Come on! Sensationalist headlines do not a story make. However Lady Bird acquired her millions via the FCC was purely relative to the times she lived in. Radio was a new medium then, just as the internet is relatively new now - what would be illegal now ("graft" as you call it) wasn't illegal then.

Obviously a brilliant woman for her times, not a candidate for canonization. I for one, applaud her brains and foresight in recognizing the potential and seizing the opportunity of such an investment.

Using her political connections to destroy the value of the station's license and then snatching it up at a firesale price seems a pretty clear cut case of unethical behavior, even if there wasn't a law against it.

When the mafia engages in behavior like this, we recognize it for what it is - the intimidation and exploitation of law abiding citizens.

the "using her political connections to destroy the value of it first" part of it. Has that part been proven? All I see is that she had the foresight (and the available capital) to see the huge value in using the radio as a political tool and jumped on it - smart woman in my book. Kind of dispels the long-held image of her being the sweet little old school type of First Lady at any rate. History and certainly the last century of politics is fraught with "morally questionable" behavior and outright examples of graft - JFK's father had the "foresight" to pave the way through his millions for one of his sons to become president. Would that behavior fly today? Not on your life - but again, that was then, and relative to the times. Kind of naive for us to register shock and dismay about it now, don't you think? Kind of cruel to paint a newly deceased First Lady as some kind of swindling gang boss, too. Lady Bird Johnson went on to do a lot of good things for this country. I for one, remember distinctly her whole campaign against highway billboards. She is single-handedly responsible for keeping most of the US interstate highway system from proliferating like this, over the years, although it's obviously time for her campaign to be taken on again and strengthened even further.

to show an example of proliferating billboards