Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Bill Moyers Journal: Mickey Edwards - Reclaiming Conservatism

Totally forgot to mention that I watched Mickey Edwards on Bill Moyers Journal last Friday, 3/7. Very interesting and educational. If only more conservatives actually thought this way...Here's a link to the show's transcript. Look for Edwards' name in the latter half.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03072008/transcript4.html

--- Brian Menard wrote:

Subject: Fw: Mickey Edwards - Reclaiming Conservatism: How a Great American
Political Movement Got Lost - and How It Can Find Its Way Back
Date: Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:54:55 -0500

Mom (an alumna of Rutgers' MA program in political science and an Eagleton Institute fellow while there) just sent this to me. Thought it might be interesting to you, given our recent topic of conversation. Mickey Edwards was still on the Hill when I worked there. It should be an interesting book.
BRM

2008 Albert W. Lewitt Lecture
Mickey Edwards
Reclaiming Conservatism: How a Great American Political Movement Got Lost - and How It Can Find Its Way Back
Thursday, March 6
5:30 pm - Reception
6:00 pm - Program
Eagleton Institute of Politics
Directions available here
.
Served eight terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives(R-OK) between 1977-1993
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Chaired the American Conservative Union and was one of three foundingtrustees of the Heritage Foundation
.
Faculty member at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
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Contributed as a regular columnist for the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times and a weekly commentator on National Public Radio's All Things Considered

In his latest book, Edwards argues that conservatives today have abandoned their principles and now champion that which they once most feared. The American conservative movement drew its inspiration from the United States Constitution - in particular, an overriding belief in individual liberty and limited government. But today, so-called "conservative" beliefs and policies threaten the entire constitutional system of government. By abetting an imperial presidency, "conservatives" have gutted the system of checks and balances, abandoned due process, and trampled upon cherished civil liberties. Once they fought to protect citizens from government intrusion; today, they seem to recognize few limits on what government can do. Touching upon many current issues, Edwards offers a blueprint for reclaiming the essence of conservatism in America.
RSVP to eagleton.events@rutgers.edu or 732-932-9384, ext. 331.
Books will be available for purchase.
The Albert W. Lewitt lecture was established by Mrs. Benjamin Leon in memory of her brother, who worked on Capitol Hill in the 1940's.

1 comment:

Brian Menard said...

Great transcript. Interesting to see Mickey Edwards backing me up on the Christian Right being less influential in Republican politics than some posts in our discussion led me to believe you guys thought was the case. I disagree with his assessment of Newt Gingrich, though. I credit Gingrich for mobilizing the reform effort that climaxed with the 1994 congressional elections, but the agenda that effort pursued had support from reform-minded Democrats as well as Republicans in Congress, and Gingrich was perfectly happy to work with anyone interested in helping move that agenda forward regardless of party or ideology. His coalition stretched from far-right conservatives like Dick Armey to moderate Republicans like openly-gay Steve Gunderson (R-WI). He still is interested in working with anyone who wants to work with him, as seen in his newest book "Real Change". I put the blame for the "war" mentality in Congress more squarely on the shoulders of Tom DeLay and his minions. Ideas were not what mattered there; power was they key, and doing whatever they had to do to get and keep it. They hijacked the Gingrich movement after the Contract With America success post-1994, and led things down a path that eventually led to the same sort of power abuses, parliamentary games, financial irresponsibility, cronyism, ehtics abuses, etc. that brought the GOP to power when the complacent Democrats did the same stuff going into 1994.