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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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not been a life-long Republican, he would have changed to a Democrat. But he felt that he had been a part of the mechanics of Republican politics for so many years that he couldn't change. But he voted for Roosevelt too in '44.

I first met Mrs. Roosevelt through Anna Rosenberg, and I think I told you that I went to visit her in Campobello once and was at the White House in '41 and, again, at the White House the day war was declared, for the Planned Parenthood luncheon which never took place.

Well, through Judge Rosenman and Anna Rosenberg we interested President Roosevelt indirectly in coming out for health insurance, and I think I told you that before he died he directed Judge Rosenman to write a health message including a section on health insurance.

I went to see President Truman on the 8th of September of '45 because of my interest in seeing that there actually would be a health message and that Truman, who had said to Rosenman, “Prepare a health message. Prepare anything that is overhanging, that President Roosevelt decided to do,” would forget about it; that by my appearance he'd feel there was some grassroots interest in the subject.

I visited him on this day through an appointment arranged by Robert Hannigan whom Anna Rosenberg had besought to get the appointment for me. Truman didn't know me at all, and didn't know who I was, I don't think. He talked to me at great length about his feeling of guilt about being in this office at all. He said, “Oh, I feel so inadequate in this office,” or words to that effect. And





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