Freedom Writer - April 1995 [ref001] Gramm's no cracker By Skipp Porteous Senator Phil Gra

Freedom Writer - April 1995

[ref001]

Gramm's no cracker

By Skipp Porteous

Senator Phil Gramm of Texas, a leading contender for the Republican 
presidential nomination, is no dummy. 

Bolstered by a barrel of cash and armed with a plan to win, Gramm 
is among the Republican presidential candidates who fully embrace 
the agenda of the radical Religious Right. Others include commentator 
Pat Buchanan and Congressman Bob Dornan of California. Of the three, 
Gramm has the greatest chance of securing the Republican presidential 
nomination.

Kansas Senator Bob Dole is the current leader. In interviews with 
"60 Minutes" and The New York Times, former Texas governor Ann Richards 
predicted that Gramm will out-distance Dole and become the Republican 
nominee. Richards bases her hunch on the fact that Gramm has the money 
to run a successful campaign. 

Gramm launched his campaign with more than $5 million left over from 
previous Senate campaigns. In recent fundraising events he quickly 
doubled that amount.

Haley Barbour, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said, 
"In the Bible of campaign politics it says, 'In the beginning was 
the word, and the word was money.'" Without a substantial amount of 
it, no one can become president. In fact, since 1976 -- with the exception 
of Gov. John B. Connally of Texas in 1980 -- the candidate who raised 
the most money during the pre-election year won the nomination.

Gramm, appearing a good ten years older than his 52 years, is still 
almost 20 years younger than Dole. At 71, Dole's age is seen as his 
main handicap to securing the nomination.

A keynote speaker at the Christian Coalition's annual Road to Victory 
conventions in 1993 and 1994, Gramm received a 100% rating in the 
Christian Coalition's voter guides. The voter guides are intended 
to help conservative Christians know which candidates champion their 
cause. Gramm's top rating indicates his full support of the Religious 
Right's agenda.  

Although Gramm is an Episcopalian, he sounds more like a Christian 
fundamentalist. At the 1993 Road to Victory, Gramm colorfully described 
his mission in Washington: "I view my work here as doing the Lord's 
work in the Devil's city." 

Last September, Gramm told the Christian Coalition delegates, "I have 
even heard that the Democrats are now resorting to prayer in hopes 
of escaping a devastating defeat in November. But let me let them 
in on a secret," he said. "I do not believe that the Lord is on their 
side." (Tell that to former President Jimmy Carter. Published reports 
say that Carter prayed for a victory for the Democrats, and that "people 
like" Newt Gingrich and Oliver North would be defeated.)

Received enthusiastically at the Christian Coalition convention, Gramm 
closed the talk with his own prayer. "Dear Lord, if you give us control 
of our government again, this time we won't waste it."

Opposed to abortion and affirmative action, Gramm says he is the only 
leading candidate who was "conservative before conservative was cool." 
Gramm also opposes gays in the military and made homosexuality an 
issue in his 1984 Senate campaign. During the primary, his rival, 
Lloyd Doggett, accepted a contribution from a San Antonio gay group 
which raised the money by sponsoring a strip show. Gramm took him 
to task for this and subsequently won the election.

Besides the Christian Coalition, other radical conservative groups 
hold Gramm in high regard. One, Liberty Lobby, publishes a weekly 
tabloid called _The_Spotlight_. According to the Anti-Defamation League, 
_The_Spotlight_ is "the nation's leading anti-Semitic propagandists." 
In its February 27, 1995 issue, _The_Spotlight_ published an exclusive 
interview with Gramm. 

"Your influence counts so much," _The_Spotlight_ told its readers, 
"that Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) -- a major contender for the Republican 
presidential nomination -- has embraced the major principles of Liberty 
Lobby, publisher of _The_Spotlight_."

According the article, Gramm said, "I can balance the budget without 
a tax hike; I won't seek reelection if I don't balance the budget." 
He also said he would like to abolish the federal income tax and "eliminate 
IRS intrusion in our lives -- a great plus." He didn't explain how 
he would balance the budget without collecting federal income taxes.

Since the beginning of the year, Gramm came up the winner by wide 
margins in non-binding Republican straw polls in Louisiana, Texas, 
and Arizona. While these polls offer no guarantee of a place on the 
presidential ticket, combined with large sums of early money, they 
establish Gramm's campaign as a formidable one.  

[ref002][ref003] Return to table of contents

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

[ref001] ../banner.gif
[ref002] index.html
[ref003] ../../uparrow.gif

        This file is copywritten by the Institute for First
        Amendment Studies.

        Subscribe to The Freedom Writer and Walk Away news
        letters by writing to or telephoneing the Institute
        for First Amendment Studies:

        Post Office Box 589
        Great Barrington, Massachusetts.  01230
        Telephone: (413) 528-3800
        E-Mail: ifas@crocker.com
        Web page: http://www.crocker.com/~ifas