was to appoint a high-level commission to investigate the assassination. that, of course, was the warren commission, named after supreme court justice earl warren. thanks to all the stuff now being digitized, we can now hear the process of how that commission came to be, as it was happening, and it turns out it was a fascinating thing. the two men that president johnson wanted to head up that commission were chief justice earl warren, but also, senator richard russell of georgia, who was a democrat. he was a segregationist dixiecrat. the problem was that senate russell hated earl warren. senator russell was a southern segregationist and earl warren was a pro-civil rights progressive on the supreme court, and richard russell really disliked him. when lbj told senator richard russell that he wanted him to serve on this commission alongside earl warren, senator russell said, no, he refused to do it. and when senator russell refused him, president johnson essentially lifted that senator
was a democrat. he was a segregationist dixiecrat. the problem was that senate russell hated earl warren. senator russell was a southern segregationist and earl warren was a pro-civil rights progressive on the supreme court, and richard russell really disliked him. when lbj told senator richard russell that he wanted him to serve on this commission alongside earl warren, senator russell said, no, he refused to do it. and when senator russell refused him, president johnson essentially lifted that senator above his head and hurled him down to earth. richard russell was a lion at the senate. they named the first senate office building after him. he was a really big deal, even as early as 1963. but just listen how to lbj leaned into him. this is a phone call between president johnson and richard russell. this is only a week after president kennedy s death. and what happens on this phone call is that senator russell is pleading, trying in vain to get out of serving on the warren
assassination, and once lbj became president, one of his first orders of business in 1963 was to appoint a high-level commission to investigate the assassination. that, of course, was the warren commission, named after supreme court justice earl warren. thanks to all the stuff now being digitized, we can now hear the process of how that commission came to be, as it was happening, and it turns out it was a fascinating thing. the two men that president johnson wanted to head up that commission were chief justice earl warren, but also, senator richard russell of georgia, who was a democrat. he was a segregationist dixiecrat. the problem was that senate russell hated earl warren. senator russell was a southern segregationist and earl warren was a pro-civil rights progressive on the supreme court, and richard russell really disliked him. when lbj told senator richard russell that he wanted him to serve on this commission alongside earl warren, senator russell said, no, he refused to do it.
southerner, voted against the civil rights act in 1957. the idea that lyndon johnson was overcoming his past in 1964, it was hardly even the past at that point. it didn t do nearly enough. it was water down to accommodate the southern watered down by who? by lyndon johnson. this is my point. i m not forgiving or dismissing or ignoring the fact there was a southern segregationist democratic party and democratic party for years through 1936 southern segregationist democratic party that included a guy from massachusetts. you take 1946 hang on that point for a moment. a northern liberal who looked at the civil rights bill said this thing means nothing from a civil rights standpoint, i wouldn t lump that person in with segregationists because they make the point the bill should go farther. kennedy did nothing. in 1946 you have taft