University of Virginia Library

Spong Races Against Scott In Political Life-Or-Death Struggle

Commentary

By JOHN EPPS

Virginia's junior United
States Senator, Democrat
William B. Spong, is in a fight
for his political life. He is
running for re-election against
a Republican opponent who
seems to be gaining strength
every day.

His opponent, U.S. Rep.
William Scott, is trying to
capitalize on the national
presidential election, hoping a
sweeping Nixon victory in
Virginia will carry him into the
Senate.

The race is clearly one of
ideologies. Mr. Spong is a
"moderate" who prides himself
on his "independence" , and
Rep. Scott is "so far to the
right he thinks Nixon is a
liberal", according to
independent candidate Horace
E. "Hunk" Henderson.

Mr. Scott has the money to
conduct a far more
comprehensive campaign than
Mr. Spong. An example of this
is the money each has alloted
to his television
advertisements. Rep. Scott is
pouring $114,000 into T.V.,
while Sen. Spong can only
afford $25,000.

Mr. Scott is trying to force
Sen. Spong into the camp of
Democratic Presidential
candidate George S. McGovern,
whose chances in Virginia are
almost hopeless. Mr. Spong,
however is resisting this and
has declared neutrality in the
national race.

The election promises to be
close. A recent poll showed
Sen. Spong with 40% of the
vote, Rep. Scott with 20% ,and
40% undecided, which leaves a
substantial number of "swing"
votes that will decide the
election.

***

Senator Spong was born in
Portsmouth, Virginia and was
educated in the Portsmouth
public schools, Hampton-Sydney
College and the
University's Law School.

His father was the head of
the advertising department of a
Portsmouth newspaper. It was
from his father that Mr. Spong
acquired an interest in
journalism. He applied to
Columbia Journalism School,
but went to Law School only
because they accepted him
before Columbia did.

His mother gave Mr. Spong
an interest in education, an
interest he still feels today.
Mrs. Spong served for
twenty-three years on the
Portsmouth city school board.
She was chairman for thirteen
of those years.

In 1954 Mr. Spong was
elected to the Virginia House
of Delegates from Portsmouth.
In 1956 he became a state
senator, a position he held
until 1966. While a state
senator he became chairman of
the Virginia Commission of
Public Education, popularly
known as the Spong
Commission.

In 1966 he opposed A. Willis
Robertson for the Democratic
nomination for the United
States Senate. Mr. Robertson
was the Chairman of the
Senate Banking and Currency
Committee and had the
backing of bankers and the
once powerful Byrd machine.

Mr. Spong waged an open
campaign, disclosing all his
campaign funds. Sen.
Robertson refused to follow
suit and some investigative
reporting by The Washington
Post, The Richmond
Times-Dispatch and the
Congressional Quarterly
discovered that he was being
backed by influential bankers,
many of whom had been
pressured to finance the
campaign. These discoveries,
added to Mr. Spong's support
from Virginia's black voters,
helped put his campaign over
the top.

***

Sen. Spong eased into the
Senate at the end of Virginia's
long-time one party
(Democratic) system.

Mr. Spong's victory was
sided, strangely enough, by a
substantially large number of
conservatives, a group that
opposed his candidacy. The
Virginia Conservative party
refused to back Mr. Robertson
for not resigning from the
"foul and filthy" Democratic
Party and they even urged their
members to stay away from
the polls. Mr. Spong won by
611 votes.

Since that election in 1966 a
new face has come over
Virginia politics. The first
Republican Governor since
Reconstruction, A. Linwood
Holton, was elected in 1969.
Today, even more Republicans
are getting elected throughout
the state. This is due partly to
the massive switch of
disgruntled conservative
Democrats to the Republican
Party; "New Republicans" are
becoming a force in Virginia.

'National Democrats' Take Over

This switch, coupled with
the movement to the left by
the national Democratic Party,
has helped create a new image
for the state's Democratic
organization. Calling
themselves "national
Democrats," a group of
skillful and energetic
politicians engineered a
"takeover of the Democratic
Party in Virginia."

Under the direction of
National Committee member,
George C. Rawlings, the
Virginia party sent a delegation
to the national convention
pledged to Sen. McGovern, a
move that surprised most
observers.

Sen. Spong is unsure of the
result this "take-over" will
have on the Democrats' power
in the state in future years.

"I think it all depends on the
gubernatorial election next
year," he said in response to
questions asking whether
Virginia was to become a
Republican stronghold.

Sen. Spong, though virtually
unknown, quickly gained the
respect of his colleagues and
many observers.

