In a better time for government getting big, helpful things done for all Americans, a president and Senate majority leader could deal for needed votes.
In both high positions, it’s safe to say no one before or since outdealt Lyndon Baines Johnson. A little dramatization about a phone conversation will explain how that worked.
“Congressman Snagnail, how’re you doing? “
“Good, Mr. President, I’m honored. What can I do for you?”
“Well I wanted to talk to you about that highway interchange you been trying to get for your district. The one that got knocked out of the highway bill by the conference committee last year.”
“Yes, Mr. President, I’ve been trying to get that funded for 10 years. I thought sure we had it last year, only to have it disappear at the last minute.”
“I know, Joe, I know. Had that happen to me more than once back in the ’40s. I know you folks need that for boosting business, tourism, creating some jobs in a kind of depressed area . . .”
“Yes sir, all those things and more. We need that interchange because we’ve had some terrible wrecks on the roads in that area too. It would be safer.”
“That’s right, Joe, it would be safer. And, I’m told it would cut shipping expenses, even, for some businesses there.”
“That’s right, Mr. President.”
“OK, well I’m going to try to help you. You know how it is here in Washington; we’ve got to watch out for each other, help each other along. So, I’m prepared to help.”
“Thank you, Mr. President. You don’t know how much that means.”
“That’s OK, but I want to ask your help too. You know I’m trying to get this Medicare bill passed, and the other side is pushing hard against it. I’m sure they’re pushing you. But I know you’ve got more than 18,000 people 65 and over in your district, Joe. And I know you want to do the right thing for them, help them. As you know, so many of them are one stroke, one operation, one serious illness away from having their life savings wiped out. They get sick or hurt bad and next thing you know they’re ruined financially. And, that’s at a time in life when they can’t just go out and earn some more money. That’s not right.”
“I know it’s a problem, Mr. President.”
“Good, so I can count on your help with Medicare?”
“Well, uh . . . yes sir. I’m going to catch it from the no-more-taxes bunch. But maybe I’ll get to tell them about growth, more jobs, if we get that highway project.”
“Joe, I can just about guarantee it. I’m going to make a couple of calls, and you just see if that project doesn’t stay in the highway bill all the way through this year.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. President.”
“Well, thank you, too. Like I said, we’ve got watch out for each other. Oh, and give our best to Mrs. Snagnail. Ladybird and I enjoyed meeting her at a reception here at the White House last fall. She’s a fine lady. OK, now If I don’t get back to you in a few days about the interchange, you call my secretary to remind me.”
“Will do, Mr. President. Goodbye, and it was good to talk with you.”
A big reason why our president and Democratic Congress’ bid to pass health care reform this year is such a skin-of-the-teeth affair is that horse trading is almost out of the question. There are several reasons.
First, compared with the 1960s’, huge portions of the federal budget are committed to our Mideast wars, entitlement programs and debt and interest payments. Unlike Johnson, President Obama has very little wherewithal to bargain with. Secondly, members of Congress seem able to get much of what they want through earmarks. In Johnson’s day, those were relatively few.
But there’s another factor today, and it goes virtually ignored by mainstream media. Congressman Snagnail could’ve as easily been Republican as Democrat. Back then, House Republicans wanted and got things for their districts, as did Republican senators for their states.
Today’s Republicans don’t seem to want anything from Obama or their Democratic counterparts in Congress except failure on all fronts. A failed president and failed Democrat-controlled Congress, they calculate, means political gains for them. That’s what today’s Republicans really want.
That means today’s Republicans put the needs of their own constituents well down their list of priorities, behind partisan warfare and personal and party political advantage.
That’s something voters, taxpayers and everyone dissatisfied with the costs and failures of our out-of-whack health care system should keep in mind as we head toward the coming election year.
“Today’s Republicans don’t seem to want anything from Obama or their Democratic counterparts in Congress except failure on all fronts.”
That’s it in a nutshell.
Good post.
