Paul M. Weyrich…Conservative Icon gone!

As the chairman and chief operating officer of the Free Congress Foundation and first president of The Heritage Foundation, Paul M. Weyrich was a founding father of the modern conservative movement.  It was Paul Weyrich that led the way for Ronald Reagan to become our 40th President.  It was Paul Weyrich that balked when Bush the Elder was chosen as Reagan’s running mate!  It was Paul Weyrich with the fundamentalist message…yet came from Catholic Jesuit roots.  Paul Weyrich was a brilliant man with a true and dedicated Conservative message.

Paul Weyrich was initially known as one of the “Reagan Brain Trust”….that dawdled endlessly on each and every conservative policy question.  Paul was generally right every time.  Paul, along with Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority.  Paul was unashamedly pro-life.

Paul Weyrich, also founded the Heritage Foundation.  Paul Weyrich went to Lynchburg, Virginia  and told Jerry Falwell that there were tens of millions of conservative evangelicals, fundamentalists, Catholics, Mormons and even mainline Protestants, who could form a mighty voting block – by putting their theological differences aside to pursue common political goals.  It was a radical concept that Falwell would later call “cobelligerency.”

Paul’s later years included serving on the National Amtrak Board…fighting with budget and labor issues.  Always, fighting for a better system but finding “the system” too stoic to be changed easily.  We chatted with Paul a few years back when we started the Cutting Edge – a talk show.  Paul was a hard man to change and he focused more on using the Internet as a radio format ….rather than as a video concept that it is today!  We tried to convince him……but it really took the election of Barack Obama to fully make the strong impression on Paul.

Paul Weyrich stood tall for the 2nd Amendment, Economic Budget restraints in Federal Spending, Strong on National Defense, Pro-Life, Moral Evangelical leanings in almost all other things……..

We are certainly not worthy nor have standing to either praise Paul or say words regarding his passing.  Let us just say……he fought the good fight……he made his mark and he made a difference!  Paul Weyrich was 66 years old.   A Conservative Icon is now gone!