From the New York Times (via Charlie Foxtrot):

When Mrs. Clinton talked about how it took Johnson as well as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to achieve the rights legislation, Ms. Goodwin said, “she was absolutely right.” Johnson’s great mastery was to get the support of Southern Republicans. “It required his understanding of absolutely every single senator,” Ms. Goodwin said. “They were a team. Without Martin Luther King agitating the country and J.F.K. picking up the bill there would not have been that pressure on the Congress, and without L.B.J. there would not have been a bill.”

What Southern Republicans? Except John Tower, there weren’t any in Congress at that time. Strom Thurmond later switched parties, but that only makes 2 Republicans in the Senate. Looking at the House makeup back then, there’s only 13 Republican Representatives in the South. So LBJ’s “great mastery” was to get the support of 15 Congressmen? Wow. Color me underwhelmed.

88th US Congress Makeup: