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Criticism is "one of the things that goes with the job," but Johnson added: "I think the time has come when it would be good for all of us to take a new, fresh look at dissent. We welcome responsible dissent. There is a difference between constructive dissent and storm-trooper bullying, howling and taking the law into their own hands."
While on the subject of dissent, as at some other times, Johnson turned his comments into a harangue. Irately, he denied that he had ever branded dissenters as unpatriotic. But he did say that among the critics "there are some hopeful people and there are some naive people in this country and there are some political people. And all of these hopes, dreams and idealistic people going around are misleading and confusing and weakening our position. We have never said they are unpatriotic, although they say some pretty ugly things about us. People who live in glass houses shouldn't be too anxious to throw stones." Yet he was able to joke about his critics. "If I have done a good job of anything since I have been President," he smiled, "it is to insure that there are plenty of dissenters."
There will be more, of course. And now Lyndon Johnson seemed in a mood to meet them headon. As he entered his fifth year as President, it was plain that the time of defensive silence was over, and that he was once more taking the stance of leadership.
* Gibing at polls, Johnson told a Gridiron dinner held by Washington's press corps that before Patrick Henry delivered his "Give me liberty or give me death!" oration in 1775, he—naturally—conducted a poll. The results: 46% were for liberty, 39% for death, and the rest didn't know.