interesting tension throughout this time, as I mentioned, between the Social Democrats and the Marxists

in the 1920s. You have Bob LaFollett, who's a populist from Wisconsin running for president,

and he refuses to be associated with Marxists and communists. And he refuses, as a result,

to attend the Farmer Labor party convention in Minnesota in 24

because he says it is infiltrated by communists.

One of the upstarts doesn't mind that so much.

One of the upstart politicians in the FLP, Floyd Olson, is kind of okay with the communists.

He doesn't really invoke communism, but he also, he keeps them at arm's

length. He lets them participate in the party because at that time, you kind of need them, right?

This is a different pre-Cold War, communist socialists are really... They're the best organizers.

Yes. He gets elected as Hennepin County attorney, and he causes a stir.

There's a group of workers in Minneapolis who may have, we don't know if this happened

or not.

He says they didn't do it, but they were accused of dynamiting an anti-union contractor's

house, and he defends them.

Anybody could have done that.

That just happens in this area.

So he gets some credit for that from the left.

But he's also not...

He changes the plank of the former Labor Party platform.

He does a way with recognition of the USSR and public ownership of key industries.

And this one is a little stranger in looking back.

...