For the Record

Report on two conventions: It was close at American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) Convention in Pittsburgh last week. Only fact that Angela Davis was then on the lam kept AFT from adopting a resolution criticizing the U. of Cal. Regents for firing her. At that, the vote on tabling the resolution was tight. … It was overwhelming: vote to eliminate anti-Communist section from AFT constitution. That position supported by both president Dave Seldon and vice president Albert Shanker (of New York) who found the anti-Communist clause “a kind of embarrassment.” . . . Ramsey Clark, speaker at the meeting, said he’d support a nationwide campaign to prohibit state courts from issuing injunctions against strikes by public employees where public safety is not involved, which eliminates just about all public employees but teachers. . . . Meanwhile, the Kids: At St. Paul, the National Student Association (NSA): 1) voted to try to close down the city of Washington on May 1, 1971 in massive antiwar protest (vote was close: 150 to 134); 2) voted overwhelmingly to pay $50,000 in reparations (for what?) to NA of Black Students; and 3) adopted, by 88 to 77, a provision (written, incidentally, by staff writer Lee Webb of the Maoist Guardian), demanding that police training institutes be closed.

On the election trail: Jess Unruh reported in such big, bad financial bind in California that it’s doubtful he’ll have any TV or radio spots in his uphill campaign against Ronald Reagan. Latest polls show Reagan 13 per cent ahead. . . . Rep. John Tunney still believed to be a shade ahead of George Murphy, but Murphy has a coupla things going his way: 1) He’s been active union member all his life, which makes Tunney’s pitch to blue-collarites more difficult; 2) the campuses are about to reopen; 3) Tunney will lose portions of the leftmost votes in the tight race to former Ramparts editor Robert Scheer, who’s running on an independent Peace ticket. Scheer was last heard of with Eldridge Cleaver in North Korea, signing an anti-American declaration (“The U.S. is the No. 1 enemy of the oppressed people of the world,” etc.) . . . Interesting poll by station KOAT-TV in New Mexico shows Democratic Senator Joseph Montoya running neck and neck (32.5 per cent to 32.5 per cent) with Republican conservative Anderson Carter, with whopping (almost incredible) 35 per cent still undecided. Montoya had been regarded as shoo-in. . . . Administration not at all displeased at lopsided 4-1 win by liberal Democratic Senator Gale McGee over doveish opponent in Wyoming primary. McGee, a hawk, is about the only hawk on Senate Foreign Relations Committee. . . . Ripon Society has solemnly advised Gov. Rockefeller that he may lose the election unless he puts more pizzazz than yet demonstrated behind campaign of liberal Republican Charles Goodell. (In happy slip of type last week, by-the-bye, NY Times reported “The Independent Alliance party was formed to give the United States Senator, James L. Buckley, a second line on the ballot.”) . . . Human Events says John Lindsay has threatened to fire any aide who works for Rockefeller this year.

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Report on two conventions: It was close at American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) Convention in Pittsburgh last week. Only fact that Angela Davis was then on the lam kept AFT from adopting a resolution criticizing the U. of Cal. Regents for firing her. At that, the vote on tabling the resolution was tight. … It was overwhelming: vote to eliminate anti-Communist section from AFT constitution. That position supported by both president Dave Seldon and vice president Albert Shanker (of New York) who found the anti-Communist clause “a kind of embarrassment.” . . . Ramsey Clark, speaker at the meeting, said he’d support a nationwide campaign to prohibit state courts from issuing injunctions against strikes by public employees where public safety is not involved, which eliminates just about all public employees but teachers. . . . Meanwhile, the Kids: At St. Paul, the National Student Association (NSA): 1) voted to try to close down the city of Washington on May 1, 1971 in massive antiwar protest (vote was close: 150 to 134); 2) voted overwhelmingly to pay $50,000 in reparations (for what?) to NA of Black Students; and 3) adopted, by 88 to 77, a provision (written, incidentally, by staff writer Lee Webb of the Maoist Guardian), demanding that police training institutes be closed.

On the election trail: Jess Unruh reported in such big, bad financial bind in California that it’s doubtful he’ll have any TV or radio spots in his uphill campaign against Ronald Reagan. Latest polls show Reagan 13 per cent ahead. . . . Rep. John Tunney still believed to be a shade ahead of George Murphy, but Murphy has a coupla things going his way: 1) He’s been active union member all his life, which makes Tunney’s pitch to blue-collarites more difficult; 2) the campuses are about to reopen; 3) Tunney will lose portions of the leftmost votes in the tight race to former Ramparts editor Robert Scheer, who’s running on an independent Peace ticket. Scheer was last heard of with Eldridge Cleaver in North Korea, signing an anti-American declaration (“The U.S. is the No. 1 enemy of the oppressed people of the world,” etc.) . . . Interesting poll by station KOAT-TV in New Mexico shows Democratic Senator Joseph Montoya running neck and neck (32.5 per cent to 32.5 per cent) with Republican conservative Anderson Carter, with whopping (almost incredible) 35 per cent still undecided. Montoya had been regarded as shoo-in. . . . Administration not at all displeased at lopsided 4-1 win by liberal Democratic Senator Gale McGee over doveish opponent in Wyoming primary. McGee, a hawk, is about the only hawk on Senate Foreign Relations Committee. . . . Ripon Society has solemnly advised Gov. Rockefeller that he may lose the election unless he puts more pizzazz than yet demonstrated behind campaign of liberal Republican Charles Goodell. (In happy slip of type last week, by-the-bye, NY Times reported “The Independent Alliance party was formed to give the United States Senator, James L. Buckley, a second line on the ballot.”) . . . Human Events says John Lindsay has threatened to fire any aide who works for Rockefeller this year.