Labor: Vanishing Vote

"There is a question," rumbled George Meany last week, "where the vote went." Labor had undeniably failed to elect most of its favorite candidates. What was especially galling to the A.F.L.-C.I.O. president was that the federation's campaign arm, the Committee on Political Education, boasted a stronger organization this year than ever before. While anticipating two rough years for labor legislation on Capitol Hill, Meany promised to take "a real good look" at C.O.P.E. operations.

Labor not only lost such champions as Senate Candidate G. Mennen ("Soapy") Williams in Michigan, Illinois' Senator Paul Douglas and California's Governor Pat Brown, but also did...

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