“The finance”: Evans and Novak, LBJ: Exercise, p. 101. “It had been”: Stokes, WS, Jan. 11. “I’m gonna”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 66.
“At his best”: Fleeson, WS, Jan. 11.
“Just not”: St. Claire interview; Maybank to Skeeter, Nov. 7; Kefauver to Johnson, Sept. 9, Oct. 22, 1953, Dec. 18, 1954; Johnson to Kefauver, Dec. 27, 1954; Gore to Johnson, Aug. 31, Box 506, JSP.
Master keys: Jenkins interview. The startled Ensley: Ensley to Caro, Dec. 11, 1981 (in author’s possession); Ensley interview, OH. “After”: Goodwin, Lyndon Johnson, p. 103.
A silence: Busby, Jenkins interviews. “He wouldn’t”: Edelstein interview. Incident: “Lehman, Telephoned …,” Nov. 26, “Immigration Bill re: hearings” folder, HHLP; Edelstein interview.
“You’d walk”: Edelstein interview. Chat with assistant: McCulloch, Shuman interviews. “Skeeter would”: Shuman interview. “Longshoremen’s”: MacNeil interview. “Cutting”: Edelstein interview. “What the”: Schnibbee interview.
“My God”: Evans and Novak, p. 102. Aides gossiped: Interviews with aides, including BeLieu, Bernstein, Fensterwald, McCulloch, McGillicuddy, Schnibbe, Shuman, Zweben.
Symington’s feelings: Symington interview, OH. Johnson resented: BeLieu, Busby interviews.
“Not a team player”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 65. Baker says that “this was another way of saying that Symington was an independent loner who refused to let LBJ get a grip on him.” Johnson felt that Symington was an “ingrate” because of the “campaign money” Johnson had raised for his campaigns. Sam Houston Johnson says that “Johnson didn’t like” Symington because Symington was a rival for the presidential nomination (SHJ interview); Symington interview.
“Senators mutually”: MacNeil, Dirksen, p. 137. “Hell”: Lucas, quoted in Reedy interview. If President Kennedy: Jackson, quoted in Reston, Deadline, pp. 304–05.
“As for”: Long, quoted in Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 456. “When somebody”: Van den Linden interview.
“Unanimous Consent Agreements”: In 1955, Rule XII, paragraph 3 read: “No request by a senator for unanimous consent for the taking of a final vote on a specified date upon the passage of a bill or joint resolution shall be submitted to the Senate for agreement thereto until, upon a roll call ordered for the purpose by the presiding officer, it shall be disclosed that a quorum of the Senate is present; and when unanimous consent is thus given the same shall operate as the order of the Senate, but any unanimous consent may be revoked by a unanimous consent granted in the manner prescribed above, upon one day’s notice” (Senate Manual, 83/1, pp. 18–19).
Prior to World War II: Galloway, Legislative Process, pp. 555–56.
“It was”: Riddick interviews; OH. “After Mr. Johnson came”: Riddick OH, p. 253. Riddick says that with these innovations “Mr. Johnson … introduced a new procedure in the Senate or at least expanded it, or made it more common than it had ever been before in modern times.” This discussion of his unanimous consent agreement innovations and their impact on the Senate is drawn from Riddick, Senate Procedure, principally pp. 1064–1102; Evans and Novak, pp. 114–15; Galloway, Legislative Process, pp. 552–57; from interviews with Riddick, who was assistant parliamentarian of the Senate from 1951 to 1964, and parliamentarian from 1964 to 1974; with Murray Zweben, assistant parliamentarian from 1964 to 1974 and parliamentarian from 1974 to 1980; with Bernard V. Somers, assistant journal clerk during the 1950s; with Senate Historian Richard A. Baker and Associate Historian Donald A. Ritchie; and with many senatorial staff members, of whom Frank McCulloch, Darrell St. Claire, and Howard Shuman were especially helpful.
“Johnson would come up”: Riddick interview.
“There is … no rule”: Riddick, Senate Procedures, p. 1066. “Can be set aside” only: Riddick, p. 1066. Rules very different: Riddick, pp. 1065–1102. “Must be presented … without debate”: Riddick, p. 1069. “Where an amendment”: Riddick, p. 1073. Had to be subtracted: Riddick, pp. 52–56, 1073, 1083–85.
