Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson

by Robert A. Caro

  “We’ll be making”: Steele interview. Proved: Goodwin, Lyndon Johnson, p. 113. Also see Goldsmith, p. 33. “A leg up”: Goldsmith, p. 33. “When Johnson broached”: Evans and Novak, p. 64. “You’re dealing”: Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 344. “Playing with”; While he: Evans and Novak, p. 64; Reedy interview.

  Byrd said: Childs, SLP-D, Jan. 17, 21; Reedy interview. Magnuson unmoved: “Confidential Work Sheet No. 1, Present Democratic Membership of Standing Committees of the Senate (Requests for Assignments),” pp. 2, 3, and “Confidential Work Sheet No. 2”; Jenkins to Johnson, “Requests of Senators with Reference to Committee Assignments, Nov. 14”; “Requests of Senators…,” Jan. 5, Box 116, LBJA, SF; Jenkins interview. Johnson scrawled: “list of committees and committee assignments…,” Nov. 6, 1952, Box 116, LBJA SF.

  Morse problem: CR, 83/1, pp. 143–44; Bibolet to Johnson, Jan. 12, Box 116, JSP; “one of,” Reedy to Johnson, undated, Box 116, JSP; McConaughy to Laybourne, Jan. 14;Ralph K. Huitt, “The Morse Committee Assignment Controversy: A Study in Senate Norms,” APSR, June 1957, pp. 315–18; Newsweek, Jan. 12; Time, Jan. 12, 19; NYT, Jan. 8, 14;WP, Jan. 14;Ritchie interview. At four a.m.: McConaughy to Berger, Jan. 16, MP.

  Outmaneuvering Taft: Case, Taft, Butler (Nebr.), Jenner, Cooper, “Proposed Report for Special Committee on Size and Number of Committees,” Jan. 2, Box 116, JSP. (On which Johnson shows that he was thinking of the Appropriations increase, writing on it by hand, evidently at a later date, “Russell, McCarran, Murray—acceptable to them for one each to be added to Appropriations”); “S. Res [blank],” undated, “Resolved that section (1),” Box 116, JSP; Simms to Johnson, “Memorandum for Senator Lyndon Johnson,” Jan. 9, Box 116, JSP; CR, 83/1, pp. 232–33, 279–81; McConaughy to Berger, Jan. 16, McConaughy to Beshoar, June 10, MP. “So far”: Taft to C. Wayland Brooks, Jan. 17, quoted in Patterson, Mr. Republican, p. 589. No plans: “Freshmen Republican Senators…,” Merry-Go-Round Release, Feb. 5, 1957, Box 116, JSP; Ritchie interview; Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 343. Appears; both senators agreed: “Senators Receiving New Committee Assignments,” undated, Box 116; WP, Jan. 13; Reedy interview.

  Humphrey-Johnson conversation: Humphrey OH II. “A forum”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 65. Clements-Johnson arrangement: Reedy interview. Persuading Russell Long: NYT, Jan. 13; Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 64; Connally, Reedy interviews.

  McCarthy was going: Evans and Novak, p. 64. “McCarran requests”: “Memorandum to Senator Johnson,” Jan. 5, p. 2, Box 116, LBJA SF. Hinting: “Political David Girding Against Nevada Goliath,” WP, Jan. 4. McCarran forced: “(McCarran),” AP Dispatch, Dec. 29, 1952, Drew Pearson Papers, F 162, 2 of 3, LBJL. “Is not”: WP, Jan. 1. “All right”: Drew Pearson, WP, Feb. 6. “As you know”: Truman to Johnson, Jan. 13, Box 8, WHFN; Jenkins interview. Drew a line: On “Requests of Senators,” Jan. 5; Reedy interview. And see NYT and WP, Jan 13. “None”: Evans and Novak, p. 64. When he filled: WP, Jan. 13. “I disapprove”: Kennedy, quoted in WP, Jan. 13.

  McClellan suggested: McConaughy to Berger, Jan. 16; Reedy interview. “Desirable”: Johnson to Johnston, Jan. 13, Box 43, LBJA CF.

  Through wall: Jenkins, Rather interviews. “It was like”: Carroll Keach, quoted in Caro, Path, pp. 425–27. Appealing to them; “Bob Taft is”; “McCarthy’s going”: This description of Johnson’s arguments is based on recollections of the phraseology he used by members of his staff who heard him, and by friends in Washington and Texas to whom he repeated his arguments in describing how he persuaded various senators. Their names are in the fifth paragraph of the notes to this chapter. And see McConaughy to Laybourne, Jan. 14;NYT, WP, Jan. 13; White, “The Foreign Relations Committee,” NYT Magazine, Feb. 1. Russell nodded: Reedy interview. “Now”: McConaughy to Berger, Jan 16, MP.

