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doing?” I always say that. He said, “Well, first let me tell you where I am politically.” We're walking up 5th Avenue. He says, “So far as I am concerned, anyone who is a member of the John Birch Society is a Communist. Now that you know that, I also want to tell you: I like your style.” And that's very complimentary, from an arch right-winger.

The last anecdote: I'm handing out Equal Rights Amendment literature at 6th Avenue and 8th Street shortly before the debacle on Election Day, and a woman comes over and she says, “Oh, Congressman, I'm so pleased to see you. I'm so proud that you're my Congressman. I really like you.” A late middle-aged woman, white. I said, “Oh, isn't that nice?” She says, “Oh, yes, I see you on the Abend show all the time.” I say, “How am I doing?” She says, “Wonderful, wonderful. But let me ask you a question.” “Yes.” “Why are you debating with that muchegana?” (laughs)

And then the last anecdote about the actual show is -- the way I like to work in good humor: We're talking about Attica, and Abend says, “They treat them too good up there. Do you know they give them mattresses and food” -- the prisoners. And I opened up by saying, Tonight Dr. Abend sounds like Attila the Hun rather than his usual reasonable self.” And he has to break up because it's such a funny kind of description of him. And that's it.