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Robert F Kennedy — Part 04
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FOR RKIEASE HUODAY SEPTEMBF 19-
PAGE 2
Dr'TULTON LEW, SR.
XX
defect.
Te two holed up in secret, where Biemiller and Kuchel came
up with an anendment to delete the Ncclellan provisions. with the
final draft of nis amendment in hand, Kuchel strode out onto the
Senate floor with a new aide at his side. It was Ralph Duncan,
borrowed from the labor braintrust of John F. Kennedy.
At this point, Massachusetts Sen. Leverett Saltonstall,
normally cool and collected, angrily toId Kuchel to "get that guy
off our side of the aisle." Kuchel, however, paid no heed. Duncan
remained with him for the rest of the debate.
The Kuchel amendment to scrap the bill of rights was a cleverly
the Senate had earlier committed itself not to vote again on the
McClellan amendment. Sen. Styles Bridges charged the Kuchel
amendment was nothing but a slick legislative trick, and that 1t
violated the spirit, 1f not the letter, of the Senate rules.
Republican Kuchel stood fast, with Democrat Duncan lending moral
support, and retorted tnat he and his co-sponsors -- Democratic
Senators Neuberger and Church, for example -- "need not apologize"
for their amendment. The Senate, by this time, was in a tempest.
Kuchel's final remarks were met by boos from the Republican
side of the aisle, something the oldest hill veterans could not
recall happening before. Idaho's Republican Henry Dworshak,
white-faced with anger, accosted Kuchel and shouted:
"You four-flusher! What are you trying to do to the Republican
Party?"
The usually mild-mannered Dworshak unleashed a right-hand
punch at Kuchel, which failed to land only because a colleague
quickly jumped between them.
The Kuchel amendment passed as labor's lobbyists applied the
screws and a strong reform bill was compietely destroyed. Republican
leaders have not forgiven Kuchel to this day.
#H#
(MF)
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