For decades I have enjoyed watching Mark Shields and David Brooks discuss important issues on the Public News Hour. Last night was especially illuminating.
The conversation began with both Mark Shields and David Brooks defending Joe Biden’s defense of his working with segregationist senators–Herman Tallmadge, James Eastland, and Strom Thurmond. Both Shields and Brooks decried the partisanship that prevents the passage of needed legislation.
Shields then discussed a personal issue that arose when in the 1960’s he worked on capital hill. Shields said that during the voting on the 1965 Civil Rights Act, Senator William Fulbright who was from Arkansas said that he wanted to vote for the Civil Rights Act. Mansfield turned down Fulbright saying that Fulbright needed to win his upcoming Senate Election in 1966. At the time, Mansfield was Majority Leader of the Senate and Fulbright was head of the Foreign Relations Committee. Fulbright’s winning reelection and his opposition to the Vietnam War was more important than supporting the Civil Rights Bill.
Enuf said!
