Peter Benchley, who died this week at 65, will be remembered as the author of Jaws. But he also served a brief stint as a speechwriter to President Lyndon Johnson during the late 1960s.

Peter was the grandson of the famous humorist Robert Benchley, and there was a moment in his White House career when his grandfather’s ghost must have flickered mischievously in the background.

A hapless Midwestern college student had written to then-White House press secretary, George Christian, to ask him about the speechwriting process in the Johnson administration.

“First of all,” the student inquired, “does President Johnson write his own speeches? If not, who does? What kind of background do his speechwriters have as far as education is concerned? Do these writers adhere to any specific style, such as the simple, clear-cut style which Aristotle advocates, or the grand, embellished style which Cicero seems to promote?”

Christian assigned the answering of this letter to Benchley, and Benchley obliged with the following reply:

“Here are the answers to your questions:

1. All the President’s speeches are written by elves.

2. The President never sees them before he delivers them.

3. The average education of the President’s writers is between fourth and fifth grade. One man finished high school. By cheating.

4. The President’s style can best be described as bombastic. He is a nut on length.”

Liz Carpenter, the former LBJ aide from whom I heard this story, ended by saying, “Fortunately, this reply was never sent.”

“Fortunately” is right. If LBJ had ever learned of the contents of this letter, Peter Benchley might never have lived to write anything else. There are politicians deadlier than even a great white shark.