Democrats: Long's Two Hats

At 47, Louisiana's Democratic Senator Russell Long has been in the U.S. Senate for 17 years, and seems assured of remaining there as long as he wants the job. As Democratic whip, he is Mike Mansfield's heir apparent to the Senate's majority leadership. In addition, with the resignation of Virginia Democrat Harry Byrd (TIME, Nov. 19), Long, the ranking Democrat on Byrd's powerful Senate Finance Committee, will automatically become committee chairman when Congress reconvenes in January. Seldom in Senate history has one man held two such pivotal posts, and there were hints last week that fellow Senators will try...