WASHINGTON ¨C New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie¡¯s recent scandals won¡¯t impress anyone who has read Robert Caro¡¯s biography of Lyndon Baines Johnson.
In the fourth volume of Caro¡¯s biography, he tells the story of Margaret Mayer, a Dallas Times Herald reporter who was investigating the television station LBJ owned. Johnson had his aides call Mayer¡¯s bosses and let slip that if Mayer kept investigating Johnson¡¯s business, Johnson might sic the Federal Communications Commission on the Dallas Times Herald¡¯s businesses ¡ª which included TV and radio stations. Mayer¡¯s bosses got the message. Her investigation was quickly terminated.
That, however, was an example of LBJ¡¯s lighter touch. According to another story Caro recounts, Johnson had long been irritated by the coverage of Bascom Timmons, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram¡¯s chief Washington correspondent.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.