As the 87th Congress began its sessions last week, liberal Democrats were ready for a finish fight to open the sluice gates controlled by the House Rules Committee and permit the free flow of liberal legislation to the floor. The liberal pressure bloc (which coyly masquerades under the name Democratic Study Group) had fought the committee before, and had always lost. This time, they were much better prepared and organized, and the political climate was favorable. They had the unspoken support of President-elect Kennedy, whose own legislative program was menaced by the Rules Committee bottleneck. And counting noses, they...
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