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were something she thought I should do differently, but I certainly knew I had her support. I think maybe I've said this before, but there was a time when I guess I was worried about some of my travels and the chairman of the executive committee said to me one day, “You know, if something happens to you, to whom do we turn? Who knows what your thinking is?” And I said, “Get a hold of Ruth, because she knows the whole thing.”

So that's important she was. I wouldn't have gone to Washington without her. She didn't want to go, and I respected her judgment. That's all there was to it. Ladybird stood in the personal quarters of the White House on Sunday morning and said, “You know, we've got the house picked out for you, and we'll take care of the move, don't worry about it.” That's how close--I had indicated I was on the edge, but Johnson was pressing very hard. When I told Ruth about it, I guess that's what stimulated her to say, “You go and I'll support you, but don't ask me to come to Washington.” I think she would have come. I wouldn't have done it, but I think in the end she would have--She would have been a loyal supporter, but boy--I wouldn't have taken the chairmanship of the Red Cross without her full endorsement and support, because I knew it was going to be--These charity things are a drain on both sides of the family. Indeed, when she was in her bed at the hospital, the last week she was up there, I was having some problems with this cable venture I was in in Florida. She knew the man I was in business with, because she knew his wife and we were close friends. She said, “I don't care how much money you lose, get out of it because it's not something I think is worth your time. Don't worry about it as far as anything is concerned, just do it.” So she was--

Did you follow her advice on that?

Yes. Sure. Sure. [Long pause] I guess one of the reasons I wanted to talk about