Continuing Newstalgia's look at Conventions past, here is the Keynote address by Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt at the 1956 Democratic Convention. Adlai Stevenson was once again the Standard Bearer and it was this convention that the name of Sen. John F. Kennedy was first foisted into the spotlight as potential Presidential material, by being considered a vice-Presidential running mate for Stevenson. Kennedy declined and the VP slot went to Estes Kefauver, whose Crime Committee hearings made him a household name to millions of voters.

Here is Eleanor Roosevelt's complete address from that convention.

En route to the much anticipated Vienna Summit with Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev, President Kennedy paid a State Visit to Charles DeGaulle to engage in talks regarding French views on U.S. Foreign Policy and discuss differences with regards to NATO.

Here is a wrap-up of the days events for June 2nd, 1961 as reported by Leon Pearson and NBC Radio News.

We forget how often President's used to hold news conferences. During the JFK years is was almost every week. This Press Conference, from June 7, 1962 covers a wide range of topics. The budget, the recession, inflation, taxes and of course Medicare, which was foremost on JFK's agenda in 1962.

He opens the Press Conference with a statement:

President Kennedy: "Good afternoon. I have a brief preliminary statement. I would like to say a few words about our economic outlook and program.
I think most financial experts have realized for some time that an overpriced market could not hold up once investors recognized that inflation was ending. Price-earning ratios which averaged on Dow-Jones 23 to 1 could not be justified unless there was heavy inflation in prospect. And we have been working to prevent inflation, which gives a very misleading and spurious picture of economic health. We must not permit the effects of this adjustment, however, to hamper the growth rate of our economy, with which we have, as you know, not been fully satisfied. While our recovery from last year's recession has been a good one, production, profits, and employment are at alltime highs, and the prospects for continued economic expansion remain favorable. In view of corporate and consumer cash on hand, we should take every appropriate step to make certain that recovery is stronger and longer than before and is not cut short by a new recession.

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It should be remembered that the concept of affordable Healthcare for everyone isn't a new concept. It's history goes back as far as 1909 as an idea hatched by Teddy Roosevelt. It was re-introduced during the FDR years, first as a possible adjunct to Social Security, but shelved temporarily, and was in the midst of being introduced again, when World War 2 broke out in December of 1941. It was again introduced by Harry Truman as a continuation of the legacy of FDR. It was bandied about during the Eisenhower years and it was again introduced in 1962 by President Kennedy.

Here is an address made by JFK at a rally in Madison Square Garden on May 20, 1960. Promoted as Medical Care for the Aged, Kennedy hoped for a plan that would insure decent medical care to those over the age of 65 and those who couldn't afford it. The bill was introduced and shelved, but was re-introduced and finally passed during the Johnson Administration in 1964 as a legacy to President Kennedy.

Here is that complete address.

One often wonders if the contentious relationship between the White House and the Press has always been that way. To a certain degree, yes - and, for the most part, that's a good thing.

But it hasn't always been so vicious. And maybe that's the level of professionalism that's been sorely missing of late.

Here is an address given by President Kennedy on the occasion of a meeting of Editors and Bureau Chiefs for United Press International on June 8, 1961.

It's a short address and it's followed by an impromptu Q&A and it was carried by NBC Radio.

Just a reminder that some things do change over time - and often for no good reason.

This week fifty years ago, President Kennedy assessed his first year in office, expressed concern over the drop in graduates in the Sciences in colleges around the country and disappointment that the Test Ban Treaty was a failure.

Other topics covered in this first Press Conference of 1962 were Berlin, the Indonesia/Dutch dispute, the issue of Trade, the Food For Peace Program, Civil Rights, The Common Market and proposed Medicare Legislation. A question was raised as to whether there were troops engaged in combat in Vietnam, and the answer was no.

A fascinating glimpse into the Kennedy Years from January 15, 1962.

In honor of Memorial day this year, I will be running some addresses honoring the dead and missing from wars we've been involved in.

Starting off with President Kennedy's Dedication of The Memorial To The Missing from May 23, 1963, given at Battery Park, New York.

A short address - but timely.

Don't forget the reason you have the day off.

March 13, 1961. Something of a calm before the storm.

West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt, meeting with President Kennedy at The White House, expressed optimism there would be no East-West crisis over Berlin in the near future. The only problem; nobody really defined what "near future" was.

Otherwise, it was reported that the combined U.S. and European Allies had been spending an estimated $7 billion dollars annually for the past four years, aiding under-developed countries, while the Communist Bloc had been spending a scant $3/4 billion.

In other overseas news - the Conference of British Commonwealth Nations met and became involved in controversy regarding racial equality, focusing on the Apartheid government of South Africa. 7 out of 12 Commonwealth Nations voted to have South Africa recant those policies or resign from the Conference.

Back in the U.S. - President Kennedy would be asking Congress to approve funding for a stockpile of Polio vaccine. Congress did approve JFK's 10-point program to improve standards of living in Latin America. Cardinal Spellman opened up a salvo by opposing any Federal Aid to Education if it didn't include Parochial Schools.

And former Republican vice-President and 1960 Presidential hopeful Richard Nixon signed on with an L.A. Law firm. He also put the temporary kabosh on rumors he would be running for Governor of California. The operative word here is "temporary".

And so went that particular March 13 in 1961 as reported by NBC News On The Hour with Martin Agronsky.

Sadly, Medicare wasn't to happen in President Kennedy's lifetime. It was a piece of legislation whose time had come and had been resisted as far back as the FDR Administration when it was initially considered as an adjunct to Social Security.

Much like the current Healthcare legislation, it had a history and a well heeled lobby working against it. Now Medicare is faced with being gutted by pretty much the same wolves in different clothing. But the same wolves.

At a Medical Care For The Aged rally at Madison Square Garden on May 20, 1962, President Kennedy spelled it out in no uncertain terms:

President Kennedy: “The point of the matter is, that the AMA is doing very well in its efforts to stop this bill. And the doctors of New Jersey and of every other state may be opposed to it, but I know that not a single doctor, if this bill is passed, is going to refuse to treat any patient. No one would become a doctor just as a business enterprise, it’s a long laborious discipline. We need more of them. We want their help, and gradually we’re getting it. The problem however is more complicated because they do not comprehend what we’re trying to do. We do not cover doctors bills here, we do not affect the freedom of choice. You can go to any doctor you want. The doctor and you work out your arrangements with him – we talk about his hospital bill. And that’s an entirely different matter. And I hope that one by one the doctors of the United States will take the extraordinary step of not merely reading the journals and publications of the AMA because I do not recognize the bill when I hear those descriptions.”

Fortunately, the responsibility of getting Medicare signed into law would fall into the lap of Lyndon Johnson. It was billed as a legacy to a fallen President.

Something to consider while slashing is taking place.