New Administration: All He Asked . . .

The loftiness of his new post is not inhibiting John Kennedy from tossing off wisecracks. At a dinner party in the capital, he paid a mock-serious tribute to Washington Lawyer Clark Clifford, who served as his ambassador to the Eisenhower Administration during the period of transition after the election: “Clark is a wonderful fellow. In a day when so many are seeking a reward for what they contributed to the return of the Democrats to the White House, you don’t hear Clark clamoring. He was invaluable to us, and all he asked in return was that we advertise his law firm on the backs of the $1 bills.”

Kennedy also made a less than reverent reference to his appointment of Brother Bobby as Attorney General: “I can’t see that it’s wrong to give him a little legal experience before he goes out to practice law.”