Evening star., 1961-01-16

the aged proclainang the at
tainability Of agreement.
The argumen mt that pits
rresident-elect Kennedy, the
bulk Of the Northern Demo-
Gratis and the AFL-CTO, who
support compulsory social Sc
This is the eighth in series Of bio
graphical and interpretive articles
on members Of the Kennedy cabinet.
ToNaonow's article will Be on Stewort
udoll, the incoming Secretary Of the
Interior.
eurity taxes to pay for medical
benefits. against Vice President
Nixon, the bulk Of Republicans
and the American Medical As
sociation, who want a volun-
tary system. has been called
''the one great philosophical
issue" facing Congress and the
country.
Favors Practical Approach
Gov. Ribicoff's approach to
the problem is to eliminate
the clamor and shouting and
see If we can move ahead in
. practical way"
Leaning back in his chair,
his soft voice filling the delib-
erately quiet and comfortable
chamber he occupies in Hart
ford as Governor Of Connecti-
cut, he told this interviewer:
"It's o very interesting thing
that careful. thoughtful analy-
sis Of the varying positions on
the health-care question iiidi-
Gates some Of these groups are
not as far apart as they think
they are"
That discovery. 1t is safe to
say. is not just interesting but
astounding to the rival lobby
lists Of the ANA and the ALL
CIO. who have been slugging
away ct each other on this issue
for the past five years.
Yet in Connecticut, where
they have had the opportunity
to know him well in his six
years as Governor. both the
ANA and the AFL-CIO are
highly pleased that Mr.. Ribi-
coff is the man Mr.. Kennedy
has put in the middle Of their
fight.
Talent for Pleasing
This rare talent for pleasing
opposing sides, for bridging the
seemingly unhridgeable, is the
key to Gov. Ribicoff's philoso-
ply and his success as q poll
tician. It is also the quality that
makes him most suspect among
doctrinaire thinkers Of both the
left and right.
"Ribicoff." sneers one Con-
necticut liberal, sis the perfect
middle Of -the-roader. I don't
think there's q single idea or
issue that concerns him except
tn. promotion Of Abe Ribicoff.
Hes the only guy in the world
that has built q political career
by praising traffic safety. reli-
eions holidays, patriotism and
Flag Day"
A Republican who has known
tho Governor well for more
than IS years echoed the
charge: Early in his life, Abe
invested in q kind of sancti-
mony that suits him well. In
Hartford. he was o hacker of
the non-partisan Charter
movement, but not to the point
that he antagonized the Dem
ocrats. He was against capital
punishment. except in q few
cases. He has switched sides
on SO many issues I can't cata-
logue them. In short, I con.
slider him an opportunist."
y Record Vote Getter
The Governor bears these in
suits with an equanimity that
comes easily to one who has
proved himself the best vote
getter in Connecticut history
and who now contemplates the
happy prospects Of q career on
the national scene.
Z mo one who enters public
service" Gov. Ribicoff says In
his mellow purr. can expect
to satisfy everyone. But I have
never felt that the fact a man
disagrees with me means he
is less conscientious than I
am
At so, Abraham Alexander
Ribicoff, son of an immigrant
peddler and the product Of the
tenements Of New Britain, is
one Of the most polished public
figures Washington has seen
in years.
Gov. Ribicoff has some re-
aown as aspeaker. a not so much
for the eloquence and inven-
tiveness Of his words as for
the quality Of sincere convic-
ton with which he invests gen.
orally accepted notions.
He confesses to q weakness
for cliches-his favorite phrase
Is "the integrity of compro-
i1lise"-but he argues that
"cliches are cliches because men
in all generations have rec
ognized the wisdom they con-
tain"
Convinces Opponents
One @. o. P. leader in Con-
necticut still gets red-faced as
he recalls the night Gov. Ribi-
coff spoke at q testimonial din
ner for q retiring Republican
big-wig. He talked for IS min
utes," this man recalls, com
pairing himself all the time to
Abraham Lincoln. That audi
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