The Pittsburgh Press (November 5, 1944)
A likely possibility –
PAC may go on if Roosevelt is reelected
President would owe group a big debt
By Daniel M. Kidney, Scripps-Howard staff writer
New York (UP) – (Nov. 4)
If President Roosevelt is elected for a fourth term next Tuesday, the CIO may make its Political Action Committee a permanent organization.
Plans for the Political Action Committee’s future have been discussed at headquarters here, But O. B. Baldwin, assistant to Sidney Hillman, says that any talk of permanency must await such action as will be taken by the CIO at its national convention after the election.
The Political Action Committee now has a better organized headquarters here than does the Democratic Party. The PAC originated with the CIO, but it since has been expanded under the name of the National Citizens Political Action Committee, to take in other union members, or anyone else who wants to join in the fourth-term fight.
But the planning for a post-election organization all depends upon CIO action, Mr. Baldwin said.
Should Governor Dewey win, PAC quite likely will go out of business. But its officials feel they have a large share of credit coming if they put President Roosevelt across and quite likely would keep going.
Among the ideas being considered is keeping PAC as a well-knit pressure group which can stir up demands for such things as repeal of the Smith-Connally Act and the like.
With the President owing more to them than he does to the Democrats, the PAC feels it has a field for future functioning if Mr. Roosevelt is reelected.
They do not like to talk too much now about organization, since it might detract from their Election Day efforts, one official reported.