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Dr. Townsend, who had also vapored about "controlling" the next Congress, claimed 102 sympathizers in the new House. But of the successful candidates whom he endorsed, only a fraction returned the compliment in a pre-election poll by United Press in which 240 Congressmen-to-be declared themselves stanchly opposed to the oldster's Plan. With Dr. Townsend thus proved politically harmless, U. S. Attorney Leslie C. Garnett announced in Washington last week that the onetime messiah would be prosecuted forthwith on the contempt citation voted against him last spring when he walked out on a House investigating committee (TIME, June 1).
"The National Union," said Father Coughlin of his organization day after election, "may be compared to Joe Louis in his recent fight against Max Schmeling. Our aim now is a trip to the showers, and a new training camp for our comeback, if and when it is required."
Three days later Father Coughlin, admitting his Union to be "thoroughly discredited," announced by radio that he was keeping his promise, quitting the air. Many a citizen found himself in hearty agreement with the political priest for the first time as he throbbed: "It is better, both for you and for me, for the country I serve and the church that I love, for me to be forgotten for the moment."