On this day in 1968 President Lyndon Baines Johnson in his annual budget message asked Congress for 26.3 billion to continue his war in Vietnam and announces a tax increase to pay for it. When Johnson became POTUS with the assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963 he had a lot of big dreams. His “Great Society” was going to wipe out poverty in the United States and he wanted to end racial injustice. LBJ had big dreams. Any hopes he had to accomplish all of those dreams were struck a blow when he got the country into the war in Vietnam.

I enjoy reading about LBJ. What a fascinating character. Not saying I agree with a lot of his policies but he was one of the most interesting men to ever become POTUS. In recent years his reputation has made a comeback of sorts.