Not just Mr. Smith went to Washington

From the January-February issue of mental_floss:

Late long-time Senator Strom Thurmond is in the record books for giving the longest recorded speech in history, clocking in at 24 hours and 18 minutes. What could someone possibly rant about for more than a day? The speech was a filibuster in opposition of the 1957 Civil Rights Act (which passed, despite Strom's efforts).

Gotta hand it to the guy; he REALLY hated black people.