CONSERVATIVES BETRAYED, Richard Viguerie's Book: A Third Force
By Paul M. Weyrich (12/05/06)
The other night on behalf of Richard Viguerie I attended a reception at the gorgeous condominium of Jon B. Utley. Viguerie spoke briefly, urging conservatives to create a third force in American politics. The reception was to commemorate the newest book by Viguerie entitled CONSERVATIVES BETRAYED.
Richard and I haven’t always agreed, especially in recent years, unlike the early days of the movement when we were two sides of the same coin. But this time Viguerie has it right. Conservatives should heed his advice. We had a third force as late as the Reagan years, although it was somewhat diminished. In 1994, when the GOP took control of the House of Representatives after 40 years and of the United States Senate after eight, I witnessed the demise of the third force entirely.
I watched almost helplessly as conservatives muted their criticism of the White House and Congress because they might not get their picture with the Speaker of the House or some other perk which goes with the majority. I kept asking the question, “If Democrats were in control what would we be saying?” The answer usually was an acknowledgement that if Democrats were in control we would be shouting from the rooftops but they are not in control so out of some misplaced loyalty to the Republicans we must keep our mouths shut.
I also have watched at the Blacks were taken for granted by the Democrats. Democratic politicians were happy to be seen with Blacks a month before the election but otherwise they were given the clear message: Know your place and don’t call us, we’ll call you. That had not been the case. The Civil Rights Coalition, perceived to be a third force in American politics, cooperated with both parties. I worked for a Senator who had helped to break the filibuster so that the Civil Rights Act of 1957 could get an up-or-down vote. With more Republican than Democratic votes, the Civil Rights Coalition was perceived to be an independent voice, a group which wanted to pull both sides in its direction.
Somewhere along the line, probably in the late 1970s, the Civil Rights Coalition began to be absorbed by the Democratic Party. The priority shifted from advocating less discrimination to electing more liberal Democrats to Congress. The minute that happened the Democrats began to take Blacks for granted.
Another Viguerie point with which I agree is that our movement needs to work with both political parties by pulling them to the right. If we are a true third force we will do just that. When we were independent, Viguerie, Howard Phillips of the Conservative Caucus and I called for the election of conservative Democrats. We got our wish. Several Congressmen (who later became Republicans), a Governor and several hundred State legislators were elected under the banner of conservative Democrats.
After our movement ceased to be a third force, we caved in on issue after issue. Not everyone did so. In the Senate Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) fought lonely battles against environmental and foreign-policy extremism but it was because of his character that we didn’t give in. I am sorry to report that by and large the movement gave Inhofe only lackluster support. Majority Whip (soon to be Minority Whip) Roy Blunt (R-OK) was the one person in leadership who really got it. On occasion he would ask for back up. He did not get nearly the support he should have gotten. By standing up and being counted, many in the movement would have to take a stand. Don’t get me wrong. I am not painting everyone with the brush of compromise. Don Wildmon of the American Family Association confronted the establishment and achieved remarkable success. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council took principled stands and, of course, there is Phyllis Schlafly, the iron lady of conservative politics. She never, ever waivers. Others in the movement appeared to be for sale as they switched sides on issues for no apparent reason.
Anyway, it is time to return to creating this third force. If you are old enough, as Richard Viguerie said, you get to do things twice. This independent force would be respected by both sides if and when it became sufficiently powerful.
Viguerie made it clear he was not talking about a third party. Unfortunately, the two parties have conspired to fix the rules and regulations to the point where a third-party candidacy is not an option. Unless we were to turn up a gazillionaire to fund his own campaign the third-party option would not work. While I admire the principles of third-party candidates, the fact is they exist on shoestring budgets and they get almost no coverage, not even from the alternative media. A third force will support the President when he is right and oppose him when he is wrong. I told the President the other night at the first White House Christmas Party that I hoped he would have his veto pen ready. He said he would but thought the most controversial measure may be filibustered in the Senate. Thus, he would not get the chance to say no. Whatever, the third force needs to back Senator Thomas Coburn M.D. (R-OK) in his efforts at fiscal sanity. But we must oppose spending, which is utterly out of control.
I wish Viguerie well on his new book. Promoting the third force on his book tour absolutely will help the conservative cause.
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