I said in my last post that the late Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen (R-IL) would feel right at home among today’s flip-flopping presidential hopefuls. Indeed, when Dirksen first ran for the Senate in 1950, the Chicago Sun-Times ran an analysis of his voting record in the House of Representatives, accusing him of switching his position on military preparedness 31 times, on isolationism 62 times and on farm policy 70 times during his 16 years in Congress.

Dirksen saw himself as a pragmatist rather than an opportunist and, for all his artful dodging, he was capable of principled and courageous political stands. His finest hour came when he secured passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Die-hard segregationists, who were mainly Democrats, mounted the longest filibuster in the history of the Senate –- 83 days -- to prevent passage of this landmark legislation. The only way to break the filibuster was by cloture –- a vote to end debate. Unfortunately, under the rules of the Senate at that time, a motion to invoke cloture required more than a simple majority. Two-thirds of all senators had to vote in favor. Had Dirksen, the leader of the Republicans, lined up with the southern Democrats, the civil rights bill would have never reached the floor.

Dirksen had reservations about the bill, and offered numerous amendments in an effort to break the logjam. Finally, on June 10, 1964, he was ready to move. Dirksen was then nearly 70 and in poor health. He was exhausted from working 14-to-16 hour days. But he made a moving speech in favor of the cloture motion.

"There are many reasons why cloture should be invoked and a good civil rights measure enacted,” Dirksen told the hushed Senate chamber. “It is said that on the night he died, Victor Hugo wrote in his diary substantially this sentiment, 'Stronger than all the armies is an idea whose time has come.' The time has come for equality of opportunity in sharing of government, in education, and in employment. It must not be stayed or denied."

The motion to invoke cloture was carried, and the civil rights bill became law.