#robert caro
Robert Caro’s “Planning Calendar,” 1971
He shoots for 1,000 words a day — each day is marked with how many words he wrote with excuses in parentheses. (“Lazy,” “sick,” etc.)
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For the past three months, I’ve been reading Master of the Senate, the third book in Robert Caro’s five book series on Lyndon Johnson. I have the goal to read 15 pages a day - these are large pages with tiny text. Every night I leave this world of endless COVID-era routine and enter a world of backroom deals and Senate procedure.
Each topic in this classic is explored in excruciating detail. I thought it would be fun to write a sentence for each day of reading, since so much and so little happens in those 15 pages. So here it goes, starting at about page 800 of 1100. Enter the world of Lyndon Johnson (and Robert Caro) with me.
Shorter Robert Caro
At the 1956 convention, LBJ thinks he has a shot at being president.
LBJ wants to be president SO BAD that he is dumb about politics. He stays in his room.
LBJ knows he’ll never be president if he’s identified too closely with the South.
Everybody, even Republicans, wants civil rights legislation except the South.
A fight over filibustering shows LBJ he has to convince the South to vote for civil rights. Ambition and his natural sympathies are in sync.
The South thinks that LBJ will help pass token civil rights bills that accomplish nothing meaningful.
LBJ lands on voting rights as an issue that the South might be the least opposed to.
LBJ creates an alliance between NW senators who need votes authorizing a federal dam and Southern senators who need votes against a strong civil rights bill, which he knows they would filibuster without the votes.
Momentum is waning for Part III of the civil rights bill, which allowed for strong enforcement of civil rights by the federal government. Even Ike doesn’t get it!
LBJ gets two moderate senators — one Republican and one Democrat — to propose the amendment to eliminate Part III.
The next compromise is adding a jury trial amendment. He wants to add civil contempt, which will force compliance, instead of leaving it up to biased juries.
Senator Church (ID) wants to get back into good graces with LBJ. He drafts amendment for jury trials that would expand participation in juries, making them more diverse. Labor joins the fight.
The jury trial amendment passes, with a coalition of the South, north and labor — even JFK. This is a disaster for Republicans.
The reconciliation bill (compromise with House bill) passes! Support of civil rights leaders makes it inevitable.
LBJ spends the remaining years of his Senate leadership doing more of the same. Flash forward: When he becomes VP, he tried to take a Senate leadership role, but the Senate us having none of it.
