National Affairs: Maneuvers in Maryland

While the higher-flying Democrats politicked at a national level last week, local leaders attending the Chicago convention were also busy with their own problems. A TIME correspondent, prowling a hotel lobby, overheard this conversation between Baltimore's broad and boisterous Mayor Tommy D'Alesandro and another Maryland delegate. Subject: Millard Tydings, hand-picked last spring to battle Republican John Marshall Butler for his old Senate seat, since hospitalized with a serious attack of shingles.

Delegate: Tommy, we gotta get rid of Tydings.

D'Alesandro: Tydings 90% dead is better than Butler.

Delegate: Yeh, but we can't run him...