--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Later that same year John F. Kennedy was…" description: "\"“Later that same year John F. Kennedy was elected president by a thin margin. The first thing he did was appoint his brother attorney general of the Un..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/charles-brandt-2101_american-history_later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was_300882.jpg" --- # Later that same year John F. Kennedy was elected president… ![“Later that same year John F. Kennedy was elected president by a thin margin. The first thing he did was appoint his brother attorney general of the United States. This put Bobby in charge of the Justice Department, all of the United States attorneys, and of the FBI and the FBI director, J. Edgar…” quote by Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/charles-brandt-2101_american-history_later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was_300882.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/charles-brandt-2101_american-history_later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was_300882.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/charles-brandt-2101_american-history_later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was_300882.jpg) > ““Later that same year John F. Kennedy was elected president by a thin margin. The first thing he did was appoint his brother attorney general of the United States. This put Bobby in charge of the Justice Department, all of the United States attorneys, and of the FBI and the FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover. And the first thing Bobby Kennedy did was turn against the very men who helped elect his brother. For the first time in American history an attorney general committed his office to the eradication of organized crime. Toward”” [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bobby Kennedy used his power to aggressively target organized crime, marking a historic shift in the Justice Department. **In simple terms:** He fought crime decisively. Key Takeaway Leverage authority for systemic change. Themes politics justice law enforcement Mood cautious critical Type historical analytical When to use this quote - policy reform - law enforcement leadership - public corruption investigations Key Concepts anti‑organized crime executive power Questions to Reflect On - What are the limits of prosecutorial authority? - How can checks balance prevent abuse? A Different Perspective Power can be misused for personal agendas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) [Appoint Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appoint-brother-2875657/) [Attorney general](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attorney-general/) [Bobby kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bobby-kennedy/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [J edgar hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/j-edgar-hoover/) [John kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-kennedy/) [Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kennedy/) [Kennedy Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kennedy-did-1768808/) [Kennedy Elected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kennedy-elected-283862/) [Organized crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organized-crime/) ## Related quotes > [“On the other hand, in his book, The Enemy Within, Bobby Kennedy wrote about his experiences and observations as chief counsel for the McClellan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/on-the-other-hand-in-his-book-the-enemy-within-bobby-kennedy-wrote/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [When President Kennedy was elected, many black Americans, like so many Americans, were captivated by his youth and energy and promise and were especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/when-president-kennedy-was-elected-many-black-americans-like-so-many/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [J. Edgar Hoover very famously denied the existence of organized crime up until the Appalachian Meeting, I think, in 1957. It was interesting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-winter/j-edgar-hoover-very-famously-denied-the-existence-of-organized-crime/) [Terence Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-winter/) > [“On the labour front in 1919 there was an unprecedented number of strikes involving many millions of workers. One of the lager strikes was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-doctorow-2/on-the-labour-front-in-1919-there-was-an-unprecedented-number-of/) [E.L. Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-doctorow-2/) > [To know John Kennedy, as I did, was to understand the true meaning of the word. He understood that courage is not something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/to-know-john-kennedy-as-i-did-was-to-understand-the-true-meaning-of/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [The one thing that John Kennedy did, above all else, was to energize young people to feel that they wanted to give something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/the-one-thing-that-john-kennedy-did-above-all-else-was-to-energize/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Kennedy did not have to run the risk of having his ideas and his words shortened and adulterated by a correspondent. This was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-sidey/kennedy-did-not-have-to-run-the-risk-of-having-his-ideas-and-his/) [Hugh Sidey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-sidey/) > [I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/i-have-as-much-experience-in-the-congress-as-jack-kennedy-did-when-he/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [“What he’d wanted before had crumbled away, leaving the truth of what Kennedy did to him. It was new, and there was a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-j-damschroder/what-he-d-wanted-before-had-crumbled-away-leaving-the-truth-of-what/) [Natalie J. Damschroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-j-damschroder/) > [“Jimmy Hoffa had two philosophies that guided his actions. One way or another he expressed them daily and often through word or deed. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/jimmy-hoffa-had-two-philosophies-that-guided-his-actions-one-way-or/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Sheridan wrote in his 1972 book, The Fall and Rise of Jimmy Hoffa: “He went about this by arranging for one of Beck’s own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/sheridan-wrote-in-his-1972-book-the-fall-and-rise-of-jimmy-hoffa-he/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“At one point Hoffa told Bobby Kennedy regarding the tapes, “To the best of my recollection, I must recall on my memory, I cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/at-one-point-hoffa-told-bobby-kennedy-regarding-the-tapes-to-the-best/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Bobby Kennedy gave Cheasty a job with the committee at a salary of $5,000 a year. The FBI planted microphones and set up cameras.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/bobby-kennedy-gave-cheasty-a-job-with-the-committee-at-a-salary-of-5/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“When a reporter asked Bobby Kennedy what he would do if Hoffa were acquitted, Bobby Kennedy, who said he had “never considered that possibility”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/when-a-reporter-asked-bobby-kennedy-what-he-would-do-if-hoffa-were/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Bobby Kennedy chose the members of the squad himself. He gave the squad a very limited job to do and gave the squad a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/bobby-kennedy-chose-the-members-of-the-squad-himself-he-gave-the/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) ## More by Charles Brandt > [“You fat fuck,” I said and jumped up and decked him. I broke his jaw, and they expelled me permanently on the spot. Naturally,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/you-fat-fuck-i-said-and-jumped-up-and-decked-him-i-broke-his-jaw-and/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Hoffa and Brennan formed a trucking company called Test Fleet. The “brains” and his partner put that company in their wives’ maiden names. Test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/hoffa-and-brennan-formed-a-trucking-company-called-test-fleet-the/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“People in those days didn’t display affection like they do today. I’m still learning how to be affectionate to my grandchildren. I don’t ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/people-in-those-days-didn-t-display-affection-like-they-do-today-i-m/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Whispers was one of these short Italian guys in his early thirties that you’d see all around South Philly, just trying to get by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/whispers-was-one-of-these-short-italian-guys-in-his-early-thirties/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“And under the contract, management couldn’t fire a Teamster unless they had certain grounds. They had none. Stealing was grounds only if they could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/and-under-the-contract-management-couldn-t-fire-a-teamster-unless/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“But back then we had to amuse ourselves, and fighting seemed to be all we had. Looking back, it was good for us. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/but-back-then-we-had-to-amuse-ourselves-and-fighting-seemed-to-be-all/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Mary liked to arrange picnics with the kids, and we’d take them to the Willow Grove Amusement Park. I wasn’t always running. When they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/mary-liked-to-arrange-picnics-with-the-kids-and-we-d-take-them-to-the/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“And on the other side of the ledger, unions like the Teamsters often employed their own muscle, their own reigns of terror, including bombings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/and-on-the-other-side-of-the-ledger-unions-like-the-teamsters-often/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Only in the movies or comic books do people say they want you to go and hit somebody. All they ever say is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/only-in-the-movies-or-comic-books-do-people-say-they-want-you-to-go/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“As I learned the ropes I learned that for many good and sound reasons the bosses and the captains sent a guy to whack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/as-i-learned-the-ropes-i-learned-that-for-many-good-and-sound-reasons/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Russell had taken me with him to Cuba just when Castro was starting to kick everybody out and confiscate their casinos and racetracks and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/russell-had-taken-me-with-him-to-cuba-just-when-castro-was-starting/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“You didn’t know who to trust, but you kept taking cabbies aside and persuading them to sign a card. For some reason there were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/you-didn-t-know-who-to-trust-but-you-kept-taking-cabbies-aside-and/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Russ quit smoking on a bet with Jimmy Blue Eyes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/russ-quit-smoking-on-a-bet-with-jimmy-blue-eyes/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“they wanted the guy left right there on the sidewalk as a message to those who needed to know the guy did not get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/they-wanted-the-guy-left-right-there-on-the-sidewalk-as-a-message-to/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Carlos Marcello and the war orphans did cross my mind during the drive, and I sat the whole way facing the driver. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/carlos-marcello-and-the-war-orphans-did-cross-my-mind-during-the/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) [Explore all 185 Charles Brandt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) ## More American history quotes > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/) > [John Lane has long been recognized as one of the South's finest poets and memoirists. This debut establishes him as one of our finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rash/john-lane-has-long-been-recognized-as-one-of-the-south-s-finest-poets/) [Ron Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rash/) > [No man-made structure in all of American history has been hated so much, by so many, for so long, with such good reason, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/no-man-made-structure-in-all-of-american-history-has-been-hated-so/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We must not falsely teach American history in our schools. We have a law requiring state textbook oversight to guard against frauds like Zinn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/we-must-not-falsely-teach-american-history-in-our-schools-we-have-a/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [“Thanks in part to the rapid mechanization of cotton production in the early 1940s, which ultimately threw millions of farm laborers out of work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/thanks-in-part-to-the-rapid-mechanization-of-cotton-production-in-the/) [James T. Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-patterson/) > [“dark say: berthenia belle never forget the tongue hid name”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-margaret/dark-say-berthenia-belle-never-forget-the-tongue-hid-name/) [Cathleen Margaret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-margaret/) > [Throughout American history many of our social gains and much of our progress toward democracy were made possible by the active intervention of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/throughout-american-history-many-of-our-social-gains-and-much-of-our/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [Modern Democrats aren't the first political party to abuse power - far from it. Obama isn'€™t the first president to abuse executive power -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/modern-democrats-aren-t-the-first-political-party-to-abuse-power-far/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [Medicare and Social Security have created the healthiest and most financially secure generation of senior citizens in American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-walsh/medicare-and-social-security-have-created-the-healthiest-and-most/) [Jim Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-walsh/) > [The school curriculum today, particularly American history, is a shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-school-curriculum-today-particularly-american-history-is-a-shame/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“I used to walk out, at night, to the breakwater which divides the end of the harbor form the broad moor of the salt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/i-used-to-walk-out-at-night-to-the-breakwater-which-divides-the-end/) [Mark Doty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-doty/) [Browse all 685 American history quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Later that same year John F. Kennedy was elected president by a thin margin. The first thing he did was appoint his brother attorney general of the United States. This put Bobby in charge of the Justice Department, all of the United States attorneys, and of the FBI and the FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover. And the first thing Bobby Kennedy did was turn against the very men who helped elect his brother. For the first time in American history an attorney general committed his office to the eradication of organized crime. Toward”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Brandt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was-elected-president-by-a-thin/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American history" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was-elected-president-by-a-thin/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/charles-brandt-2101_american-history_later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was_300882.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/charles-brandt-2101_american-history_later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was_300882.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/charles-brandt-2101_american-history_later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was_300882.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Later that same year John F. Kennedy was elected president by a thin margin. The first thing he did was…” — Charles Brandt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Brandt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Later that same year John F....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was-elected-president-by-a-thin/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/later-that-same-year-john-f-kennedy-was-elected-president-by-a-thin/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```