  Dropped: “For Immediate Release—Chairman Lyndon B. Johnson announced today,” Jan. 12, Box 16, LBJA SF. “I still remember”: Goldsmith interview. “Dared”: Time, Jan. 26. “Remarkable”: Fleeson, WS, Jan. 14. “Rather miraculously”: Alsop and Alsop, NYHT, Feb. 1. “FRESHMAN DEMOCRATS”: WP, Jan. 13. “Extraordinary”: NYT, Jan. 13. “In barely two weeks”: McConaughy to Berger, Jan. 16, MP. “Was greeted”: Childs, SLP-D, Jan. 17.

  “Dear Lyndon”: Rowe to Johnson, Jan. 13, Box 32, LBJA SN. “We’ve got”; “more control”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, pp. 65, 64.

  Had not fulfilled: Reedy, U.S. Senate, pp. 11, 12; Galloway, Legislative Process, p. 604. Memoranda: “Dr. Galloway’s views…,” Reedy to Johnson, undated, and “The material available on the policy committees…,” Nov. 19, 1952, Box 116, LBJA SF; Bone, Party Committees, pp. 166–96; “An Introduction to the Senate Policy Committees,” APSR, June 1956. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 had charged the two Policy Committees with “the formulation of over-all legislative policy of the respective parties”; Robert C. Byrd, “Mr. President, as to the Democratic Policy Committee,” CR, 96/2, pp. 10612–616; Galloway to Reedy, Nov. 21, 1952, Box 116, LBJA SF; Jewell, “The Policy Committees,” Chapter 5, Senatorial Politics; Reedy, Siegel OHs; Bibolet, Reedy, Siegel interviews.

  “Would emerge”: McPherson, Political Education, p. 15. “All we got”: Evans and Novak, p. 61.

  Cook wouldn’t: Evans and Novak, pp. 61, 62; Siegel OH; Weisl interview. Harlow unwilling: Harlow interview. Rowe turned down: Rowe interview.

  “We’d call”; “make the changes”: Siegel OH. Membership of Policy Committee: Bone, p. 173; William S. White, “Democrats’ ‘Board of Directors,’” NYT Magazine, July 10, 1955. Murray’s dotage: McClure OH. “An echo”; “solidify”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 64. “One hundred percent”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 65. “Unless”: Siegel OH. “Was really it”: Smathers OH. Hawaiian bill: “Minutes of Meeting—Democratic Policy Committee, Monday, Feb. 3, 1953, Room G-18, U.S. Capitol, 12:45 p.m.,” Box 364, JSP.

  “Usually late”: White, Citadel, p. 210; Bibolet to Caro, March 4, 1995 (in author’s possession); Bibolet, Reedy interviews. “Nowhere”: Bone, p. 175. “No leaks”: Steele interview. Liberals “saw”; “Private”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 65.

  Few caucuses: CR, 96/2, pp. S10611–613.

  $25: “Minutes—Feb. 3,” p. 1. “Senator Johnson … explained”: “Minutes … Feb. 3,” p. 2, Box 364, JSP. “Replies furnishing”: “Minutes of Meeting—Democratic Policy Committee, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1953, 12:45 p.m., Room G-18, U.S. Capitol,” p. 1, Box 364, JSP. “The Senate”: Johnson to (each committee chairman), Feb. 6, Box 116, LBJA SF. Staff would be better: Bibolet, Reedy, Siegel interviews.

  “He came in”: McClure OH. “Of course”: Bibolet interview.

  “He accomplished this”: Goodwin, Lyndon Johnson, p. 114.

  22. Masterstrokes

  All dates are 1953 unless otherwise noted.

  “For three”: Ambrose, Eisenhower, p. 31. “Statesmanlike”: Richard Rovere, The New Yorker, Jan. 31. Shot his arms: Ambrose, p. 42.

  “Privately”; “The great”: Alsop and Alsop, NYHT, Feb. 1. “Looking for an excuse”; “The General Manager”: Time, June 22.

  Mooney “interview”: Mooney, LBJ, p. 13. Would be easy: Reedy, U.S. Senate, pp. 104, 105. “Had actually”: Reedy OH V, p. 5; OH VI, p. 6.

