In 1950, while still in the grips of life in a Post-War world, the subject of affordable housing for the Middle-Class was widely discussed. In this case, a bill was pending in the Senate that would provide government assistance to those people who were in that limbo between having too much money to get subsidized housing, yet not enough money to be able to afford a down-payment on a house.

You would think this idea would be met with instant across-the-board approval, but it was hotly contested. And in this broadcast, part of the American Forum Of The Air series broadcast on March 12, 1950, a debate between Sen. John Sparkman, co-sponsor of the bill, and Clark Daniel, Director of The National Association Of Home Builders, proved just how much resistance there was to this otherwise humanitarian plan.

What is interesting about how this argument evolves is how it winds up being a case of "too much influence of Big Government" and the Socialism card is bandied around.

As a side note, Sen. John Sparkman is the same Senator Sparkman who was Adlai Stevenson's running mate in the 1952 Presidential election. And, it should be noted, was also one of the original signers of the "Southern Manifesto". However, none of that comes into play here.

In the end, the bill went down to defeat. And was re-introduced within a few weeks with the Affordable Middle-Class Housing proviso struck. In that form, the bill passed.

But even in 1950, the Middle -Class just wasn't getting any breaks.

May 3rd in 1972 was a busy news day. Starting with reports of a Silver Mine disaster in Kellogg, Idaho. First reports said 58 were dead, but many more were unaccounted for. News was not hopeful.

It was also Primary time. The votes were being tallied and Hubert Humphrey won Indiana. Ohio was in trouble, with some polls still not opened at the time of the broadcast. Voting machines were the culprit, and all some officials could offer was a tepid reply "we goofed". Funny, Ohio just seems to be problematic that way throughout history. It was also reported that Sen. Henry Jackson gave up the ghost and quit his campaign, leaving McGovern and Humphrey to battle it out, with George Wallace tagging along somewhere behind.

In other news - despite reports that this day was rather uneventful in the Vietnam War, news was coming in of mass evacuations and bands of drunken South Vietnamese troops abandoning the city of Huè in droves. It didn't bode well for the South Vietnamese Army being able to stand on its own, and it was cause for concern on Capitol HIll, with some calling for an increase in Military supplies to the Saigon government. No, it was a situation that you didn't need to throw ordinance at in order to make better. The writing had been on the wall for Vietnam for some time, and Capitol Hill just wasn't noticing. Just sayin'.

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill - Nixon's naming of L. Patrick Grey to temporarily follow in the footsteps left vacant over the recent death of J. Edgar Hoover at the FBI until after the election had more than a few perplexed. Grey, an ardent supporter and close personal friend of Nixon, raised a few eyebrows over just how much in good hands the FBI was going to be with him in charge.

Silas Huddleston plead guilty to the murder of UAW President Jake Yablonski.

And a memorial was being held for the late FBI Director J.Edgar Hoover and services were to be held the following day.

All this, on a seemingly quiet May 3rd, 1972 as reported by John Chancellor and The NBC Nightly News.

And don't forget - if you haven't already: