Part 2 Chapter 5 Summary

LBJ did not fit the austere, restrained, dignified and refined image of the institution he was entering. He was an earthy man, urinating in public, boasting about his manhood, scratching and adjusting himself, picking his nose or slurping loudly at his nasal inhaler to relieve congestion. He was bigger than life, dramatic. LBJ fully trusted no one. He had the "Bunton eye," dark, penetrating, intimidating and unforgettable, which was inherited from ancestors who ruled the Hill Country before Texas statehood. As a congressman, his clothing had been gaudy and oversized to conceal his paunch; he hurried everywhere, lunging awkwardly, elbowing people aside and swaggering. He was charming and witty, the life of every party, telling wonderful Texas stories and accurately mimicking the great figures of Washington. When it got down to business, however, LBJ always had to win and he would...