Word: localism
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Political Career: In 1949 Illinoisan Proxmire moved to Wisconsin as the kind of liberal state, La Follette and all that, that might enshrine a liberal political career. He worked as a reporter for the New Dealing Madison Capital Times, as business manager for the local A.F.L.'s Union Labor News, bought a half-interest in a printing plant in Waterloo (pop. 1,667). In 1950 he put on a handshaking campaign for the state assembly, ousted a six-term incumbent in the Democratic primary and later beat the Republican candidate by a 2-1 margin. He went...
Only a prefix away from the international union's presidency, Vice President Hoffa, 44, controls a mighty voting force which he has assembled through the years by tirelessly reaching out from his Detroit headquarters into every accessible Teamster domain, tirelessly wooing business agents and local leaders, establishing a machine which owes allegiance only to Hoffa. He maintained it by virtue of his famed reputation as a tough negotiator of union contracts and a self-styled protector of the ranks. While conspiring with hoods, he has won the confidence of businessmen and has even assumed a stance of labor statesmanship...
...tough life. Brother Bill took the crime road: felonious assault (1938), violation of probation (1940), carrying concealed weapons (1942). Today Bill Hoffa is a business agent for Teamster Local 614 in Pontiac, Mich...
With the passion of his father cracking his teeth into raw coal, Jimmy took a hungry bite of victory. Within two years he had acquired an A.F.L. charter, moved his boys into the Teamsters Union, taken over the trusteeship of debt-ridden Teamster Local 299 in Detroit. Singlemindedly, he shoved ahead. "In those days," says Hoffa in his rough, staccato voice, "Detroit was the toughest open-shop town in the country. It was like a dime crime novel, with all the shootings and slug-gings. I was hit so many times with nightsticks, clubs and brass knuckles that...
Cons & Confidence. The mark of Hoffa's skill is that he has been able to win widespread confidence on both sides of the bargaining table while borrowing money under curious circumstances from businessmen with Teamster contracts, consorting with hoods and ruthlessly pushing around local Teamster leaders who got in his way. He teamed up with New York Racketeer Johnny Dio to discredit old-time Teamster Vice President Tom Hickey and to dethrone Martin Lacey from the presidency of the powerful New York Teamsters Joint Council 16 (some 60 locals). Hoffa succeeded ultimately: his man John O'Rourke finally...