According to an article in the
University of Texas Law
Review by lawyer John P.
Frank, "Spong's basic
approach to the role of a
senator is to determine what a
senator's job is, and then do it.
These are separate and distinct
judgments for him, as is
particularly illustrated in his
attitude on the war. He
performs as if he were a lawyer
and the public is his client; he
must first determine what he as
a lawyer-senator should be
doing to represent his client's
interest."

"Spong's own life is a very
'straight' chronicle of
small-city success, and is in the
precise image of young,
middle-class-establishment-boy-

makes-good," Mr. Frank said.

Mr. Frank concluded his
discourse on Sen. Spong

"We Found Malnutrition...Iron Deficiency...Anemia."

saying, "Spong's is more than
an individual victory, and
Spong is more than a model for
young law students of today.
The success of Sen. Spong is a
victory for the force of reason
in American life. Spong's
experience in the Senate
demonstrates that rational
analysis may still thrive in our
government, despite the
pressure of throttling
emotionalism. To all for whom
the law is important–those
who make the law, those who
interpret the law, and those
who live by the law–Senator
Spong offers hope that the
bond of law to reason may yet
endure."

A glowing report indeed, but
it shows that Mr. Spong has
gained respect from many who
have observed him.

An example of this is his
appointment as a freshman
senator to the prestigious
Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.

Spong Sponsors Bill

While a member of the
Foreign Relations Committee
Sen. Spong cosponsored and
was floor manager of a bill
designed to prevent further
U.S. military involvements
overseas without the approval
of Congress, except in highly
specialized cases.

In a letter to his
constituents, Mr. Spong said,
"In recent years . . . the
Congress, largely by inaction
and acquiescence, has allowed
the President and the executive
branch of the government to
assume an undue authority
over foreign policy and the
uses of military forces abroad."

Senator Spong's voting
record in the Senate has
displayed a mixture of
"liberal" and "conservative"
tendencies that he calls verbose
"moderate". He has been
atypical of Virginia's
representatives in Washington
on many key issues
confronting Congress.

His vote against Judge G.
Harold Carswell's confirmation
to the Supreme Court surprised
and angered many Conservative
Virginians. However, he did
vote for the confirmation of
Judge Clement Haynesworth,
move that was opposed by
Virginia blacks.

After these two votes Sen.
Spong said, "If all the people
who were angry over my
voting. are going to vote
against me, there aren't many
votes left in Virginia."

Sen. Spong also drew
criticism from many Virginians
for conducting a hunger tour
of Virginia in 1969. According
to Ralph Nader's report on Mr.
Spong in his series "Citizens
Look at Congress", Sen. Spong
made the tour "to view the
extent of hunger and
malnutrition which may exist
in the state."

"I saw conditions I did not
know existed," Spong said.
"We found no cases of
starvation. . . we found
malnutrition...iron deficiency
and protein deficiency...we
found anemia, especially in
preschool children. I also saw
children whose physical and
mental development is being
hampered by inadequate diet."

Charles McDowell of The
Richmond Times–Dispatch
said, "Nothing upsets
Southerners more than to be
called on for not taking care of
their own."

Some thought Mr. Spong
conducted the tour for
publicity and others were
comforted that he found no
cases of starvation.

He further alienated blacks
with his stand on open
housing, voting against it on
every occasion. But he voted in
favor of a larger neighborhood
facilities program, a larger
model cities program, an
increase in social security
benefits, the Headstart
program, an expanded National
School Lunch Program, and a
proposal to renew the Job
Corps.

Feelings in many black
circles, however, still remain
bitter.

But this criticism, Mr. Spong
claims, is something he will
have to bear. "I'm going to
keep calling them as I see
them," he said.

He did keep calling them as
he saw them and gained
recognition again when he
voted twice in favor of the
controversial Brooke
Amendment, which if passed
would have cut off funds to
the Vietnam War.

Yet a recently released figure
shows Senator Spong to have
voted along with Virginia's
other Senator, Harry F. Byrd,
78% of the time. For those
unfamiliar with Mr. Byrd's
voting pattern, he has voted
the conservative line almost
without exception.

Mr. Spong's dilemma is
unique. He finds himself
accused of "canceling out Sen.
Byrd's votes" but has the
figures to prove this accusation
false.

Sen. Spong is in the midst of
a strenuous campaign, but took
time off to answer questions
for The Cavalier Daily in an
interview in his Washington
office. He sat casually behind
his desk and elaborated on the
campaign, his opponent and
other current issues.

He is very open about the
pros and cons of his bid for
re-election this year.

"It's (my campaign) not
doing as well as I would like
for it to do," he said. "I've
been hemmed down here."