“Russell held”: Riddick interview. “Not germane … out of order”: Riddick, p. 51.
“A senator cannot be recognized”: Riddick, p. 1083. And see pp. 886–87. “Because of”; “if a senator offered”: Zweben interview.
“Of course”: Evans and Novak, p. 115.
“As long as”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 3. “diversionary”: Reedy, LBJ, pp. 82, 86. “Hubert prepares”: Johnson, quoted in Moody, LBJ, p. 52. “Whenever”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 4. “Relic”; “interlude”: McPherson, Political Education, p. 76. “Keep it”; “We’ve got”: Edelsten, Shuman interviews. “Greek tragedy”: Douglas, quoted in Goodwin, Lyndon Johnson, p. 136. “It is”: Johnson, quoted in Goodwin, p. 141.
“He regarded”; “absolutely”; “merely exercises”: Reedy, Johnson, pp. 6, 7, 68. “Attitude left no room”; Reedy, p. 82. “The role of public debate”: Reedy, p. 7. “A natural”: Goodwin, p. 130. “Abhorred”: Reedy, p. 6. “His constant”: McPherson, p. 169. Did not believe: Edelstein interview. “If”: Shuman interview.
25. The Leader
“He would stand”: The description of Johnson briefing the journalists, and of Johnson running the Senate, is based on interviews with journalists Robert Barr, Jim Brady, John Chadwick, Benjamin Cole, Allen Drury, Lewis T. (Tex) Easley, Alan S. Emory, Rowland Evans, John Finney, John Goldsmith, Neil MacNeil, Sarah McClendon, Hugh Sidey, John L. Steele, Alfred Steinberg, George Tames, J. William Theis, Tom Wicker, Frank Van Der Linden, and Sam Zagoria; with the following Senate staff members (who would often have been on the podium): Parliamentarian Floyd Riddick, Secretary to the Parliamentarian Murray Zweben, and Assistant Journal Clerk Bernard V. Somers; as well as the senators, assistants to senators, and members of the Senate’s staff and Lyndon Johnson’s staff listed in the “Note on Sources.” “He would”: Steele interview. “Somebody”; “if you”; “he knew”: Barr interview. “There would”: Mooney, LBJ, p. 162. “He would answer”: MacNeil interview. “You didn’t”: Barr interview. “The buildup”: Drury interview. “Power just”: Barr interview. “In command”: Cole interview.
“C’mon, c’mon”: Riddick, Zweben interviews.
Potter exchange: CR, 83/1, May 26, 1955.
“And even”: Barr interview. “Lister”; “if you”; “he would”: Patrick J. Hynes interview. “Viciously”: Reedy interview. “Good places”: Hynes interview. “Don’t quit”: McCulloch interview. Sending Baker: Rid-dick interview. “Don’t talk”; “I’d go”: Edelstein interview.
“Make it short”: McCulloch interview. “Like a coon dog”; “The Senate was”: Steele to Williamson, March 4, 1958, SP. “Get the lead”: Fensterwald interview. “Why don’t”: Davidson, quoted in Miller, Lyndon, p. 220.
“Seeing how”: Read interview. “You ready”: Schnibbe interview. “Jiggling”: Shuman interview. “Going from”; “baggy-cut”: MacNeil to Williamson, March 4, 1958, MP.
“By God!”: Fensterwald interview. “Fucking senator”: Schnibbe interview. Grabbed Baker’s: Fensterwald, Steele interviews. “Look”: Robert S. Allen, quoted in Miller, p. 175; Allen OH, SRL.
Lifting up Pastore: Mooney, p. 31; Reedy interview. Mutter along; “CALL THE QUESTION!”: Riddick, Steele, Zweben interviews.
“Revving up”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 177; Reedy interview. “Orchestra conductor”: Steele interview and Steele to Williamson, March 4, 1958, SP. Johnson directing Senate voting: Interviews with Barr, Fensterwald, MacNeil, Shuman, Steele, and Evans and Novak, LBJ: Exercise, p. 114;Goodwin, Lyndon Johnson, p. 130; Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 412. “You would see”: Wicker interview. “In front”: MacNeil interview. “Change your vote”: Evans and Novak, p. 96; Steinberg, p. 497. “His mind attuned”: Sidey, Personal Presidency, p. 45. “Signal, and”: Sidey interview.
