On Feb. 29, when most eyes turned toward the White House and the expected announcement about President Eisenhower's plans, the U.S. Congress was in business as usual. Before the House Armed Services Investigations Subcommittee, a witness from the aircraft industry recited a long list of figures; newsmen doodled on their scratchpads; Congressmen nodded sleepily.
At 10:53 a.m. Louisiana's Democratic Representative F. Edward Hebert, the subcommittee chairman, brought the room to life with a thwack of his gavel. "Gentlemen," cried Hebert excitedly, "the President has just announced his candidacy for re-election!"
The news was exciting—but how had Hebert known? No one had entered...
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