OneNewsNow

by Jim Brown and Jody Brown 

The conservative political movement is mourning the death of one of its great icons.

Paul Weyrich, the chairman of the Free Congress Foundation and one of the founders of the Heritage Foundation, has passed away at the age of 66 after a long battle with diabetes and suffering from amputations. Weyrich, who has been a fixture on the Washington political scene for several decades, was a key member of the conservative Arlington Group started by American Family Association (AFA) chairman Don Wildmon.
 
The well-respected Weyrich, says Wildmon, was "dedicated to the cause" of conservatism
 
"Paul was not widely known to the general population, but he was extremely well known to the conservative movement," Wildmon shares. "I guess he spent probably 40 years working for the conservative cause. A lot of people do not know that Paul was an ordained elder in his church and a very devout Christian."
 
The AFA founder recalls sitting in numerous meetings with Weyrich. "I considered him a friend, and he'll be sorely missed," says Wildmon. "He did from time to time have a high temper, but after he let go of his temper he came back and he was there. He was human like all of us....We'll surely miss him."
 
Arlington Group member Gary Bauer, the president of American Values, says his "heart broke" when he heard the news of Weyrich's death. Bauer says Weyrich was a plain-talker, and at times "could be a little irascible," but was a strong believer that conservatism is not theoretical.
 
"Paul was a real keeper of the flame," says Bauer, "and he was one of those men who constantly reminded conservatives in government of the principles they believed in when they were out of government. And that's a very important role to play, because over the years, as we know, we've seen many of 'our people' get into positions of power and then no longer be 'our people.'"
 
According to Bauer, "the conservative movement has lost a great leader, America has lost a great patriot, and I've lost a great friend."

Other tributes to Weyrich are coming from a veritable "who's who" of the conservative movement. Congressman Mike Pence (R-Indiana), chairman of the House Republican Conference, says Weyrich "was a giant in American politics, an inspiring leader, and a friend to generations of conservatives." And according to Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, "Paul Weyrich fought tirelessly for three decades to protect the preborn, preserve traditional marriage, and ensure that people of faith had a voice in shaping the public-policy that affected their lives. Had there been no Paul Weyrich, there would be no conservative movement as we know it."

Congressman Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) attended the weekly Free Congress luncheon, hosted by Weyrich in Washington, more than 350 times as the representative for House Republican leaders.  In Blunt's words, Weyrich "wasn't just an outstanding leader for conservatives; he was a steadfast confidant and a devout man of faith."
 
In 2005, AgapePress -- the forerunner of OneNewsNow -- published a series of commentaries by Weyrich called "The Next Conservatism." This 12-part series dealt with the direction Weyrich felt conservatism in America needed to go following the second term of George W. Bush.
 
In one of the columns, he stated that conservatism is not an ideology, but a way of life. "That way of life," he wrote, "needs to be grounded in local traditions and in preserving and, where necessary, restoring those traditions."