The Passage of Power (153 page)

“There they are”
:
Caro,
Master of the Senate,
pp. 939–40.
“His extreme obsessive hatred”
:
Gunther,
Inside U.S.A.,
p. 707.
“The name Byrd”
:
White, “Meet the Honorable.”

“The Byrd machine is genteel”
:
Muse, “The Durability.”
“Virginia breeds”
;
“runs the commonwealth”
:
Gunther,
U.S.A.,
pp. 705, 708.
Only 17 percent:
“The Squire of Rosemont,”
Time,
Oct. 28, 1966.
“Surmounts”
:
White, “Meet the Honorable.”
“The apparent invincibility”
:
Muse, “The Durability.”

“He hated”
:
Douglas,
In the Fullness of Time,
p. 228. Douglas described him as “The world’s largest apple grower, with cheeks as ruddy as his pippins” (p. 228).
“He had a habit”
:
Cotton,
In the Senate,
p. 165.
“Blind to charts”
;
“if you”
:
Long interview with Heinemann, Aug. 23, 1989, 14726, Room 109, Shelf 1–5a, Heinemann Papers, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library.

“When you have to hunt”
:
Heinemann,
Harry Bird of Virginia,
p. 7.

“Debt had robbed him”
:
Gerald W. Johnson, “Senator Byrd of Virginia,”
Life,
Aug. 7, 1944; “The Congress: Giving Them Fits,”
Time,
Aug. 17, 1962.
“Improvident political promises”
;
“The American dollar is the only thing”
;
“Once the American dollar goes down”
:
James R. Sweeney, “Harry Byrd: Vanished Policies and Enduring Principles,”
The Virginia Quarterly Review,
Autumn 1976, pp. 602, 603.

“Almost a sacred duty”
:
MacNeil interview.
“Would have no truck”
:
Dillon to Heinemann, July 18, 1989, 14726, Room 109, Shelf 1-a, Heinemann Papers.
Franklin Roosevelt;
“then this fellow”
;
“I am the only”
:
“The Congress: Giving Them Fits,”
Time,
Aug. 17, 1962; David Lawrence, “The Lesson of Sen. Harry Byrd,”
WES
, Nov. 15, 1965.

“Misleading … mythology”
;
“new words, new phrases”
;
“Illusions”
:
Heinemann,
Harry Byrd of Virginia,
pp. 394, 395.

“The civilian employment”
:
Time,
Aug. 17, 1962.
“Measured his success as a senator”
:
Long OH, LBJL.
Powers as a chairman:
Caro,
Master,
pp. 82–83.
“Senator Byrd was a gentleman of the old school”
:
Dillon to Heinemann, July 18, 1989, Heinemann Papers, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library.
“The old man won’t begin”
:
Heinemann,
Harry Byrd,
p. 386.
The chairman had let it be known:
MacNeil interviews;
Transcript, “10:20 A.M. from Robert Anderson,” Dec. 2, 1963,
TPR
, Vol. II, p. 34.
“He couldn’t get a quorum”
:
transcript, “2:10 P.M. to George Smathers,” Nov. 23, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. I, p. 111.
“Pillow fight in the dark”
:
Greenberg,
Presidential Doodles
.
“Absolute”
;
“nothing could be done”
;
“did not oppose”
:
Dillon to Heinemann, Heinemann Papers.

“A sweet dear guy—loved him”
:
Long interview with Heinemann, Heinemann Papers.
Douglas was informed:
Steinberg,
Sam Johnson’s Boy,
p. 407.

FDR’s attempt:
“The Gentleman from Virginia,”
Time,
Aug. 17, 1962; “The Squire of Rosemont,”
Time,
Oct. 28, 1966.
“Actually helped me”
:
Heinemann,
Harry Byrd,
p. 399.

Trying to create an alliance with Kerr:
Goldsmith, MacNeil interviews; Long interview with Heinemann, Heinemann Papers.
“Always recognized”
:
Dillon to Heinemann, July 18, 1989, 14726, Room 109, Shelf 1–5a, Heinemann Papers. And see Heinemann,
Harry Byrd,
p. 397.

“Probably” Byrd “has never been more powerful”
:
WP,
Nov. 17, 1963.
“You
couldn’t
go around Harry Byrd”
:
Busby interview. One of the most powerful Democratic members of the Finance Committee was Clinton Anderson of New Mexico, one of the senators Johnson referred to as the “whales” of the Senate. But, as Johnson said after talking to him, “he, out of deference to Harry Byrd, wouldn’t dare do it” (take it up outside of regular committee procedures) (
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 35).

