Over this summer, I have read several books that chronicle the postbellum policy decisions in the United States. Most are dry and lack the character building that Purdum provides. This book is a policy book that outlines the sorted characters and motivations that led to the passage of the most significant legislation of the 20th century. Whether its the checkered relationship between the Kennedy brothers and LBJ or the dark horse hero Dirkson, this book really draws you in to the characters that came together to pass this landmark bill. While the chronicle of legislation may seem dry, Purdum makes this a "can't put down" political thriller. His use of the LBJ and Kennedy tapes gives a real-life account of these two Presidents that doesn't hold back. The exchanges on the floors of the house and Senate has the feel of the dramatic Lincoln-Douglas debates of more than a century before. Today, this book feels like a longing look at a bygone era of politics in Washington where getting the right thing done trumped doing what was best for the politician. Purdum certainly relays that underlying longing for the smoke-filled whiskey fueled negotiations of the house and senate's past. I would usually put something in here about what I didn't like, but I have to say I enjoyed this book beginning to end. If there was anything I think people would criticize is that LBJ is certainly the hero of the story, but I am ok with that. He deserves the credit he is provided in this book. I highly recommend this book for any policy wonk looking for a fun read or just any person interested in this pivotal period in our nations history.

<i>An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Two Presidents, Two Parties, and the Battle for the Civil Rights Act of 1964</i> by Todd Purdum. Reading like an extended episode of <i>West Wing,</i> the book follows the tortuous route through which a bill must go: procedures that must be adhered to, hurdles to overcome, as well as the stalling techniques practiced by those opposed to its passage. Frankly, while reading the book, I wondered if John Kennedy would have had the political chops to get the Bill passed. Kennedy’s early death rendered the responsibility of this important legislation to Lyndon Johnson who (for all his faults) knew the ways, byways, snares and shortcuts of both the House and Senate. LBJ knew how, when and who to push, plead, threaten and woo. And, oh, the characters whom he had to deal with in this drama! The cast is rich from Hubert Humphrey (the Happy Warrior of Minnesota, who, after strenuously arguing in the Senate, would complement his opponent and share a drink) to Howard Smith (the gentlemanly, but stern, segregationist from Virginia) to John Lindsay (a liberal Republican -- which sounds like an oxymoron today) among many others. But my favorite character was Everett Dirksen from Illinois, he of the tousled white hair and deep silken voice (he even had a best-selling album of patriotic poems). Dirksen’s Senate office was fully stocked; it was called the Twilight Bar and had a wall clock which always displayed that it was 5:00 p.m. However, in that office many deals were struck insuring there was a higher percentage of Republicans supporting the Civil Rights Act than Democrats. (What would we give for such a Republican today!) Some critics found the book bogged down by the minutiae of individual characters, but I enjoyed those details and thought they added a lot of color. I also felt that the author surrounded the <i>in-house</i> political battle with contemporary events and commentary that added perspective to how the country as a whole experienced this landmark legislation. A great read which documents the events leading up to the law’s signing that happened exactly fifty years ago this June.

This is a splendid read for anyone who loves politics, and wants to see the sausage making process behind possibly the most significant legislation of the 20th Century. The title comes to the name Senate Republican Leader Ev Dirksen called the bill. Dirksen was very much a hero for this legislation, though, as a conservative, pushed to water it down a bit. Dirksen was conservatives in the constitutional conservative sense, So he strongly believed in equal opportunity and equal treatment under the law. On the other hand, he had significant caution about the federal government forcing privately-owned businesses to do things against their will, even if he personally disagreed with what the business owners were conducting themselves. It was the Dirksen bill in the end, as he scaled back much of the federal enforcement aspects from the House Bill. Still, without Dirksen, others wouldn't have followed. Sen. Richard Russell, who like Dirksen has a Senate office building named for him, was the leading opponent, along with Robert Byrd and other Southern Democrats. Hubert Humphrey, though a failed presidential candidate in 1968, was clearly a hero of the movement--starting by challenging Democratic party dogma in 1948 to willing to compromise with Dirksen for the greater good to get a solid bill through Congress. But Six Republicans and 21 Democrats voted against the Senate bill, with a bipartisan support of 73 senators because the conservative Dirksen and the idealist Humphrey were able to put the national interests ahead of absolutism and egos. Reps. William Moore McCulloch and Charles Halleck were heroes in the House. The GOP House leader and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee put the Kennedy and later Johnson White House on notice they didn't want to bother with pushing a bill through the House if it's only going to be watered down in the Senate, as occurred with Eisenhower's civil rights push--only to see then-Senate Majority Leader LBJ water it down to get past a southern filibuster. As noted, the House bill was watered down--but by Dirksen not by southerners. It was still a strong law, unlike the 1957 bill. With no end in sight for partisan polarization in Washington, this book is a worthy read to learn about putting country first.