What do you think?
Rate this book
Dirksen: Portrait of a Public Man
Everett McKinley Dirksen described himself as "flexible." Others did not view his propensity for changing his mind about issues with such equanimity. They charged him with being unprincipled and lacking in political morality. Critics and cohorts agreed, however, that he was a man of large stature and, in his colorful career in the House and Senate, had wielded unique power.
With dispassionate detail, Neil MacNeil, veteran political analyst and Congressional reporter for Time magazine, has compiled the story of that singular career in Dirksen: Portrait of a Public Man.
Beginning with the Senator's Lincolnesque background in Pekin, Illinois, Mr. MacNeil follows the Dirksen Trail to political eminence. In Illinois in 1932, Dirksen, practicing his virtuoso oratorical style on Legionnaires and women's clubs, managed to ride against the Democratic tide and found himself a Republican in the Democratic Congress in 1933. Assenting to the economic measures the Democrats introduced, he held onto his seat though other Republicans lost theirs. His swing to the Right was not to come until he needed the McCormick Empire's support to stay in Washington. He then became the champion of conservatism and isolationism, supporting with flamboyant rhetoric the investigations and allegations of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. Building his strength through the Roosevelt and Truman eras, he became a Taft man but, wooed by President Eisenhower, switched his support. It was during the Kennedy and Johnson terms, however, that his unusual skills emerged. As the leader of the minority party he becae a power, sought out by the Presidents, bargaining, maneuvering, manipulating and dominating the Senate. In this period, Mr. MacNeil delineates his impact on the course of history, his capacity to act quietly and capably, using his genius gifts in practicing the "art of the possible."
In Mr. MacNeil's biography, Senator Dirksen lives again--recounting his anecdotes, polishing his telling phrases; his husky voice echoes through the pages as it did in the Senate chambers, the convention halls, and in the councils of the Presidents.
With dispassionate detail, Neil MacNeil, veteran political analyst and Congressional reporter for Time magazine, has compiled the story of that singular career in Dirksen: Portrait of a Public Man.
Beginning with the Senator's Lincolnesque background in Pekin, Illinois, Mr. MacNeil follows the Dirksen Trail to political eminence. In Illinois in 1932, Dirksen, practicing his virtuoso oratorical style on Legionnaires and women's clubs, managed to ride against the Democratic tide and found himself a Republican in the Democratic Congress in 1933. Assenting to the economic measures the Democrats introduced, he held onto his seat though other Republicans lost theirs. His swing to the Right was not to come until he needed the McCormick Empire's support to stay in Washington. He then became the champion of conservatism and isolationism, supporting with flamboyant rhetoric the investigations and allegations of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. Building his strength through the Roosevelt and Truman eras, he became a Taft man but, wooed by President Eisenhower, switched his support. It was during the Kennedy and Johnson terms, however, that his unusual skills emerged. As the leader of the minority party he becae a power, sought out by the Presidents, bargaining, maneuvering, manipulating and dominating the Senate. In this period, Mr. MacNeil delineates his impact on the course of history, his capacity to act quietly and capably, using his genius gifts in practicing the "art of the possible."
In Mr. MacNeil's biography, Senator Dirksen lives again--recounting his anecdotes, polishing his telling phrases; his husky voice echoes through the pages as it did in the Senate chambers, the convention halls, and in the councils of the Presidents.
402 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1970
4 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.