 He thus gained fame for papers that he presented forcefully, but did not actually write, including his 1947 proposal on Truman's reelection strategy and the Clifford-Elsey papers on Cold War strategy.He became a trusted advisor to presidential candidate John F. Kennedy in 1960, assuring his access by indicating he wanted no public office.His reputation – and his law practice – continued to soar until finally Lyndon Johnson forced him to become Defense Secretary to lead the nation out of the Vietnam trap.