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Lyndon Johnson was a classic congressional deal maker. His technique was, shall we say, “unique.”
Serving as Senate Majority Leader during the Eisenhower years, he would waylay target senators in hallways of the Senate office building and perform what his contemporaries referred to as “The Johnson Treatment” on certain members.
Hewouldgriptheirelbowlikeavisewhilesimultaneouslymassagingtheirbacksandputtinghisfaceinchesawayfromtheirs.Smilingandspeakingsoothingly,themessagewasclear:playballorelse.
Whenallelsefailed,LBJwouldgetthetwosidesinaroom,lockthedoor,andtellthemtheyweren’tgettingoutuntiladealwasdone.Hewouldchoosemeetingroomswithnobathrooms,knowingthatwouldensureaquickresolution.
Theshutdownwillsoonlastlongerthanthestormthatcreated“TheGreatFlood”duringNoah’stime.AllthatstormdidwaswipealllivingthingsoffthefaceoftheEarth.Congressisjusttryingtositinthesameroomwiththeothersidewithoutkillingeachother.
Theshutdownhasenteredsurrealterritory.
“Whatwehavehereisanintergalacticfreak
