Page "news" Paragraph 2007

But in the prospect of winning the battle loomed the specter of losing a costlier war.

If the Southerners were sufficiently aroused, they could very well cut the Kennedy legislative program to ribbons from their vantage point of committee chairmanships, leaving Sam Rayburn leading a truncated, unworkable party.

With that possibility in mind, Arkansas' Wilbur Mills deliberately delayed calling a meeting of the Committee on Committees, and coolheaded Democrats sought to bring Rayburn and Smith together again to work out some sort of face-saving compromise.

`` Here are two old men, mad at each other and too proud to pick up the phone '', said a House Democratic leader.

`` One wants a little more power, and the other doesn't want to give up any ''.

Battle in the senate

The Senate launched the 87th Congress with its own version of an ancient liberal-conservative battle, but in contrast with the House's guerrilla war it seemed as pro forma as a Capitol guide's speech.

Question at issue: How big a vote should be necessary to restrict Senate debate -- and thereby cut off legislation-delaying filibusters??