When you're out of office, you can be a statesman.


Governor John Connally was seated in the jump seat of the limousine in front of President Kennedy when shots echoed through Dealey Plaza. He turned to his right and saw the stunned look on Kennedy's face. Seconds later a bullet tore through Connally's body and he screamed “they're going to kill is all” as the Lincoln sped off to Parkland Hospital.

That seat was not supposed to be Connally's that day, but was the subject of a high volume discussion between the President and his Vice President. Johnson insisted the Senator Ralph Yarborough accompany the present in the open car but was overruled when Kennedy felt the need to have a more conservative Texan accompany him. Recalling the conversation of the night before when Lyndon Johnson told mistress, Madeline Brown they the Kennedy's and Yarborough wouldn't embarrass him any more.

The morning's high volume discussion wasn't the only one leading up to the day's events. On June 6 of that year Johnson, Connally and Kennedy met at the Cortez Hotel in El Paso. The two Texans insisted he come back to Texas to shore up his support in a state he barely won in 1960. Kennedy did not see the need as Lyndon Johnson pretty much controlled the political climate of the, one time, one party state. Eventually the President gave in to return later in the year. The die was cast.

Another fateful discussion in preparation for the trip to Dallas came about when the governor was working with Kennedy advance man, Jerry Bruno. Bruno was well aware that the Secret Service did not like the Trade Mart location as it was difficult to secure and the route was no up to normal security standards. Bruno was insistent on the alternate location, but Connally picked up the phone and had a brief conversation with Bruno's boss, who agreed on the Trade Mart location. So Bruno had to as well. The only problem was that there was no one on the other end of the call and he had been snowed by the governor. Bruno did not find out about this until he returned to Washington... and he had a difficult time dealing with feelings of guilt.

Before all this, Connally was a long time supporter and crony of the power Senator from Texas. He was part of the Suite8F group of Texas oil men. Being a loyal supporter had it's benefits and obligations.

When the Democrat ticket was elected the new president appointed Connally as Secretary of the Navy. The defense department post also controlled the vast amounts of petroleum products it took to maintain a global naval presence.

In 1961 Connally ran for governor against Republican Jack Cox. Ironically one of his opponent's faults that Connally raised was that Cox had been a Democrat at one time but had switched parties and abandoned his roots. In the one party state where even local units were under the thumb of the powerful Senator, Connally cruised to victory. During his re -election campaign he talked of God sparing him for a reason and he won again. As a politician, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish pandering from sincerity and I shall not attempt such a feat.

Years later, Connally's friendship with Richard Nixon led him to lead the Democrats for Nixon campaign. Perhaps getting shot in the back and the changing political climate of Johnson left the scene led him commit the same sin Jack Cox had – be became a Republican.

Such things do not come without consequences. In 1974 he was accused if accepting a $10,000 bribe from the dairy industry. He was brought to trial and acquitted after bringing in heavy hitters from both parties as character witnesses.

To his dying day John Connally never accepted the Warren Commission report and the single bullet theory. He was there that day in Dallas. The commission members were not.

The Lone Star: The Life of John Connally 
by James Reston

Traces the life of the Texas politician who rode with Kennedy on that fateful day in Dallas, from his tenure as governor, to his friendship with Johnson, to his involvement in the Watergate scandal.