Restiveness

As the Kennedy Administration assaulted Capitol Hill last week with a bundle of legislative requests, signs of restiveness appeared among Democrats in both the Senate and the House. The President's personal popularity with the voters was obvious. Yet the mail in Congressmen's boxes was running heavily against many of his programs. And though Kennedy had a clear majority in both houses, his programs were clearly in trouble.

Many party regulars were willing to blame the President for at least part of the trouble. They are worried that he too often proposes legislation that he expects to be defeated--such as public-school aid, an urban affairs department at Cabinet level and a sweeping antirecession program--primarily to create campaign issues. To such men, Kennedy seems to be less interested in a bill's substance than in a label that appeals to voting blocs, such as the aged on medical care. More than one loyal Democrat is complaining that in his fascination for political maneuvering, Kennedy is neglecting the fundamental chore of giving active leadership to the Democrats on the hill. Even House Speaker John McCormack has repeatedly had to ask the President for guidance on just what he really wanted--or would settle for.

Apart from legislative issues, there was a vaguely defined feeling of discontent with the President that one loyal leading House Democrat described as "the malaise." Its cause: a suspicion that the President is more involved in preparing to win big himself in 1964 than he is with the immediate problems of Democrats who will run in 1962. In fact, many Democrats feel that with Brother Ted's announcement for the Senate, the so-called Kennedy dynasty is looming too large for comfort, and is bound to give the Republicans ammunition.

Strong evidence of the Democrats' restiveness is the fact that they willingly let Carl Vinson, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and a long time party bulwark, threaten a floor fight over the RS-70 long after the President and Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara expressly announced their opposition to expanding the bomber program. Congressional Democrats may thus be serving notice on President Kennedy that they are not above jabbing his ribs if he does not pay them more dutiful attention.

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