■ Good news for Republican Congressman George Bush: Ray Evans, secretary-treasurer of Texas AFL-CIO, says organized labor in Texas will not back Lloyd Bentsen Jr., the conservative Democrat who beat out Sen. Ralph Yarborough in last week’s primary. Evans hints at a write-in campaign for Yarborough—which would cut into Bentsen’s vote, and favor Bush. . . . ADA so mad at Yarborough’s defeat that it has called for resignation of Texas National Committeeman Roger Strauss, accused of not doing his bit for Yarborough. . . . GOP chances of winning seat of Howard Cannon of Nevada increased last week when popular District Attorney William Raggio, in response to plea from Nixon, dropped bid for gubernatorial nomination (which would have meant a bitter party fight), and announced for Senate. Polls show Raggio trailing Cannon by only five to six points. . . . Ralph Smith, Dirksen’s replacement, coming out loud and clear in support of law and order (and of Judge Julius Hoffman) these days, and bugging Adlai Stevenson III, his senatorial opponent. Smith has challenged Stevenson to say what he thinks of Conspiracy Trial. Stevenson mum: if he supports Hoffman, he loses liberal backing; if he supports the Seven, Mayor Daley will be mad. . . . Marge SkeIncar, one of the original founders of the Vietnam Moratorium Committee, moving to New York, now national hqs. in Washington has closed down, reportedly to work for Charles Goodell. . . . The spirited “Republicans Against Goodell Committee” in Glen Cove, L.I. now converted into “Republicans for Buckley [James],” reports it’s signing up members like mad.
■ Coming out loud and clear for the President on Cambodia, AFL-CIO President George Meany: “[The President] acted with courage and convic-tion [and] on the basis of his clear obligation as commander in chief to protect American servicemen.” . . . YAF ran full-page ads in Washington Evening Star on two successive days in support of Mr. Nixon; plans to follow up with nationwide campaign of similar ads. . . . YAF, which had already planned a big push to get colleges out of National Student Association, re-doubling efforts now NSA has called national campus strike against Cambodian incursion. . . . Silent Majority Committee planning a support the President rally May 22 (NYC; Manhattan Center; Speakers: John Marchi, Mario Procaccino, James Buckley— 8:00 p.m.)
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