alternatehistory.com
Where's the Beef?
HT: Listen Clinton, I've heard enough of this OPA talk for a lifetime. Controls will come back in August and that'll be that. They'll be phased out soon enough. There's no need to panic over it. We've fought this fight before and we've lost. The last thing we need before the election is another fight over the OPA, I'm so damn tired of this right now.
CA: But look at this! Farmers are just dumping meat into the market right now, what will be left on the 20th?
HT: There's always meat Clinton. No farmer worth his salt would sell all their meat at once. It was true in Missouri. Its true across the country.
CA: With price controls back no one will sell, the prices are too damn low, so they'll sell all they can when the prices are up. Then it'll all disappear.
HT: A meat eating fairy? Magically stopping the meat? That's my justification for wading into the mud over price controls?
CA: Harry, please. I'm not asking you to meddle in the OPA's prices, I'm asking you to let me sit down with some folks and try to stabilize the market.
HT: Clinton you're Secretary of Agriculture, this isn't only your territory. I've already got a Commerce Secretary who wants to run the State Department. I can't…
CA: This isn't a coup Harry. Its just some soft gloves trying to keep a meat shortage from happening.
HT: A shortage I don't even know exists.
CA: Tell you what. I'll throw together a report, get some farmers and shops to talk to my people. See what they're planning to do
HT: Fine. You do that Clinton then we'll see how real this drop off is.
CA: Thank you Mr. President.
_____
"I uh, remember that conversation. Clinton came to me and told me about how farmers were dumping meat before the deadline and how there'd be a shortage once the OPA took charge again. He told me all about that so I told him to get together something we could do about it. And of course Clinton did, good man that he is, and I sent him to do his thing[1].
"Yeah, it did get some heat in the papers. We'd just promised to free up the markets and here we were meddling and cajoling farmers into selling their goods for a lower price then they could be. But I'll be damned if getting red meat has ever made a working man angry."
- Former President Harry S Truman
_____
"As Truman slouched towards the midterms his advisors advised him to stay off the campaign trail. Contrary to some assumptions Truman was not universally unpopular, most people agreed with the broad ideals of liberalism and very few believed that the country was heading for disaster. However the president was tainted by defeat after defeat. His efforts to protect price controls were fruitless, though the OPA was renewed everyone saw it would not last much longer. His plans for universal healthcare, universal military training and universal employment had all been shot down easily by Congress. His handling of wage issues and labor was seen as uneven and pleased nobody. Truman's foreign policy had been decently received, but it was not stellar enough to improve his image. The 1946 elections looked poor already for the liberal democrats that Truman had tirelessly courted since his inauguration, and he still faced opposition from the most prominent liberal of them all, Henry Wallace."
- "Harry Truman: At Home", Alonzo Hamby
_____
_____
HT: Henry, I've told you. You can't just come in here and shove a speech in my face. Its foreign policy?
HW: Yes.
HT: Then send it to the State Department.
HW: I want it from the top.
HT: I don't have time to read everything someone in my cabinet wants to say.
HW: So I'll just go then…
HT: Well I can't just let them say whatever either. I don't want you going off and destroying my policy.
HW: Then look at my speech.
HT: I don't have any time!
HW: So what should I do? Not give it?
HT: I just damn told you to go to the State Department!
HW: You know the State Department won't like what I have to say.
HT: Then I doubt I will either.
HW: Just read my speech!
[groan]
HT: Give it to one of my Secretaries, staffer, whatever. They'll look over it and talk to me about it
HW: Do you give me your word that you'll at least read the whole thing over?
[sigh]
HT: Yes.
HW: Thanks Harry.
[door]
[cursing]
_____
"Booooooooooooooooooooo…"
- Many, many, Left Wing activists after Henry Wallace's speech, which was perceived as caving to President Truman.
_____
_____
Democratic Party: 49 (-8)
Republican Party: 47 (+9)
Progressive Party: 0 (-1)
The Democrats (left to right): President Pro Tempore Kenneth McKeller (TN), Senate Majority Leader Alben Barkley (KY), Senate Majority Whip Lister Hill (AL)
The Republicans (left to right): Senate Minority Leader Arthur Vandenberg (MI), Senate Minority Whip Kenneth Wherry
Republican Party: 230 (+39)
Democratic Party: 204 (-38)
American Labor Party: 1 (0)
The Republicans (left to right): Speaker of the House Joseph Martin (MA-14), House Majority Leader Charles Halleck (IN-2), House Majority Whip Leslie Arends (Il-17)
The Democrats (left to right): House Minority Leader Sam Rayburn (TX-4), House Minority Whip John McCormack (MA-12)
[2]
The American Labor Party: Vito Marcantonio (NY-18)
_____
RN: Damn. What do I do now?
=====
1: Our POD folks.
2: Anyone got any good young McCormack pictures?
Astute readers will note that many parts of this opening are retreads of the opening parts of Upon the Precipice.
