A ‘Has-Been’, Faubus Pledges Support for Foe

Orval E. Faubus, calling himself a “has-been,” grudgingly pledged support Wednesday for the Arkansas Democrat who apparently ended his political career, while Kentucky’s GOP Senate nominee insisted he was not “foolhardy” for challenging incumbent Democrat Wendell H. Ford.

In other results from Tuesday’s primaries, Rep. Bill Alexander, a member of the House Democratic leadership, narrowly survived a primary scare in Arkansas.

Faubus, a six-term governor who shot to national prominence as a symbol of segregation in 1957, said he would obey the rules of party loyalty and vote for Democratic Gov. Bill Clinton, who for the third time will face former Republican Gov. Frank White. But he criticized Clinton as representative of the “super rich” instead of the common man.

After three unsuccessful comeback bids, the 76-year-old Faubus just about ruled out running again. “I knew the odds were against me from the beginning,” he said. “I’m a has-been, and I understand that as well as anybody.”

Alexander’s Troubles

Alexander, the chief deputy Democratic whip who has represented eastern Arkansas’ 1st District for 18 years, ran into trouble against state Sen. Jim Wood, who had called the incumbent too liberal. Alexander finished with 81,067 votes to Wood’s 74,310 votes.

Alexander also faced opposition from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which last week ran a full-page newspaper ad criticizing his many trips overseas.

Ford, who had no primary opposition in his bid for a third term from Kentucky, figures to be hard to beat in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 2 to 1.

GOP nominee Jackson Andrews, a Louisville lawyer, noted Wednesday that “some have said that the Republican who takes on Wendell Ford is foolhardy. Let me assure you I’m not foolhardy. I admit to being brave.”