Something In Common

Presidents have been sending flowers to mark the birthdays of their deceased predecessors since Lyndon B. Johnson began the practice in 1967. The routine ritual which normally passes with little fanfare turned into a media event Tuesday when a wreath from President Clinton was placed on the grave of Andrew Johnson to mark the 190th birthday of the 17th president. Clinton and Johnson are the only presidents to have been impeached. At a nearby visitors center at Greeneville, Tenn., where the National Park Service protects Johnson’s 19th-century home and tailor shop, the words “and only” have been taped over on a plaque that identifies Johnson as “the first and only president to be impeached by the House of Representatives.”