General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI'm dreaming of LBJ when he was the Senate Majority Leader.
Lyndon Johnson had a Republican President, whom he was able to work with. He had a narrow majority of Democrats but still was able to get his agenda, a progressive agenda, through the Senate. Here is a snippet of how he did it.
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/People_Leaders_Johnson.htm
In leading a narrow majority, Johnson relied on his power of persuasion to keep the Democratic Conference united and round up additional votes among Republican senators. Reporters Rowland Evans and Robert Novak described the "Johnson Treatment" in their book Lyndon B. Johnson: The Exercise of Power (1966):
Its tone could be supplication, accusation, cajolery, exuberance, scorn, tears, complaint, the hint of threat. It was all of these together. It ran the gamut of human emotions. Its velocity was breathtaking, and it was all in one direction. Interjections from the target were rare. Johnson anticipated them before they could be spoken. He moved in close, his face a scant millimeter from his target, his eyes widening and narrowing, his eyebrows rising and falling. From his pockets poured clippings, memos, statistics. Mimicry, humor, and genius of analogy made The Treatment an almost hypnotic experience and rendered the target stunned and helpless.
Johnson suffered a serious heart attack in 1955, and afterwards tried to moderate his pace. During long absences, while he was recuperating at his Texas ranch, he relied heavily on the Democratic Secretary, Bobby Baker, who maneuvered to postpone legislation until the majority leader could return to Washington. Then Johnson would call up a series of bills in a rush, passing them by unanimous consent agreement, and making it clear who was in charge.
I want a majority leader who can administer THE TREATMENT and that isn't Harry Reid.
newfie11
(8,159 posts)It is to bad he ended up with Vietnam.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)He had negotiated some kind of peace and Nixon made another underhanded deal that undermined the whole thing. This is why he didn't run for President again, it seems.
newfie11
(8,159 posts)And now that it has been released the msn
Will never mention it.
former9thward
(32,064 posts)Something that is not a CT site.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)I was just going from memory and I heard it on Thom Hartmann, and Thom doesn't pull stuff out of his ass.
newfie11
(8,159 posts)Truthout.Org has the whole thing in print. I hope the link works.
Yes I head the telephone conversation on Hartman several times and yes LBJ is calling this treason.
Sekhmets Daughter
(7,515 posts)Paris Peace talks. Nixon, using back channels, promised the corrupt president of South Vietnam, Thieu, (I think) that he, Nixon would prolong the war for 4 more years and then send significant financial aid for 4 more after that.
Thieu then did everything possible to frustrate any attempt at a peace process.
MrSlayer
(22,143 posts)The corporatists and oligarchs that bought him and the rest of the government. Why do we keep pretending Reid is weak or naive? He is doing the bidding of his masters, just like the rest of the creeps on Capital Hill.
All we have are the progressive caucus and a few senators. Everyone else is a sellout.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)give "The Treatment"? It's time.
MrSlayer
(22,143 posts)Because I don't think anyone wants to. Obviously I'd take Sanders or Sherrod Brown or someone like that but the fact remains that there is zero support in the senate for a leader that cares about the people. It's all corporatism, all the time from both parties.
Anyone that can actually become the leader will do the same thing Reid is doing because they will be beholden to the same moneyed interests that own the majority of officeholders.
LeftInTX
(25,493 posts)Wish there were more like him.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)Republican. I mean how can he be that ineffective.
Spider Jerusalem
(21,786 posts)Cleita
(75,480 posts)OldDem2012
(3,526 posts)...to "influence" the number of votes he needed to pass the legislation he wanted, or to vote down bills he disliked.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)I'm not into violence or dirty tricks, but now with this Congress, I want it because it's the only way to treat these bullies.
The Magistrate
(95,249 posts)Most of the people who praise him now here would have been eager to tear strips off his hide back then....
Cleita
(75,480 posts)He got it done and so should Harry if he cares about this country more than the Kabuki theater under his aegis.
newfie11
(8,159 posts)truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)Harry Reid needs to call it a day. He's never been a strong Majority Leader and now he's just pathetic.