1968 Democratic National Convention
Met by anti-war protesters, racial unrest, and rioting on the streets, the 1968 Democratic National Convention, held at the International Amphitheatre proved an international embarrassment for the city. House Majority Leader Carl Albert, the convention chairman, and Rostenkowski’s boss, was unable to control the rowdy behavior of the delegates inside the hall. Rostenkowski happened to be manning the phones on the podium when a furious Lyndon Johnson called from his Texas ranch and ordered him to take over the gavel to quiet the proceedings on the convention floor. (Ciccone) Rostenkowski did, but an embarrassed Albert never forgave him.
Two years later, Rostenkowski was running for a third term as chairman of the Democratic Caucus and did not expect any opposition. But to his surprise, the Texas delegation nominated their colleague, Olin Teague, a popular war hero and Chairman of the Veteran's Affairs Committee. Even though Teague announced that he was not a candidate, they elected him anyway, 155 to 91. “I got defeated by Tiger Teague, who voted for me,” exclaimed Rostenkowski. “I saw him vote for me.” The liberal Democrats voted against Rostenkowski because of his ties to Mayor Daley, who was a pariah because of the 1968 convention and many of Albert’s friends voted against him because of the feud. (Remini,429)
Read more about this topic: Dan Rostenkowski
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