Ezra Klein considers whether or not Lyndon Johnson could pass comprehensive health-care reform, and says no. He's right! The thing that people forget about Johnson is that he lived in a time when you could get away with all kinds of corruption we rightly abhor now -- he had aide Bobby Baker flying around the country with pockets full of cash for campaign contributions; he probably stole his own election to the Senate. In addition, reporters rarely had the ability or inclination to track down the Cornhusker Kickbacks of his day, so he could do a lot more horse-trading. LBJ had promises he could keep and threats he could deliver. Sure, he was as talented a legislator as anyone had ever seen, but he had some advantages that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi just don't have today, and for good reason.
-- Tim Fernholz
