Victor De Grazia Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Dan Walker is not a confrontationist. He's a strong-willed person, but I
venture to say he is probably less a confrontationist than Ogilvie. But
there was just no other way of handling it. It had to be. It had to
rise to the surface, otherwise we'd get smothered all the time.
A good example is what they would do to the budget. We put in a good
budget. It was tight but good. And the Daley guys with the Republicans
would just throw billions onto the budget; then we'd have to cut it and
then there'd be fights on it. Now there was a lot of money there. They
say that Walker was a big spender. Another pure baloney thing. When he
was faced by budgets which he cut--I mean budgets which he submitted
which were then inflated--which he cut and then was overridden, and then
all of a sudden they were his budgets. It was really a terrible
position, but the media never explained it.
Q: Can you give me an example of an important legislative battle for
Walker that first year?
A: His appointments being turned down. Unheard 05, unheard of, and it
particularly bothered me because in a meeting with all the cabinet
officers before the process started I said, "Now, it's all pro forma."
And I told them my own story of when I was confirmed by the senate which
was heavily Republican and how easy it had been, and a lot of joking. I
said, "It's really, you know, it's a lot of baloney but we've got to go
through it," right? And damn, they hit us. (laughter) And of course
they hit the women particularly.
July 10, 1981, Tape 4, Side 1
Q: You say the women were hardest hit. Mary Lee Leahy was one of those
who was not confirmed . . .
A: Nancy Phillipi and Beverly Adante, three of them.
Q: What happened?
A: I'm not sure. But there was no doubt the orders came to get them.
Q: Well, Mary Lee Leahy had been a part of the unseating of the Daley
delegation at the Democratic National Convention hadn't she?
A: Had she? I don't know.
Q: I think that that was part of the problem with her.
A: Nancy Phillipi had worked for Bill Singer, and Bev Adaate I don't
think had done anything "wrong1' in that Daley lexicon.
Q:
How do they differ from Joyce Lashof who was confirmed?
A: Well, they were more political, and I guess that was probably the
reason. But why the women? Tony Dean, since he had been a conscientious
objector, he would have been an easier target.