Educating Ed Muskie

Candor is as much a part of Edmund Muskie as his easy grin and his sincere visage. Last June--amazingly early by the coy calendar of most politicians --the Democratic Senator from Maine told an interviewer that "the idea of running for President is in a remote corner of my mind." Then Muskie casually listed two drawbacks: his own lack of familiarity and identification with some national issues and the fact that, as matters then stood, Senator Edward Kennedy could get the Democratic nomination in 1972 "for the asking."

The drowning of Mary Jo Kopechne caused Kennedy to renounce presidential ambitions, for the time being at least. Last week Muskie, 55, announced that he was tackling the other problem by forming two new groups of advisers. One will be a Washington-based circle of generalists with whom Muskie will meet, perhaps as often as once a week, to help stimulate his thinking and to keep him up to date on a variety of national concerns. The second group will include lawyers, economists and an assortment of professors around the country who will do research and writing chores for him. The purpose, says Ed Muskie, is "to educate Ed Muskie."

The Ultimate Experience. His aim in publicizing this braintrust operation, it appeared, was to show his colors with his customary frankness. He was not announcing his candidacy--or not exactly. Muskie did allow that the presidency is "the kind of challenge that I'd feel to be the ultimate experience in political life." Would he shrink from it? "Certainly not." But he is also philosophical about his chances for the nomination: "I don't have quite the head of steam about running for President that I had six months ago. If I didn't get the nomination, it wouldn't leave me with my life shattered."

Muskie still refuses to count Kennedy out in '72: "The Kennedys have a remarkable resiliency and they have a remarkable hold on the country." Kennedy's troubles may have speeded up Muskie's schedule a bit, but he had been inching in the direction of 1972 since the finale of last year's campaign. As Hubert Humphrey's running mate, he emerged from that fractious year with a deserved reputation for aplomb, conviction and the ability to win voters' trust. There was no doubt that Muskie had strengthened the Democratic slate.

Spokesman. Soon after the election he embarked on a speaking tour of 91 appearances in 35 states. Next to Ted Kennedy, he was the most sought-after Democrat on the banquet trail. Apart from collecting $60,000 in honorariums, Muskie also expanded his acquaintanceship with local political, business and labor leaders. But these travels took him out of the main action in Washington. That will now change. Muskie intends to reduce his frenetic national speaking schedule and concentrate more fully on Senate business. Though his speeches will be fewer, he will try to make them deeper. Muskie will also seek to address a national audience and to reinforce the popular impression of him as a party spokesman and leader who must be considered in all 1972 plans.

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