out of it was bottled up in the rules committee. he helped get it out of there. he worked the senate. there s a wonderful story about when he was working dirkson, the senate minority leader, the republican leader from illinois that you alluded to where he was spending johnson was spending so much time with dirkson that he called him up one afternoon and said i want you to come down and have a drink with me. dirkson said, mr. president, i can t tonight. i have to go home. before dirkson had a chance to leave his office, he heard the president s beagle barking outside. he got in the car, went up to his office before he had a chance to leave. it was a time when washington worked but we shouldn t sentimentalize it. it was a day before yesterday.