The Thin Man

At their national committee meeting at New Orleans last fortnight, Democrats, looking to 1956, alternated between hope and despair. If Eisenhower does not run, they are almost sure they can win; if he does, they are almost sure they will be beaten. These conclusions are consistent with the main Democratic line of not publicly attacking Eisenhower. Since he is popular, attacks hurt the party of the attackers. Since he is a man of self-respect, personal attacks might lead him to seek vindication by running again.

Nobody explained this sound political logic to the new Democratic national chairman, Paul Butler. At a press conference, after the New Orleans meeting, Butler endorsed a personal attack on Ike attributed by a local newspaper to House Democratic Leader Sam Rayburn. Butler declared that Ike had demonstrated "his incapacity to lead the American people . . . His military background does not qualify Eisenhower as a political leader." If Butler had asked any of the reporters, he would have learned that Rayburn had vehemently denied any attack on Ike.

Hall fired back at Butler. Said Hall:

"The pledge of Democratic leaders to cooperate with President Eisenhower in the best interests of the nation has been thrown in the ashcan . . . [They] are determined to undercut President Eisen hower in every possible way."

Hall's volley might have warned Butler. But he was still going strong two days later. In Kansas City with Harry Truman, Butler said it is "a sincere regret to me that [Ike] has seemed unable to bring to the task of civil government the qualities that made him such a renowned military leader."

At the White House press conference, Ike, again observing his ban on personal invective, generalized his retort to Butler, but his generalization cut wide and deep. Said he: "I think too often politicians look into a looking glass instead of through a window ... I really believe you [reporters] are better judges of interests, breadth of interests, capacities and the kind of things we are trying to do, than some politician who, looking in the glass, sees only reflections of doubt and fear and the kind of confusion that he often tries to create."

Roars Dared. Hall followed up this haymaker by observing that he had never heard of Butler until recently, and was "not acquainted with his qualifications for passing judgment on great men." Great men with whom South Bend Lawyer Paul Mulholland Butler, 49, has associated are largely limited to fellow Hoosiers, notably Notre Dame Football Coach Frank Leahy, whose team Butler boosts devotedly, and ex-Governor Henry Schricker (1941-45, 1949-53), whom Butler served as a political troubleshooter. Two years ago, Butler unseated burly Frank McHale, Indiana Democratic boss for 15 years, as the state's national committeeman. To contrast him with McHale, Indianans call lank (5 ft. u^ in., 156 Ibs.) Paul Butler "the thin man."

At week's end Butler charged again. He took notice of the party line by saying: "I will never villify the President, as Senator McCarthy has this week." But he went on: "All the roars of Chairman Hall and other Republicans will not deter me from calling attention to the failures of the President."

One effect of Butler's (and McCarthy's) outbursts was to give greatly increased impetus to a "draft Ike" movement for the 1956 nomination. Among the movement's sponsors: several Republican governors, House Speaker Joseph W. Martin and Colorado's Senator Eugene Millikin. The Thin Man was off to a daring start as Democratic Chairman.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.