August 10, 1979 – CBS Radio: The World Tonight – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
August 10, 1979 – News of shakeups and rearranging at the Carter White House this day. The controversy over President Carter‘s Cabinet changes finally simmered down, and the shakeup of the White House Staff was now underway. Opinions were the shakeups had more to do with looking ahead to 1980 than with efficiency. More changes were announced on this day, with two top Aides departing and a Mexican-American aide arriving. Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan made the announcements. Going back to his law practice in Georgia was Robert Lipshutz, White House legal Counsel, who was also heading off to establish the President Carter Library, to be located in Plains, Georgia. Tim Kraft, who along with Jordan has been a top political operator for Carter, was also leaving the White House to run the Carter-Mondale re-election campaign. Jordan also announced that Esteban Torres, currently the Ambassador to UNESCO would be moving to the White house to be top liaison with the Hispanic-American community. Observers noted that this “clearing of the decks” was intended for the 1980 Presidential Campaign. Although Jordan did not say when President would be making his formal announcement.
The Lettuce strike had been going on for seven months – and with no movement on either said, Cesar Chavez set off on a march with 2,000 followers to Salinas, California with the objective of raising the ante and giving some push to the United Farm Workers Union. Chavez told reporters that seven months of striking has yielded the union no higher wages, because California growers were using Illegal aliens to harvest the lettuce crops. So he decided to revive the tactic he used many years ago; The Boycott. This time, not just to lettuce, but of brand name goods produced by the conglomerate that raises the most Iceberg Lettuce in the nation; United Brands. Critics claimed Chavez has relied too heavily on his old allies from the 60s; the Church, Labor and Students to make his new boycott work, saying that if it failed, the effectiveness of the UFW could be destroyed. But Chavez insisted the old coalition was dormant, not dead. And in the coming months, those who sympathize with California Lettuce workers will be giving up Nathan’s Hot Dogs and A&W Root Beer to prove it.
And the upcoming KKK march to Montgomery Alabama gained supporters – it was now up to 80, who wanted to spread the doctrine of White Supremacy.
And that’s just a little of what happened, this August 10, 1979 as reported on The World Tonight.
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