Legacy to power

by Mann, Robert

Russell Long towered over the U.S. Senate for almost four decades as one of the most powerful men in Washington and the nation. He was a politician's politician, always operating behind the scenes, masterfully pulling the levers of the legislative process in a unique and colorful fashion. Legacy to Power tells Russell Long's story and the larger story to which it belongs - the fascinating tale of the Longs of Louisiana, one of America's greatest political dynasties. For. Almost six decades, the Long family dominated Louisiana politics: Russell's legendary father, populist senator Huey Long, his flamboyant Uncle Earl, a three-term Louisiana governor, and his mother, who served in the Senate after Huey's death, were among the many Longs in public office. When Huey Long died from an assassin's bullet in 1935, Russell, aged sixteen, became heir to his father's powerful political legacy. His entry into politics in 1948 was kindled by an. Obsession to rehabilitate his father's tarnished repu