On this day in history 6-19-64
 

The Civil rights act of 1964 passed the Senate. This came after 54 days of filibuster by the Democrats, led by Robert Byrd.

Shortly thereafter the House passed the bill and it was signed by LBJ on July 2nd.


From Wiki:

"When the bill came before the full Senate for debate on March 30, 1964, the "Southern Bloc" of 18 southern Democratic Senators and one Republican Senator led by Richard Russell (D-GA) launched a filibuster to prevent its passage.[14] Said Russell: "We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation of the races in our (Southern) states."[15]

The most fervent opposition to the bill came from Senator Strom Thurmond (D-SC): "This so-called Civil Rights Proposals, which the President has sent to Capitol Hill for enactment into law, are unconstitutional, unnecessary, unwise and extend beyond the realm of reason. This is the worst civil-rights package ever presented to the Congress and is reminiscent of the Reconstruction proposals and actions of the radical Republican Congress."[16]

After 54 days of filibuster, Senators Everett Dirksen (R-IL), Thomas Kuchel (R-CA), Hubert Humphrey (D-MN), and Mike Mansfield (D-MT) introduced a substitute bill that they hoped would attract enough Republican swing votes to end the filibuster. The compromise bill was weaker than the House version in regard to government power to regulate the conduct of private business, but it was not so weak as to cause the House to reconsider the legislation.[17]

On the morning of June 10, 1964, Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) completed a filibustering address that he had begun 14 hours and 13 minutes earlier opposing the legislation. Until then, the measure had occupied the Senate for 57 working days, including six Saturdays. A day earlier, Democratic Whip Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, the bill's manager, concluded he had the 67 votes required at that time to end the debate and end the filibuster. With six wavering senators providing a four-vote victory margin, the final tally stood at 71 to 29. Never in history had the Senate been able to muster enough votes to cut off a filibuster on a civil rights bill. And only once in the 37 years since 1927 had it agreed to cloture for any measure.[18]

On June 19, the substitute (compromise) bill passed the Senate by a vote of 73–27, and quickly passed through the House-Senate conference committee, which adopted the Senate version of the bill. The conference bill was passed by both houses of Congress, and was signed into law by President Johnson on July 2, 1964.[19]"

Over next few years, most of that "Southern Bloc" of democrats became republicans because they did like the way the democratic party was headed on the issue of race.. By the end of the 1970s only Robert Byrd remained a democrat. Strom Thurmond and the rest of his ilk had become members of the GOP. The GOP welcomed them with open arms. The "Southern Strategy" which began with Barry Goldwater and was perfected by Richard Nixon is still in place 50 years later. During the same time, most blacks abandoned the republican because they did not like the way the GOP was headed on the issue of race. 50 years later, Blacks are the most loyal voters the democrats have. As a democrat, I am proud of the about face my party took the issue of race in the 1960s and 1970s.

but it wasn't done altruistically though. It was to position themselves for future votes.

The democrat leadership of the 60's and 70's was a different breed from that of today. They weren't great by any means, but they weren't the weak cry-baby assortment you find in government today. Today's leadership's number one mission is to cover their own asses with handouts, corruption, and less military. Communist is a better name for them and Obama and Hillary are sitting atop the heap.
It's sickening. Don't even try to compare the 60's and 70;'s to today. It shows your poor knowledge with regards to history. Liberal democrats, if anything, are provoking racial divide today. The more racial tension they create, the more votes they get for promising to rectify it. It's only getting worse if you haven't noticed.

They aren't plain old communists. They would never subject themselves and their families to the daily lives of a socialist/communist burdened citizen.

They want to be "Dear Leaders" for the good of us all..........

The only racial tension I see being created is by the GOP who is in a state of denial that it already exists. Things are bad enough, but the GOP refuses to acknowledge anything is wrong there by making things even worse.
According to the ramblings of some conservative republicans, the church shootings could have happened because there is no such thing as a white racist in America today. Furthermore, It must have been done by a Black man because only Blacks kill Blacks. On top of that, It was the victims own fault because they did carry guns to a prayer meeting to defend themselves. And the web site Roof has must be a phony put up by liberals to fan racial strife. Oh, yeah Roof must be a Muslim or Liberal Atheist because they are the only ones who attack Christians where live and worship. I fully expect in the next few days Just Ralph will post 6 links to a story where a Black man went to a white church and killed at least 10 Christians with a corn knife and 15 more where the would be killer was thwarted by a great grandmother with her trusty derringer. :rolleyes:

But then we have the liberals who act like the wounded party constantly revisiting the problem. It's constantly reopening the wounds and pouring salt into them and then they act surprised why the situation does not improve.

Are the relations between the races perfect? No. Will they ever be perfect? Most likely not. Can the majority of people get along with each other most of the time? I would like to think so.

BS.
IT is NOT the repubs who are constantly crying racism and dividing the nation. The biggest racist in the country are democrats - Sharpton, Obama,
the NAACP.....

The closing line about the corn knifed Christians and the derringer toting granny clampett got you some style points if nothing else.

Truth hurts huh Robert?

You are out of touch. Get used to it.