Union--Now

First out of the box at the presidential press conference last week was one of the bluntest political questions Dwight Eisenhower had ever faced: How does he feel about the complaints by two G.O.P. right-wingers, Arizona's Senator Barry Goldwater and Pennsylvania's Congressman Richard Simpson, that the President's party leadership is weak? All week long the White House staff had been steaming about the Old Guard mutterings against the President at the G.O.P. National Committee meeting in Des Moines (TIME.

Feb. 2). But Ike, in his answer, shrugged it off: Anybody who tries to steer a course down the middle of the road, he said, has "got to take it from both sides."

"Masters of Strategy." In fact, the President could afford to shrug. The out-in-the-open criticism had somehow helped to clear the air. Ike was working hard on his congressional program. At the same time, changes in the Republican leadership of both House and Senate, which seemed at the time to work against Middle-Roader Eisenhower, had actually given him better organization to work with in both houses. As rarely before in more than six years of the Eisenhower Administration, the Republican President and the Republican members of Congress were behaving as if they belonged to the same party, were united behind the President's balanced budget and were meeting Democratic taunts fast and concertedly.

Best demonstration of the new mood came last week at a pair of presidential breakfasts, one with 13 Senators, the other with 17 Representatives. At the Senate session, Ike sat--fittingly--with Illinois' conservative Everett Dirksen on his right and Vermont's liberal George Aiken on his left. George Aiken praised the President's record, but said wistfully: "If the Democrats had that record, they could elect the next ten Presidents on it. The Democrats are masters of strategy."

The Republicans discussed ways and means of moving onto the offensive. "I don't think we can win with a campaign of denials." said Aiken. The President agreed. So did every other Republican in the room --and that in itself was a rare thing.

"The Best Time." At the breakfast with the Representatives, the Republicans discussed strategy for dealing with what seems likely to be the first major piece of legislation to be passed by the Democratic 86th Congress: a $575 million airport construction bill, providing for federal spending on such items as terminals and waiting rooms, as compared to the austere $200 million Administration program.

"If the President vetoes it," said a White House staffer, "the Democrats can make a hard try at overriding his veto and setting a precedent." It was against that possibility that the President and the G.O.P. Congressmen planned last week.

"I have been to the White House before," said one of the Congressmen later, "but this was the best time. We actually had an interchange of ideas, and we were in agreement." Added a second: "It gave us some mutual understanding, and we can use it."

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