  “A wonderful”: Hardeman and Bacon, Rayburn, p. 377. “I told”: Rayburn to Hall, April 2, quoted in Hardeman and Bacon, p. 378. “Any jackass”: DMN, Jan. 3.

  “Old-fashioned”: Evans and Novak, LBJ: Exercise, p. 170.

  Hour after hour; “cheap and partisan”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 104. “To announce”: Reedy OH V, p. 4. “I have”: FWS-T, Jan. 3. “Americans everywhere”: “Minutes of Meeting—Democratic Policy Committee, Feb. 3, 1953,” Box 364, JSP.

  “Resurgent”: Richard Rovere, The New Yorker, Feb. 14. “The form”: Ambrose, p. 66. “It should”: Shaffer, On and Off, p. 63. “Republican senators”: DDE Diary, Feb. 7, Box 3; April 1, Box 4, DDEL. “The adoption”: Shaffer, p. 67. “Would not”: Ambrose, pp. 65–67.

  Allies were planning: Ambrose, p. 67; NY
T, Feb. 24. “President Eisenhower’s”: NYT, Feb. 24. “It would”: LLM, Supplementary Notes, March 2, Box 1, DDEL. “How can we”: “Memorandum of Telephone Conversation—Secretary Dulles calling Senator Johnson,” March 3, Notes and Transcripts of Johnson Conversations—1953.” “I really”; “forget”: Ambrose, p. 67. “The picture”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 79.

  “I reject”: MacNeil, Dirksen, p. 114. “Nominations passed over”: “Executive Calendar,” CR, 83/1, various dates. McCarran, McCarthy attacks: Ambrose, pp. 59–61; MacNeil, pp. 113–14;Patterson, Mr. Republican, pp. 595–96. “I have known”; “Confident”: Eisenhower, quoted in Ambrose, p. 60. “There was”: Taft, quoted in White, Taft Story, p. 237.

  “High-water”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 80. “As if”: This remark is generally attributed to the NYHT’s television critic John Crosby. Introduction of S.J. Res. 1: CR, 83/1, pp. 156, 160–61.

  Conservatives’ fear: Ambrose, p. 68; Brownell, Advising Ike, pp. 264–65. “A complex”: Ambrose, p. 154; Tananbaum, Bricker Amendment, p. 91. “Making it”: Minnich, LMS, Jan. 11, 1954, DDEL. “Stupid”: Hagerty, Diary, p. 7 (Jan. 14, 1954). Touched: Ambrose, p. 68. “Many”: NYT, Feb. 6, 17, 1954.

  “An incredible”; “no hope”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 82. Neil MacNeil says, “It was plain that there were enough votes in the Senate to approve the Bricker amendment” (MacNeil, Dirksen, p. 117). “In all”: Reedy, quoted in Miller, Lyndon, p. 158. “The worst”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 90. “A slap”: Evans and Novak, p. 76. “Probably”: DDE Diary, Phone Calls, Jan. 28, 1954, Box 5, DDEL.

  “Bricker seems”: Hagerty, p. 8 (Feb. 8, 1954). “People for it”: DDE Diary, Phone Calls, Box 5, DDEL. “There was”: Ambrose, p. 69. “A secret”: Manchester, Glory, p. 674. Reported it out: Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 359. “Lyndon Johnson”: Dulles to Eisenhower, DDE Diary, June 25, Box 5, DDEL. “Unalterable”: NYT, Jan. 31, 1954. “Insured that”: MacNeil, p. 118.

  Johnson’s broadcast: “Address by Senator Lyndon B. Johnson … For Release to Monday AM’s, Sept. 14, 1953,” Statements, Box 13, JSP. Down on the ranch: Rather, Reedy interviews. Johnson’s thinking: Reedy interview and OH; Steele interview; Siegel OH; Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, pp. 90–91; Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, pp. 358–60; Tananbaum, pp. 145–46; “Senator Johnson Discusses Bricker Amendment,” Sept. 14, Statements, Box 13, JSP; Reedy to Johnson, Jan. 21, 1954; Siegel to Johnson, Jan. 23, 26, 28, 29, 30, 1954, Box 374, JSP.

  “We’ve got”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 91. “To get”: Humphrey OH II, p. 16. Two memoranda: Siegel to Johnson, both Jan. 23, 26, 1954, Box 374, JSP. “Just a quick”: Siegel OH. George amendment: NYT, Jan. 28, 1954. “Sounded”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 83. Johnson further flattered George by making it appear as if he was the leader of the fight. When he and Russell met reporters during the fight, he said, “We’re standing with Walter” (NYT, Jan. 30, 1954), “Within”: NYT, Jan. 28, 1954.