Johnson had spent a lot of time:
See
Master,
pp. 148–49, 338, 413, 562, 629, 865, 901.

Not offhand:
“$100 billion” was “a sum he viewed as a psychological barrier,” wrote John Goldsmith (
Colleagues,
p. 104).

“Harry Byrd
always
”
:
Transcript, “10:31 A.M. to Clinton Anderson,” Nov. 27, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. I, p. 194.
“It would look a lot better”
:
Transcript, “10:20 A.M. from Robert Anderson,
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 36.
Mansfield phone call:
Transcript, “10:50 A.M. from Mike Mansfield,”
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 96.
Johnson telephoning Byrd:
“The Full Treatment,”
Time
, Dec. 13, 1963; MacNeil interview.

Planning went into that visit;
“had gotten a commitment”
:
Valenti OH II; Valenti,
A Very Human President,
p. 196.
Not only:
Transcript, “2:14 P.M. to Robert Anderson, President Johnson joined by Harry Byrd,” Dec. 5, 1963;
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 159; MacNeil interview.
“They [the Finance Committee] are going to”
:
Transcript, “3:30 from Willard Wirtz,”
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 192.
“If you don’t mind”
:
Time,
Dec. 13, 1963.
“I told the President you simply can’t”
:
WP,
Dec. 11, 1963.
“Kermit”
;
“He had to get that tax cut”
:
Valenti OH, interview.
“The committee … knows how”
:
“HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL—Troika Meeting with President Johnson, Monday, Nov. 25, 1963,” p. 3, Notes by Gardner Ackley, Box 1, Appointment File [Diary Backup].

“The talk”
:
Lady Bird Johnson,
A White House Diary,
p. 17.
“He went back”
:
“Mrs. Johnson’s Diary,” Dec. 20, Box 1, LBJL.
“I worked as hard”
:
Johnson,
The Vantage Point,
p. 36.
“Then”
:
Valenti OH II.

“Abundantly clear”
:
Kermit Gordon, “Memorandum to Heads of Departments and Agencies,” Box 14, Kermit Gordon Papers, JFKL, quoted in
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 347.
“Is anyone going up on you?”
:
Transcript, “9:40 A.M. to Kermit Gordon,” Dec. 12, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 347.
“He’s the only guy”
:
Transcript, “2:14 P.M. to Robert Anderson, President Johnson joined by Harry Byrd,” Dec. 5, 1963;
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 162.
Announced:
NYT,
Dec. 8, 1963.

“Obviously”
:
Freeman Diary, Dec. 11, 1963, quoted in
TPR,
pp. 327–28.
“Orville Freeman’s”
:
Transcript, “9:40 A.M. to Kermit Gordon, Dec. 12, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 344–49.

“We haven’t”
;
“General”
:
Transcript, “12:15 P.M. to John Gronouski,” Dec. 23, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 703–08.
Ten days later, Gronouski announced:
NYT,
Jan. 3, 1964.
“If I am”
:
Manatos to O’Brien, Jan. 7, 1964, “Tax Bill 1963–1965 [1 of 2],” Box 9 [2 of 2], Office Files of Mike Manatos, JFKL.

The Long amendment:
Transcript, “4:50 P.M. from C. Douglas Dillon, “Dec. 12, 1963,”
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 369–73.

“I’m working in”
;
“Right”
:
Transcript, “11:33 A.M. from Harry Byrd,” Dec. 13, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 383, 384.
“You can tell”
:
Heinemann,
Harry Byrd,
p. 400; Goodwin,
Remembering America,
pp. 261–62.
Russell Long watched:
Long interview with Heinemann, Heinemann Papers.

“I think”
:
Henry Wilson to O’Brien, Jan. 10, 1964, “Wilson: Presidential,” Box 5, Ex LE/HU, LBJL.
“They tell me”
:
Transcript, “10:15 P.M., to Andy Hatcher,” Dec. 23, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 774.

