AARP- Flagrant Hypocracy

AARP, again with a subtle form of bias The recent edition of the AARP Bulletin, June 2014, contained a very subtle form of political party bias to the unschooled eye.

 In a Q&A with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin (pg 8) regarding the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the questioner posed the following: “Why did LBJ urge civil rights leaders Roy Wilkins and Whitney Young to pressure Republicans (italics mine)?” Ms Goodwin’s answer was a general reminder, “that sometimes you have to mobilize from the outside … get Congress to act.”

The answer should have been: Because a majority of the Democrats were opposed to the Civil Rights Act! Senators Mansfield (D) and Everett Dirkson (R) at then President Kennedy’s urging brought the bill to the Senate floor where it was met with anger and vows that the bill would never see the Senate floor by the segregationist chainman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. James Eastland (D)

 In fact a “Southern block” of 18 Democratic Senators actually filibustered the bill! It was only Sen. Mansfield’s mastery of the Senate rules that the legislation was brought to the Senate floor for a vote, bypassing Sen. Eastland’s committee where it would have languished for ever.

  Here is the voting record of Congress regarding the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Version Republicans supporting Democrats supporting Original House 80% 61% Senate Version 82% 69% House vote on Senate version 80% 63%

Did Pres. Johnson pressure Republicans for a favorable vote? Your darn right, without the overwhelming Republican support, the Democrat Party would have defeated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The construction of the question to Ms. Goodwin was so heavy handed as to make the informed reader blush with hypocrasy. AARP should issue a statement of correction.