JFK meeting with Adlai Stevenson in 1961 in the Oval Office (not the same meeting Stevenson was late for). Photo by Abbie Rowe / JFK Library.
Next time you need an excuse for being late for a meeting with the President, try this one.
Adlai Stevenson: I apologize for being late, Mr. President. I either had a defective alarm clock or a too-effective Seconal.
Seconal was the brand name of a barbiturate sleep aid which, at the time, was marketed by Eli Lilly.
Of course, it helps if you’ve been a presidential candidate twice (albeit unsuccessful in the bid for the Oval Office) and still command a devoted following from the Democratic party’s influential liberal wing.