iff ord ) ▁at ▁his ▁left . ▁General ▁Bus ▁Whe eler ▁( the ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁J oint ▁Chief s ▁of ▁Staff ) ▁sat ▁beside ▁the ▁secretary ▁of ▁defense . ▁I ▁sat ▁beside ▁Dean ▁Rus k . ▁W alt ▁Rost ow ▁( the ▁Special ▁Ass istant ▁for ▁National ▁Security ▁Affairs ), ▁George ▁Christian ▁( the ▁White ▁House ▁Press ▁Secretary ), ▁and ▁Tom ▁Johnson ▁( the ▁deput y ▁press ▁secretary ) ▁made ▁up ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁table . ▁ ▁In ▁C IA ▁inter views ▁long ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁ended , ▁Hel ms ▁re called ▁the ▁role ▁he ▁played ▁in ▁policy ▁discuss ions . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁neutral ▁party ▁who ▁could ▁come ▁up ▁with ▁facts ▁applicable ▁to ▁the ▁issue ▁at ▁hand . ▁The ▁benefit ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁role ▁was ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁be ▁decis ive ▁in ▁" keep ing ▁the ▁game ▁honest ". ▁Hel ms ▁comments ▁that ▁many ▁advoc ates ▁of ▁particular ▁policy ▁positions ▁will ▁almost ▁invari ably ▁' cher ry ▁pick ' ▁facts ▁supporting ▁their ▁positions , ▁whether ▁cons ci ously ▁or ▁not . ▁Then ▁the ▁voice ▁of ▁a ▁neutral ▁could ▁perform ▁a ▁useful ▁function ▁in ▁helping ▁to ▁ste er ▁the ▁conversation ▁on ▁routes ▁within ▁real istic ▁parameters . ▁ ▁The ▁out - s ized ▁political ▁person ality ▁of ▁Johnson , ▁of ▁course , ▁was ▁the ▁domin ating ▁presence ▁at ▁l unch . ▁From ▁his ▁per ch ▁Hel ms ▁mar ve led ▁at ▁the ▁learned ▁way ▁President ▁Johnson ▁employed ▁the ▁primary ▁contradict ions ▁in ▁his ▁person ality ▁to ▁direct ▁those ▁around ▁him