ABSTRACT
Understandably, the assassination has colored the process of remembrance. Most Americans in 1963 felt that the new president, Lyndon Johnson, handled the difficult transition well. His rallying call to Congress—“Let us continue”—deliberately echoed John F. Kennedy's opening statement to Congress—“Let us begin.” To underline continuity, Johnson decided to retain most of Kennedy's Cabinet and used the powerful political leverage that the assassination provided to bolster support for his own, wider-ranging domestic political agenda. Thus, from the very start, remembrance was slanted for political advantage.
