Evening star., 1952-09-06
The Political Mill
Two Senate Seats Give
Connecticut Importance
Republicans Nominate Bush
Who Lost TO Benton in so
The Political Mill
Bx Gould Lincoln

Connecticut Republicans have decided
to make their play for the McMahon
Senate seat with Prescott Bush as their
candidate. In doing so. they overlooked
Mrs. Clare Boothe Luce. and in the
opinion Of many. good bet. Win. lose
or draw, Mrs. Luce would have added
something to the campaign-and to the
Senate-which the pleasant Mr. Bush,
highly esteemed as he is cannot provide.
The kind of campaign which Mr.. Bush
will offer is already known. He ran for
the Senate in 1850 against Senator
Benton, Democrat, for short term ex-
piring this year, and was defeated by
narrow vote-little more than 1000
votes. Senator Benton was regarded as
the weak sister. running on ticket with
Gov. Chester Bowles and Senator Brien
Mcmahon. He came through to victory.
however. although Gov. Bowles was
defeated by Gov. John Davis Lodge, and
Senator Mcmahon won by $4,000.
Important Battle Ground.
Connecticut, with two Senate seats as
the prize, is an exceedingly important
battle ground in this campaign, although
there is no gubernatorial contest. If the
Republicans could take both these
Senate seats, it would put them in a
fair way to control the Upper House.
should Gen. Eisenhower be elected
President. Gov. Lodge might have been
the strongest candidate they could put
forward-but the Governor, having been
elected to four-year term in Hartford,
decided to stick by and finish the job
Tor which he was elected. Mrs. Luce,
clever OF tongue and pen and glamorouS.
a veteran Of political forayS in the past
she served two terms in the HouSe-was
willing to run. The powers that be in
the Republican Party in the Nutmeg
State turned, however, to Mr.. Bush.
Mr.. Bush is an investment banker in
New York, but lives in Greenwich, Conn.
He was a candidate for the senatorial
nomination to run again against Senator
Benton. at the Republican State con-
vention earlier in the year. He withdrew,
however, and left that nomination to
William A. Purtell, Connecticut manu-
facturer. Since Connecticut nominates
its senatorial candidates via the con-
vent1on system, not by primary, there
was no opportunity to test the voting
strength OF the respective candidates
for the nomination.
Brlen Mcmahon Missed.
II Gen. Eisenhower carries Connecti-
cut in the presidential race, it is figured
that the G. o. P. will take the two SEN
ate seats, anyway. But it might have
been easier with Mrs. Luce. The Demo-
Gratis miss Senator Mcmahon; the strong
man OF the party. They are seeking to
put in his place Representative Ribicoff
OF the Hartford district. Mr.. Ribicoff
was first elected to Congress in 1948 and
is probably the strongest nominee the
Democrats could find for the Senate. A
Stevenson victory in Connecticut, how
ever, could easily mean the election of
two Democrats to the Senate. Neither
Mr.. Purtell nor Mr.. Bush has so far
shown any great hold on the voters.
The Benton race will be watched this
year with added interest because of the
war he has been waging in the Senate to
bring about the custer of Senator Joe
Mccarthy OF Wisconsin. whom Senator
Benton has accused of all kinds of high
crimes and miSdemeanors in his, Sena-
tor McCarthy's. fight against commu-
nlSm and fellow travellers in the State
Department. Senator Benton was at one
time an Assistant Secretary of State.
0CAdtoA MCNdII1y Is up IOr re-eleCClOn
this year. too. Probably nothing could
be more pleasing to the left-wingers than
to have Senator Mccarthy defeated and
Senator Benton reelected. Senator
Mccarthy saw the defeat Of another
arch foe. former Senator Tydings. in
Maryland, two years ago. The Mary
land Senator had been chairman of the
Senate committee appointed to investi-
gate Senator McCarthy's charges against
the State Department, and had reported
there was nothing to the charges. SEN
ator Mccarthy played his part in the
Tydings defeat-and the Marylander is
out to help defeat Senator Mccarthy
now. if he can.
Indeed. Senator Mccarthy is princi-
pal target of the Democratic administra-
ton. from Mr.. Truman right down the
line. Gov. Stevenson, the Democratic
standard bearer. has singled out the
Wisconsin Senator to attack. which may
hurt Gov. Stevenson as well as help him.
1t will not help the Democratic presiden-
tial nominee in Wisconsin. if Senator
Mccarthy runs well there.