The Pittsburgh Press (March 19, 1946)
Lucey: Bricker, Stassen
By Charles T. Lucey
WASHINGTON – A question intriguing political master minds today is whether John W. Bricker or Harold Stassen, both shooting for the 1948 Republican presidential nomination, has guessed right.
Mr. Bricker, seeking the Ohio Senatorial seat now held by James W. Huffman, has decided that is the best path to the White House. Mr. Stassen has decided not to be a candidate for the Minnesota seat now held by Sen. Henrik Shipstead. Instead he intends to travel abroad and also to take his case before the people – throughout the United States in whatever forum he can find.
Politicians see advantages and disadvantages on both sides.
Mr. Bricker is favored to defeat Mr. Huffman in Ohio. But if he wins by a margin much less than those by which he won the Ohio governorship, three times, his opponents will argue that his political strength at home has ebbed.
Senator challenges Stassen
In the Senate, Mr. Bricker would have access to the best sounding board in America, but he also must stand up and be counted on issue after issue. There could be many a liability in that during the 18 months he would serve before the 1948 convention.
Ex-Gov. Stassen, friends say, believes he can do more by study abroad and by continuing his speeches at home than he could by coming to Washington. But some of his friends fear his speeches necessarily may be repetitious and they question whether that will hold his widest audience. In the Senate he would be able to present his views as each issue arose.
There’s another issue with which the isolationist Sen. Shipstead will seek to taunt Mr. Stassen in the campaign this fall. It is the challenge: “Why didn’t you choose to come out and fight?”
Mr. Stassen decided last week he would not run for the Senate against Mr. Shipstead, but put his political weight behind Gov. Edward Thye. Sen. Shipstead has announced his candidacy for re-election. He said he had believed his opponent would be Mr. Stassen.
Bricker in Washington
“Mr. Stassen, in all honesty, and if he had the courage of his super-state conscience,” said Mr. Shipstead, “should meet me in a legal election as provided by Minnesota law in his own right. Mr. Stassen should come out as a candidate and fight for those things in which he professes to believe.”
The senator pointed out that Gov. Dewey, of New York; Gov. Warren, of California; Sen. Vandenberg and Mr. Bricker – all potential opponents of Mr. Stassen in 1948 – “dare to submit their record to the voters this year.”
Gov. Bricker was in Washington to meet Ohio GOP congressional candidates and perfect plans for a united campaign thus fall.