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Show V frill the floor of congress as its ' sounding board, the Republican 'party enmasse is in criticism of President Truman for calling congress con-gress back into special session in his precedent-breaking challenge issued at the Democratic national convention. conven-tion. But despite the name-calling and the charges of ."politics," political observers here declare that the President for once has his adversaries adver-saries on the defensive, that his action was a popular one with the rank and file of the people and that it has the effect of making the issue this fall one between the President and congress and not between be-tween the President and Gov. Tom Dewey of New York, his GOP opponent. op-ponent. By this special session the people of the nation have everytliing to gain and nothing to lose . . . the President has everything to gain and nothing to lose ... so these observers say the Republicans who control congress must either take some remedial action on the program pro-gram demanded by the President or ngain go before the people to explain ex-plain their failure to do something about the high cost of living . . . housing . . . federal aid to education ... an increased minimum wage . . . extension of social security . . . health ... a new displaced persons bill . . . civil rights. Apologists for the 80th congress, amcng them Mr. Herbert Brownell, campaign manager for Governor Dewey, contend the members of this congress are not bound by the platform: plat-form: enacted by the GOP convention conven-tion at Philadelphia . . . that the new 1948 platform was not for these lenders but for the new 81st congress con-gress which convenes next January and for a Republican president. Observers Ob-servers here point out, however, that GOv. Earl Warren of California, the running' mate of Governor Dewey, recognized the responsibility of the Republican party for the sins of om:ssion by this congress and in a presj. conference at Philadelphia iro'r.Ud out what they were. Now this congress has the chance to repair re-pair the damage, referred to by C-ii'.'!or Warren, before the election. elec-tion. BACK Ol' THE DOMESTIC IS-is't'i'S IS-is't'i'S with which congress must contend, there is an ominous tense-.uc;'s tense-.uc;'s occasioned by the delicate sit-ijfc'.icn sit-ijfc'.icn in Germany, and it is pos sible that this congress may have to take action with regard to some phase of the foreign situation before be-fore they are through. According to the best guesses here, congress likely will be in session approximately 30 days. Certainly they will adjourn by Labor Day which will give them a couple of months to campaign before election day. All sorts of guesses have been made on what the Southern Democrats Demo-crats will do in the special session. According to the record, however, they can do little worse than they have done in the past, insofar as the President's program is concerned, concern-ed, for some have voted with the Republicans about as often as with their Democratic colleagues. The question of the civil rights issue may bring on a filibuster which could block indefinitely action ac-tion on any of the other major measures up for consideration, but observers say that unless the GOP leadership deliberately desires to block action they will hold back the civil rights program until other and probably more important legislation such as housing and anti-inflation measures are out of the way. WHO'S TO BLAME FOR THE INFLATION? With the Republicans blaming the Democrats and the Democrats blaming the Republicans, the way the public answers this question may decide this election. Not only are Republicans and Democrats pointing the finger of blame at one another but so are farmers, workers and businessmen pointing at each other. Debate on this question will go back to the fight over OPA in 1946 cr even be-fore be-fore ... at a time when Democrats had a majority 'in congress. Fa':tE are, though, that almist a solid Republican Re-publican vote aided by a few Southern South-ern Democrats wrecked OPA's authority auth-ority to hold prices down. The people must be held parti; to blame, also, for the clamor wen up in late 1946 shortly before the congressional election, "we want meat" and the "had enough" slogam began to wear down all oppositior to the lifting of what little control: were left. So with no machinery fo: enforcing controls, President Truman-late in 1946 lifted, by executive order, almost all controls still on tht I books. |