Rep. Scott's campaign
strategy is bothering Mr.
Spong. Mr. Scott's attempts to
thrust Sen. McGovern on Sen.
Spong and not to discuss the
issues of the campaign drew
sharp criticism from the
Senator.

"I want to talk about the
economy, the balance of
payments, the future of
NATO," he said, "and so far
for a year all he's (Scott) done
is to assault me with A.C.A.
(American for Constitutional
Action) statistics, you know,
talked about my voting record
and his in statistical terms. I've
just begun saying that I think
the people of Virginia want to
hear something a little more
substantive than that, and I
do."

"I think he has thus far
demonstrated a reluctance to
discuss his own
accomplishments in six years,"
the Senator continued, "if he
doesn't want to talk about his
record, I do. If he isn't going to
talk about his
accomplishments, I'm going to
talk about his lack of them.
Because I think the public
ought to weigh what we've
done in six years. I've managed
major legislation and I've been
on major committees, and I
guess if I don't blow my own
horn, nobody else is going to. I
don't know much about what
he's accomplished in six
years."

Scott And Nixon

But Mr. Scott is not running
on accomplishments. He's
running with President Nixon
and is praying a strong coattail
effect will sweep him into
office. Sen. Spong, however,
feels Virginians have in the
past not provided a coattail
effect for other candidates.

"Virginians have been very
independent in their voting in
the past," Mr. Spong said.
"Party labels seem to mean
much less in Virginia than they
did just a decade ago. I don't
really think we'll know how
much of a coattail effect there
is until the election is over. I
hope that people will judge my
race against Scott separately
and foreign from the other
(Presidential), but I don't
know that they will. I think it
would be dishonest for me to
pooh-pooh the coattail effect,
but I don't want to say
anything that gives credence to
it when I really don't know. I
think there are many
independently minded
Republicans who might not be
inclined to support Scott."

The race, however, is not just
a two man race. As mentioned
before, Horace Henderson is
running independently. He has
been poking consistently at the
two candidates. He accused
Sen. Spong of "chicken
absenteeism" for missing the
third vote on the Brooke
Amendment, which lost by a
few votes. Mr. Spong's reaction
to this came strongly and
quickly.

"I have voted on the Brooke
Amendment twice before,"
he snapped, "so my position is
well known on it. Secondly, I
had scheduled the opening of
my state headquarters fully ten
days before the Brooke
Amenddment was scheduled
for a vote. My vote was not
decisive and Sen. McGovern
wasn't here. I had made all
these arrangements, and had
people coming in to speak at
the headquarters opening and

it struck me as sort of
ridiculous that Henderson has
been talking about me not
being out in the state appearing
with him, and the minute I go
out in the state and miss a
vote, I get clobbered. Of course
there wasn't anything chicken
about it. My position is pretty
well known. It's been recorded
on two past occasions."

Sen. Spong has been
suffering from attacks from the
left from Mr. Henderson and
from the right from Rep. Scott
and is also suffering from the
national Democratic ticket.
Sen. McGovern has done
nothing to help Sen. Spong's
campaign. This results from
Sen. Spong's refusal to support
his party's ticket.

"I have always supported the
Democratic nominee in the
past," Sen. Spong said. "But I
have never been running at the
same time. A real problem is:
Do you have the opportunity
to run your own campaign,
express your positions without
being overwhelmed by the
emotion of the Presidential
campaign?"

"Secondly,' the senator
continued, "there are some
very basic differences between
my views and those of Sen.
McGovern. I also disagree with
President Nixon. I feel that a
legislative election when people
choose a representative is not
the same thing as electing a
President. I hope that by
running independently I can
focus better on the senatorial
race than I might have."

"My Democratic colleagues
in the Senate are interested in
my staying in the Senate. They
feel it is self-serving and that
retention of a Democratic
majority in the Senate is in
their interest. There isn't
anything unique about this.
(His stand on the Presidential
race). I think you'll find that
George McGovern has in past
history run a little apart from
the national ticket."

Mr. Spong says he may suffer
some for his neutrality. "Our
mail has not demonstrated any
mass alienation," he stated.
"We've had some very
thoughtful letters, and I've
tried to respond to them. I
understand the depth of feeling
on the part of some of Sen.
McGovern's supporters, and I
think I just would have to
suffer the political
consequences. But I have not
thus far felt anything but that
most of them have understood
that mine is not a unique
situation. There are six or
seven other senators that seem
to be running in the same boat.
We have not encountered the
feeling that might have been
expected."

"I've supported President
Nixon when I thought he was
right, and I've opposed him
when I thought he was wrong.
I did the same thing with
Lyndon Johnson. I supported
both of them just about the
same amount.

I have supported President
Nixon more than half of the
time, but I've had no hesitancy
in differing with him."

