Word: veep
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...Louisville, Ky., Vice President Alben Berkley helped observe National Newspaper Week by helping his great-nephew Johnny Dyson, 13, deliver the Paducah Sun Democrat to a few houses. Said Barkley to one housewife: ". . . I'm taking subscriptions in advance." Told she was paid up until January, the Veep replied: "That's fine. I'll be back; I'm going to be out of a job the first of the year anyway...
Three days later, at Indianapolis, Stevenson again promised to keep federal spending at a minimum, and hit at Ike with the charge that military men are notoriously careless of costs. Then, moving on to Paducah, Ky., the Stevenson party stopped off to visit "Angles,".home of Veep Alben Barkley, who served 140 fried chickens and eleven hams to his guests. During lunch at Angles, Stevenson was presented with a trophy of the 1892 presidential campaign-a watch-fob bearing the pictures of Democrat Grover Cleveland and his vice presidential running mate, Stevenson's grandfather. The giver, a Paducah lawyer...
...There," commented an unsympathetic observer bitterly, "is a man who has every quality a Democratic candidate for Veep needs: he's from the South." This comment contained considerable truth. Sparkman was not picked because he has a popular or party following, and certainly not because he has shown qualifications to be the heir apparent to a President. He was put on the ticket to bridge the North-South split. The leaders who picked him hope that Northern liberals will accept him despite his stand against civil rights legislation, and that uncompromising Southern conservatives will not consider him a traitor...
After Stevenson finished his speech, he withdrew for a little serious politicking. In a low-ceilinged room behind the rostrum, the candidate and the President gathered with Democratic leaders to pick a Veep. The others present: Illinois' ex-Senator Scott Lucas, House Majority Leader John McCormack, Sam Rayburn, National Committee Chairman Frank McKinney, Jack Arvey...
About 20 "witnesses" paraded through the room to give their opinions on who should be Veep. The field quickly narrowed down. Out went Kefauver (unacceptable in the South), Russell (unacceptable in the North), Barkley (too old), Oklahoma's Mike Monroney (not well known enough). The final choice: Senator John Sparkman of Alabama who, though no Dixiecrat, failed to support Truman in 1948. Later, one of the men present explained: "Stevenson made his decision with Harry Truman's help...