sign in sign up
<<
Home , Campaign for Liberty, Donald Livingston, James Kirchick, Jim DeMint, Lawrence Reed, Lew Rockwell

FALL 2013 The Public Eye

Turning Right, Coming Apart: A Special Issue on the State of the States

The Klan's Rise and Demise in A Faustian Bargain: How Georgia's GOP Sold its Soul States' Rights: The New Nulliiers and the GOP's Civil War One by One: The Right's 50 Paths to Power editor’s letter

THE PUBLIC EYE QUARTERLY

PUBLISHER Out of Many ... What? Tarso Luís Ramos

EDITOR n her brilliant book Cities on a Hill, published in the early 1980s, Fran- Theo Anderson ces FitzGerald explored four very different “visionary communities”: the Castro COVER ART neighborhood in San Francisco; the ministry of the leader Jerry Photo courtesy of Allen Gathman Falwell in Lynchburg, VA; a retirement community in Florida; and a commune PRINTING Iin . Red Sun Press The Castro was an obvious fit with FitzGerald’s theme of visionary communities, being the “first gay neighborhood in the country” and a “laboratory for experimenta- EDITORIAL BOARD Frederick Clarkson tion with alternate ways to live.” But Falwell’s ministry was a seemingly odd inclu- Alex DiBranco sion. A fundamentalist Christian, Falwell (who died in 2007) sought to use political Jean Hardisty and legal institutions to restore and enforce “traditional” morality. Kapya Kaoma FitzGerald’s insight was that a LGBTQ neighborhood in San Francisco and a fun- Tarso Luís Ramos Rachel Tabachnick damentalist community in the South were both “creating an entire world for them- selves.” As she wrote of Falwell’s ministry, “It provided its members with a way of living in American society . . . without being a part of it.” The Public Eye is published by The relationship between the one and the many has always been a fraught and Political Research Associates fundamental question at the heart of the American experiment. Particular groups and movements have sometimes sought to expand the “one,” or the circle of “we Tarso Luís Ramos Executive Director the people” sometimes sought to redefine and narrow it; and sometimes sought to Theresa Blackman dissolve it entirely. Operations Coordinator Much of the story of the modern U.S. Right can be told as a conflict between the Eric Ethington latter two impulses: to reform the and restore the country to its pre- Communications Director dominately White, Christian roots; and, alternatively, to withdraw into separatist Kapya Kaoma or secessionist enclaves. Falwell built a ministry that could accommodate both the Religion and Sexuality Right’s aim to reform the United States—restoring the old order—and its - Charles Ocitti ist fervor. It offered his followers a way to be loyal to the United States—their vision Finance Director of it, at least—and also deeply hostile to it. Kassia Palys Development Associate This issue of The Public Eye is devoted to the U.S. states, which is where the Right Cole Parke has focused much of its organizing energy for the past three decades. It’s also the LGBTQ Rights Researcher level at which the tensions between reform and secession are most obvious. Rachel Rebecca Suldan Tabachnick and Frank Cocozzelli chart the increasing energy of the nullification Program Coordinator movement, driven in large part by the work of —a man who has close ties to Fellows neo-Confederate organizations, and whose politics are consistently misrepresented T.F. Charlton by the mainstream media. Frederick Clarkson describes the emergence of two net- Frederick Clarkson works of state-based think tanks—one serving business interests, the other focused Victor Mukasa Spencer Sunshine on social and cultural issues—that have become the core infrastructure of the con- Rachel Tabachnick servative movement’s reformist agenda. Walter Reeves connects the legacy of the Interns Far Right’s organizing in Georgia in the 1980s to the increasing radicalism of today’s Elizabeth Crowne • Owen Jennings • James Lavelle GOP. And David Cunningham explains how the most “progressive” Southern state, Britt Moorman • Matthew Parkes • Jim Trinh