“Often”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 90. “Played Leader”: Sidey interview. “Master”: Dugger, Politician. The subtitle of Ronnie Dugger’s biography of Johnson, The Politician, is The Life and Times
of Lyndon Johnson, the Drive for Power, from the Frontier to Master of the Senate.
26. “Zip, Zip”
All dates are 1955 unless otherwise noted.
Reciprocal trade bill: Fleeson, WS, June 3; McClendon, Sherman Democrat, May 17, HP, June 12; NYT, April 5, May 21; WP, April 5; Steele to Williamson, May 5, SP. “Could have”: Stewart Alsop, “A Real Pro at Work in the Senate,” WP, May 21.
Kilgore report: CR, 84/1, May 25. In a single: Newsweek, June 27. “Certainly”: Alsop, CR, 84/1, May 25.
“Engage”; “elbow room”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, pp. 93, 107; interview. “Southern dons”: Mooney, LBJ, p. 48. “Lyndon”: Mooney, p. 31. Not invited: Reedy interview.
“Just as”: Dent interview.
“We had”: Douglas, Fullness of Time, p. 280. “Shrewd”: “FROM: Walter White … For release … Jan. 13, 1955” attached to Humphrey to Johnson, Jan. 13, Box 2, WHFN. Using Hubert: Douglas, p. 280; Solberg (Hubert Humphrey, pp. 169–71) says dryly: “It is hard to see what Humphrey was getting in legislation in return for his cooperation with Johnson. Not a single one of his measures went through in those years.” “Abandon”: Steele to Williamson, Jan. 6, quoted in Dallek, Lone Star, p. 478. “Should give”; “bad mistake”; “sealed”: Douglas, p. 280.
Powell’s amendment: Hamilton, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., pp. 225–35. “The issue”: WS, June 6. Eisenhower spoke: NYT, June 9.
“The informal … footrace”: Cormier, AP story, newspaper unidentified, Jan. 9, clippings file, LBJL. “Millions”: Ambrose, Eisenhower, p. 249. Shunted; “It is difficult”: Donahue, “The Prosecution Rests,” The New Republic, May 23. Same point made by Fleeson, WS, April 21.
Democratic dinner: H P, WP, April 17. “Moderation”: WN, April 18. Truman interview: NYT, April 18. “I have got”: CCC-T, April 19. “My heart”: WP, April 19. “Many Democrats”: WN, April 18. “Some Democrats”: Fleeson, WS, May 11. “Southern”: Fleeson, WS, June 3. “Malleable”: Drummond, DT-H, May 6. “Lyin’ Down”: Pearson, WP, quoted in Dugger, Politician, p. 377.
70,000: CR, 84/1, p. 7723.
Anathema: Goldsmith, Colleagues, p. 48. Capehart’s amendment: CR, 84/1 pp. 7726–727.
“Taken for granted”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 108. “Exercises”: Shaffer, On and Off, p. 113. Counts the same; “the housing bill”: Reedy memo, June 8, Box 412, JSP; Steele to Williamson, June 9, SP. With an air: Evans and Novak, LBJ: Exercise, p. 150. “Affably”: Baltimore Sun, June 8; Steele to Williamson, June 9, SP. A mask: Reedy interview. It was true: Johnson’s arguments to the southerners are in Matthews, U.S. Senators, pp. 128–29; in Miller, Lyndon, pp. 177–78; in Reedy memo, June 8; Reedy, U.S. Senate, pp. 107–10, and LBJ, pp. 83–84; Humphrey, Sparkman OHs; Reedy, Steele interviews. “Only a little”: Reedy, quoted in Miller, p. 178. “One”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 178. “Lyndon”: Steele to Williamson, June 9, SP. For an expurgated version: Reedy, quoted in Miller, p. 178.
“Anyone”: Douglas, in CR, 84/1, pp. 7734–735.
