The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1962-07-06
The Congressional Record

AhS SVh6A SccAOAoA ANSSoAN
. Why is it that a. Democratic" Con-
gress gives SO little support to a Dem
ocratic President? r,c8s
In everything from civil rights leg
islation to the farm bill President
Kennedy is rebuffed these days, even
as the Gallup Poll still shows him
with so-called popularity rating"
of II per cent. He hasn't been able
to get anything done on Capitol Hill
up to this point with the exception
of House approval of his tariff pro-
gram last Thursday-PV) and the
prospects for enactment of the rest
of his diluted New Frontier program
are not hopeful.
Yet the Senate has a lop-sided
Democratic majority. In the House
there are: Democrats, 25S, Republi-
cans, TIA, vacancies, five.
To win at least something that
looks like a victoy the administration
has tried everything; smiles, threats,
b US Ter, persuasion, compromise,
deals, name-calling and promises of
CiiiuSS W gCOllS.
Many explanations are advanced
for the statemate. To a degree all
have some validity. There is, for
example, the argument that the 'Old
South" continues to run things in
coalition with Right-wing Republicans
of the Charlie Halleck school. Where
civil rights, oil interests and even
medicare are concerned the power
of the conservative Coalition" es-
pecially since the death of Speaker |
Rayburn, is nothing to minimize.
JOHNSON LITTLE HELP
Vice President Lyndon Johnson,
the man who was put on the Demo
cratic ticket to placate the party's /
Old Guard, has proved to be of little
help. AS Vice President he seems
unable. to get the same results from
the old-line Southerners he achieved
while Majority Leader. For what
ever reason, he is watching events
more as a spectator than as a par
ticipant.
Another explanation for the i'm
passe is the feud between the Ken
nedys and House Speakr Mccormack.
This goes back many years but the
decision of the Presidents brother,
Teddy, to run for the Senate has done
nothing to help patch it up.
Old John Mccormack is too willy ;
a Democratic politician openly to
attack the administration. He just {
does not help. His attitude seems to
De that these are supposed to be {
smart young men, let's see how smart I
hey really are. So he stands on the {
;idelines, alternately looking puz- I
lied and amused, but always pro- I
claiming himself ''for the Presidents e
Z
TROUBLE GOES DEEPER 6
The attitude of Mccormack, John
on and others are all factors. But s
he trouble, l believe, goes deeper. a
The real difficulty can be found in |;
he Executive branch. Basically they
10 not know how to keep friends,
tersuade opponents or win new adj il
erents.
Although the situation on Capitol a
I'LL looks grim these days there O
ave been other Democratic Presi- Ii
ents with not-too-friendly Con- h
resses. Woodrow Wilson, himself, W
minority President in his first
erm, had hostile Senate, although m
was Democratic-ruled Yet with h.
ard work and persuasion he man f.
ged to get far more basic legislation
nacted than President Kennedy has
ven proposed. i
In Wilson's first term we got the =
ederal Reserve Act, the Clayton
nti-Trust Act, and downward re-
sion of tariffs, to mention only u
w. These were bitterly fought by
ecial interests. Then, as now, South
n Bourbons held dominant posi-
,ns. But President Wilson managed
achieve many of his detectives. 20
hi
ontana Machinisfs ~