Steve Stockman: “When I first started out in politics, a dear friend of mine, Howard Phillips, was a conservative leader and a great…”

“When I first started out in politics, a dear friend of mine, Howard Phillips, was a conservative leader and a great father and patriot. On April 20, Howard Phillips passed away. He grew up in Boston, where he became an avid baseball fan. He knew all the teams, all the players, and remained a passionate fan throughout his life. He fought hard to get into the Boston Latin School. From there, he invaded the liberal bastion that is Harvard, where he upheld conservative principles and even served as the chairman of the student council. Howard made national news during the Nixon administration, when he fought to abolish the Office of Economic Opportunity. A leader, a champion, and a great father, he founded in 1974 the TCC, or The Conservative Caucus. It rapidly became one of the major nationwide conservative organizations. He made headlines for opposing the Panama Canal treaty and supporting Ronald Reagan's efforts to rebuild our defense and to cut taxes and spending. The conservative movement will not be the same without Howard. In fact, the conservative movement would not be what it is today without his leadership. In 1960, he helped found Young Americans for Freedom, which became the model for conservative political action groups. Howard, Paul Weyrich, Richard Viguerie, Jerry Falwell, and other key leaders became the founders of what we know as the modern conservative movement.…”