Getting Humphrey to Chamber: CR, 84/1, p. 7759; Humphrey OH II; Reedy interview. “Damn it”; “as the”; had Johnson needed: Steele to Williamson, June 9, SP. “Capehart’s head”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 109. Vote: CR, 84/1, p. 7753. Later, when it was certain that their votes would make no difference in the outcome, Russell and East-land voted aye, and were so recorded. 60 to 25:CR, 84/1, p. 7754. “As soon”: Reedy, pp. 109–10. And see Goldsmith, p. 49. “A genius”; “I am frank”: CR, 84/1, p. 7759. Scene in G-14: Evans and Novak, p. 151; Shuman interview.
Eisenhower had proposed; working on subcommittee: Evans and Novak, p. 149. One-dollar minimum: Lincoln, WS, June 5.
“The cloakroom”: McCulloch interview. “I think”: Humphrey OH III, p. 27. “Mr. President”: CR, 84/1, p. 7873. “Zip, zip”; “boy, oh”: Humphrey OH III, p. 27. Hill didn’t know; Lehman “speechless”: Evans and Novak, p. 150.
“Obviously”: Reedy, U.S. Senate, p. 13. Neely’s agreement; “some of”: CR, 84/1, p. 7874. “I was wrong”: McCulloch interview. The last time: Entire Senate Voting Record, p. 301; Dugger, p. 293. Laughing among themselves: Fleeson, WS, June 9.
“The talk”: Carpenter, HP, June 12. “LYNDON MOVES”: Lincoln, WS, June 11. “The Texas-sized”: WSJ, June 10. “On several”: WP, June 30. “Snatched”: Fleeson, WS, June 9. “The deftness”: Pearson, WP, June 13. “THE TEXAN”: Newsweek, June 27.
Lack of enthusiasm: For example, Fleeson, WS, June 3. Russell’s withdrawal; “Will inherit”: Timmons, DMN, May 28. Byrd himself: CR, 84/1, p. 9559. Smathers had; editorial: Abilene Reporter-News, Orlando Sentinel, July 3; Jenkins interview. “Exuberant”: The New Republic, July 4. “Gallery Glimpses”: WP, July 3. “Be on”: Evans and Novak, p. 89.
27. “Go Ahead with the Blue”
All dates are 1955 unless otherwise noted.
Krock luncheon: NYT, July 7. “More than”: Gonella interview; Mooney, LBJ, p. 58. “It has”: WP, July 3. So ashen: Leslie Carpenter, HP, June 12. Hardly one: Jenkins interview. “Chain-smoking”: Baker, Good Times, pp. 335–37. “A starving”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, p. 70.
Illness during first campaign: Caro, Path, pp. 433–36. “I never”: Caro, Path, p 425. During second campaign: Caro, Means, Chapter 10.
Suddenly clutched: WP, Aug. 14;Mooney OH; Busby interview. “He ate”: Smathers, quoted in Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 413. Cursory: Steinberg, p. 298. “A flutter”: Chadwick interview. “Near the edge”: Steele, WS, July 6. Dinner: Symington OH I, pp. 14, 15.
During the morning: Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 414. Chadwick episode: Chadwick, Theis interviews; Theis OH; Chad-wick, “When a Lieutenant Outranked a Commander,” AP Cleartime, Nov. 1998, pp. 1, 2. Lunch: Evans and Novak, LBJ: Exercise, p. 91. “I remember”: Lyndon B. Johnson, “My Heart Attack Taught Me How to Live,” American Magazine, July 1956; Johnson, quoted in Miller, Lyndon, p. 101. At Huntlands: Brown, Oltorf interviews, OHs; Anderson OH.
“Lyndon, I think”: Anderson OH; Anderson, quoted in Evans and Novak, p. 91, and in Miller, p. 181. “An absolute”: Caro, Path, p. 156; also see p. 174. Coolness in Pacific: Caro, Means, Chapter 3. Ambulance ride: Oltorf interview.
At Bethesda: Dr. J. Willis Hurst, Lady Bird Johnson interviews; Jenkins, Reedy interviews and OHs; Montgomery, Mrs. LBJ, p. 53; Russell, Lady Bird, pp. 175–76; Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 416. “A real”: Newsweek, Nov. 7; Reedy interview. “Where his will”: Jenkins OH. “Tell him”: Mrs. Johnson, quoted in Miller, p. 181. “Sensuous”: Mrs. Johnson, quoted in Dallek, Lone Star, p. 486. Doctors said: Dr. Hurst interview; Jenkins OH.