North Carolina, became fertile ground for the KKK at the height of the Civil Rights Board of Directors Movement. Dania Rajendra, Chair U.S. history is full of visionaries—beginning, as FitzGerald notes, with John Win- Katherine Acey • Janet Jakobsen • Hamid Khan throp’s notion that the Puritans would establish “a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all Maria Elena Letona • Scot Nakagawa people . . . upon us.” The Right has never been comfortable with the idea of that city Jean V. Hardisty, Ph.D. as an expansive circle of “we the people.” Its leaders and organizers are visionar- Founder And President Emerita ies indeed—even if their vision is often a frightening and one. What is happening within the states now will, in large part, determine whether their vision 1310 Broadway, Suite 201 Somerville, MA 02144-1837 prevails, and what kind of a “city upon a hill” will emerge. Tel: 617.666.5300 Theo Anderson [email protected] © Political Research Associates, 2012–2013 Editor-in-Chief All rights reserved. ISSN 0275-9322 ISSUE 77 www.politicalresearch.org commentary

BY WALTER REEVES

Into the Whirlwind

he emergence of the Tea Party and its de facto takeover of the GOP have been a shock to many main- stream pundits and politicos. The domination of Tea Party ideology is complete enough to have forced a partial government shutdown, raised the threat of a default on ’s debt obligations, and pre- cipitated a potential Constitutional crisis. For many, the great mystery is how this came to pass. TAs someone who has spent years researching and organizing against the Far Right, for me the answer is simple and unsurprising. This outcome has been brewing for decades. The research conducted by the Georgia-based Neighbors Network in the late-1980s and the 1990s provides a localized snapshot of a larger national dynamic. It was apparent from our work that the Far Right was operating with two distinct but related trends. The first was a revolutionary impulse that encouraged resorting to violence; the second was a long-term political effort to insinuate itself into the larger conservative movement. The first has received a fair amount of media attention. The second has passed largely unnoticed. The revolutionary trend has been ascendant since the rise and fall of Robert Jay Mathews’s White-supremacist terrorist gang, The Order, in the mid-1980s. Mathews led the group through a campaign of violent crime—in- cluding armored car robbery, counterfeiting, and the murder of Denver, CO, talk show host —before dying in a shootout with federal agents on , WA, in 1984. The first significant sign of the -re surgence of this political trend came with the 1992 presidential campaign of Patrick Buchanan, whose base of support included not only the Religious Right but direct involvement by White supremacists. At the same time, Georgia politics was being shaped by a cause dear to White supremacists: defending the use of the Confederate Battle Standard in the state’s flag. Gov. Zell Miller called for the removal of the Battle Stan- dard. In response, Klansmen and the state Populist Party formed the Committee to Save Our State Flag, which was an early expression of the so-called Southern Heritage Movement. This controversy persisted through Mill- er’s tenure, from 1991 to 1999, as well as that of his successor, Gov. Roy Barnes. The issue provided a point of convergence between the Far Right and mainstream conservatives, playing a high-profile role in the 2003 elec- tion of Sonny Perdue, the first Republican governor in Georgia since the . Conservatives and the Far Right also found common ground in 1994, during the run-up to the 1996 Olympics. The Republican-dominated Cobb County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution labeling the homosexual “lifestyle” as incompatible with community values. Cobb was slated to host an event for the Olym- pics, touching off a political firestorm. The episode’s long-term significance lay in its bringing together White supremacists, conservatives, and Christian Reconstructionists in a common, homophobic front. It may well have inspired the subsequent bombing of the Olympics by the right-wing terrorist Eric Rudolph. The burgeoning militia movement in the mid-1990s provided yet another point of convergence for Georgia’s Far Right and mainstream . In Georgia, the movement held monthly mass gatherings at an upscale motel/conference center in Atlanta. Ostensibly for the purposes of information sharing and networking, these gatherings resembled a right-wing flea market, where various Far Right groups peddled their wares and White supremacists, anti-Semites, and theocrats rubbed shoulders with conservative Republicans. What is remarkable about this period of ferment and convergence is the complete failure of Georgia’s GOP to repudiate the Far Right. Rather than pushing back against elements that were entering the party from the fringe, they pandered to them. Some even defended them as being unfairly smeared and persecuted. Notably, , then a rising star of right-wing talk radio in the Atlanta market, adopted this line. The Republican Party’s pandering created a welcoming environment for the Far Right. Given our ongoing federal crises, there is every reason to believe the dynamic we observed in Georgia has been replicated on the national level. The GOP establishment was confident it could control the Far Right elements that it tapped dur- ing the 1980s and 1990s. It believed it could practice the politics of resentment with impunity. The apocalyptic nihilism of the Tea Party has proven them catastrophically wrong. We may all pay the price. Having sown the wind, they are reaping the whirlwind.

