News stories from Sunday October 8, 1972
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- The vigorous campaign to court usually Democratic Jewish voters into supporters of President Nixon has moved into the streets. After months of concentrating on the Jewish establishment, the Committee to Re-Elect the President has helped organize a small army of ordinary citizens to spread the word that this is the year for Jews to abandon their traditional allegiance to the Democratic party. [New York Times]
- Senator George McGovern's campaign aides have a plan to counter lingering effects of the dismissal of Senator Thomas Eagleton as his running mate: They want to use Senator Eagleton in television commercials, perhaps a film made of Mr. Eagleton's emotional declaration to Missouri Democratic party workers that "I have the fullest, unqualified faith in . . . George McGovern." Meanwhile, the Democratic nominee spent the day in Washington recording an address on Vietnam to be televised tomorrow night. [New York Times]
- Democrats seem likely to retain their Congressional majorities in next month's national election. Despite the prospect of a sweeping Republican victory in the presidential race, a survey conducted by the New York Times a month before the voting indicated that the Democratic party would come close to its 55-member Senate delegation, while losing 10 or 12 House seats, leaving it with a comfortable majority of about 245 to 190. [New York Times]
- As fighting continued between government troops and Communist guerrillas within 10 miles of Saigon, South Vietnam's military spokesmen said that its forces had failed to drive the infiltrators from the three hamlets they have controlled all weekend. Reports from the field said the fighting was not large-scale, but thousands of civilians fled the combat area east of Route 13. Meanwhile, one American plane and its two-man crew were reported lost as intensive United States bombing continued over both North and South Vietnam. [New York Times]
- Despite some of the worst crop weather in 100 years, the Soviet Union appears to have laid in enough grain to supply domestic needs and fulfill export commitments. There was an all-out mobilization of men and equipment at home and astute shopping abroad -- including the United States, where Soviet buyers picked up wheat at bargain prices. [New York Times]