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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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Johnson. I supported Lyndon Johnson in the famous campaign, when he won by 87 votes.

Q:

This was when he was coming from the House to the Senate?

Lasker:

Yes. I didn't know him at the time, but a relative of Albert's was very enthusiastic about him, and so were other friends, and I was in principle for any Democrat against any Republican, because by this time I was interested in health legislation and knew that the Democrats were much more generous-minded legislatively and financially then the Republicans.

Q:

Had Lyndon Johnson indicated any interest in that area at that point?

Lasker:

No, but people assured me that he would be for everything.

Now, I did support Bridges of New Hampshire, on the basis that he was either the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee or the Chairman of the full Appropriations Committee and because there was no way to elect a Democrat in New Hampshire. The only way you could get Bridges's attention or an appointment with him was to be a contributor. This is a sad but true fact, at least for me. He was only interested in votes or in people who were willing to help him. He did help us very much in the passage of the heart act and in getting money for medical research, and he was very generous or at least broad-minded about it compared to





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