Quote:
Originally Posted by bambino
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yes. and if the Wizard knew what he was talking about he'd know why Goldwater reluctantly did not vote for it.
Stance on civil rights
In his first year in the Senate, Goldwater was responsible for the desegregation of the Senate cafeteria after he insisted that his black legislative assistant, Katherine Maxwell, be served along with every other Senate employee.
[36]
Goldwater and the Eisenhower administration supported the integration of schools in the south, but Goldwater felt the states should choose how they wanted to integrate and should not be forced by the federal government. "Goldwater criticized the use of federal troops. He accused the Eisenhower administration of violating the Constitution by assuming powers reserved by the states. While he agreed that under the law, every state should have integrated its schools, each state should integrate in its own way."
[41] There were high-ranking government officials following Goldwater's critical stance on the Eisenhower administration, even an Army General. "Fulbright's startling revelation that military personnel were being indoctrinated with the idea that the policies of the Commander in Chief were treasonous dovetailed with the return to the news of the strange case of General
Edwin Walker."
[42]
Goldwater repeatedly introduced amendments to labor bills that would outlaw racial discrimination in labor unions, however, labor unions successfully used their political influence to defeat Goldwater's proposals. Goldwater voted in favor of both
Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the
24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution but did not vote on the
Civil Rights Act of 1960.
[43][44][45] While he did vote in favor of it while in committee, Goldwater reluctantly voted against the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it came to the floor.
[46] Later,
Goldwater would state that he was mostly in support of the bill, but he disagreed with Title II and VII, which both dealt with employment, making him infer that the law would end in the government dictating hiring and firing policy for millions of Americans.[47]
Congressional Republicans overwhelmingly supported the bill, with Goldwater being joined by only 5 other Republican senators in voting against it.
[48][49] It is likely that Goldwater significantly underestimated the effect this would have, as his vote against the bill hurt him with voters across the country, including from his own party. In the 1990s, Goldwater would call his vote on the Civil Rights Act, “one of his greatest regrets."
[35]
