Lady Bird Johnson, first lady and diarist

In her new book, "Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight," author Julia Sweig uncovers the first lady's surprisingly powerful role in her husband President Lyndon B. Johnson's life and political career. Correspondent Mo Rocca talks with Sweig, and also with one of Lady Bird's daughters, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, and granddaughters, Lucinda Robb, about the woman who was the consummate political insider, an environmentalist, and an audio diarist who documented every moment of LBJ's presidency - recording history as she was helping make it.
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[@deb5710]

"Lady Bird" is what is GOOD about Texas, and her legacy will live on forever. The Bluebonnets will soon be blooming here in Texas, and I always think of her and the work she did in the preservation of wildflowers.

[@tylerjakes5651]

Hello How are you doing? Hope you and your family are safe

[@deb5710]

@@tylerjakes5651 All is well, Thank You.

[@ljones1958]

Just hearing that accent brings back memories of my childhood.

[@RyanHLee-nc7hg]

As a historian, I say with confidence that Lady Bird always will be my favorite first lady. Of course, I admire nearly every first lady, but Lady Bird had such a special combination of strength, determination, and intelligence, coupled with an ethereal quality. Normally, Southern accents are unappealing to me, but Lady Bird had such a beautiful voice. I love listening to it. She spoke so confidently. I laud her so much.

[@darlahkelley9800]

A True💗 Southern Lady💗of Texas

[@thehair1474]

There is no argument from EITHER party that Lady Bird Johnson was the best...and by far the smartest, First Lady of all.

[@brandonguthrie8122]

I’d have to study more about Lady Bird before I could put her above Eleanor Roosevelt.

[@RyanHLee-nc7hg]

@@brandonguthrie8122 They're both extremely impressive, so even though Lady Bird is my favorite, I still give enormous credit to Eleanor Roosevelt for the monumental impact she had on her husband's presidency and on her work in the years after FDR died, helping to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

[@thehair1474]

@@brandonguthrie8122 maybe I should re-phrase it by saying Lady Bird is hands down the best First Lady of my long lifetime, lol. And no one disagrees.

[@dianedavis5746]

"Turned to his most important political advisor." She had it all mapped out. Yes, yes she did. What a wonderful tribute to her.

[@tylerjakes5651]

Hello How are you doing? Hope you and your family are safe

[@cathenderson7415]

Wonderful piece/tribute to Lady Bird Johnson who occupied the WH as our First Lady during some turbulent years. Her grace and easy manner personify "Lady" in every sense of the word. (She never fails to remind me, in her voice and demeanor, of Olivia de Havilland as Melanie in "Gone With the Wind"). Thank you Ro and CBSSM.

[@rhondabitler2461]

Never made the Melanie connection but it is right on.

[@jerseypete6674]

Yes, now that you mention it, she really DOES look and sound like Olivia de Havilland as Melanie in Gone With the Wind.

[@Tickerage]

I have had very low times in my life and I can tell you that the sight of wildflowers at some random, unplanned place, picked up my spirits enough to go on with life and on with my day.

[@metalgypsy4]

I always adored our "Lady Bird" ❤️❤️❤️

[@elijahcaldona7690]

I loved Lady Bird so much. ♥️ Thank you for speaking up for Civil Rights

[@donnasalerno9870]

Agree.

[@NaturalMuscleSF]

She was just such a wonderful, accomplished, humorous woman. What a joy.

[@annbush1826]

As one of the best of our First Ladies, Claudia Alta Johnson had both charm and wit. Her great gift of beautifying our nation’s bighways combined removing the unsightly bill boards and the planting of masses of flowers or rows of flowering shrubs. Going back to the First First Lady to become a public figure wifh a noted impact, Helen Herron Taft, by her vision of changing Potomac Drive into a prom with thousands of cherry trees and the More A second First Lady who made a difference by her . As a librarian, she began the Read Across America program. A third First Lady. Helen Herron Taft

[@michaeld.williamsiii9026]

Pretty interesting interview... Simply amazing you learn, something new everything. 💫

[@nightengale7163]

Loved her Wildflower initiative 🌺🌼🏵️🌸 ....about so much more than the flowers themselves 💞

[@mrs.herculepoirot7763]

Such a lovely, classy women. We were blessed to have her.

