ustxtxb_obs_1963_04_04_50_00015-00000_000.pdf

Political Intelligence tof There has been a convulsion of speculation in Washington about Lyndon Johnson. It began with strong rumors two months ago that Johnson would not seek , renomination as vice president and would oppose Ralph Yarborough for the U.S. Senate. These rumors were printed here and there. Sen. Barry Goldwater dropped a remark that Johnson was “a background man” as vice president. Johnson’s first answer to such talk was a memo his staff circulated, not for attribution to him; its result was a variety of stories that said he is “happy in his job” and reviewed his various responsibilities as vice president. It became known, however, that those planning the Democrats’ 1964 convention may arrange for the vice president to be nominated first. Johnson supporters are assured this plan embodies no implication adverse to him. Kennedy’s public position has been that Johnson will be on the ticket if he wants to be and is nominated.. Nevertheless, the president might be in a position to contend at the convention, if he wanted to, that since he had not been renominated yet himself, the question of his running mate was up to the delegates. Johnson submitted to a. lengthy ABCTV interview last week. He said he hoped the delegates would “look with approval” on the president’s and his work; but the nomination itself would be up to the delegates, he said. He stressed that he had been a party to all major decisions the president has made. vir A long, unbylined story in the Hous ton Post containedfor those who waded through it interesting hints. Johnson’s method of submitting to interview, but not for attribution, made these passages especially interesting: “Sometimes Johnson . . . says flatly that he no longer nourishes the dream of becoming president. For that matter, he will say, when the time comes to formally make up the 1964 Democratic ticket, he only wants to be given the decision to make as to whether or not he runs for a second time for the second place. Then he will make up his own mind, cogitating a while.” The reporter went on that Johnson relishes the idea of retiring to Texasthat is, not running for anything in 1964. wor This same unsigned story contained an explicit account of Johnson’s prior claim over the senior senator, Ralph Yarborough, in Texas patronage matters: “The only difference of note between the president and the vice president came early in the official relationship when cabinet members were interfering with Johnson patronage in Texas in an effort to shunt more jobs to . . . Yarborough. . . . The President had promised Johnson at Los Angeles that he would be ‘second on the ticket but first in Texas.’ Johnson feels the president honored the contract, although there were some compromises toward Yarborough. No problem exists now.” V Polls taken by conservative inter ests, according to some reports, show that Yarborough is too strong to be defeated in the Democratic primary next year. These reports may be plants, but it is undeniable that Yarborough has been attracting very goodly crowds on his stumping tours into the state this winter and spring. g o of Houston Republicans are turning their organizational efforts into Negro precincts. The new G.O.P. chair man there says the G.O.P. has been considered, “sometimes with justifica tion,” connected with extremism, but that most Republicans are not extremists. V Dallas Republicans now publish a well-printed party newspaper, “Battle Line.” It is strongly anti-U.N. and anti-disarmament; it carries articles from Republicans in the state legislature and from Bruce Alger, the Dallas congressman. V Texas Republicans still hope to get the national G.O.P. convention for Dallas in 1964, despite the Dallas chamber of commerce’s refusal to support the idea. The Observer has received reports that Vice President Johnson communicated with powerful Democrats in the chamber in opposition to the convention being held in Dallas. It certainly was a rare occasion, from the commercial point of view, whenbrushing aside petitions from every leading Texas Republican the Dallas chamber’s Washington lobbyist, Dale Miller, told national Republicans that the convention would impose “abnormal burdens” on Dallas. V Expect an announcement in Dallas within the next month of a national draft Goldwater movement. All -that’s holding it up now is selection of a finance chairman. Goldwater has indicated to the group that he’s not seeking the nomination but might not turn it down. In Austin last weekend, Goldwater’s remarks on this subject meant, in effect, that he didn’t think he would be offered the nomination. He is not slamming and locking doors. V Young Goldwater Republicans are circulating charges that Nelson Rockefeller money helped organize Young Republican clubs that were responsible for the election of George Darby of Pampa chairman of the TexaS Young Republican federation at Tyler last month. They do not contend that Darby is for Rockefeller, but that he supports a Rockefeller man for national Y.R. chairman, and thus that Rockefeller has in effect bought -his way into Texas G.O.P. politics. Albert Fay, the Texas G.O.P. national committeeman, and P e t e r O’Donnell, the state chairman, headed off an open split at Tyler between Darby and outgoing chairman John Berke, Jr., of Dallas. Apparently most Texas Republicans are still firmly opposed to Rockefeller, though he is the odds-on choice to be the Republican nominee next year. Cong. Joe Kilgore, McAllen, has trouble in store for him next summer, the all but certain opposition candidacy of Webb County Judge Robert Benavides. . . . There is talk that some conservatives are inclined to drop Cong. John Dowdy of Athens, and go with State Sen. Martin Dies, Lufkin, in 1964. Benton Musselwhite, who almost beat Dowdy last time, has all but announced his second candidacy. . . . The incumbency of Ed Foreman, the freshman Republican from Odessa, has made certain a sharp contest for the Democratic nomination against him. Among the possible candidates: Sen. Frank Owen and Rep. Malcolm McGregor, El Paso; Tom Diamond and Richard C. White of El Paso; Reagan Legg of Midland.. . . Other Texas statehouse rumors about congressional races: Rep. Max Carriker, against Cong. Omar Burleson, Anson; Rep. Ronald Roberts, Hillsboro, against Cong. Tiger Teague, College Station. V Teague released to the Dallas News figures from his poll of 30,000 people in his district, the results of which he said in generalsupported his voting record on Kennedy programs. It showed 2-to-1 opposition to Kennedy’s tax cuts and foreign aid, 3-1 opposition to medicare, 5-1 opposition to federal aid to education, and 2-1 support for the national space program. V Social notes: Sitting at a table to gether at the Club Caravan in Austin: Gov. Connally, Scott Sayers, his aide; Rep. Ben Barnes, DeLeon; Harry Whitworth, chemicals lobbyist; Will Ehrle, Lone Star Gas lobbyist, and wives. . . . An oil company plane flew Connally and his company to the Fort Worth gridiron dinner. April 4, .1963 .15