Evening star., 1953-02-22
By Mary McGrory

Az HI AyuuOH 6HluGH JOklUSOn Oh
Texas Is the youngest floor leader
in the history Of the Senate. In point
Of service he is also q mere boy, be-
ing still in his freshman term. Yet
no one who knows him at all thinks
for minute that he will tumble into
pitfalls owing to youthful inepti-
tude. During his career in; both
houses, johnson has shown from the
very first that he is exceptionally
dry behind the ears.
This early in his leadership, john
son has begun to rally the Demo-
Gratis into harmonious and con-
structive opposition. In doing so he
has continued to demonstrate the.
savvy that has earned him Washing
toms accolade "the politicians
politician"
His handling Of the liberals is a
case in point. They made no secret
Of their dismay at the prospect of
his advance from whip to leader.
But once he got the JOB by unam-
imous VOTE, he handled them
with the tact Of a new bride among
disappearing in-laws. Each liberal.
like every other member, got his first
choice of q major committee. The
liberals, while reServing their right
to call johnson a renegade from the
true faith, have developed the
healthiest respect for his effective
ness and his Judgment. They have
even begun to believe what one poll
tician is least likely to believe about
another, namely. that he has the
party's best interests at heart.
Roney Ranger
Senator johnson, who ranges
ceaSelesSly about the Senate floor
and cloakrooms. looms up over six
feet tall. He has black hair. Slicked
back from a high forehead, snap
ping black eyes and a small and
not over-ready smile. He is fond of
telling people he is just a country
boy, which is true, but hardly de-
Scriptive. He also likes to say he
is twice as dumb as any one else
and has to work just twice as hard
to keep up, What he means is that
he is neither an intellectual, a phi
losopher nor an innovator. But at
the little matter of getting along
in the world day by day. he has
few peers.
The formula: IF you can't smell
a thing without seeing it written
down or go into a room and know
who's with you and who's against
you. without being told you don't
belong in politics"
JohnSon's enemies call him a slick
schemer and an opportunist. His
friends say he has. made the grade
through superior information, an
uncanny instinct for people and
sheer, back-breaking, unremitting
toll. The johnson capacity for in
duStry has become Capitol legend.
Sam Houston Johnson, who has
been watching his elder brothers
dust all his life, says. mo one could
ever accuse Lyndon of loaf1ng, not
even for an hour" Johnson's wife,
LADY Bird" agrees: Lyndon acts
like there was never going to be a
tomorrow"
FomiIy in Adversely
ar The feat Of getting a freshman
like Senator Mansfield of Montana
assigned to the Foreign Relations
Committee johnson explains with
piouS Texas evasion: I'm adversely
the family draws closer together. !"
What more likely happened was
that johnson opened up two power
full and simultaneous drives on the
Senators better natures and their
self-interest.
when Lyndon turns on the full
force Of his personality" former
associate said, 'it really is much
easier to give in"
johnson told the steering commit
tee, q story. He tells every one
storieS-not jokes, which he can't
remember, but homely frontier
favored accounts of his life
as boy in johnson City,
Texas, town which his grand
father founded. For this occasion,
he chose the one about playmate
named Cecil who wanted to stay
overnight with Lyndon. Cecil's
mother said no, even when Cecil
pointed out that his brother Bones
had been twice on overnight visits.