News conference with Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke and Senator Jacob Javits
News conference with Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke and Senator Jacob Javits
Preview Cassette 219784 News conference with Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke and Senator Jacob Javits
News conference with Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke and Senator Jacob Javits
14.52 Attorney General Edward Brooke (R - Massachusetts). In Massachusetts today we ve seen the distinguished senior Senator from the great state of New York, the Honorable Jacob Javits, Senator Javits. Senator Jacob Javits (R - New York). Well I ve come up in the interest of Ed Brooke in order to speak at a fundraising luncheon which he s just had. And my reason for being here, obviously, is not to have any particularly position in the Massachusetts election - we are having a little problem of that kind, from Massachusetts in New York - but rather to testify as a witness, as it were, to the importance of the attorney general of Massachusetts to the position of moderates in the Republican Party. I communicated that to those that attended the luncheon and I think it is a cause which commends itself to people of all parties, Democrats, and Independents, as well as Republicans, because today the stability of the two party system is at issue. And I think it s very important for the American people to always have a free choice between the two parties, both of which, should be within the general accepted consensus of the country. And I hope very much that Ed will be permitted by the people of Massachusetts to maintain his leadership position in the party and grow in that position, which great opportunity will of course be given to him in a measurable way and he ll be of much helped in it if he s reelected as attorney general of the state.
News conference with Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke and Senator Jacob Javits
16.24 Reporter. Senator you mentioned the problem in New York State as a result of a former Massachusetts resident. Can you give us your appraisal of the conflict between Senator Keating and Robert Kennedy? Has it caused a weakness of the Democratic Party in New York State? Senator Jacob Javits (R - New York). I wouldn t say that. I think many New Yorkers looking over the field of Democrats in New York wonder why they couldn t come up with somebody right in the state. And that s a problem which they have to answer, not we. I think it s the duty of every political party to present the best it s got. Therefore, we must assume in order to get what they consider the best we go outside the state of New York.
News conference with Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke and Senator Jacob Javits
17.05 Reporter. Senator Javits, while you admit you have an important problem in New York; do you feel that a state candidate, such as Attorney General Brooke here in Massachusetts, may have a problem also since Mr. Brooke has already stated he doesn t find Mr. Goldwater s philosophy compatible with his? Senator Jacob Javits (R - New York). I think that the Attorney General will have to account to the people of the state as to why he feels that way. I can only tell that I have withheld my support from the national ticket of my party for reasons which are not Republican Party reasons. I ve said before and I say again the moderate cause that I represented in San Francisco got licked in San Francisco. So even if I differed in the Presidential candidate and on some issue or party policy, some issue of legislation which represented a party issue or labor issue or something like that, that wouldn t be the reason for my withholding of support. But my differences were on the security of the nation with respect to control of the nuclear weapon. They re on the basis of extremism and the attitude toward extremism. They are on the basis of an effort to, what I considered to be an unwise effort, to fail to emphasis the critical importance of the civil rights issue to my party, as the party of Lincoln. An implicit effort to utilize or perhaps to get the benefit of some resentment of the Civil Rights act of 1964. And it was on those biases that I felt I had to withhold my support. This is my accounting, this is my people. The Attorney General of the state will have to account his way to his people and they would have to be satisfied and that of applies primarily to Republicans. And even if they don t agree with him, and many won t, as many don t agree with me, they at least respect the sincerity and the honor of my position and the fact that I am a good Republican and believe in my party, as indeed I do. And therefore if I am a candidate I am entitled to support sport nonetheless. That is your attorney general s problem and as far as I know he is meeting it very admirably.
News conference with Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke and Senator Jacob Javits
19.33 Reporter. Senator does this withholdings mean you will not vote for President Johnson? Senator Jacob Javits (R - New York). It does not. I ve said that before and I said I will make an announcement on the question of my voting sometime well in advance of the election. The support factor is a matter of advocacy. In other words, am I going to go out and advocate the candidacy of the head of my ticket? And that I said I could not do and I cannot do it. And nothing that has happened since the nomination has changed my view on that.
News conference with Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke and Senator Jacob Javits
20.05 Reporter. Senator because many Republicans, it seems, cannot embrace the philosophy of Barry Goldwater, there is some feeling now that many may stay home and not vote at all. Do you think this will harm the Republican cause? Senator Jacob Javits (R - New York). I believe this is a very important election. I do not believe that many Republicans will stay home and not vote at all. I realize nowadays that this is a great issue for the nation. Now this doesn t mean that even a 90% vote. I feel very badly to say that in our country even a two thirds vote is considered very good. I hope very much that we will have many more people in percentage out to the polls than not. Perhaps some Republicans will stay home; perhaps some Democrats will stay home. I don t think that this will be a major factor either way. And I hope very much that the overwhelming majority of voters will come out. And I d like to see great improvement in the percentage in a Presidential year, in the interest of the country.