Kennedy charisma waning in U.S. Senate

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32462, 24 November 1970, Page 20

Kennedy charisma waning in U.S. Senate

(By t

JOHN FINNEY

K of the New York Times News Service, through N.Z.P.A.)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22. Senator Edward Kennedy is approaching another possible crisis in his political career—the retention of his job as assistant Democratic leader of the Senate. When the new Congress convenes in January, it appears likely that Senator Robert Byrd, of West Virginia, a conservative Democrat, will challenge Senator Kennedy for the No. 2 post tn the Senate Democratic hierarchy. Some Kennedy associates are fearful, if such a fight occurs, that the Massachusetts Democrat could lose the post of party Whip, a job that he wrested from the Southern Democrats in 1969. His victory then was regarded as a bold political coup; one that established Senator Kennedy as a national political figure. Senator Kennedy has made no secret of his desire to keep the Whip post, and thus retain his standing in the Democratic Party. In his letters of congratulations to elected Democratic senators, for example, he has made the point that he is looking forward to continuing as assistant to Senator Mike Mansfield, the Democratic leader. As Whip, Senator Kennedy is included in the leadership councils of the Democratic Party in the ' Senate. SHREWD ASPIRANT But one of the complaints now developing against him is that while he has enjoyed, the prestige of the job, he has neglected his practical j duties, such as filling in for the Democratic leader in his absence, making nose I counts on legislation, and making sure that Democrats! are present on crucial votes. Senator Byrd, who as I secretary of the Democratic

Conference holds the No. 3 position, is keeping his counsel for the moment but significantly is not ruling out a challenge to Senator Kennedy. Through a spokesman, Senator Byrd took the position that it was premature to speculate on whether he would run for Whip until Congress completes its present post-election session. The expectation among some of his Senate colleagues, however, is that Senator Byrd, who is .regarded as a shrewd nosecounter in the Senate, will enter in the race, if he thinks that he has a chance of winning.

If he should win, Senator Byrd would establish himself as heir-apparent to Senator Mansfield, who has just been elected to probably his final term in the Senate and who may step down as Democratic leader after the 1972 Presidential election. AURA FADES Senator Kennedy’s political strength has diminished now that he has renounced his Presidential ambitions for 1972, for he can no longer command the support that flows to a likely Presidential candidate. Since the June, 1969, accident at Chappaquiddick, Massachusetts, he has also lost some of the following that resulted from his being able to promise political support to Senate colleagues up for re-election. In numerical terms, Senator Kennedy has lost four! supporters with the recent I l defeat of Senators Albert Gore, of Tennessee. Joseph Tydings, of Maryland, and ; Ralph Yarborough, of Texas, .and the retirement of Sena!tor Stephen Young, of Ohio. These losses have been j partly offset by the election of John Tunney in California and Adlai Stevenson 111, in Illinois, both of whom replaced Republican senators and who can be expected to vote for Senator Kennedy as Whip.

In addition, Senator Kennedy probably can count on the vote of Hubert Humphrey, who is replacing Senator Eugene McCarthy, of Minnesota; in the 1969 Democratic caucus, Senator McCarthy voted for Senator Long as Whip. Mr Humphrey, who served as Democratic Whip from 1961 to 1965, when he became Vice-President, said in an interview that he was returning to the Senate, “not aspiring” to an elected leader-ship-post and ready to support Senator Kennedy as Whip. However, informed that a Kennedy-Byrd contest was impending, Mr Humphrey tempered his commitment by laughingly observing: “Maybe they need a compromise candidate." On the basis of past allegiances, therefore, Senator Kennedy should be able to count on 30 votes; more than enough to win in a new Senate of 54 Democrats. Kennedy associates are concerned, though, that there may be some defections in the pro-Kennedy ranks. DUTIES NEGLECTED Among some of his liberal and moderate supporters, there is grumbling that Senator Kennedy has failed to fulfil his responsibilities as Whip on crucial votes, or in protecting the interests of the moderate-liberal coalition in the Senate. For the last year or so, his appearances on the floor have been infrequent; on many occasions it was Senator Byrd, rather than Senator Kennedy, who served as the acting majority-leader during an absence of Senator Mansfield. Senator Kennedy is aware of the complaints and is pledging that, if re-elected, he would take a more active role as Whip. He also has been handicapped by a deterioration in his staff, which he is now trying to rebuild. One of Senator Kennedy’s problems is that he has been preoccupied first with the accident at Chappaquiddick and then with winning reelection as a Senator by a decisive margin. After intensive campaigning, he won re-election, obtaining 62 per cent of the vote. But now, as he returns to the Senate, he is confronted with a personal political irony. IDEOLOGICAL OPPOSITES He wanted to win by a large margin in Massachusetts to secure a vindication from the voters after the Chappaquiddick accident. But in the process of concentrating on Massachusetts, he may lose the vindication that he wants from his own colleagues in the Senate. Senator Byrd has built up good will among his colleagues by doing favours for them, such as protecting their, interests on legislation called up on the floor, and may have accumulated some personal political debts that he can call upon in a contest for the Whip post. Senator Byrd, who has sup-

ported the Nixon Administration’s foreign policy and opposed many social-welfare programmes advocated by Democratic liberals, can count on the support of Southern Democrats. If the race takes on an ideological tone, however, this might proye to be his biggest handicap.