can't--you've run 30 or 40 of them up here in on me and all I do is let them follow me. I can't arrest them and then the sons of bitches--I can't come into Austin for them and I can't--
Reedy: Sir, if you want me to submit my resignation that's perfectly all right with me.
President Johnson: All right--whatever you want to do about it is satisfactory.
Reedy: OK. I'll brief them and get rid of them and send you my resignation, sir.
President Johnson: All right. Bye.