Party, namely Mr. Truman." In Reece's eyes, only a Republican Congress could keep the unions from taking over the country. To Reece, the unions were but one vehicle of subversion. While he used a number of specific examples in his writing, Reece also promoted Communism as a general threat to American society. The Communist issue occupied the entire 1 June issue, by far the most venomous of the fourteen pieces written before the November elections. "Today's major domestic issue," Reece wrote, "is between Radicalism, regimentation, all-powerful bureaucracy, class-exploitation, deficit spending and machine politics, as against our belief in American freedom." He claimed that Communist infiltrators had destroyed any semblance of the Democratic Party that existed before Roosevelt took office in 1933. The idea of the evil triumvirate composed of racist Southerners, machine politicians, and communists arose again. Reece argued that the subversive element had duped many Democrats, who he regarded as good and loyal Americans. He claimed, however, that the party leaders had become "saboteurs of the American system of government," and were so entrenched in Washington that only a Republican victory could ensure American freedom.24 Reece believed that the housing crisis, which affected many returning veterans, was therefore the result of a Communist "divide and conquer tactic," that prevented the government from adequately addressing the situation. Reece concluded that "at least some of the confusion now prevailing in Washington may not be entirely accidental." To Reece, the postwar crisis could not have happened without planning from communists and a complicit Democratic Party.25 24 Republican National Committee, "The Chairman's Letter" 2, no. 1, 1 June 1946. Copy in Reece Papers; Republican National Committee, "The Chairman's Letter"2 no. 3, 1 July 1946. Copy in Reece Papers. 25 Republican National Committee, "The Chairman's Letter" 2, no. 8, 15 September 1946. Copy in Reece Papers; Republican National Committee, "The Chairman's Letter" 2, no. 9, 1 October 1946.