Freedom Writer - June 1995 [ref001] Clandestine council meets in Virginia By Skipp Porteou

Freedom Writer - June 1995

[ref001]

Clandestine council meets in Virginia

By Skipp Porteous

Approximately 375 members of the secretive Council for National Policy 
(CNP) held closed-door meetings at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner 
hotel in McClean, Virginia on May 12 and 13, 1995. Founded in 1981, 
the CNP membership is a virtual who's who of the religious and political 
right-wing in the United States.

The meetings are so secretive that the press is not allowed, and no 
public announcements of the meetings are ever made. Plainclothes security 
guards carefully watch who comes and goes at the hotels where the 
meetings are held. 

The CNP is a networking vehicle for right-wing leadership. CNP meetings 
enable members to become acquainted with one another, speak freely, 
and to plan short and long-term strategies.

At each meeting, CNP Action Inc. sponsors standing committee workshops, 
which provide a vehicle for members to work together to influence 
crucial public policy decisions. According to a CNP memo, at these 
workshops members "formulate strategies and execute plans to make 
a difference on the issues where we can have a real impact." The six 
permanent standing committees are:

_

Family co-chaired by Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Phyllis 
Schlafly of Eagle Forum.

Law and justice co-chaired by former Attorney General Edwin Meese 
III and former Texas Court of Appeals judge Paul Pressler.

Economics co-chaired by former Office of Management and Budget director 
Jim Miller and Reed Larson of the National Right to Work Committee.

Defense and foreign policy co-chaired by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and How-ard 
Phillips of the Conservative Caucus.

Institutional reform co-chaired by former California state senator 
H.L. Richardson and direct mail expert Richard Viguerie.

Environment chaired by former Secretary of the Interior and Secretary 
of Energy Don Hodel.

_

At the May meeting, CNP members discussed impeachment strategies regarding 
presidential appointments. It was pointed out that any presidential 
appointee can be impeached, and that the process is quite easy. Though 
not mentioned specifically, it may be that they had President Clinton's 
nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Henry Foster, in mind during this 
discussion.
	
Two members of the House of Representatives who were swept into office 
last November, Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) and Rep. Helen Chenoweth 
(R-ID), spoke on "Oklahoma City, militias, and terrorism." 
	
Stockman, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, is 
a new CNP member. In the June 1995 issue of _Guns_&_Ammo_ magazine, 
Stockman wrote: "Bill Clinton and the gun control lobby were not unhappy 
with the fiery end of the siege at Waco. Waco was to be a lesson to 
gun owners all over America: Don't own firearms that the government 
doesn't like."
	
Dr. James Dobson led a workshop called "Abortion and the Republican 
Party," and spoke about "the attitude of Haley Barbour." This past 
spring, Dobson sent a letter to Barbour, the head of the Republican 
National Committee (RNC), saying, "If the RNC abandons its clear pro-life 
position, then you leave us and millions like us with no recourse 
but to consider a third party candidate for president in 1996."

According to an informed source, during a question and answer session 
with Sen. Bob Smith, who appeared on behalf of Sen. Phil Gramm, Dobson 
proceeded to lecture the group about Gramm's waffling on "family values." 
Moderator Ed Meese cautioned Dobson that this was a question and answer 
session, not a debate. According to our source, Meese finally said, 
"Jim, I've told you before that this is not a debate, it is a question 
and answer period. Now please sit down so we can have the next question." 


The CNP's last conference was held in February in Palm Springs, California. 
Discussions included capital punishment, school prayer, "defunding 
the left," and English as the official language of the United States. 


Richard Viguerie said that the battle to defund the left "will be 
won primarily in the committees and subcommittees." In other words, 
kill funding in committees, before items come up for a vote in Congress. 


Phyllis Schlafly claimed that last year Congress gave more than $1 
billion to feminist organizations. She also spoke about the need to 
abolish the National Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for 
Public Broadcasting.

Howard Phillips called for a constitutional amendment to make English 
the official language. His proposal was inspired by the passage of 
California's Proposition 187.

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Copyright 1995 IFAS
The Freedom Writer / ifas@crocker.com

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