ial ▁candidate ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁had ▁accepted ▁an ▁inv itation ▁to ▁speak ▁to ▁Protest ant ▁minister s ▁in ▁Houston ▁on ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁whether ▁a ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁President ▁could ▁operate ▁independently ▁of ▁the ▁V at ican . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁famous ▁address , ▁Kennedy ▁won ▁over ▁his ▁audience , ▁comment ing , ▁" I ▁am ▁not ▁the ▁Catholic ▁candidate ▁for ▁President . ▁ ▁I ▁am ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ' s ▁candidate ▁for ▁president ▁who ▁happens ▁also ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁Catholic ." ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁day , ▁the ▁Houston ▁minister s ▁described ▁the ▁address ▁as ▁" the ▁most ▁complete , ▁une qu iv ocal ▁and ▁re ass uring ▁statement ▁which ▁could ▁be ▁expected ▁of ▁any ▁person ▁in ▁his ▁position , ". ▁ ▁Kennedy ' s ▁oppon ent , ▁Richard ▁M . ▁N ixon , ▁a ▁Qu aker , ▁commented ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁conce ive ▁of ▁no ▁circumstances ▁which ▁might ▁ever ▁require ▁either ▁himself ▁or ▁Kennedy ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁conflict ▁between ▁religion ▁and ▁the ▁presiden cy . ▁ ▁September ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁( T ues day ) ▁ ▁Lee ▁Har vey ▁O sw ald ' s ▁honor able ▁dis charge ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Mar ines , ▁granted ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁was ▁re vised ▁to ▁an ▁" undes irable ▁dis charge " ▁( r ather ▁than ▁a ▁bad ▁conduct ▁dis charge ▁or ▁a ▁d ish on or able ▁dis charge , ▁which ▁require ▁a ▁court ▁mart ial ), ▁based