Evening star., 1955-01-11
The Political Mil
The Political Min
Democrats Blust Nixon
Because He Is Effective
Sniping OF Vice President
Also Aimed ot Eisenhower
BY Gould Lincoln

Also Aimed ut Eisenhower
By Gould Lincoln
The concentrated Democratic attack
on Vice President Nixon. which began
Immediately after the 1854 campaign
and is now continuing with almost
daily sniping, apparently has two basic
and impelling reasons. The first Is
to rid the Democratic Party of the
Communist issue-the Red issue which
has plagued the Democrats for years
and has hurt them in number OF
States. The second is to strike at the
man closest to the White House and
President Eisenhower himself the Vice
President Of the United States.
So, beginning with former Demo-
cratic National Chairman Stephen A.
Mitchell and continued by Adlai Stey-
enson. Speaker Sam Rayhurn Senator
Richard L. Neuberger and by other
freshman Democrats in Congress, the
drive is on to picture the Vice Presi-
dent as merely '.smear" artist and,
as such, entirely unworthy, a man who
hits below the belt. Their theme song
Is that he made the Democrats out to
be a parcel Of traitors over the last
score Of years. and disloyal at the
4 very least.
Charged stupidity"
The facts In the case. as revealed by
. a perusal Of the Vice Presidents cam
paign speeches, are that the Vice Presi-
dent did no such thing. What he did
was to accuse the Democrats Of stupidity
because they did not recognize the
Communist menace: that they did not
take the steps necessary to check ir-
filtration OF the Reds, and that when
cases were called to their attention
they did nothing about them. For
example the cases Of Alger Hiss and
Harry Dexter White.
The vice President said repeatedly
that Communism should not be q politi.
cal issue, and that there was no differ
ence between the loyalty Of Democrats
and Republicans-bu he added some
misguided officials of the Truman adj
ministration were blind or Indifferent
to the danger from the Communists.
That is the kind of criticism which hurt
and which was effective against the
Democrats In the 1850, 1852 and 1858
campaigns. The Democrats don't want
any more Of 1t. They have, they think,
disposed Of Senator Joe Mccarthy OF
Wisconsin in such way that he viii
not be effective in his attacks on them.
He took no real part in the last CAM
paign. Now they have turned on Mr..
Nixon-who made effective use of the
Red issue and is capable Of doing so
again. They picture him as character
assassin, the lowest kind Of politician.
They hope to get away with 1t. by .
consistent campaign Of attack upon
him.
Neuberger VS.. Nixon.
Senator Neuberger, without mention
ing the Vice President by name. but
plainly indicating Mr.. Nixon was MS
target, recently criticized the latter's
campaign against him. Senator Neu-
berger. AS a matter Of fact, Senator
Neuberger was one Of the five left-wing
Democratic candidates singled out by
Mr.. Nixon in his Pocatello, Idaho. adj
dress on october rs, 1854, when the
vice President asserted that the gains
that the Democrats would make, If they
took over the 84th Congress, inevitably
would come from the ADA left wing OF
sethe party. The other four were Glenn
TAYLOR of Idaho-who ran for Vice
President on the Henry Wallace ticket
in l948---former Representative John
Carroll Of Colorado; Senator O'Maho-
ney of Wyoming, and former Repre-
sentative Yorty of California. THE
people" Mr.. Nixon said, 'do not want
to 20 back to the Truman policies which
mean war, corruption. toleration OF
communism, and economic pelicies
which were never able in 20 years to
provide prosperity except during war
time and which were inevitably leading
the Nation down the road to socialism.
Whether it was Mr. Nixons campaign
ing or not. three out Of these i've DEM
ocrats were defeated in their races for
the Senate
Nixon Holds His Fire.
Mr.. Nixon is for the present, at least.
holding his own FIRE. His defense Is
being made by other Republicans
among them Republican National
Chairman Leonard w. Hall. Mr.. Hall
said it should be clear to every one
who reads the papers and hears the TV
and radio that there is now underway
a s'hfghly-organized campaign to be-
smirch the Vice President. The TECH
niuue is to smear him by falsely accus-
ing him of smearing others. This is one
of the lowest tricks in politics and in
this instance destructive only to its
perpetrators. Dick Nixon is one OF the
most effective campaigners in history.
It is because he tells the truth and Is
effective that he Is under attack"
But should Mr.. Nixon find 1t neces-
sary to reply. he is quite capable.
Further he knows lot more about the
Communist activities in this country
than do his detractors. He was mainly
responsible for the conviction Of Alger
4 Hiss. No one is going to say to him
"You never got Communist"
Nor can the Democrats get away
from the fact they were blind to what
was going on when Hiss and White and
others were active In the Government.