Years Ahead Of Nixon

"I voted for the Mansfield
Amendment two years ago,"
Sen. Spong continued, "and
President Nixon said he wasn't
going to pay any attention to
that, and that is now his
position. That is his policy, and
that's something on which I
feel I was two years ahead of
him. I dare say he'll be with
the Brooke thing in six more
months."

Mr. Nixon must not feel too
much animosity towards Sen.
Spong, because Vice-President
Agnew has heaped a great deal
of responsibility on him.

"I'm one of two senators
Agnew appointed on a
commission to do the overview
of the entire foreign policy of
the United States. The
commission has $1 million to
do its work and, if I am
re-elected, I will be putting a
lot of time in the next two
years into the commission." "I
think this may be why Agnew
was very tender going through
Roanoke," Sen. Spong
reported.

'Public Is Not Outraged'

Mr. Spong is very much
concerned about the attitude
of the voter and society
towards such scandals as the
Watergate break-in. "I'm
disturbed," he said, "that the
public is not outraged more
than they are about it (the
Watergate). I think it might be
a commentary on our society
today that we seem hardened
to some of these things. There
is really no outrage over this
and yet 25 years ago, 30 years
ago, in the Truman and
Eisenhower administrations,
our heads fell for just accepting
a deep-freeze or a raccoon
coat, something like that."

"I think we ought to stop
and take a look at what kind of
people we are that this kind of
thing can take place.
Everybody just sort of said 'so
what?' The publics' lack of
reaction bothers me as much as
what is alleged to have
happened."

Sen. Spong concluded the
interview at this point but
added as we were leaving that
he had recently been accused
of being more liberal than his
opponent Scott. "My answer
to that," he said, "was that
Genghis Khan is more liberal
than Bill Scott."

CD/Saxon Holt

Mr. Spong "Calls Them As He Sees Them."

Sen. Spong has established a
commendable record on
Capitol Hill, but his votes
cannot force any label on him.
He does "call them as he sees
them" and consequently
suffered some fairly strong
criticism for this practice.

This criticism is very often
substantiated. His stand on
open housing seems
unexplainable except in
political terms. Virginians are
slow to accept anything as
controversial as open housing,
but in some areas politics
should be put aside.

He also played politics by
missing a crucial vote on the
Brooke Amendment, an
amendment he has supported
in the past. Missing a vote on
any legislation as important as
the Brooke Amendment, is
inexcusable. Mr. Spong
obviously did not want to hand
his opponent a hot campaign
issue, but again he showed
himself a true politician instead
of a true leader. If Sens. Spong,
McGovern, and Humphrey had
been present, the Amendment
might have survived, since
those three have some
influence over others.

In at least these two
instances, politics and renewal
of ones office seems to have
become more important than
passing important legislation.

Besides the criticism Mr.
Spong has also drawn
considerable praise for his very
thoughtful votes. His
conclusion that Judge Carswell
was unfit to sit on the nation's
High Court was the result of
days of secluded thought. He
knew it could hurt him back
home but, being a lawyer, he
views a Supreme Court seat a
position only for the most
qualified.

The senator put-aside party
politics by conducting a hunger
tour of Virginia. Though it
produced some animosity
around the state, it pointed out
to many Virginians that all is
not well in the Old Dominion.

Lackluster Campaign

Mr. Spong has done a good
job, but is now facing a bitter
test. To date, his campaign has
been lackluster compared to
his opponent's Rep. Scott has
some big money behind him,
coming from rich Virginia
conservatives. This money has
helped Mr. Scott begin a blitz
of the airwaves, pouring over
$100,000 into radio and
television. Sen.Spong, on the
other hand, has a much smaller
budget. He seems to be relying
on less expensive billboards,
with his media budget totaling
only $25,000.

Mr. Spong is lucky that
Horace Henderson is not a
serious threat. If Mr.
Henderson had been the
Republican nominee Mr. Spong
might be in serious trouble. Mr.
Henderson is a smart, capable
man who is running on a
platform many Virginians
could back. He opposes the
war, feels the need for a
National Service Act, which
would appeal to Virginia's
conservative element, and has
an understanding of foreign
affairs. But he is running
independently, which is
political death in Virginia,
unless your name happens to
be Harry Byrd.

Newspapers Support Spong

As it is Mr. Spong has to
fight off Bill Scott. Mr. Scott's
reputation of being
unsympathetic to black causes
will give Sen. Spong the edge
with black voters. No major
newspaper in the state has
endorsed Mr. Scott; even the
ultra-conservative Richmond
News Leader has lined up
behind Sen. Spong. Mr. Scott's
chief hope of being swept into