LBJ

[Stinky The Clown]

I have, of late, come to increasingly admire LBJ. Yes, my generation's war in Viet Nam was made far worse by LBJ's decisions. And for that he will always be vilified. But even while in office he realized his wrong and manned up. He chose not to run for reelection. There could well have been other reasons, but surely the war was a big factor.

He also chose to spend every tiny bit of his political capital on The Great Society. He fought some in his party and the opposition. He did what he had to do.

He twisted arms.

He charmed.

He horse traded and cajoled.

And then he twisted more arms. He was serious about what he wanted to accomplish and accomplish it he did. Yes, he was pushed, too, by people like MLK. But in the end, it was LBJ who put it ALL on the line for what he believed in.

He twisted arms. And he spent his last political nickle, but by gawd, he got it DONE.

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Poor LBJ...

I don't know if the movie Path to War is correct, but if it is, it's sad at what some in his administration did to him.

[Lifelong Protester]

2. that man knew how to get it done

there never was a man (or woman) who could work the halls of power like him. I hope Obama is reading some of Caro's books on LBJ, to see how he did it. The pressure had to be kept up, that is for sure.

[Birthmark]

3. He did the right thing.

He knew he was giving up the South, but he still did the right thing wrt CRA.

[corkhead]

4. My republicon dad hated him and his "great society" (always said with a tinge of sarcasm)

I remember Chronkite tearing up when he announced Johnson's death during his newscast.

therefore he must have been good

[county worker]

5. I can still remember when he came on TV and told all of us why the civil rights struggle was

important. And he was a Southerner. I like this that he said about bipartisanship. "I'd rather have them inside the tent pissing out then outside the tent pissing in." He drafted me into the war. I don't really like him and never respected him. I guess in Vietnam I hated him. I hated seeing his picture everywhere on the walls.

I heard that he and Dr King were friends but after the civil rights laws were passed they parted ways for some reason that I don't remember.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

8. They split over Vietnam -

King became an ardent opponent of the war, and that rankled Johnson...........

[TexasObserver]

6. Yes, if he hadn't fallen for the Vietnam trap, he'd be one of the great ones.

I met him when I was a soldier. 1968. He took my hand with both of his hands (and they were big) and thanked me. I didn't understand the war back then, but I was proud the commander in chief, the president, was shaking my hand.

Only later did I understand the significance of all the good he had done, and the horror of his going all-in for Vietnam.

[Naturyl]

7. The Great Society was the last major push to address poverty.

What little the poor have, they owe to FDR and this man.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

9. K&R

If you ever want to dedicate a good chunk of your time to some spectacular writing on a spectacular subject, get your paws on Robert Caro's biography of LBJ - three volumes that are just masterful. A real joy to read.

Also, Caro wrote about Johnson in the Senate, which is another worthy tome.

I was lucky enough to work for a man who'd worked in the White House for both Truman and LBJ. Charlie's affection for both men was always evident, and I was an utter twit, a young lawyer working at the side of a Washington legend who used to send me to Averell Harriman's house to pick up documents for the Truman Scholarship group or over to Clark Clifford's office for the same reason, knowing that I wouldn't understand for years what adventures he was giving me.

But, one day, full of life, and full of my own pretty self, I asked Charlie, a lovely Southern gentleman, "Do you think President Truman would have liked me?"

Ever the patient man, Charlie said, "I think Mr. Truman would have liked you very much."

Encouraged, I then asked, "Do you think President Johnson would have liked me?"

And with that, Charlie grinned broadly, and almost roared, "Oh, Mr. Johnson would have LOVED you."

The things Johnson accomplished, we should note them regularly, and perhaps the mistakes he made with Vietnam, as poorly served as he was, will not be all that he's remembered for. I wonder how many people today know that Medicare and Medicaid came about because of LBJ?

K&R, absolutely and with great pleasure..................

[MADem]

10. He was larger than life. Full of himself, and a real dichotomy of a human being.

But he was the sort who took responsibility. That's rather a rare quality.

If you haven't heard his conversation with Joe Hager, you're missing a gem!

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/prestapes/lbj_haggar.html

[rateyes]

13. I've heard that conversation with Hager

of the Hager pants company. Priceless. LBJ was "down to earth."

[Stinky The Clown]

14. Is 'down to earth' euphemistic for 'colorful'?

Cuz Lyndon wudn't nuttin' if not colorful!

:hi:

[rateyes]

18. Another good description.

[timeforpeace]

11. But he couldn't get Robert Byrd to vote for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or the Voting Rights Act of

1965.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Perhps it was LBJ who inspired Sen Byrd to change his views in his later life .....

...... or not.

[bvar22]

15. LBJ was a "Democrat" with a BIG D.

He was NOT a triangulating "Centrist".

I wish LBJ was spearheading Health Care Reform.

Can you imagine Harry Reid telling LBJ he would "just have to wait because the Republicans needed more time"!!
:rofl:


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[david13]

16. He was a democrats democrat. He was dedicated to

the cause. He was vilified for his involvement in civil rights, as he was a Texan, which at that time was deep south (er, I guess it still is).
dc

[Union Yes]

17. We could use a "Master of the Senate" nowadays.

[Are_grits_groceries]

19. LBJ is what I call a 50/50 person.

He is damned because of Vietnam.
However, the work he did on bills for civil rights, voting rights, and his Great Society attempt to help people puts him in a small number of the greats on the domestic front.

I remember 2 stories from one of his biographies. When he got out of college, the first job he had was teaching in a tiny Texas town near the border. He had a lot of very poor Hispanic students. He didn't mail it in or shrug. He told those kids they could and would learn. They did. He pushed them to higher achievement and made a difference.

LBJ grew up dirt poor. I don't think he ever forgot it, and that is one reason he pushed so hard on domestic policies.

The other story is about the aftermath of one of the horrible hurricanes along the gulf coast. He was down there the day after it passed. There was no electricity, but he met with a lot of people in a church that was still standing. He held a flashlight up to his face and told them that he was down there to help, and would order a lot more help for them. Quite a contrast to W.

LBJ would have mushed Reid. If Reid had the position under LBJ, Johnson would have ridden him 24/7 to get the work done. He would have had meetings with those "blue dogs" and given them something to be blue about. He also knew where the bodies were buried and wasn't loathe to play those cards if he had them.

Somebody needs to channel him. Don't underestimate Waxman. Anybody who can beat Dingell out of a chairmanship is someone to be reckoned with. That suprised the hell out of me because Dingell can be a bastard.