  “DDE Diary,” Phone calls: Eisenhower to Smith, Jan. 27, 1954, Box 5, DDEL. “Broadly”; Bricker’s speech: NYT, WP, Jan. 29. “Republicans”: Telephone call from Smith, Jan. 28, 1954. “Were reluctant”: Tananbaum, p. 150. “Pretty soon”: DDE Diary, Phone Calls, Eisenhower to Brownell, Jan. 29, Box 5, DDEL. “Couldn’t:” DDE Diary, Phone Calls, “Conversation with Atty. Gen. Brownell,” Feb. 3, 1954, Box 5, DDEL. “So tired”: Hagerty, pp. 13, 14 (Feb. 1, 2, 1954). “The fight was”; “Different philosophies”; “the headlines”: NYT, Jan. 31, 1954.

  GOP liaison men: DDEP, OF 116-H-4, DDEL; Harlow, Holt interviews; Tananbaum, p. 174. 42 to 50: NYT, WP, Feb. 26, 1954. And see DDE Diary, Jan. 18, 1954, Box 4.

  “Passed the word”: Newsweek, Feb. 15, 1954. Tried to prepare: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, pp. 90, 91; Tananbaum, pp. 179, 188–89; Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 359; Harlow, Reedy, Rogers interviews. William S. White would later report that Jackson and Magnuson first voted for the George Amendment as a substitute and then, “out of respect” for George, switched and voted against it (NYT, Feb. 27, 1954). “Continued”: Tananbaum, p. 174. “Mr. President”: Know-land, CR, 83/2, pp. 2371–372. “If we are not”: “Vote! Vote! Vote!”: CR, 83/2, pp. 2373–375; Time, March 8, 1954. “Mark”; saluted: George, quoted in Time, March 8; CR, 83/2, pp. 2373–374.

  Switching: NYHT, NYT, WP, WS, Feb. 27. Kilgore’s vote: Maddox, Kilgore, p. 317; Time, Newsweek, March 8, 1954. Baker, Wheeling and Dealing (p. 91), says he was ill. Time says he “had been resting on a couch in his office all afternoon.” Others, including Tananbaum (pp. 179–80) and Holt (interview), say the reason he was resting was alcohol. “Stall”; “How am I”: Time, March 8, 1954. The CR (83/2, p. 2373) has a different version of Magnuson’s statement.

  “Wanted major”: Ambrose, pp. 65, 66.

  Told Brown, Richardson: Clark interview. “We had”: Johnson to Clark, March 3, 1954, Box 15, LBJA SN (folder 4 of 4).

  23. Tail-Gunner Joe

  “The most”: Robert Sherrill, “The Trajectory of a Bumbler,” NYT Book Review, p. 11, June 5, 1983. “A fraud”: Byrd, The Senate, p. 571. “From the”: Byrd, p. 573. Johnson was asked: White, quoted in Miller, Lyndon, p. 163; McCulloch, Rauh, Rowe interviews. “Something”: Rowe interview. In his OH, White says he told Johnson, “You really must do something about this damned fellow.”

  “I’m for”: Malone, quoted in Sidey, “The Presidency,” Life, April 29, 1966. Asset; “Keep talking”: Patterson, Mr. Republican, p. 446. “There was”: NYT, Jan. 7, 1951.

  Lehman episode: Alsop, The Center, pp. 8, 9. “At that”: Reedy, quoted in Miller, p. 166. “For what he says”: White, Citadel, p. 123. “Would be forced”: Evans and Novak, LBJ: Exercise, p. 81.

  “Joe will go”: Evans and Novak, p. 81. “About how”: Arthur Stehling, “A Country Lawyer,” unnumbered page, unpublished memoir (in author’s possession). “He said”: Stehling interview. “Well, I met”: Oltorf interview (Oltorf was present during this exchange). “it seems”: Evans and Novak, p. 81. “Loudmouthed”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 94.

  Largest: Oshinsky, Conspiracy, pp. 319, 419; Gary Cartwright, “Hugh Roy Cullen’s Last Hurrah,” Texas Monthly, Jan. 1986; Theodore H. White, “Texas: Land of Wealth and Fear,” The Reporter, May 25, June 8, 1954; Edward T. Folliard, “Texas Big Dealers,” WP, Feb. 14–19, 1954.

  “A nut”: Clark interview. “A screwball”: Reedy interview; Reedy, quoted in Miller, p. 162. “Old witch”: Fath, quoted in Miller, p. 161.

