Please, Mr. Postman: The Travails of

The postman must have looked menacing to Richard Viguerie last fall. In late August he brought Viguerie notice of a law suit from a paper company. It wanted the $146,000 he owed it. A month later he got one from a printing company; it wanted $70,000. In early December, Maryland National Bank sued for $783,000. Then Western Union sued; so did a computer-rental firm ($500,000) and the firm that sells Viguerie the plastic membership cards he doles out to his clients.

Revenge comes even for mailmen. Over the past twenty years, about 600 million Viguerie-spawned letters have weighed down the mailbags of our letter carriers. If you are on his mailing lists you probably feel most of them were addressed to you. But in 1985 the man who revolutionized (some say corrupted) direct-mail political promotion took a tumble. It was a tough year for all conservative direct-mailers, but Viguerie fell further than anyone. Still, nobody is writing any obits, either for him or for conservative direct mail. A lot of people in Washington— including some conservatives—wish they could.

RV

About the Author

Richard A. Viguerie

Featured Tags

The postman must have looked menacing to Richard Viguerie last fall. In late August he brought Viguerie notice of a law suit from a paper company. It wanted the $146,000 he owed it. A month later he got one from a printing company; it wanted $70,000. In early December, Maryland National Bank sued for $783,000. Then Western Union sued; so did a computer-rental firm ($500,000) and the firm that sells Viguerie the plastic membership cards he doles out to his clients.

Revenge comes even for mailmen. Over the past twenty years, about 600 million Viguerie-spawned letters have weighed down the mailbags of our letter carriers. If you are on his mailing lists you probably feel most of them were addressed to you. But in 1985 the man who revolutionized (some say corrupted) direct-mail political promotion took a tumble. It was a tough year for all conservative direct-mailers, but Viguerie fell further than anyone. Still, nobody is writing any obits, either for him or for conservative direct mail. A lot of people in Washington— including some conservatives—wish they could.