Friday, Mar. 30, 1962

The Admiral Strikes His Colors

"We're going to win, we're going to win" promised the old man as he rallied his followers in the U.S. House of Representatives. Next day, standing proudly in the well of the House, Georgia's Carl Vinson, 78, insisted that victory had indeed been achieved. "They have gotten the message," said "Uncle Carl," who is also known as "the Admiral" and "the Swamp Fox." He continued: "They know that Congress is not just talking, but that we mean business. So we can congratulate ourselves."

But neither Vinson nor his adherents could really have been in much of a mood for self-congratulation. The fact was that for one of the few times in his 47 years on the Hill, Vinson was striking his colors--although with honor. He was giving way on his demand that the House should "direct" the Kennedy Administration to spend $320 million--which it adamantly did not want--toward development of the controversial RS-70 superbomber (see box). Now the House would merely "authorize" the expenditure.

Counting the Votes. Behind Vinson's setback was a fascinating week of political maneuvering. At first, Vinson seemed to have everything well in hand. His Armed Services Committee had voted unanimously--21 Democrats and 16 Republicans--to force the RS-70 issue. Vinson could count on the floor votes of most Democratic Congressmen unless President Kennedy personally intervened --and Kennedy, fearing to offend one of the Congress' most influential members, was reluctant to move. Vinson also thought he would have the support of most Republican Representatives on an issue that could only be embarrassing to a Democratic President.

But then things began to go to pieces--and the disintegration began on the House subcommittee on defense appropriations.

There, Texas Democrat George Mahon was opposed on principle to Vinson's order-and-direct move; but Mahon, a cautious fellow, declined to fight Vinson openly. Instead, two of the subcommittee's ablest Republican members, Michigan's Gerald R. Ford and Wisconsin's Melvin Laird, threw themselves into the overt fight against Vinson. They enlisted the support of Republican Floor Leader Charles Halleck--who had never quite forgiven Vinson for helping round up Southern votes to liberalize the conservative House Rules Committee in 1961.

At the same time, House Speaker John McCormack and Democratic Floor Leader Carl Albert were urging President Kennedy to oppose Vinson actively. Both the President's prestige and their own, they argued, would suffer if the White House remained silent under Vinson's assault. Finally, the President agreed to go to work. He had George Mahon called out of an executive meeting of his subcommittee, talked to him for over an hour in the White House. When Mahon returned to the Hill, he was committed to rounding up Democratic votes against Vinson.

By that time Vinson, one of the best vote counters in Congress, could sense possible defeat. He was beginning to look for an honorable way out--and the Administration was willing to offer him one. Invited to the White House, Vinson quickly came to terms, agreed to "authorize" additional RS-70 expenditures rather than "order" them. To help Vinson out of his hole, President Kennedy suggested: "Why don't we send a letter that you could make public?" Without a word, Vinson produced a draft of such a letter. Laughed Kennedy: "That's where you got the name Swamp Fox." Then, while Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. along with other White House and Vinson aides. debated about the precise wording of letters to be signed by the President and McNamara, Kennedy and Vinson strolled through the Rose Garden. When they returned, the agreement was ready.

A Good Hot Rumpus. Next day Carl Vinson rose on the House floor, determined to make the best of things. He read the letter from Kennedy, which declared: "Your devotion to our continued military effectiveness is admired and appreciated." He read the letter from McNamara. which promised a restudy of the RS-70 in light of the Congressman's views. Vinson insisted that his strategy all along had been merely to raise a fuss over the RS-70 that would force the Administration to pay closer heed to congressional advice on military affairs. "We had to raise a good hot rumpus, and we got our point across."

It was a noble try, but it did not quite come off. "We can't afford very many of these victories," said a Democrat in the Speaker's lobby. "The Admiral is leading a charge to the rear," said a Republican. When Vinson was done explaining, the diluted RS-70 bill was approved by a vote of 403-0.

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