  “Bill, that’s”: Miller, p. 163. “to kill a snake”; “He kept”: Miller, p. 166.

  “He just”: Humphrey OH I, p. 24. “To realize”: Reedy, LBJ, p. 106. “Has been dragged”; “Joe has made”: Miller, p. 166. “God”: Reedy OH III, p. 12. “The Hayden episode”: Reedy, p. 107; St. Claire interview. Also see Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 143.

  Russell’s signal: Fite, Russell, p. 284. “Come on”: Humphrey, quoted in Miller, p. 170, and OH. “Give names: Miller, p. 170. “Tarnished”; “hurt”: Oshinsky, p. 321. “The fact”: Symington interview. “You wait”: Oshinsky, p. 293. “Behind”; “I would not”: Patterson, pp. 594, 595.

  Liberals pleaded: Byrd, p. 573; Cohen, McCulloch, Rowe, Symington interviews; Humphrey, quoted in Miller, p. 171. Lehman asked: Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 362. “Everybody”: Maverick to Johnson, April 2, 1954; Johnson to Maverick, April 27, May 12, 1954, LBJA CF, Box 50. “If I were”; Johnson told: Evans and Novak, pp. 81, 82. Popularity began; “Ike wants”: Oshinsky, pp. 464, 438. “He knew”: SHJ, quoted in Miller, p. 168. 30 percent; “that weapon”: Oshinsky, p. 465. “That Maine”: Shaffer, On and Off, p. 23.

  On July 29: “Minutes of Democratic Policy Committee, Room G-18, July 29, 1954,” Box 364, JSP. He had lined up: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 94.

  Selecting the committee: Evans and Novak, pp. 83–84; White, Citadel, pp. 127–31. “Knowland theoretically”: White OH. “It had never”: Reedy, quoted in Miller, p. 172. Ed Johnson hated; “Essential”: Evans and Novak, p. 84.

  “Left”: Oshinsky, p. 481. “Contra
ry”: White, Citadel, p. 132. Lined up behind it: Oshinsky, pp. 484–85, 491; Humphrey, quoted in Miller, p. 171. “Squiggly”: Reedy, Johnson, p. 108.

  “The size”; “on rather”; “We have”: Oshinsky, p. 492. “Whatever”: McCulloch interview. “Splendid”: Douglas OH.

  “Could have been”: Oshinsky, p. 507. “Johnson’s role”: Dallek, Lone Star, p. 458.

  24. The “Johnson Rule”

  All dates are 1955 unless otherwise noted.

  Morse deal: Drukman, Wayne Morse, pp. 224–25; Smith, Tiger in the Senate, Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 392; White, Citadel, pp. 187–88; Fleeson, WS, Jan. 11; Pearson, WP, Jan. 2; Steele to Williamson, Jan. 13, SP. “Morse never”; “I don’t know”: Steinberg, p. 392. “He would”: NYT, Jan. 11.

  “I respectfully”; “I would”: Quoted in Goodwin, Lyndon Johnson, p. 115. “Four measures”: O’Mahoney to Johnson, Aug. 15, 1958, “Papers of the Democratic Leader,” Box 367, JSP.

  Using Siegel, Reedy, Bibolet: Siegel, Reedy, Bibolet interviews and OHs. Starting to manage the bills: Riddick, Shuman, Zagoria, Zweben interviews. “In the past”: Riddick interview. “A spring”: Johnson, quoted in Goodwin, Lyndon Johnson, p. 121. “Assurance that”: Robertson to Johnson, March 15, 1956, “Legis—B&C Com., Bank Holding Co. Bill, Sen. Res. S. 2577,” Robertson Papers, College of William and Mary. “Now”: Rid-dick interview.

  “Save”: Stokes, WS, Jan. 6. “We have”: NYHT, May 6. “Have been”: Stewart Alsop, WP, May 21. “He didn’t”: Smathers OH.

  “Lyndon, I want”: “Conversations with Senator Kefauver, 11 a.m., Jan. 11, 1955,” Box 47, LBJA.

  Badly wanted: Lehman to Johnson, Nov. 4, 1954; Dec. 2, 1954; Jan. 13, 1955; Johnson to Lehman, Nov. 8, Dec. 21, 1954, Jan. 13, 1955, HHLP. “Was more concerned”: Pearson, WP, Jan. 2. No Senate rule: Edelstein to Kilgore, Dec. 10, 1954; Edelstein interview. Johnson gave: Pearson, WP, Jan. 2.