Reflections on Democracy: Lessons from the White House, 1964 and 2025

Of course it was October, 1964, leading up to LBJ’s campaign to win the presidency in his own name. I was happy to go, of course, since Barry Goldwater was much farther to the right than most students at that time could tolerate. If it was a campaign ploy, I had learned enough in my American politics courses to know that the use of incumbency was one of the tools every president has used when seeking re-election or election in their own right for the first time.

The White House was part of our history and it was a people’s monument to democratic governance. As a college student, I was downright worshipful. The great federal buildings were so much a part of me, even as a Texan, that I made sure to use my few days there as a time to visit as many of them as I could. I remember taking a photograph of a “No Smoking” sign I encountered on the steps on the way up to the Capitol entryway. Someone had set their burning cigar down on top of it. To me, that was a photo op. Some visitor had been disrespectful to this shrine to American democracy. I could not have dreamed of anything like the events to come on January 6, 2021.

The next day during my 1964 visit to the White House and inside the East Wing at the dinner convened by LBJ, he called his aide Jack Valenti over to meet another young man from Houston. During my “personal” two minute audience with Valenti he asked me if I had a drink. Not having one he asked my choice and I asked for Scotch and water. Somehow they found a bottle of Scotch among Johnson’s stash of bourbons and we sat for a very quick conversation. At one point Valenti, needing two hands to gesture (or maybe get the Secret Service’s attention-Scotch drinker on the premises alert), he placed his drink down on the window sill.

Now, that was disrespectful. I had no idea that anyone should ever feel so at home there that it could be treated like personal property to be misused and then simply scrubbed and re-painted by staff.

Of all that I saw in Washington, those are two of the memories that stick with me. Another is the reverence I felt standing in front of the handwritten original copies of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States that were on display in the National Archives.

With that little bit of background, I think you can understand the loathing I feel for Donald J. Trump and his merry band of illiberal helpers. They think they now own this country.

Donald, Steven, JD, Russell, Elon, Pete, Pam and Karoline I must tell you all that my mother and the Christian principles she did her best to instill in me were too weakly embraced to prevent me from developing a very un-Christian feeling toward all of you.

Not far behind are the Republican members of Congress whose timorous relinquishment of their own power as representatives of the people to pursue power and donations from the Trump “base” would be shameful to anyone who ever permitted shame to influence their moral choices.

Study up on shame you pitiful people. Look for guidance: what it feels like and when a person should feel it. Google shame, congressional Republicans. See if the AI moralist can help you find some.

If you are Christian, you might even open up your Trump Bible and flip over to the New Testament and see if that registered Independent, Jesus, said anything that might inform you on when a person might feel that awful sensation of shame-and better, how to avoid it.

There is an old union song called “Which Side Are You On?” Now is the time to decide-which side are you on? Don’t blame “the Democrat party” for closing down the government. The rules under which the Senate operates, all but require the majority party to talk with the minority party and compromise. Republicans loved the right to filibuster when they could use the cloture rule to block anything a Democratic president proposed. They forced the ruling party (the Democrats) to sit down, eventually, and arrive at a compromise with the minority party (then, the Republicans). Those were the rules then and they are the rules now. Do it dammit. Talk. Give up an inch or two on health care. The Democrats would not be holding out so long if they didn’t know that this is something the people need and deserve. They also know they have the votes to stomp your craven asses into the ground next election.

But, reader, you should also know this: Donald Trump would like nothing better than to leave Congress powerless and ineffective. He can just keep breaking rules, expanding his power, and slowly taking the legislative process into his own hands. No laws issuing from Congress? Their bad, I guess I have no choice but to act when they fail to act. I will keep moving money through to keep the military, ICE and anyone in the government with services so vital that their absence would lead to such electoral outrage that even congressional Republicans would be afraid to stand by without acting to impeach. DJT will move money through to keep the Social Security checks moving. He will put enough people to work in the IRS to keep the inflow of dollars coming. Whatever it takes to keep the Congress tied up and Republicans afraid of him, he will do it.

Where did he learn how to control people and institutions this way? Remember that Roy Cohn was a close friend, his lawyer and mentor. If you haven’t been paying attention the last sixty or so years, read up on Roy Cohn.

Reader, it’s time to decide, who’s side are you on? Then tell your friends. Just as I am doing now. Never, ever let fear shut you down. It’s one of their favorite tools. Don’t be their patsy.

The next building they choose to knock down may be the Capitol, or your church, or your home. There is no rule they are beholden to and, ultimately, no court that will call them to account for their unlawful behavior.

Once, when asked how he determined his allegiances, FDR enumerated his influences in this order: his Christian faith, American democracy and the Democratic party. Maybe it’s apocryphal but it’s an awfully good story. And in any case, it fairly well summarizes the order of my allegiances.

So, DJT, find a faith outside yourself, follow your oath to “faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and … to the best of [your] Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” and I will grant you the political party of your choice or none for that matter.

Meanwhile, find an honest way to make a living.

It is now past midnight and my consciousness is about to stop its streaming. Your thoughts? Leave a note in the comments section. I would love to hear from you. Even those who disagree. But I will require a modicum of respect to be shown to everyone. If you don’t behave, your comment will never appear. Even worse, I may edit it to be respectful and run it that way. That should sufficiently disinterest any trollers who happen to follow this far.