Good analysis. Although LBJ had Vietnam on his plate, American manufacturing was robust, well paid jobs were attainable all over the country and as you point out politicians tried to do things for their constituents. But today, never has there been so much blind partisanship and a willingness of the voters to fear government and trust corporations. Legislators have become poodles for lobbyists and their corporate paymasters. The lack of a responsible media helps the lies seem credible. Keep telling the lie, and eventually they will believe it, seems to be the mantra.
What good is health care if you’re dead from exploding terrorist suitcases let in via Clinton-era policy? This is why Bush 41 himself had to apprehend the World Trade Center bombers in 1993 and why his son had to fly off a carrier and smart bomb Al-Qaeda hideouts until they turned over bin Laden’s head on a silver platter. I’m sick of your revisionist history, hippies.
Horse-trading for a few constituent goodies isn’t needed when Big Oil and Big Pharma can provide for all your needs; less effort, more cash.
Great analysis. I agree, the GOP no longer is willing to horse-trade and only wants the Dems to fail; it’s a sad situation.
I think LBJ had a little something else to get them to go along, though – didn’t he always know the dirt on everyone and where all the skeletons were buried? I was hoping Rahm Emmanuel might do a little armtwisting in that way but so far he doesn’t seem to be doing that kind of thing!
Ah, the good old days of Johnson’s armtwisting and wheeling and dealing. I sure wish Obama could be more like that. I know the playing field has changed since then, in all the ways you described. But I still think Obama should drop the nice guy routine and start doing some armtwisting, either in person or through one of his lieutenants.
It’s true that Republican lawmakers don’t care about their own constituents; their top priority is to derail everything Obama tries to do. If the mainstream “media” won’t talk about this, then it’s up to us bloggers to do their job for them (again).
The times they did change. There is no more I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine. They are nothing more than corporate whores now.
This is much like what FDR had to go through and if you read your history you know that the republicans lost more seats in congress the next election cycle. I hope history repeats itself.
Macrum, thanks.
Holte, you couldn’t be more right about Americans being ill-served by mainstream, corporate media and deliberately misled by Republican fearmongering and demagoguery. But never underestimate Americans’ capacity for letting themselves be distracted by pop culture and electronic toys when they need to sit up and pay attention. They get bombarded with BS about Sarah Palin’s book and “Ooh, what Rush said,” and think they’re informed. They need to pay attention to what’s going on in Congress.
If voters buy into Republican and right-wing propaganda, and do their angry “throw the bums out” routine next year, they will deliver themselves yet again into the hands of the very pols who stymied the progress and reforms they want.
Randal, are you bucking for a job with Fox Noise?
But Jeff, your average ex-GOP federal official or officeholder winds up being a lobbyis for big bucks t anyway.
Mauigirl, there might’ve been a little soft-core blackmail involved in Johnson’s persuasive technique. But I doubt he used that tactic much. Johnson was in his element wheeling, dealing and winning people over. He loved doing it the way Red Skelton loved making people laugh. Johnson mostly did it with high spirits and gusto. He talked rough sometimes, but had a good heart and was not one to humiliate politicians he respected, even if they were butting heads over an issue.
Tom, one thing that made Johnson so persuasive, besides overwhelming some and wearing others down, was that he bothered to know who just about everyone in Congress was — and know what they wanted. Imagine a back-bench, two-term representative from a lightly populated district getting a call from the president, in person! Johnson knew the power of that because he had been a congressman like that, when FDR was in the White House.
Demeur, nowadays it’s more like, “You scratch my back and I’ll get even with you if it’s the last thing I do!” I hope people will be tuned in enough and wise enough to elect more liberal Democrats — especially in Connecticut — instead of voting to make a long list of bad situations worse. Time will tell.
I was going to say…but MCMacrum beat me to it
I agree with Tom. Diplomacy is all fine and dandy when we’re talking Russia, or China, but with republicans and blue dogs, ball-busting is the only route.