Earlier this week, Michigan Representative John Conyers told reporters that he'd like President Obama to start fashioning himself after a different model of politician if he wants to get health care reform passed:
"The president could take a few pages from Lyndon Johnson's book... and start knocking heads together," said Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Conyers, who spoke to reporters in Detroit, first came to Congress in 1965, the year Medicare and the Voting Rights Act both passed under the strong hand of Johnson, by then the president. Obama was not yet 4 years old.
Huh. You know, I thought that the whole knocking a heads was supposed to be a feature of tough Chicago-style politicians, and that Rahm Emanuel was going to be sending intransigent legislators fish-corpses through the mail! But Conyers is right. When it comes to swinging pipes, the White House basically manages to mewl their displeasure through well-placed, off-the-record quotes. And so you get laughable spectacles like this one, in the wake of Michael Bloomberg's narrow win in the New York City mayoral race:
"Maybe one of those Corzine trips could have been better spent in New York. Who knows?" remarked New York Rep. Anthony Weiner, who weighed his own run for mayor, referring to the White House's devout attention to the New Jersey contest.
"Maybe Anthony Weiner should have manned-up and run against Michael Bloomberg," shot back a White House official, who attributed the night's results across the board to anti-incumbent fervor.
GROW SOME BALLS, says the guy, hiding behind the cloak of anonymity! Viva Chicago!
That said, it bears mentioning that LBJ was, in many ways, a little unhinged:
Johnson lived to dominate, and he used crass behavior to bend people to his will. At 6-ft., 3-in. tall and 210 lbs., he liked to lean over people, spitting, swearing, belching, or laughing in their faces. Once, he even relieved himself on a Secret Serviceman who was shielding him from public view. When the man looked horrified, Johnson simply said, "That's all right, son. It's my prerogative." His favorite power ploy, however, seemed to be dragging people into the bathroom with him -- forcing them to continue their conversations with the president as he used the toilet.
You sort of get the feeling that Johnson would have waged his "War On Fox" in a much more entertaining and scatalogical manner! Still, I think that if you're looking for a Texas politician to model yourself on, a better example would be LBJ's mentor, Sam Rayburn.
RELATED:
Advice for Obama: 'Start knocking heads' on health [Real Clear Politics]
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