Posted under Conservatism & Constitution Party & Press Release
Press Release:
Phillips Retires After 37 Years of Leading The Conservative Caucus
Howard Phillips, founder of The Conservative Caucus (TCC) and its Chairman since 1974, has resigned, saying that recent health problems required that he “direct my energies on my health, my family life, my spiritual priorities, and my writings.” He affirmed his gratitude “for the opportunities God has given me to work with such fine people and I remain wholeheartedly supportive of the important work and mission of this organization.”
Phillips, now 70, led TCC through successful battles to block ratification of the SALT II Treaty, begin the SDI missile defense program, repeal the Catastrophic Coverage Act, prevent passage of Hillary Clinton’s socialized medicine scheme, and persuade the House of Representatives to impeach President Bill Clinton.
He visited all 50 states in campaigns against the Panama Canal treaties, SALT II, and the nuclear freeze. He also held organizational meetings in all 435 congressional districts during the early years of TCC.
His leadership in TCC’s Victory Over Communism project included support for anti-Communist freedom fighters in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, repeal of the Clark Amendment, Congressional approval of the MX missile, a 600-ship navy, and even a visit to Eastern Europe and the Baltic states as the Soviet empire began to show signs of collapse.
Phillips is a graduate of the Boston Latin School and Harvard, having served as President of the Harvard Student Council. He was one of the founders of Young Americans for Freedom.
Prior to founding The Conservative Caucus, he was Republican Chairman of Boston and campaign manager for Richard Schweiker’s successful 1968 Senate campaign in Pennsylvania.
During the Nixon administration, Phillips headed the President’s Council on Youth Opportunity and the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), and won nationwide conservative acclaim when he attempted to eliminate the OEO programs.
The Constitution Party (originally named the U.S. Taxpayers Party) nominated Phillips as its candidate for President in 1992, 1996, and 2000.
TCC’s Board of Directors expects to choose a new Chairman early in 2012, with Darrell Castle serving as interim Chairman. Castle was the 2008 Vice-presidential nominee of the Constitution Party.
HT: IPR
roho on 21 Jan 2012 at 7:24 pm #
I wish him a happy and hobby enriched retirement. He has certainly put in his time.
C Bowen on 23 Jan 2012 at 1:01 am #
He was certainly the go-between in the post-JBS/Larry McDonald (LM being post JBS as well) world, with plenty of missteps to be expected. His final transition/embrace of the Old Right, which was provided for via the candidacy of Pat Buchanan in 1991-92 was certainly central to our understanding of Mr. Phillips, and the ‘thing’ he represented (if 9/10th of his party never got the e-mail/newsletter that the Cold War was over–but hey, like the JBS, the Russo-skeptic alliance with Anti-Communist Inc., thing died hard. Working with the Carto-Yockey themes let alone Istauration might have been more productive.)
The Stranglovian ethic messed with good minds, but I am sure was well funded–see Wallace choosing bomber Le May for VP in ’68.
The JBS took at least a decade or two to get the Old Right concept post-Cold War putting Philips ahead of his time for his anachronistic thing.
As mentioned before, Ron Paul is the last go round for something that is gone–the American Right.
Mark Dankof on 24 Jan 2012 at 10:27 pm #
I regret reading of this development, even in the wake of my public crossing of swords with Mr. Phillips over statements made about me in the Kenneth R Timmerman AIM piece on Ron Paul entitled “Tehran TV Loves Ron Paul”.
Mark Dankof to Howard Phillips: A Violation of the 8th Commandment Requires a Public Apology « Mark Dankof's America on 25 Jan 2012 at 4:19 pm #
[...] It’s time to be honest and Come Out of the Closet, Howard. To quote John Lennon in Imagine, “It’s Easy if You Try.” It should be especially easy when you’re about to hang it up. [...]
RedPhillips on 25 Jan 2012 at 5:01 pm #
Mark, with all due respect, I think you might have over reacted. There is a fairly benign way to interpret this. Do you and Howard have some history that leads you to believe he was intentionally trying to distance the CP from you? I’ll explain my more benign take when I have more time.
RedPhillips on 25 Jan 2012 at 5:07 pm #
C Bowen, I have noted what you observe myself. The persistence of the “strong national defense” paradigm in some of these older Cold Warriors even as they seemed to embrace non-intervention has always made them have one foot in and one foot out and confused the message. I’m going to write something up about this.
C Bowen on 26 Jan 2012 at 12:48 am #
Mr. Dankof;
Ken Timmerman works for JINSA and helped lie his country into war with Iraq. In an attempt to cynically encourage rightwing support for the invasion, he wrote a piece for the American Spectator that Saddam was behind the Oklahoma City bombing, well after, the Laurie Mylroie theory had been debunked.
This is the same Timmerman who made his bones by exposing the China tech transfers from Loral during the Clinton administration, and then went to work side by side with Richard Perle–Richard Perle, the chap Loral hired to make the problem go away.
Should the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities be revived, he’ll have to leave the country.
_________
Red,
I am just getting to this post, and suppose we are continuing on elsewhere. In the context of your post, yes, the Cold War nodes will have to die off before we move on.