28. Memories
All dates are 1955 unless otherwise noted.
“Fifty-fifty”: Lyndon B. Johnson, “My Heart Attack Taught Me How to Live,” American Magazine, July 1956; Los Angeles Inquirer, Dec. 2; Reedy OH VIII.
Details of heart attack: Interviews with Dr. Willis Hurst, M.D.; Cain OH; Lady Bird Johnson, “Can You Prevent a Heart Attack?” This Week, Feb. 12, 1956. “A myocardial”: NYT, WP, July 6. “The immediate”: Fleeson, WP, July 5. “HEART ATTACK”: Nashua Telegraph, July 6. “Six months”: NYT, July 10.
“He felt”: Jenkins OH. “White”: Culhane interview. “For almost”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, pp. 151, 152. “For the”: Reedy OH VIII. “Project Impossible”: Mooney, LBJ, pp. 60, 61.
“His nurses”: Cain, quoted in Miller, Lyndon, p. 182. “Simultaneously”: NYP, May 28, 1956. “He really”: Reedy OH VIII. “Demanding”: Baker, Wheeling and Dealing, pp. 151, 152. “We”: Jenkins to Johnson, July 18, Box 96, Masters, JSP. “Oh, now”: Boston Globe, Sept. 15. “Why”: Lyndon B. Johnson, “My Heart Attack Taught Me How to Live,” American Magazine, July 1956. “If he”: Cain OH. “To cut”: Reedy OH, interviews. “Mary”: Jenkins to Rather, July 23, Chronology, “Chronologies,” 1955, LBJL.
“Over and over”: Reedy OH VIII. Illness had deepened: Reedy OH VIII; Busby, Jenkins, Rather, Reedy interviews. “Give Lyndon”; “I miss”: Smith, President’s Lady, pp. 64, 65. “Everybody”:
McGrory, WS, Aug. 21.
“Stay with me”; “at first”; Worley dinner: Montgomery, Mrs. LBJ, p. 53. “Lyndon wanted”: Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 418. “Did fear”: Jenkins OH.
Put the pack: Lyndon B. Johnson, “My Heart Attack Taught Me How to Live,” American Magazine, July 1956; Newsweek, Nov. 7; Mooney, p. 62; Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 419; Jenkins, SHJ interviews. “Every”: Gonella interview. Did not smoke; Cigarettes and coffee: Jenkins, SHJ interviews; Jenkins OH. “He became”; “incautiously”: Reedy OH VIII. “A fatty”: WP, Sept. 14. “A cantaloupe”: Jenkins OH. “I believe”: Mrs. Johnson to Terrell Maverick, July 28, LBJA SN, Box 27. “I’ve thrown”: Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 419.
“Stories began”: Mooney, p. 62. “There are”: McGrory, WS, Aug. 21. “Sprawled”: Newsweek, Nov. 7. “Innumerable”: Beaumont Journal, Aug. 29. “Easy-going”: McClendon, AA-S, Aug. 21. “A man”: McGrory, WS, Aug. 21.
“Representatives”: AA-S, Aug. 26. “Thinnest”: Rather, quoted in Miller, p. 182. Drew an X: SHJ interviews. Nightmares: Goodwin, Lyndon Johnson, p. 125.
Responses to Little Beagle: Montgomery, p. 56; SHJ, Rather interviews. “Some days”; “He’s going”; Sam Houston knew: SHJ, Rather interviews. “Many things”: SAE, Sept. 11. And see Jenkins to Johnson, Aug. 26, Box 3, PPCF.
“The only deal”: Califano, Triumph, pp. 29, 30.
Life at the ranch: SHJ interviews; Jenkins, Rather, Reedy interviews and OHs. “Oh”: Jenkins OH. “Every”: Reedy OH. “Outlets”: Stewart Alsop, “Lyndon Johnson: How Does He Do It?” SEP, Jan. 24, 1959. “His finger”: Califano, pp. 51, 52. “Hog call”: Corcoran interview. “When this”: Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 420. “Get along”: Lady Bird to Nellie Connally, July 16, Box 39, JSP.
Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson Page 179