HT: Listen Clinton, I've heard enough of this OPA talk for a lifetime. Controls will come back in August and that'll be that. They'll be phased out soon enough. There's no need to panic over it. We've fought this fight before and we've lost. The last thing we need before the election is another fight over the OPA, I'm so damn tired of this right now.
CA: But look at this! Farmers are just dumping meat into the market right now, what will be left on the 20th?
HT: There's always meat Clinton. No farmer worth his salt would sell all their meat at once. It was true in Missouri. Its true across the country.
CA: With price controls back no one will sell, the prices are too damn low, so they'll sell all they can when the prices are up. Then it'll all disappear.
HT: A meat eating fairy? Magically stopping the meat? That's my justification for wading into the mud over price controls?
CA: Harry, please. I'm not asking you to meddle in the OPA's prices, I'm asking you to let me sit down with some folks and try to stabilize the market.
HT: Clinton you're Secretary of Agriculture, this isn't only your territory. I've already got a Commerce Secretary who wants to run the State Department. I can't…
CA: This isn't a coup Harry. Its just some soft gloves trying to keep a meat shortage from happening.
HT: A shortage I don't even know exists.
CA: Tell you what. I'll throw together a report, get some farmers and shops to talk to my people. See what they're planning to do
HT: Fine. You do that Clinton then we'll see how real this drop off is.
CA: Thank you Mr. President.
_____
"I uh, remember that conversation. Clinton came to me and told me about how farmers were dumping meat before the deadline and how there'd be a shortage once the OPA took charge again. He told me all about that so I told him to get together something we could do about it. And of course Clinton did, good man that he is, and I sent him to do his thing[1].
"Yeah, it did get some heat in the papers. We'd just promised to free up the markets and here we were meddling and cajoling farmers into selling their goods for a lower price then they could be. But I'll be damned if getting red meat has ever made a working man angry."
- Former President Harry S Truman
_____
"As Truman slouched towards the midterms his advisors advised him to stay off the campaign trail. Contrary to some assumptions Truman was not universally unpopular, most people agreed with the broad ideals of liberalism and very few believed that the country was heading for disaster. However the president was tainted by defeat after defeat. His efforts to protect price controls were fruitless, though the OPA was renewed everyone saw it would not last much longer. His plans for universal healthcare, universal military training and universal employment had all been shot down easily by Congress. His handling of wage issues and labor was seen as uneven and pleased nobody. Truman's foreign policy had been decently received, but it was not stellar enough to improve his image. The 1946 elections looked poor already for the liberal democrats that Truman had tirelessly courted since his inauguration, and he still faced opposition from the most prominent liberal of them all, Henry Wallace."
- "Harry Truman: At Home", Alonzo Hamby
_____
HT: Henry, I've told you. You can't just come in here and shove a speech in my face. Its foreign policy?
HW: Yes.
HT: Then send it to the State Department.
HW: I want it from the top.
HT: I don't have time to read everything someone in my cabinet wants to say.
HW: So I'll just go then…
HT: Well I can't just let them say whatever either. I don't want you going off and destroying my policy.
HW: Then look at my speech.
HT: I don't have any time!
HW: So what should I do? Not give it?
HT: I just damn told you to go to the State Department!
HW: You know the State Department won't like what I have to say.
HT: Then I doubt I will either.
HW: Just read my speech!
[groan]
HT: Give it to one of my Secretaries, staffer, whatever. They'll look over it and talk to me about it
HW: Do you give me your word that you'll at least read the whole thing over?
[sigh]
HT: Yes.
HW: Thanks Harry.
[door]
[cursing]
_____
"Booooooooooooooooooooo…"
- Many, many, Left Wing activists after Henry Wallace's speech, which was perceived as caving to President Truman.
_____
MrT said:
Gorgon said:
Sox said:
Gorgon said:
Sox said:
_____
Democratic Party: 49 (-8)
Republican Party: 47 (+9)
Progressive Party: 0 (-1)
The Democrats (left to right): President Pro Tempore Kenneth McKeller (TN), Senate Majority Leader Alben Barkley (KY), Senate Majority Whip Lister Hill (AL)
The Republicans (left to right): Senate Minority Leader Arthur Vandenberg (MI), Senate Minority Whip Kenneth Wherry
Republican Party: 230 (+39)
Democratic Party: 204 (-38)
American Labor Party: 1 (0)
The Republicans (left to right): Speaker of the House Joseph Martin (MA-14), House Majority Leader Charles Halleck (IN-2), House Majority Whip Leslie Arends (Il-17)
The Democrats (left to right): House Minority Leader Sam Rayburn (TX-4), House Minority Whip John McCormack (MA-12)
[2]The American Labor Party: Vito Marcantonio (NY-18)
_____
RN: Damn. What do I do now?
=====
1: Our POD folks.
2: Anyone got any good young McCormack pictures?
Astute readers will note that many parts of this opening are retreads of the opening parts of Upon the Precipice.
- King of the Uzbeks
- Word Count: 940