In his post at TPM examining the exchange between the Obama and Clinton campaigns regarding the difference between Dr. Martin Luther King, the dreamer, and Lyndon Baines Johnson, the Legislator turned President, the comparison is further drawn between John F. Kennedy and LBJ.
"It's an ambiguous statement. But her reference is to different presidents -- Jack Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, one of whom inspired but did relatively little legislatively and Johnson who did a lot legislatively, though he was rather less than inspiring. Quite apart from the merits of Obama and Clinton, it's not a bad point about Kennedy and LBJ."...Josh Marshall
I came away with the idea that what is being communicated was that JFK didn’t get anything done. It took the experience of LBJ. Look, I’m not that smart but let’s get one flippin thing straight here. There is no way in hell LBJ would have gotten the legislation through if JFK and MLK had not given their lives for the dream. To discount what they did, as leaders, and yes one of them was a young president, is warped only in a way that could be done by someone with either complete selfish interests or utter blindness.
In any event, the point of this whole discussion unbelievably diminishes the complete and selfless sacrifice made by two of the greatest heros of our nation while rewarding opportunism. I’m dismayed that Josh would post such a thing without careful reflection. The arguement by Clinton is, in my view, completely heartless which she and others may or may not understand as to why it is so, but, Josh? I would’ve never thought that about him.
The origins of the bill from Wikipedia:
The bill had been introduced by President John F. Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11, 1963, in which he asked for legislation "giving all Americans the right to be served in facilities which are open to the public—hotels, restaurants, theaters, retail stores, and similar establishments," as well as "greater protection for the right to vote."
He then sent a bill to Congress on June 19. Emulating the Civil Rights Act of 1875, Kennedy's civil rights bill included provisions to ban discrimination in public accommodations, and to enable the U.S. Attorney General to sue state governments which operated segregated school systems, among other provisions.
That’s the thing about a movement. It’s mostly about heart. The movement accomplishes the changes. The technocrats do the paperwork. The credit for the movement’s accomplishments are most always left to the selfish ambitions of the oportunists who claim the glory of the dreamers after their blood has been returned to the earth.
The argument is about whether what we need is a technocrat or a dreamer. At this point in the life of our nation, in my own life as a citizen of this nation, I am leaning toward dreamer. The country needs the inspiration that comes from such a leader, to bring us together around common dreams. There’ll be enough time for technocrats when the dreamers have left the stage and then, and only then, will they have the opportunity to claim credit for the changes we as a people have brought about in our society.
It’s a bit like Al Gore’s theme of changing the political atmosphere regarding climate change and that is another reason I just cannot understand why Josh doesn’t get it.
I understand that MLK wasn't assinated until after passage of the legislation and my point is that had JFK not been murdered....well you get the idea.