Lyndon the First

During the swearing-in ceremonies in the Senate, Lyndon Baines Johnson, as the duly elected Senator from Texas, went through the formality of taking the oath of office. Moments later, as the duly elected Vice President of the U.S., he listened as the clerk read his resignation from the Senate. Johnson made a hand-washing gesture, watched patronizingly while an appointed Senator, Millionaire William Blakley, was sworn in his stead, shortly walked out of the chamber to revert (but not for long) to the title of mister.

As the door to the lobby swung behind L.B.J., his successor, Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, gathered up his papers and edged into Johnson's front-row aisle seat. It was just about the only solid evidence of his new office that Mansfield was likely to get. In his new role, or roles, Johnson will retain and pick up more titles and perquisites than a Bourbon king. He will continue as presiding officer over the Senate Democratic caucuses and director of party strategy--a job traditionally held by the majority leader, with an added $40,000-a-year payroll for office help. He was surprised and right grieved to learn that 17 Senators voted against this proposal in the Democratic caucus, because they thought it was an executive invasion of the legislative branch.

Johnson will not only take over the Vice President's ornate ceremonial office, just off the Marble Room, plus a roomy vice-presidential suite in the old Senate Office Building, but will retain his princely old majority leader's office in the Capitol Building, with its gorgeous aquamarine furnishings. Mansfield graciously de cided to keep his cramped old digs on the gallery floor.

In addition to his constitutional duties as President of the Senate, Johnson will serve as a member of the National Security Council (thus rating a special military aide), as chairman of the National Aeronautics and Space Council and the President's Government Contracts Committee. He will attend Cabinet meetings and will cicerone the congressional leaders at their weekly strategy meetings with President Kennedy. And, not to neglect the field of foreign affairs, Johnson has been conferring with Secretaries-designate Dean Rusk and Robert McNamara for briefings on the international and military situations. In Johnson's future, according to Washington reports, will be early official trips to Brazil and Russia.

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