>> if you read robert caro's masterful book which focuses on the 1957 civil rights act, it feels like you are right on the floor. the field general calling in the troops and getting the votes scheduled just the right time. there was a big reaction to that among democratic senators in johnson's own party who did not like to have their arms twisted once a day, thank you very much. the republicans were not too happy about that. so when johnson became vice president in 1961, the senate selected mild-mannered mike mansfield to be majority leader. let everybody have their raw opportunity. robert byrd became majority leader and said, "i would like to have the strength of lyndon johnson and the understanding and engagement of mike mansfield." it was howard baker hughes said that leading the senate is like herding cats, and and trent lott came out with a book, "herding cats." it is a good metaphor because the cats may go in a direction for a limited period of time but that does not last long. one of the most difficult things is to have a large majority. throughout history, you get factions wit

more it became a biography of full-blown, and i had fully expected 20 years from now, some new robert carowould come along and write the six volume biography with all the requisite archives of the presidency and all the rest. that goes without saying. but in fact i saw you at the enough duration. it was a party for gwen ifill who had written a terrific book called the breakthrough about this generation for younger american politicians not just obama but cory booker and arthur davis and all the rest. and, it was just terminating in my mind. i did a piece called the joshua generation for "the new yorker," trying to get a handle on what had happened, which was an astonishing events just after the election, and started going to chicago as often as they could which meant we can send little bits of time here and there. i ever attempted writing a full-blown book while editing the magazine. it just became more and more and more interesting. the more i spoke to these old acquaintances whether it was harvard law school, chicago, hawaii, all the obvious but. >> you do much to fill in-- i don't want t