rouble being elected once he had gained the nomination. Kennedy and his family worked tirelessly. Their efforts, Kennedy's own impressive war record, and his family's political background greatly aided his campaign. He easily defeated eight other candidates running for the same nomination.In office, Kennedy quickly established himself as a moderately independent thinker. Occasionally he voted against proposed measures which had met with the approval of his own Democratic party. He was reelected in 1948 and 1950. An accomplished orator, the young congressman became a popular speaker.His back injury, however, continued to bother him. He often appeared on the House floor and at speaking engagements supported by crutches. In 1946 he was named by the United States Chamber of Commerce as one of the nation's outstanding men of the year.In 1952 Kennedy decided to run for the United States Senate. His opponent was Republican senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. Again the Kennedy family worked side by side to get John elected. Kennedy defeated Lodge by more than 70,000 votes. The victory was particularly impressive because across the rest of the nation Republican candidates were swept into office along with the landslide of votes for the new Republican president, Dwight D. Eisenhower.In the Senate Kennedy had woolen textile tariffs raised and urged President Eisenhower to obtain an agreement with Japan to cut textile imports. The president agreed to do so. Kennedy helped pass several other measures important to Massachusetts' textile industry. He also sponsored bills which improved his state's conservation programs.One of the many committees Kennedy served on was the Select Committee of the Senate to Investigate Improper Activities in Labor-Management Relations. His younger brother Robert was chief legal counsel for this group. The two Kennedys were frequently in the public eye in 1959 as the committee investigated racketeering among top labor union of...
