Years ago I was attending a weekend conference of the Conspiracy in a swank getaway resort. During one session an elected official spoke up, telling us how she’d been targeted for defeat by the Left and explaining in great detail how she was now fighting for her life. It was a troubling report. She was a strong supporter of the movement and a friend of many in the room. Her defeat would be devastating. When she finished others spoke up, one by one giving her words of encouragement, offering their support, etc. Then Paul Weyrich stood up. He would have none of it. “If things are that bad, what in the world are you doing here? Why aren’t you in your district working?” The lips were pursed, the eyes were piercing, the voice boomed., and the elected official quickly sat down, thoroughly chastised.
That will be the Paul Weyrich I will always remember: principled, committed, courageous and honest to a fault. He spent his entire adult life working to make America not just a better place, but a good place. How many people were influenced by Paul? It’s an easy answer: Everyone who knew him. What a legacy. What a man.
— L. Brent Bozell III is the founder and president of the Media Research Center.