Democratic Presidential nominee George McGovern said today that the matter of Rick Stearns, one of his closest political campaign associates who was accused last week of being pro-Arab, has been “fully resolved” and is “cleared up.” McGovern made this statement at a news conference held in the old Senate office building, in response to a question by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency regarding the accusation, which was made at the Democratic convention’s Jewish Affairs Seminar in Miami Beach. The question was asked in the presence of Vice-Presidential nominee Sen. Thomas F. Eagleton and McGovern’s newly appointed national campaign chairman Lawrence F. O’Brien at the conference held to announce O’Brien’s appointment.
McGovern said, “This matter is fully resolved. It was a misunderstanding. Stearns has sent a statement to Jewish organizations and I understand the matter is cleared up. Stearns is not an anti-Israel person,” McGovern continued. “His views are the same as mine. As far as this campaign is concerned, we are fully committed to the support of Israel,” he concluded. McGovern did not name the Jewish organizations to which he said Stearns’ statement was sent.
The accusations regarding Stearns’ Israel position was made by Harriet Davis, a delegate to the convention from New York. She claimed that Stearns had signed pro-Arab materials and demanded Stearns’ dismissal from the McGovern staff.
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