"We are talking about a civil rights bill for Congress."

Two hours later, the Senate passed the first civil rights bill since 1875.

In good conscience, we cannot support the administration's civil rights bill.

He did, however, part company with the Republican right to vote for the civil rights bills of 1964 and 1965.

But Johnson bet his all on getting a civil rights bill passed.

A less charitable view is that the President let himself be used by people who didn't want a civil rights bill.

"The President would like to sign a civil rights bill," he said, "and we will be working toward that end."

And in Congress, a parental rights bill was introduced last year.