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the primary against Passannante?” And I said. “No, certainly not. I do not believe that I should defeat the Democratic candidate who wins in the Democratic primary assuming I were to lose to that candidate in the Democratic primary.” Well, this was a stupid answer. (laughs) It's not an answer I'd give anymore. And that was the reason that they gave. They wouldn't have given me their endorsement anyway, but that was the reason that they gave, because Passannante said he would run on their line an active race. And in later elections that I've had with them for Congress and the City Council, I said, “Of course, I'll run you the best race you've ever had.” And I meant it -- I meant it. So that was the story.

Just to finish up, before we get too far from Morgenthau: was there any substantial opposition among the reform Democrats to his candidacy?

There was opposition, which was predicated on the grounds that ellegedly he had treated the people who had resisted the draft in an unduly harsh way. This was their position. He denies it. I don't really know what the facts are. But they said he persecuted these people and insisted on harsh sentences. He denies that. But that was well overwhelmed by their hate of Dick Kuh, so there was really no resistance to the Morgenthau nomination. I think some of the reformers tried to get van den Heuvel to runs.