1310 Broadway, Suite 201 Walter B. Reeves, a native Georgian, is a researcher, writer, poet, activist, and trade unionist. He joined the fight against Somerville, MA 02144-1837 Tel: 617.666.5300 the resurgent in 1987, first as a volunteer for the Center for Democratic Renewal and later as co-chair of [email protected] education and outreach for Neighbors Network, a local community organization combating hate crime and hate-group © Political Research Associates, 2012–2013 All rights reserved. ISSN 0275-9322 activity. You can read an interview with him about his work at Neighbors Network at www.politicalresearch.org. ISSUE 77

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 1 BY RACHEL TABACHNICK AND FRANK L. COCOZZELLI Nullification, Neo-Confederates, and the Revenge of the Old Right

Behind the recent surge of nullification bills in state legislatures there is an ongoing battle for the soul of the GOP—and the future of the union itself. The nullification movement’s ideology is rooted in reverence for states’ rights and a theocratic and neo- Confederate interpretation of U.S. history. Ron Paul, who is often portrayed as a libertarian, is the engine behind the movement.

Ron Paul addressing a crowd in Florida in 2012. Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore.

I have a dream that one day in Alabama, formed by a compact among sovereign the arrest of federal agents attempting with its vicious racists, with its governor states that have the right to nullify feder- to enforce gun laws.7 At least nine states having his lips dripping with the words of in- al laws—or leave the union.3 Their work have announced that they will not issue terposition and nullification, one day right has the potential to provoke the most dra- military identification cards to same-sex there in Alabama little black boys and black matic showdown over states’ rights since spouses at 114 Army and Air National girls will be able to join hands with little President John F. Kennedy federalized Guard facilities, refusing to comply with white boys and white girls as sisters and Alabama’s National Guard in response to Department of Defense policy.8 brothers. Gov. ’s refusal to desegre- In addition to gun-control laws, the gate the University of Alabama.4 (ACA), or “Obam- —Martin Luther King Jr., August 28, 19631 If there is a showdown, it may come in acare,” has been a prime target of nul- Kansas. In April 2013, Republican Gov. lification activists. At least 20 bills have ullification is once again Sam Brownback signed into law the Sec- been introduced in state legislatures to a strategic weapon in the ond Amendment Protection Act, which nullify the ACA. In North Dakota, the battle for states’ rights. prohibits the enforcement of federal bill became law. The original version of Since 2010, state legislators laws regulating guns produced and used a bill introduced earlier this year in the have introduced nearly 200 within the state of Kansas.5 U.S. Attorney House would have made Nbills—on 11 issues alone—challenging General Eric Holder has warned Brown- implementation of the ACA by state em- federal laws that they deem unconstitu- back that the law is unconstitutional. ployees a crime punishable by a fine of tional.2 Similar bills have been introduced in at up to a thousand dollars, two years im- Advocates base their argument for nul- least 37 other states.6 In September, the prisonment, or both.9 And the wave of lification and its ideological twin, seces- Missouri legislature narrowly failed to challenges to federal law extends beyond sion, on the “compact theory,” which override the governor’s veto of a nulli- the 50 state legislatures, spreading to holds that the U.S. government was fication bill that would have allowed for county and local governments,10 includ-

2 • The Public Eye FALL 2013 ing about 500 county sheriffs who have and being statists, globalists, and impe- Jr., founder of the paleoconservative affirmed their commitment to “saying rialists. Neocons, in turn, accuse paleos Ludwig von , and anarcho- ‘no’ to Obama gun control.”11 [See related of being isolationist, racist, anti-Semitic, capitalist , the organiza- sidebar.] and inclined toward conspiratorial think- tion’s most prominent economist.18 But the movement’s significance can- ing. In their Rothbard-Rockwell Report, Roth- not be measured by ordinances and Paleos embrace the charge of isolation- bard and Rockwell described Buchanan’s proposed legislation alone. Though nul- ism and identify as cultural conserva- candidacy as “an unprecedented oppor- lification bills have sometimes been dis- tives, or traditionalists. As a paleo once tunity to forge a powerful paleo coalition, missed as political theater,12 activists are described their principles, they “share to create a new libertarian-conservative, organizing across the nation, and their the Founding Fathers’ distrust of stand- Old Right movement that can grow, can work has real implications. They are ing armies, look to the original American become extraordinarily influential, and mainstreaming interpretations of Ameri- foreign policy of isolationism as a guide that can even take over the presidency can history and law that delegitimize the to any post-Cold War era, and see the wel- within a short period of time.” The article regulatory role of the federal govern- fare state as a moral and Constitutional included a reassurance that Ron Paul, the ment—interpretations that have been monstrosity.”14 Libertarian candidate for president in central to the emergence of the Tea Party Even paleos with libertarian leanings 1988, had declined to run and was sup- and to the recent Congressional battles are usually antichoice, opposed to LG- porting Buchanan.19 over the federal budget. BTQ rights, and hostile to what they call The late Rothbard, who described him- Whatever its implications for electoral “”—used interchange- self as a member of the Old Right faction politics in the United States, though, the ably with the terms “Cultural ” since 1946, was a Jewish New Yorker nullification movement is not limited to and “political correctness”—which they who supported ’s States’ helping a particular party gain control believe is a stealth effort to level society. Rights Party in 1948. Bemoaning the of Congress or the presidency. Its goal is ’s Free Congress Foundation neoconservatives’ success in establish- much more ambitious: to discredit and produced a booklet in 2004 providing an ing themselves as the only right-wing al- dismantle the federal government. Thus account of the conspiracy that the orga- ternative to the Left, Rothbard called for the movement’s rising popularity poses a nization claimed had infiltrated Ameri- a resurgence of the Old Right to “repeal dilemma for the Republican Party—and can society. This Marxist conspiracy the twentieth century.” In the 1960s, the nation more broadly. At stake are the was supposedly organized by a group of Rothbard temporarily formed an alliance definition and future of the union itself. intellectuals—members of the Frankfurt with the antiwar , including School—who fled Nazi Germany and Students for a Democratic Society.20 He WARRING VISIONS: OLD RIGHT VS. were exiles in the United States in the later molded a paleo alliance limited to 15 1930s. what he considered “good” libertarians. The resurgence of the nullification move- In their media, paleos often recount As described in a 1990 issue of the John ment predates ’s presiden- with bitterness the pivotal events that Birch Society’s New American magazine, cy and the emergence of the Tea Party. resulted in decades of their marginaliza- this would mean purging undesirable Indeed, the current tension is half a cen- tion by neoconservatives. One such event elements from the Libertarian Party, in- tury in the making and has emerged from was William F. Buckley’s 1962 “excom- cluding “hippies, druggies, antinomians, 21 a struggle between the Old Right and the munication” of the —a and militantly anti-Christian atheists.” New Right, also known as “paleoconser- bastion of the Old Right—from the con- As their hopes for capturing the White 16 vatives” and “neoconservatives,” respec- servative movement. Another flash- House faded with Buchanan’s failed pres- tively. point was the firing of neoconservative idential bids in 1992 and 1996, paleos fo- In a collection of essays published in Richard John Neuhaus in 1989 by the pa- cused on building a movement opposed 1999, leading intellectuals of the Old leoconservative . The to both liberal and neoconservative “stat- Right described “” as firing followed Neuhaus’s accusations ists.” In 1995, inspired by the dissolution “a phrase that came into circulation dur- against Thomas Fleming—editor of the of the Soviet Union several years earlier, ing the 1980s, perhaps as a rejoinder to institute’s magazine—of “nativism, rac- the Institute hosted a the rise of neoconservative influence on ism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia” and “a conference on the legality and viability 17 the American Right.”13 Identifying them- penchant for authoritarian politics.” of secession. It was held in Charleston, selves as the true heirs of the Old Right’s The Rockford Institute subsequently lost SC. Following the conference, the Mises ideology, these paleoconservatives in- about $700,000 in funding from conser- Institute published Secession, State, and cluded , Richard Weaver, Al- vative foundations. , a collection of the proceedings lan Carlson, M.E. Bradford, Sam Francis, Despite such setbacks, paleos were far that featured several of the Institute’s 22 Thomas Fleming, and Murray Rothbard. from idle during these decades. In 1992, scholars. The struggle between these two a paleo alliance came together to support A prominent paleoconservative had camps—abbreviated as paleos and neo- Patrick Buchanan’s GOP primary chal- noted in 1987 that the waning of neocon- cons—has often been bitter. Paleos ac- lenge to President George H.W. Bush’s servativism might in fact “bring forward cuse neocons of supporting open borders bid for re-election. Buchanan’s support- a much harder and more , ers included Llewellyn “Lew” Rockwell with serious political prospects.” His

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 3 NULLIFICATION AND NEO-CONFEDERATES

Nullification and The Constitutional Sheriff and Peace Officers Association The Constitutional Sheriff and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) was founded in 2011 by Richard Mack. A former sheriff, Mack has also been a lobbyist for Larry Pratt’s (GOA) and is a director of , founded by former Ron Paul Congressional staffer Stewart Rhodes. CSPOA is organizing sheriffs and police officers in a mission shared with Oath Keep- ers: to refuse to enforce federal laws that their members believe are unconstitutional, particularly gun laws. “The greatest threat we face today is not terrorists,” according to Mack. “It is our own federal government.”1 Sheriffs across the country have received letters asking where they stand on “executive orders to unlawfully derail the Second Amendment.” The letter is sent by the Liberty Group Coalition, comprised of the CSPOA, GOA, Oath Keepers, the John Birch Society (JBS), the Tenth Amendment Center, and other organizations.2 CSPOA lists by name and location nearly 500 county sheriffs and 18 state sheriff associations that have, to date, “gone on record” with CSPOA to affirm “saying ‘no’ to Obama gun control.”3 CSPOA’s conferences include religion-infused rhetoric against “tyranny.” Though focused on resisting gun control laws, speakers also call for challenging federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management and the Food and Drug Administration. The 2012 conference, co-sponsored by the JBS, was headlined by .4 Speakers at the May 2013 conference included the Constitution Party’s , GOA’s Larry Pratt, Joe Wolverton of the JBS, U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX), and Mike Zullo, chief “birther” investigator for Sheriff Joe Arpaio.5 In January 2013, Pennsylvania’s Gilberton Borough passed an ordinance “nullifying all federal, state or local acts in violation of the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.” The police chief behind the ordinance, Mark Kessler, spoke at the 2013 CSPOA conference, and CSPOA created a new register on its website for police chiefs, with Kessler as the first on the list. CSPOA later distanced itself from Kessler and removed him from the list when his behavior became increasingly erratic. In a video posted online, for example, Kessler cursed “libtards” and fired city-issued weapons at a target representing Nancy Pelosi.6 Kessler was later dismissed by the borough.7

quote was reprinted in a 2012 article in allegiance to states’ rights, which is often neo-Confederates and theocrats. Though the American Conservative, co-founded mistaken as support for civil . largely ignored or downplayed by the by Patrick Buchanan.23 With the main- Paul is far more transparent about his mainstream media, these connections streaming of nullification and seces- paleoconservative—rather than libertari- are freely talked about in certain circles. sionist rhetoric in recent years—and a an—agenda when he speaks to audiences For example, during Paul’s 2008 presi- well-organized movement to promote made up of social conservatives, as when dential campaign, the former editor of them—those words now seem prophetic. he assured LifeSiteNews that he opposed Southern Partisan, a neo-Confederate federal regulatory power and supported publication, endorsed Paul on his per- THE RON PAUL REVOLUTION AND state-level banning of abortion, and that sonal blog. He described Paul as being an “ONE NATION INDIVISIBLE” he would veto a same-sex marriage bill if honorary member of the Sons of Confed- 26 Ron Paul’s retirement from Congress in he were a governor. erate Veterans for at least 12 years, writ- 2012 did not end his political activism. He also told an enthusiastic audience ing that he “has given countless speeches The former U.S. Representative from at the fundamentalist Bob Jones Univer- in front of Confederate flags for Southern is developing a paleoconservative sity in 2008 that “you don’t have to wait Heritage groups and has never faltered 28 movement around his allies and the non- till the courts are changed” to outlaw from his defense of Dixie.” When Paul profits that he has founded since 1976.24 abortion, pointing out that his plan for was initially confronted with the racist, The Ron Paul Revolution, as his support- removing jurisdiction from the federal reactionary, and conspiracy-filled com- ers call it, provides the vital connective courts would allow South Carolina to en- mentary of newsletters published by tissue for a small but growing network of act laws against abortion. And he spon- his own organization in the 1980s and organizations devoted to the cause of nul- sored the “We the People Act,” which 1990s, he staunchly defended them— lification. proposed stripping the federal courts of before changing course during the 2008 Paul’s agenda has included the rejuve- jurisdiction in cases related to religion election and claiming that he had no 29 nation of paleoconservatism through his and privacy, freeing state legislatures to knowledge of their content. youth outreach and a strong emphasis on regulate sexual acts, birth control, and The 1995 Mises Institute conference his “libertarian” credentials, despite his religious matters. on secession included a session led by record as the most conservative legisla- Paul, who has been called the “father Paul, in which he applauded the willing- 27 tor in the modern history of the U.S. Con- of the Tea Party,” has long been rooted ness of Mises’s leadership to talk openly gress.25 The libertarian elements of Paul’s in the paleoconservative Right, a world about secession, as opposed to those who political agenda derive primarily from his inhabited by a substantial number of were a “bit more shy” and talked in terms

4 • The Public Eye FALL 2013 of the Tenth Amendment.30 In 2012, 2010. The John Birch Society advertised Economy, founded in 1984 by Charles Paul confirmed his position on secession the launch and has provided speakers.37 and . Ron Paul was its first “as a deeply American principle” on his [See sidebar for more about the John chairman.42 House of Representatives website.31 In a Birch Society’s role in the tour.] The most YAL’s director of outreach is Jack Hunt- YouTube video posted in 2009 by one of recent event was held in Raleigh, NC, er, who was dismissed from ’s his nonprofits, , he in October 2013, and was co-sponsored staff in July 2013 after his neo-Confed- blamed the notion of an “indivisible” na- by the League of the tion on “avowed socialist” Francis Bella- South, an Alabama- my, author of the Pledge of Allegiance.32 based organization The lead speaker of the Nullify Now! tour, The nonprofits and projects that com- founded in 1994 and Thomas E. Woods, is a partner in another prise the Ron Paul Revolution are a ve- dedicated to promot- hicle for advancing the paleoconservative ing states’ rights and Ron Paul venture. Woods is a regular agenda, rebranded as libertarian, with Southern secession. speaker at neo-Confederate events, and young people as a special focus of the In 1995, the League of he was one of the contributors to the movement. Paul’s emphasis on liberty, the South published along with his antiwar stance and op- a “New Dixie Mani- “American Secession Project,” which aims position to federal marijuana laws, have festo” in the Wash- to “place the concept of secession in the obscured his ties to theocrats and neo- ington Post, calling Confederates and have endeared him to for Southern states to mainstream of political thought.” a generation of young libertarians (and take control of their even some people on the Left). As Paul’s own governments collaborator has written, and oppose “the government’s campaign erate beliefs—particularly his speaking “The young are increasingly with us. The against our Christian .”38 persona as the Rebel flag-masked “South- neocons are yesterday’s men.”33 A previous Atlanta TAC event was ern Avenger”—became a public contro- sponsored by Ray McBerry, a candidate versy.43 Hunter, who has worked as Ron YOUTH APPEAL: LIBERTARIANS AND for governor of Georgia in 2010. McBerry Paul’s official blogger and co-authored a THE OLD RIGHT JOIN FORCES is a former head of the Georgia League of book with Rand Paul, is a regular speaker 44 The Tenth Amendment Center (TAC) is the South and provides public relations on the Nullify Now! tour. a prime example of nullification’s cross- for the Georgia Sons of the Confederacy. The lead speaker of the Nullify Now! over appeal—that is, the energy the He was the top funder—at $250,000—of tour, Thomas E. Woods, is a partner in movement generates by casting itself as the Revolution political action commit- another Ron Paul venture. Woods, who libertarian rather than paleoconservative tee that supported Ron Paul’s presidential has degrees from 39 in origins. campaign in 2012. and , is one of the The TAC was founded in 2007 by Mi- An important Tenth Amendment Cen- producers of the Ron Paul Curriculum, a chael Boldin, a Californian whose liber- ter ally in nullification advocacy—Young homeschooling program introduced in tarianism is rooted, he says, in objections Americans for Liberty (YAL)—was formed 2013. In a 1997 essay, Woods described to the War and to federal excesses from the estimated 26,000 students who the “War Between the States” as the in the “psychotic war on drugs.”34 The participated in Paul’s 2008 presidential South’s “struggle against an atheistic in- 40 TAC is a source for model legislation, campaign. YAL recently announced dividualism and an unrelenting rational- th and it tracks the progress of nullifica- the creation of its 500 campus chapter ism in politics and religion, in favor of a tion bills across the country. Its concerns (at Cornell University) and claims to have Christian understanding of authority, so- span the political spectrum and include 125,000 student activists. Its mission is cial order and theology itself.” His author NSA spying, the Second Amendment, to “cast the leaders of tomorrow and re- biography noted that he was “a founding 45 marijuana and hemp laws, the military’s claim the policies, candidates, and direc- member of the .” 41 use of drones, Obamacare, and environ- tion of our government.” Woods wrote Nullification: How to Resist mental regulations, among other things. Founded on the belief that “govern- Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century—de- Its website offers a “Nullification - Orga ment is the negation of liberty,” YAL scribed by the Southern Poverty Law Cen- 46 nizer’s Toolkit” with resources for activ- holds a national, invitation-only summit ter as the “Bible of the movement” —and ists.35 Since the TAC is not registered as a each year featuring Ron Paul and his son, he is the star of the film Nullification: The nonprofit, little information is available Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). The 2013 event Rightful Remedy, which is being shown on about its finances, but it appears to func- included a Senate Roundtable with Rand the Nullify Now! tour. Since the 1990s, tion primarily as an internet-based orga- Paul, Mike Lee (R-UT), and (R- Woods has been a regular speaker at neo- nization with affiliates in most states.36 TX). Training partners for the YAL chap- Confederate events, and he was one of The TAC has promoted state nullifica- ters include Ron Paul’s nonprofit Cam- the contributors to the “American Seces- tion through its ongoing Nullify Now! paign for Liberty, along with Americans sion Project,” which aims to “place the tour of cities across the United States, for Prosperity and FreedomWorks. The concept of secession in the mainstream 47 starting in Ft. Worth, TX, in September latter two organizations were formed of political thought.” His work has from the split of Citizens for a Sound reached a general audience through his

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 5 NULLIFICATION AND NEO-CONFEDERATES

