▁Est im ates ▁held ▁a ▁p ess im istic ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁military ▁develop ments . ▁The ▁operations ▁personnel — going ▁full ▁bl ast ▁... ▁in ▁South ▁Vietnam — rem ained ▁convinced ▁the ▁war ▁could ▁be ▁won . ▁Without ▁this ▁conv iction , ▁the ▁operators ▁could ▁not ▁have ▁continued ▁their ▁difficult ▁face - to - face ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁South ▁Vietnam ese , ▁whose ▁lives ▁were ▁often ▁at ▁risk . ▁In ▁Washington , ▁I ▁felt ▁like ▁a ▁circ us ▁r ider ▁standing ▁ast ride ▁two ▁horses , ▁each ▁for ▁the ▁best ▁of ▁reasons ▁going ▁its ▁own ▁way . See ▁section ▁above ▁" E le ph ant ▁and ▁Gor illa ". ▁ ▁Neg ative ▁news ▁would ▁prove ▁to ▁be ▁highly ▁unw el come ▁at ▁the ▁Johnson ▁White ▁House . ▁" After ▁each ▁set back ▁the ▁C IA ▁would ▁gain ▁little ▁by ▁saying ▁' I ▁told ▁you ▁so ' ▁or ▁by ▁continu ing ▁to ▁emphas ize ▁the ▁fut ility ▁of ▁the ▁war ," ▁author ▁R anel agh ▁writes ▁about ▁the ▁C IA ▁pred ic ament . ▁In ▁part ▁it ▁was ▁D CI ▁McC one ' s ▁wor ris ome ▁reports ▁and ▁unw el come ▁views ▁about ▁Vietnam ▁that ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁being ▁ex cluded ▁from ▁the ▁President ▁Johnson ' s ▁inner ▁circle ; ▁consequ ently ▁McC one ▁res igned ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁Hel ms ▁remembered ▁that ▁McC one ▁left ▁the ▁C IA ▁because ▁" he ▁was ▁diss atisf ied ▁with ▁his ▁relation ▁with ▁President ▁Johnson . ▁He ▁didn ' t ▁get