What was it that LBJ did to get the Civil Rights bill to bypass Senator Jim Eastland's committee? All I could understand was that LBJ "crossed the aisle", which I believe means that LBJ, a Democrat, did something having to do with some Republicans. Then Senator Russell, also a Democrat, after hearing about what the President did, accused him of being disloyal to the Democratic party. What did LBJ do?
shareThe "procedural point of order" allowing Eastland's Judiciary committee to be bypassed was not explained in the film though involved the Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield delaying a second reading of the bill then after the second reading proposing the bill be sent directly to the floor for debate. Don't know if there is a name for such a maneuver but apparently it was legal.
By crossing the aisle LBJ reached out to powerful Republican Senator Everett Dirksen and made a deal to get enough swing votes for cloture effectively ending the filibuster.
Senator Russell was strongly opposed to the civil rights legislation as were many other southern democrats thus it is easy to understand his perception that LBJ let him down along with the democratic party.
He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator.