9 - McNamara in Crisis, 1966–1968

Summary

The year 1966 was one of interlocking crises. The consequences of escalation in Vietnam ricocheted onto the domestic and global economy. The SFRC and SASC blamed McNamara for the administration’s economic and political obfuscations. Stung by congressional criticism and the label of “McNamara’s war,” McNamara set out to restore his reputation and protect his legacy at the Defense Department. His friendship with “Bobby” exacerbated his disenchantment with the war and strained his loyalty to Johnson to the breaking point. Like many Kennedy holdovers, he drew unfavorable comparisons between the two Presidents that he had served. In Vietnam, despite a burst of diplomatic activity, the prospect of a negotiated settlement in Vietnam all but ended. Instead, escalation continued with no clear objective in sight. With nothing left to lose, McNamara stepped out of his self-imposed restrictions and began to question the administration’s strategy. He returned to the ideas that he had defended in the Kennedy administration and, in 1967, bypassed the State Department and stepped in to run a peace overture himself.