[@cez19]

True Texas lady 🌸🏵🌹🌺🌻🌼🌷⚘

[@jarrodbarkley9061]

I love Mo's presidential stories!

[@SteveSilverActor]

She did have a beautiful way of speaking.

[@abbaby555]

WOW, what a great story. Great job Moe Rocca 👍

[@donnasalerno9870]

Such a lovely, inspiring woman. Although her tenure as First Lady was when I was just a toddler, I've always loved what she stood for as a human being She was ahead of her time, so to speak.

[@tylerjakes5651]

Hello Donna How are you doing? Hope you and your family are safe

[@donnamarie4443]

A great first lady, indeed! God bless Lady Bird Johnson!

[@torishelton9148]

I grew up right next door to her childhood home in karnack 🥰 how cool is this.

[@RavenBlaze]

I really enjoyed this article. I didn't know how much LBJ relied on Ladybird. Just another example of the MAJOR role the first spouse can play.

[@tylerjakes5651]

Hello Jennifer How are you doing? Hope you and your family are safe

[@jerseypete6674]

Interesting trivia: Most of the Johnson family wealth came from the six Austin radio stations in which they had a controlling interest for 60-years. In 2003, the family sold their interest in those stations for $105 million cash.

[@kayzeaza]

Such an amazing woman who I am only just finding out about!

[@darlahkelley9800]

What a Wonderful Lady Bird Johnson was and Still is in 2💗21 San Diego California

[@chrisfinch8637]

A much fasinating piece of history mentioned today and from the past. Thank you, Rocca.

[@RavenBlaze]

And by advocating for wild flowers she was also supporting much needed pollinators!

[@elizabethmills8667]

Yes I love how Texas highways look now The sights of wildflowers bloomi2 Which is why Spring time is my favorite season

[@JonBlondell]

Mrs. Johnson was a Grand Lady.

[@rhondatraywick3724]

I’ve enjoyed her blue bonnets and many other flowers on many trips thru and around Texas 🌺🦋🌺🦋

[@tylerjakes5651]

Helloo How are you doing? Hope you and your family are safe

[@madelinekimbro2440]

Such a gracious woman.

[@kaizma88]

She had such a lovely southern charm.

[@wendylee9779]

Yes, Lady Bird had an elegant way with words. Her environmentalism is much appreciated today, as it should be. Was such a different world then, & believe she loved LBJ with all her heart. RIP, Lady Bird.

[@tylerjakes5651]

Hello Wendy How are you doing? Hope you and your family are safe

[@Quietconvospod]

Thank you for this. The podcast and book are both wonderful accounts of her and Lyndon's legacy.

[@kathybates1751]

Admire her for her devotion to LBJ. I am sure she had a hard time since he appeared to be a hard person to deal with.

[@tylerjakes5651]

Hello Kathy How are you doing? Hope you and your family are safe

[@rebeccavaughn9659]

I am a big fan of Lady Bird Johnson. She was such an extraordinary person. Her Secret Service agents admired and respected her dearly.

[@rbsmith3365]

Lady Bird was so gracious. In 1960’s on Texas interstate between San Antonio and Austin was excessively with ugliest billboards. She had to cut it down to a few. Highways clean up and not to mow on wild flowers too. But national parks are restored too.

[@user-zx7dp3qp6u]

I grew up in Texas and I remember her wildflower planting a legacy of witch is still enjoyed buy millions of people ever year, most of them don't have a clue about this wonderful woman

[@millieatr]

Us guys could all use a "Lady Bird " in our life ,,,,,,,,,,,,,Lady bird possessed way more Power then she let on ,,,,such a graceful lady . Her accent reminds me of the Gone with the wind movie ,,,,,,,,,,,,but with this new "Woke" generation i'm not even sure if i'm allowed to mention gone with the wind ..

[@JuanTorres-ow2ob]

And they didn't interview Hank Hill on Ladybird.

[@TheMikester307]

Wonderful!!!

