▁the ▁T ues day ▁l unch es , ▁and ▁I ▁remained ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁that ▁group ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁administration . ▁ ▁Hel ms ' ▁inv itation ▁to ▁l unch ▁occurred ▁about ▁three - and - a - half ▁years ▁into ▁Johnson ' s ▁five - year ▁presiden cy ▁and ▁a ▁year ▁into ▁Hel ms ' ▁nearly ▁seven - year ▁ten ure ▁as ▁D CI . ▁There after ▁in ▁the ▁Johnson ▁administration , ▁Hel ms ▁function ed ▁in ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁high - level ▁polic ym aking , ▁with ▁contin ual ▁access ▁to ▁America ' s ▁top ▁political ▁leadership . ▁It ▁constit uted ▁the ▁p inn acle ▁of ▁Hel ms ' ▁influence ▁and ▁standing ▁in ▁Washington . ▁Hel ms ▁describes ▁the ▁" us ual ▁T ues day ▁l unch " ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir s . ▁ ▁[ W ] e ▁gathered ▁for ▁a ▁sh er ry ▁in ▁the ▁family ▁living ▁room ▁on ▁the ▁second ▁floor ▁of ▁the ▁White ▁House . ▁If ▁the ▁President , ▁who ▁normally ▁kept ▁to ▁a ▁tight ▁schedule , ▁was ▁a ▁few ▁minutes ▁late , ▁he ▁would ▁literally ▁bound ▁into ▁the ▁room , ▁pause ▁long ▁enough ▁to ▁acknow ledge ▁our ▁presence , ▁and ▁her d ▁us ▁into ▁the ▁family ▁d ining ▁room , ▁over looking ▁Pennsylvania ▁Avenue . ▁Se ating ▁followed ▁protocol , ▁with ▁the ▁secretary ▁of ▁state ▁( De an ▁Rus k ) ▁at ▁the ▁President ' s ▁right , ▁and ▁the ▁secretary ▁of ▁defense ▁( Ro bert ▁Mc N am ara , ▁later ▁Clark ▁Cl