FLORIDA: Red & Rip

Washingtonians of the 1940s may recall Florida's florid, horse-faced Democratic Senator Claude ("Red"') Pepper with some awe, if not affection. He bounced into the Senate in 1937, bounded from New Deal cause to New Deal cause, for a time became a glib apologist for Russia and a booster for left-winging Henry Wallace—and set an alltime record for getting himself photographed kissing his wife in public places. Defeated in 1950 by Democrat George Smathers,* Pepper repeatedly made comeback promises, and last week he was trying to keep them. His opponent: conservative Democratic Senator Spessard Holland.

Sweating in the summer heat, the...