During the 1956 campaign, the Communists published a report that appeared to endorse the Democrats, and Kefauver in particular. it caused a stir… but why didn’t it dominate the campaign?
Espionage trials, loyalty oaths, and textbook investigations were common during the early years of the Cold War. Supporters claimed they were needed to combat the Red menace… but what about our Constitutional rights? In 1949, Kefauver stood up for the First Amendment against a prominent anti-Communist Senator in a nationally broadcast discussion.
Why was Kefauver so popular with young people? Because he treated them with respect and dignity… and he encouraged them to embrace controversial ideas, even when they disagreed with their elders.
A couple of dangerous conservative bills aimed at crippling the Supreme Court appeared to be on a path to passage… until Lyndon Johnson pulled off some impressive legislative moves.
In the late 1950s, a cross-party coalition of Congressional conservatives joined forces to try and muzzle the Warren Court. What got them so angry, and why have we forgotten this chapter of American history?
What do you get when you have two months to pass a law driven by anti-Communist paranoia, anti-Supreme Court resentment, and with the FBI and Justice Department holding a gun to your head?
Nothing good. But it’s a law that’s stood for 75 years.
Depressed about the election? Looking for a path forward? Consider the example of Ohio Sen. Stephen Young, a fighting liberal who didn’t hesitate to punch back against stupidity and cruelty.
Church and Kefauver were both ambitious Senators who led high-profile investigations that caught public attention. They were both Senate outsiders with independent streaks. Were their differences a matter of personality… or the times?
Kefauver’s first Senate term made him nationally famous… but controversial at home. To win re-election, he’d have to face a hyper-ambitious young Congressman who just wouldn’t… stop… talking.
Estes Kefauver always took a strong stance on civil rights. Time and again, he stood up for suspected Communists and other unpopular groups. In the era of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, that was a lonely place to be.
During the 1956 campaign, the Communists published a report that appeared to endorse the Democrats, and Kefauver in particular. it caused a stir… but why didn’t it dominate the campaign?
Espionage trials, loyalty oaths, and textbook investigations were common during the early years of the Cold War. Supporters claimed they were needed to combat the Red menace… but what about our Constitutional rights? In 1949, Kefauver stood up for the First Amendment against a prominent anti-Communist Senator in a nationally broadcast discussion.
Why was Kefauver so popular with young people? Because he treated them with respect and dignity… and he encouraged them to embrace controversial ideas, even when they disagreed with their elders.
A couple of dangerous conservative bills aimed at crippling the Supreme Court appeared to be on a path to passage… until Lyndon Johnson pulled off some impressive legislative moves.
In the late 1950s, a cross-party coalition of Congressional conservatives joined forces to try and muzzle the Warren Court. What got them so angry, and why have we forgotten this chapter of American history?
What do you get when you have two months to pass a law driven by anti-Communist paranoia, anti-Supreme Court resentment, and with the FBI and Justice Department holding a gun to your head? Nothing good. But it’s a law that’s stood for 75 years.
Depressed about the election? Looking for a path forward? Consider the example of Ohio Sen. Stephen Young, a fighting liberal who didn’t hesitate to punch back against stupidity and cruelty.
Church and Kefauver were both ambitious Senators who led high-profile investigations that caught public attention. They were both Senate outsiders with independent streaks. Were their differences a matter of personality… or the times?
Kefauver’s first Senate term made him nationally famous… but controversial at home. To win re-election, he’d have to face a hyper-ambitious young Congressman who just wouldn’t… stop… talking.
Estes Kefauver was for DC statehood before DC statehood was cool… as in 75 years ago.
Estes Kefauver always took a strong stance on civil rights. Time and again, he stood up for suspected Communists and other unpopular groups. In the era of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, that was a lonely place to be.
Estes Kefauver for President 