ustxtxb_obs_1976_12_10_50_00020-00000_000.pdf

SANUAR I Nl i 12. 3 A 5 6 b15 8 9 6 17 10 11 12 13 18 19 20 2A 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 ’29 30 31 5 20 The Texas Observer THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF TEXAS presents H. L. Mitchell, Co-Founder of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. Speaking at St. Edward’s University Tuesday, December 7, 1976 at 10:00 AM Austin, TX For more information, contact: Austin DSOC Dallas DSOC Houston DSOC 209 West 20th 4924 N. Hall P.O. Box 7296 Austin 78705 Dallas 75235 Houston 77008 478-2095 522-6107 777-4470 Good books in every field JENKINS PUBLISHING CO. The Pemberton Press John H. Jenkins, Publisher Box 2085 6 Austin 78768 EARTH SHOE STORE 474-1895 1610 Lavaca Austin, Texas 78701 When you move, it isn’t enough just to furnish the Post Office with your new address. Please drop us a change of address card, too; and send along an old mailing label from your Observer, if you have it. This way, you’ll be assured of having the next issue properly mailed to your new address, since we can implement an address change up to two days before an issue is printed and mailed . . . provided we hear directly from you. Thanks. THE TEXAS OBSERVER 600 W. 7th, Austin, Texas 78701 Austin It has not been a good year for John Connally. As 1976 began, Connally, acquitted on the milk-fund bribery charge, had been making numerous well-publicized appearances around the country. Once again he was being mentioned as a serious possibility for the Republican presidential nomination. Connally had told a CBS interviewer, “I don’t think the indictment’s hurt me one bit. . . . As a matter of fact, I think it has helped me. . . . The thing we have to remember is I was innocent before it started and the jury said I was innocent.” If Ford or Reagan or both of them had faltered badly in the early primaries, Connally was clearly ready to step in. He invited all the state Republican chairmen to his ranch for a political “retreat,” in what was viewed by several national columnists as a launching pad for a Connally candidacy. But both Ford and Reagan stayed alive and during the Texas primary campaign, Connally couldn’t make up his mind who to throw in with. On April 19 he told reporters he had a secret reason for staying neutral in the Texas primary. “There are a lot of reasons why I’m doing it, one of which I am not at liberty to tell you at this time. I’ll be able to tell you in about ten days.” Whether or not it had anything to do with the secrecy and neutrality, shortly thereafter Connally did reveal formation of a nationwide anti-Communist organization aimed at “encouraging the peoples of Mediterranean nations in their efforts to preserve their freedom.” The new organization, Citizens Alliance for Mediterranean Freedom, ran a full-page fund-solicitation in The New York Times on June 6, calling attention to the Italian elections later that month, where a Communist victory was feared by such as Con nally. \(The Italian Communists did register gains but failed to overtake the ruling Chriswas pictured in the ad and listed as general chairman of the group. Nothing more has been heard of the organization, although perhaps Connally plans to devote more time to it now. But it called to mind an earlier organization, founded in 1975, called Vital Issues of America, Inc. This was the organization that benefitted from the big “Salute to John Connally” dinner in July, 1975 \(the dinner the Vital Issues aegis that Connally has undertaken some of his nationwide tours. He has been much in demand as a speaker for trade association and corporate gatherings. Connally’s launching of the Citizens Al: liance group coincided with the floating of his name as a possibility for secretary of state or defense in the next Republican administrationif he wasn’t the vicepresidential candidate. As Republican convention time drew near, Connally remained uncommitted between Ford and Reagan. Later, he said this was because “I thought that some of us ought to maintain some neutrality between the two, hopefully to put the pieces back together when it was all over and one or the other had.won this contest.” Although Connally publicly disclaimed interest in the vice presidency, he left the door wide open. When Reagan announced his choice of Sen. Richard Schweiker, Connally quickly moved into the Ford camp, subjecting himself to charges of political opportunism. Connally was a featured speaker at the Republican convention in Kansas City, but was paid little attention by the delegates. Wait ’til next year John Connally’s