Great post! I'm reminded of a couple of things involving the US Senate. When the late US Sen. Robert Kerr (D-OK) died, $2 million in cash was found in the safe behind his desk. Senators used to hand each other cash to support their campaigns back in the day. There's video of Richard Nixon recounting the story of John F. Kennedy handing him cash in support of his successful US Senate campaign against Helen Gahagan Douglas. Every Capitol tour I give finishes at the spot, marked by blood stains in the marble, where a news reporter shot a former Congressman turned lobbyist. So much more.
I had forgotten about the Robert Kerr safe! Yeah, congressional politics is a wild, wooly, and rough and tumble business with an incredible number of characters.
This is an excellent post and much needed. I’d throw in there reminders about McCarthy tactics in the ‘50s, filibusters on civil rights, a Joanne Freeman cite or two, and so on.
Thanks! There is ALWAYS something happening on the Hill that is extreme, ugly, or outlandish. And who can forget Robert Caro's description of Lyndon Johnson sitting on the dais and destryoing the reputation of a guy and later telling him "It was just politics."
Great post! I'm reminded of a couple of things involving the US Senate. When the late US Sen. Robert Kerr (D-OK) died, $2 million in cash was found in the safe behind his desk. Senators used to hand each other cash to support their campaigns back in the day. There's video of Richard Nixon recounting the story of John F. Kennedy handing him cash in support of his successful US Senate campaign against Helen Gahagan Douglas. Every Capitol tour I give finishes at the spot, marked by blood stains in the marble, where a news reporter shot a former Congressman turned lobbyist. So much more.
I had forgotten about the Robert Kerr safe! Yeah, congressional politics is a wild, wooly, and rough and tumble business with an incredible number of characters.
This is an excellent post and much needed. I’d throw in there reminders about McCarthy tactics in the ‘50s, filibusters on civil rights, a Joanne Freeman cite or two, and so on.
Thanks! There is ALWAYS something happening on the Hill that is extreme, ugly, or outlandish. And who can forget Robert Caro's description of Lyndon Johnson sitting on the dais and destryoing the reputation of a guy and later telling him "It was just politics."