Every time:
For example,
NYT,
Dec. 5, 1963. In
NYT,
Dec. 5, “McCormack said Smith would not agree to the plan. He said there was therefore no choice but discharge.”
“The only thing”
:
“Notes on the First Congressional Leadership Breakfast Held by the President on
Dec. 3, 1963,” Presidential Appointments File [Diary Backup], p. 2, LBJL.
Had, in fact:
NYT,
Dec. 5, 1963.
“Indignity”
:
NYT,
Dec. 8, 1963.
“Given signature”
:
O’Brien to Johnson, Nov. 29, 1963, “Office Files of the White House Aides—Henry Hall Wilson, Jr.,” 1963–1967, LBJL.
“I’ve never”
:
NYP,
Dec. 4, 1963.
Telephoning Bolling:
“6:56 P/M., to Richard Bolling,” Dec. 2,
TPR
, Vol. II, pp. 70–74.
“I was always reluctant”
:
Dec. 3, 1963.

Had asked for a group:
WP,
Dec. 3, 1963.
“What about one meeting a day?”
Roberts to Johnson, “Lee White asks for times …,” undated, “December 1963,” Box 2, Diary Backup, LBJL.

“With Johnson”
:
Wilkins with Matthews,
Standing Fast,
pp. 243–44, 294–96; Wilkins OH I.
“Some of”
:
Farmer OH.
Kennedy
“believed”
:
Wilkins,
Standing Fast,
pp. 294, 296.
Johnson took the call:
Transcript, “9:51 A.M., from G. Mennen Williams,”
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 28–30.
Not merely explaining to King:
Kotz,
Judgment Days,
p. 66.
“A magnolia”
:
Whalen and Whalen,
The Longest Debate,
p. 81.
“I left”
:
Wilkins,
Standing Fast,
p. 296.
“There has been”
:
NYT,
Dec. 3, 1963.
“As a southerner”
:
WP,
Dec.4, 1963.
Showing King the list;
“LBJ is a man”
:
Kotz,
Judgment Days,
pp. 66, 67.
“Almost by a Negro ghostwriter”
:
Wilkins, quoted in “White to Mitchell,” Feb. 4, 1964, LE/HU 2, Jan. 30, 1964–Feb. 19, 1964, LBJL.
“Still signing mail”
:
Transcript, “10:30 P.M. to Roy Wilkins,
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 777–81.

And they came:
“The labor and Negro leaders are streaming in,” Doris Fleeson reported (
WP
, Dec. 5, 1963). “Congressional mail is reported heavy in favor of action now” (
WP,
Dec. 5, 1963).

“Republicans have”
:
Wilson to O’Brien, Dec. 2, “Office Files of the White House Aides—Henry Hall Wilson, Jr.,” 1963–1967, LBJL.

Bringing Meany:
Amrine,
This Awesome Challenge,
p. 123; “ ‘This Is Lyndon’—And It Is,”
Newsweek,
Dec. 16, 1963; Biemiller interview.
“This cemented”
:
Biemiller OH, interview.

Leadership breakfast;
“Where do you get”
:
“Notes on the First Congressional Leadership Breakfast Held by the President on Dec. 3, 1963,” Presidential Appointments File [Diary Backup].
“Definite word”
:
Transcript, “12:10 P.M. to David McDonald; President Johnson joined by Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Dec. 3, 1963, p. 98.
McCormack had been wondering:
Transcript, “12:10 P.M. to David McDonald; President Johnson joined by Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Dec. 3, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 98.
“Can we make”
:
Transcript, “3:00 P.M. to Carl Albert,” Dec. 3, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 101–08.
“We’re going”
:
Transcript, “1:29 P.M. to Dave McDonald,”
TPR,
Vol. I, pp. 263–65.
Vote counting:
Transcript, “6:00 P.M. to Carl Albert,” Dec. 4, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 143–44.

“Your judgment”
:
Transcript, “11:11 A.M. to Albert Thomas,” Dec. 5, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 153–55.
“Told him”
:
Transcript, “3:22 P.M., from Homer Thornberrry,” Dec. 3, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 108–12.

“President Johnson”
:
NYT,
Dec. 4, 1963.
“This move”
;
“The consensus”
:
NYT,
Dec. 5, 1963.
Business Advisory Council meeting:
WP,
Dec. 5, 1963.
“I talked to both of them”
:
Transcript, “6:00 P.M. to Carl Albert,” Dec. 4, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, pp. 143–44.
“I am the only President”
:
NYP,
Dec. 5, 1963.
“That they either”
:
Transcript, “6:00 P.M. to Carl Albert,” Dec. 4, 1963,
TPR,
Vol. II, p. 144.
“Labor meeting
:
BS,
Dec. 5, 1963.