The Nation: A Filibuster Ends, but Not The Gas War

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DeConcini, a freshman who favors gradual deregulation of gas, found Carter's sales pitch astoundingly low-key and polite. "Bet you're tired," the President said. Then he went right into his soft, soft sell. "There may be a key vote on this, and the Secretary [James Schlesinger] and I wanted to talk to you a little about it." As the twelve-minute discussion continued, DeConcini explained that he had campaigned in support of deregulation. "Well, I'm against controls too," Carter said. "I'm just in the position of wanting to ease it on the consumer and so the companies don't make exorbitant profits." As DeConcini apologized for taking up Carter's time, the President said, "I understand, Dennis. I know what constituents are."

That gentlemanly routine changed not a single vote among the four Senators—a far cry from the arm-twisting, lapel-tugging, browbeating style of Lyndon Johnson. Noting that there were half a dozen Senators on the borderline, Consumer Lobbyist James Plug said, "Lyndon would have got at least one vote out of that bunch." Added a friend: "Hell, Lyndon would have got seven votes."

On the Senate floor, meanwhile, the Byrd scheme was pushing toward an explosive conclusion. As Byrd rose, Abourezk walked up the steps to Mondale's chair. "You're not going along with this, are you?" he asked bitingly. Flushed and tense, Mondale snapped, "You can be sure I'm going to do the right thing."

Byrd, reading from his prepared script, began by arguing that the chair was "required to take the initiative under Rule 22 to rule out of order all amendments which are dilatory or which on their face are out of order." Responded Mondale, also plainly reading from a script, "The point is well taken, and the chair will take the initiative."

Frustrated, Abourezk shouted, "Why did the Vice President come up here to make these rulings? Why did that happen?" Implying that Carter had sent Mondale to end the filibuster, Abourezk declared, "I have been told... that all governments lie ... There is one thing I never thought would happen, and that is that Jimmy Carter would lie." Stung, Mondale told the Senate he knew nothing of the plans to shut off the filibuster until he arrived at the Senate that morning. He said there had been no White House deal, adding, "There is nothing more sacred to me or to the President than our integrity."

Then Byrd moved in for the kill. He started calling up amendment after amendment, and Mondale, just as rapidly, ruled each amendment out of order. In just nine minutes, 33 amendments were axed. It was an unprecedented way to short-circuit Senate business, and dozens of enraged Senators leaped to their feet to protest. Mondale stonily recognized only Byrd.