Healthcare: What LBJ would do

[ddeclue]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/24/johnson.lbj.health.care/index.html

By Tom Johnson
Special to CNN

Editor's note: President Lyndon B. Johnson secured passage of Medicare, the Voting Rights Act and other milestone legislation. Tom Johnson, who served as one of LBJ's White House press secretaries, is former chief executive of CNN News Group and former publisher of the Los Angeles Times. He is an associate member of the board of visitors of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

LBJ would:

Have a list of every member of Congress on his desk.

He would be on the telephone with members (and their key staffers) constantly: "Your president really needs your vote on this bill."

He would have a list of every special request every member wanted -- from White House tours to appointments to federal jobs and commissions.

He would make a phone call or have a personal visit with every member -- individually or in a group. Charts, graphs, coffee. They would get the "Johnson Treatment" as nobody else could give it.

He would have a willingness to horse-trade with every member.

He would keep a list of people who support each member financially. A call to each to tell them to get the vote of that representative.

.......

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/24/johnson.lbj.health.care/index.html

[AndyA]

1. LBJ would put on his shit kicker boots, fire up his Lincoln Continental Convertible,

and run over their sorry asses if they refused to work with him!

[Ron Green]

2. "If you've got 'em by the balls....

...their hearts and minds will follow."

[Laelth]

3. Obama should take note. Much to learn in that essay

The comments following the piece, however, are almost universally vile. I do not recommend reading those.

:dem:

-Laelth