HANDLING PUBLICITY
There are all kinds of humor that a President can use. Jack Kennedy, of course, was a great wit. As President, he used what you might call deflecting humor. For example, I recall there was a big to-do over the fact that Stewart Udall, his interior secretary, had been extracting campaign contributions from all the major corporations that were beholden to the interior department. As a result, the press was just all over him. Things reached fever pitch the night of a major black-tie fundraising dinner. But Kennedy was wonderful. He got up and thanked the guests for their wonderful generosity, he thanked the chairmen of all the committees for their hard work, and he thanked Stewart Udall for handling the publicity. At that moment, the problem was gone. It was over! From Humor and the Presidency, by Gerald R. Ford, published by Arbor House, New York, 1978, pp. 142 & 143
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