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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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knew how to play one man and one interest against another man and another interest. He would do that. He had an impressive way of handling newer and younger men, to which he would say, “How, I think that will be all right. I think that's very good,” leading them along to a commitment to some project the President was interested in by approval of their minor suggestions, and then bring them around to the real suggestion. I've seen him do that.

He would listen very attentively and he learned a great deal very quickly about matters which he wasn't previously well-informed on. That is a very great asset to a member of Congress, because naturally a man elected to that office can't know everything about every subject that comes up. A man elected to Congress must be prepared to cope with subjects with which he has no information out of his own experience, and where he must get his information very quickly. He's got to vote. Unless he's just a regular party hack closing his eyes and nodding whenever the majority and minority leaders says, “This is the way we vote,” he will have to inform himself very quickly on a variety of subjects. Of course, the only way to do that is to listen to somebody. You obviously can't go to all the reference books





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