tinydancer
Diamond Member
This is an amazing piece I found at Politico. The story is quite riveting.
I thought at first about putting it in the Race relations/Racism forum but no this is a fabulous political story on how this conservative Republican literally saved the Civil Rights Act and got it passed.
The intrigue is just awesome, President Kennedy, the Republican, heck even Mayor Daley in the "behind the scenes" tale.
Now before those who even want to try to attempt to shoot down this well researched piece I'm going to put up the letter written by a woman who would know first hand what happened at the time when she found out this Republican was retiring.
Her name. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
McCulloch’s name is hardly a household one — even in Ohio. But one witness to the role he played in forcing the country to live up to its founding creed bore passionate, private testimony to his importance.
“Please forgive the emotional tone of this letter,” Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis wrote from aboard the yacht Christina, when she got word in 1971 of McCulloch’s planned retirement from Congress. “But I want you to know how much your example means to me.”
“I know that you, more than anyone, were responsible for the civil rights legislation of the 1960s,” she continued.
“You made a personal commitment to President Kennedy in October 1963, against all the interests of your district.
When he was gone, your personal integrity and character were such that you held to that commitment despite enormous pressure and political temptations not to do so.
There were so many opportunities to sabotage the bill, without appearing to do so, but you never took them. On the contrary, you brought everyone else along with you.
“And as for my dear Jack, it is a precious thought to me that in the last month of his life, when he had so many problems that seemed insoluble, he had the shining gift of your nobility, to give him the hope and faith he needed to carry on.”
The Republican Who Saved Civil Rights - Todd S. Purdum - POLITICO Magazine
I thought at first about putting it in the Race relations/Racism forum but no this is a fabulous political story on how this conservative Republican literally saved the Civil Rights Act and got it passed.
The intrigue is just awesome, President Kennedy, the Republican, heck even Mayor Daley in the "behind the scenes" tale.
Now before those who even want to try to attempt to shoot down this well researched piece I'm going to put up the letter written by a woman who would know first hand what happened at the time when she found out this Republican was retiring.
Her name. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
McCulloch’s name is hardly a household one — even in Ohio. But one witness to the role he played in forcing the country to live up to its founding creed bore passionate, private testimony to his importance.
“Please forgive the emotional tone of this letter,” Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis wrote from aboard the yacht Christina, when she got word in 1971 of McCulloch’s planned retirement from Congress. “But I want you to know how much your example means to me.”
“I know that you, more than anyone, were responsible for the civil rights legislation of the 1960s,” she continued.
“You made a personal commitment to President Kennedy in October 1963, against all the interests of your district.
When he was gone, your personal integrity and character were such that you held to that commitment despite enormous pressure and political temptations not to do so.
There were so many opportunities to sabotage the bill, without appearing to do so, but you never took them. On the contrary, you brought everyone else along with you.
“And as for my dear Jack, it is a precious thought to me that in the last month of his life, when he had so many problems that seemed insoluble, he had the shining gift of your nobility, to give him the hope and faith he needed to carry on.”
The Republican Who Saved Civil Rights - Todd S. Purdum - POLITICO Magazine
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