He was no prima donna, just a good man like the West makes'um.
For those too young to know: Senator Mike Mansfield represented his home state of Montana for several terms as a Republican, then was appointed ambassador to Japan.
The way I saw it, Bobby Kennedy stole the thunder of Gene McCartney in his anti-war pursuit of the presidency. He was a prima donna for that reason alone (but your story adds to my beliefs about him).
And then there's the stories about Marilyn......
Mansfield was a Democrat (and was Senate Majority Leader when the Democrats held the Senate).
Agreed, Mike Mansfield was a good man. He kept the Senate in line, but he never did it corruptly or cynically the way LBJ did. I’ve often said that the Senate Republicans need someone like Mansfield to straighten them out, instead of the spineless losers they keep putting in charge.