INSIDE REPORT...

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00475R000200980002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 19, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 9, 1966
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/12/19: CIA-RDP73-00475R000200980002-7
WASHINU 1 LAN rum;
AND TIMES HERALD
JUN 9 1966
Inside Report ? ? ?, By Rowland Evans and Robert Novak
LBJ's Elite
' PRESfDENT JOHNSON'S 0,
F777.7.7,
,?;?i? ?? w -Igk?-le KRIM WAS prevailed on:
daring a n d controversial ' by the President to become
, fund-raising gimmick for the the Party's chief fund-raiser
; 1966 congressional campaign,
only after several weekend'
. hitherto undisclosed, offers
, Democratic Party contribu- visits to the LBJ Ranch in
:tors the right to buy a gilt-Johnson City,, Tex. Con- ?
? edged invitation to a formal ?fronted with a massive,
? White House party. long-concealed Party defi-
The price is $10,000- each. cit (still close to $2 million), .
.. It may seem high, but al- and ?icr orders to raise a
ready an estimated 100 con-
Novak Evans canmaign fund, Krim de-
? tributors, most df them in ' cided that the Party's poor.
New York City, have gladly ''? ' financial position justified ?
paid it. rich man's club More \ in ' the new club. He was strong- .
So secret is the new groupkeeping with the Republi-
ly encouraged by the Presi:
'
of $10,000 contributors, un-dent. Finally, t f h
officially known as the "Elite . cans than the Democrats. ,?
Party's desperate efforts to
, President's Club," that some 1 In at least one state, a raise money in the tradi- .
' high officials in the Dem- , state that is full of fat-cats tional waY?by small contri-
ocratic National Committee ambitious for White House, butions from many Demo.
'have never heard of it. The ' recognition, ' Party leaders ? ? crats ? have 'been dismal
""Elite President's Club" is a'' have flatly refused to sell. failures. In desperation, -,
7
spectacular jump in size of, ' membership tickets to the Krim has turned to the fat...
. contribution and prestige $10,000 club, even though "'cats. .. ..7
; from the old, non-elite Pres- the incentive of a guaranteed
Privately, Krim has said j
?ident's Club, which requires invitation- from President that the original President's,'
. a mere $1000 membership Johnson to a White House Club, tributors limited to $1000 con-
fee. , party would undoubtedly ? , was a sound
Although the new club find eager prospects. Their money-raising device. In the':'
has had a success in Newas ing on o e s, he'
resistance stems also from'
, York and in other selected the fact that local leaders at "? has said, $1000 can't buy 1
areas, it is running into se--much of 'anything, includ--1
the state, city and district
;
, rious, sometimes bitter op- levels are angry at what they. ing political favors. Presum-
,
;.3
- p9sition from old-pro Dem- .' regard as a cold shoulder, t,
- ()cats from other states. The ' placency, about contribu-
. from the National Commit. ' ably, he feels the same com-
reason for this opposition tee and the White House. tions ten times that large.
'?
is simply stated. The Elite ' The Hatch Act limits
These local leaders, accus-
Club moves the Democratic , single political contribution
tomed to doing business
Party's fund-raising . opera- to $5000, but there are sev-.;
with Washington without
tions even further away eral ways for members of 1.,,
ritual or formality,find 'a
the new club to evade that 1
from the rank-and-file Party lack of sympathy for their restriction. The quick sue-
. member than the . original. ,
President's- Club, 'w h i c h problems here. They are, cess of the plan in New: -started back in 1961 under ,
particularly unhappy at the', York indicates that it won't
':tight control exercized with- ? slow down because of re-
President Kennedy.
in the White House often by ' 'stanc
- The proposition that big-, , si e? by local profes-.
? time donors to a political Presidential Assistant W. sionals. Having discovered,
'
party deserve some special
Marvin Watson Jr. over .the value of an invitation '
',recognition, such as an am-
.i
i ,
the National Committee. . , to a ,White House party, the
bassadorship to a small-time '
, On top of this the sale Of . ticket-sellers won't stop now, ?
country, is as old as the Re-
$10' 000 tickets to White.. no matter host much the
' House social functions is ', scheme seems to conflict '
, public. But the new club of ? .?
;?o
'presidential elites seems to'.=; simply one more grievance. ' with President Johnson's
carry this political precept '.' -
The moving force behind 2, 'formal plan, sent to Con-
into new territory.
''.
, ' the President's most exclu- ? gress last month, to provide''
'sive club are Arthur B. Kr ;
? - . , ? (
im, tax deductions for political
If TO THE critics, the new , ;president of the 'United Art-' 'contributions up ? to" $100.
I plan gives the Democratic ' ists and finance director, of ' That plan is supposed to en..'
i ,Party, .the 'traditional party, the National Committee, and- ',courage smalltime 4gii,ing. ,-;
,,' of the O eople;the aura of, a .. the President hiniself....: %..,', 4.
, I, s?O a N66, Publithei. New.in
sner Syndicate
- ,
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/12/19: CIA-RDP73-00475R000200980002-7