May 1, 1974

The Full Story Behind Milk Lobby Contributions

"Money is the mother's milk of politics" the late President Harry Truman once remarked.

It is ironic that the most celebrated example of Truman's observation should become the so-called "milk lobby" which scattered more than a million dollars in political contributions during the last election.

Those contributions have become a principal issue in the far-flung "Watergate" charges flung at President Richard Nixon and Former Treasury Secretary John Connally.

The controversy surrounding the milk lobby largess illustrates the pit falls inherent in special interest pressures.

In my opinion, the wheeling and dealing by special interest groups - milk lobbies, unions, professional associations, industrial interests - constitutes the main evil of American politics.

When we examine the milk lobby activities we discover that its generosity is not-directed to one candidate or to one party.  The benefits of cash fall like the gentle rain over all in power.

Nixon, Connally and the Republican party are hounded by the Watergate critics.

The facts as reported impartially in the Congressional Quarterly, however, reveal that Senators Hubert Humphrey, Teddy Kennedy, Henry Jackson, Congressman Wilbur Mills and other Democrats received more money from the milk lobby.

The milk lobby consists of four groups representing area dairymen.  Together they gave Democratic candidates $613,000 and Republican candidates $577,000 in 1972.

Of these amounts, the Nixon reelection committee, received $400,000 while a $10,000 contribution to Connally - which he asserts he refused - is termed by critics as a "bribe."

Nothing at all is said of the $54,100 given to Mills, chairman of the powerful Ways and Means committee and the most influential spokesman for the dairymen.

The four milk lobbies and the amounts they contributed to Republican AND Democrat candidates in the last election are as follows:

• ADEPT - The Agricultural and Dairy Education Political Trust, related to Mid-America Dairymen, Inc.: Republicans $84,500 and Democrats $137,100.
• CTAPE - The Committee for Thorough Agricultural Political Education, related to Associated Milk Producers, Inc.: Republicans $397,000 and Democrats $333,400.
• PACE - Political Action for Cooperative Effectiveness, associated with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives: Republicans $4,500 and Democrats $1,000.
• SPACE - The Trust for Special Political Agricultural Community Education, associated with Dairymen, Inc.: Republicans $91,000 and Democrats $141,500.

In addition, two of the above groups made contributions to Congressional Campaign Committees.  ADEPT reported it gave the Democrats $8,500 and-the-Republicans $5,000.  SPACE says it gave $10,000 to the Democratic committee and $5,000 to the Republican.

A review of events leading to favorable treatment of dairy farmers discloses the workings of special interest politics.

On March 12, the secretary of agriculture announced that the federal price support for milk in the coming year would be about 80 percent of parity.

The dairy industry wanted 90 percent and there was strong support in Congress for 85 percent.  The administration announcement, therefore, roused the milk lobby and its friends.  A frantic effort to force Nixon to raise the support was organized by House Speaker Carl Albert and Chairman Mills.

Nixon said the higher support would be inflationary and stood pat of his original announcement.

Congress then turned to mandatory legislation to raise supports.  In the House, 125 members - 95 Democrats and 30 Republicans - introduced or cosponsored legislation for higher supports.  In the Senate, 28 Democrats and one Republican introduced similar legislation.  Perhaps those Congressmen who received milk lobby contributions and sponsored high support legislation should be investigated also.

On March 23, the President met with leaders of the dairy industry who stated their case for 90 percent parity.  Later that same day, Nixon's congressional liaison aides advised that the high support rate likely would pass Congress and an 85 percent parity would easily overcome a presidential veto.

In the face of political reality, Nixon and Congressional leaders accepted an 85 percent compromise, and announced it March 25.

Did the milk lobby offer "inducements" for favorable action?

If so, to whom?

Was money, votes, political reality, or demonstrated need responsible for the final 85 percent parity?

We will never know for sure because there was too much at stake by too many powerful people.

But we are certain that what was right or what was wrong applied equally to all concerned - Republicans and Democrats, dairymen and politicians.

I say all special interest contributions and considerations are potentially evil.

Our political system will not be purged until we abolish special interest politics entirely.

Author: Lindsey Williams