LBJ to George Wallace: "Do you want to be remembered as a builder or a hater"

[WI_DEM]

I've been reading a wonderful book called "Kennedy, Johnson and the Quest for Justice: The Civil Rights Tapes" by Jonathan Rosenberg and Zachary Karabell. It has a remarkable encounter between Alabama Governor George Wallace and his state Attorney General at the WH in March, 1965 regarding Selma. LBJ gave him the full effect of the so-called "Johnson Treatment.":

LBJ: George...you got to think about it this way...umm, would you prefer to be remembered as someone who tore things down or built things up? At one time you were a god-damn populist! you built schools and roads. George, what do you want to be remembered as--do you want to be remembered as a builder or as a hater?

At one point Wallace's Attorney General interjects that they have to be tough because "communists have taken over the civil rights movement" at which point Johnson grabs a pencil and pad of paper and throws it over to the Alabama attorney General and says, "Here...why don't you take notes."

[WI_DEM]

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