The Edmund S. Muskie Foundation -- Remembrances -- Ron Linton

by Ron Linton

A STORY THAT I ALWAYS LIKED was when we were on the road during 1964 when Don Nicoll concocted the idea that Muskie would be picked by Johnson for vice president and we scheduled hearings around the country tied in with fundraisers and other political activity to get him public attention. We were in Los Angeles and had a particularly grueling Saturday night. Early Sunday [Muskie] pounded on my door and said, "Come on, Ron, you're going to Mass with me. You need it. Off we went and lo and behold after communion there was a second collection and as the usher came by with the plate Muskie pokes me in the side with his elbow and says, "take a lesson in fundraising."

Recalling that vice presidential campaign, I remember one night we were in Cleveland and we had a two-bedroom suite. Muskie, as he always did on the road, immediately put in a call to Jane when he entered the hotel room. When he finished and hung up I said to him, "By the way, what does Jane think about this vice president business?"

"Oh," he said, "She thinks its a bunch of nonsense."

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The Next Generation - Picture Scrapbook - Oliphant Cartoons
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