[@romstar]

First:her daughter and granddaughter are very charming and the First Lady led quite a remarkable life. Second:her ‘blacklisting’ of Eartha Kitt for innocently protesting against the Vietnam 🇻🇳 war is unforgivable. Kitt was asked her opinion on the war and she gave it! She should not have been banned from making a living from her profession because of it. The First Lady was embarrassed 😩 by Eartha’s honestly and she used her influence against Kitt to make a stupid point. As history has shown,Eartha Kitt was on the right side of history!😘🙏👍

[@romstar]

m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmfYiqSjrZhkoac

[@elizabethmills8667]

"Real Sentences and Real Talking " Yes I miss that in today's society Even I am following the talking social trends. We need thay back

[@brandonguthrie8122]

My grandmother was the same way.

[@danitaperkins6506]

Oh how right you are!!!

[@rr7firefly]

In a striking contrast with the way people dress today, the 1960s was a time when women joyfully adopted a style of simple elegance. Dresses had clean outlines, lacking frilly decorative add-ons. It was common for a dress to be one color, eschewing ill-conceived patterns. The next time you are out in public you can see for yourself how things did not get better. Oh, and women didn't allow themselves to weigh 260 pounds or more.

[@newtongrubby]

Brilliant interview

[@macaro28]

One of my favorites

[@drvondakaye]

Where are the original audio tapes housed? Can you listen to them digitally online or through any streaming apps?

[@RHTeebs]

Laaaady Bird.

[@katherinehunter5789]

She was a wonderful woman.

[@tylerjakes5651]

Hello How are you doing? Hope you and your family are safe

[@mesalonikaowls2048]

I think, much of the decency/good behavior/demure has been lost.. in the last 4 years (yep, 4 years). First ladies, all of them , prior to the 4 years (yeah yeah I'dont care do you?) cared about something. I .. wish I knew more about Pat Nixon... (please, would CBS say something about her?)

[@user-vm5ud4xw6n]

I don’t know, I think she looked awful pretty standing next to George. He just looked...tan! I would have loved to listen to her recording about Jackie Kennedy after the assassination.

[@gavinbarnes6310]

She kind of had a look of princess Margaret, i think. Like if u agree I’m curious

[@patsirianni7984]

The more information on the LBJ and Lady Bird the more you respect and admire them even though you my not agree with their political ideas

[@captainnima]

May she Rest In Peace and also her husband. Thank God they became president and First Lady.

[@KageFighter]

I’m glad Mo Rocca finally got the Gray-Hair he’s always wanted

[@kathysanchez5945]

What happened to her nanny?

[@tylerjakes5651]

Hello Kathy How are you doing? Hope you and your family are safe

[@jamesagwe2981]

Is this a reupload?

[@direfranchement]

She pronounces "joy" with two syllables ☺️.

[@emiliobello2538]

Greta Gerwig movie?

[@MarcusAurelius7777]

Her husband was the worst racist murderer...should be said.

[@ovh992]

Ask Eartha Kitt.

[@thehair1474]

Kitt got a well deserved smackdown from Lady Bird.

[@omarchandler4983]

*Really thehair1?! Eartha Kitt shouldn’t have been concerned that Ladybird Johnson seemed more concerned with “beautification” than with young black men being murdered across the entire country for being black or being slaughtered in Vietnam!*

[@NC-qc7wd]

Just wondering what would be Melania's legacy? any answers?

[@dirkblanston8656]

Not supporting a man who destroyed the black family through a perversely named “great society” program, Mr. Black Lives Matter.

[@kevinperry4108]

🫶🏼

[@MsBackstager]

It seems like a political marriage.

[@mesalonikaowls2048]

05:40ish Will never understand!! Some white persons love to be tanned... and yet... black/browns/olive/ or yellow...nah!!

[@KEMET1971]

This morning I woke up to a white world ...

[@diane4537]

Poor lady married to LBJ!

[@tylerjakes5651]

Helloo How are you doing? Hope you and your family are safe

[@Forgoneconclusion.]

She was also a racist,which goes to show that even racist can do good things too.