New York Times bestsellers—including United States and other nations must be uted an essay titled “Tools of Biblical The Politically Incorrect Guide to American reconstructed and governed according to Resistance,” in which he claims that the History and —and regular ap- biblical law.55 Reconstructionism merges Supreme Court has “taken the authority pearances in conservative media. theocracy with laissez-faire capitalism, to find rights that never existed and tak- A convert to Catholicism, Woods is or “biblical ,” to arrive at a vi- en away rights bestowed by God and set also recognized for his books attacking sion of government that promotes bibli- forth in the Constitution drawn up two the post-Vatican II church and promoting cally aligned law at the local level and a hundred years ago.”62 Militias are neces- laissez-faire economics to Catholics.48 radically limited federal government.56 sary, according to Pratt, because, “anti- While headlining the Nullify Now! tour, This narrative has been a part of some Christian governments such as we have he has shared the stage with state legis- Christian homeschooling and private- in the United States cannot be counted on lators across the country49 and has been school curricula for decades. A Christian to keep the peace.”63 referenced by legislators introducing nul- Reconstructionist text published in 1989 Pratt’s book Safeguarding Liberty opens lification bills.50 In Idaho, GOP legislators and still used today provides this sum- with the story of the Lincoln County, MT, distributed Woods’s book on nullification mary of the events following the “War militia being deputized by Sheriff Ray to their Democratic colleagues and to the Between the States”: Nixon as a defense against the federal governor.51 government.64 His 1990 book Armed Peo- After the war an ungodly Republi- ple Victorious extols the virtue of armed can element gained control of the citizen militias and uses the examples GOD, GUNS, AND A CIVIL WAR Congress. They wanted to centralize of Guatemala and the Philippines as a THEOLOGY power and shape the nation accord- model for the United States.65 He has also A consistent theme of the states’ rights ing to their philosophy. In order to traveled to Ireland to call for the Protes- and nullification movement is the sacral- do this, they had to remove the force tant population to arm itself and has pro- ization of the Old South’s “lost cause.” In of Calvinism in America, which was moted unregulated gun access in South this interpretation of what is called the centered in the South at this time, Africa. “War of Northern Aggression,” Abraham and rid the South, which was op- Pratt made news in 1996, when he was Lincoln is the great villain of American posed to centralization, of its politi- ousted as co-chair of Patrick Buchanan’s history—sometimes portrayed as a Marx- cal power. They used their post-war presidential campaign after being ex- ist—whose intent was to establish an im- control of Congress to reconstruct the posed for his role at White supremacist perialistic federal government. South, pass the Fourteenth Amend- gatherings.66 More recently, Pratt spoke in America is described as a product of ment, and in many ways accomplish at the Southern Heritage Conference and Reconstruction, rather than of slavery, their goals.57 which is defined as a benign and -bibli was a sponsor (along with Ron Paul, the Rushdoony—the father of Christian cal institution.52 This interpretation , and the Texas Reconstructionism and a pioneer of the has broad appeal beyond the South and League of the South) of the Southern modern homeschooling movement—ad- across the religious spectrum, and its ad- Historical Conference. Both are Chris- vocated and a “Protestant feudal herents include a surprising number of tian Reconstructionist, neo-Confederate restoration” as a “libertarian” alternative 67 traditionalist Catholics.53 events. to central government.58 His work is in In an article in the Canadian Review of Pratt appeared in the political docu- keeping with a long of using American Studies, Euan Hague and Ed- mentary Molon Labe: How the Second religion to fight the specifically ward Sebesta describe the interpreta- Amendment Guarantees America’s Free- and the federal government’s regulatory tion as a “Civil War theology” that casts dom, which premiered in October 2013. power more broadly.59 As early as 1978, the Civil War as battle over the “future The film, which also features Ron Paul the newsletter of Rushdoony’s disciple of American religiosity fought between and Patrick Buchanan, is about the “duty” and son-in-law, , had intro- devout Confederate and heretical Union of citizens to keep and bear arms as part duced nullification as a biblical way to states.”54 The article tracks this narrative of their militia responsibilities. Accord- fight the centralized “totalitarian State.”60 from the Southern Presbyterian church ing to the producer, “We the people will Christian Reconstructionism has also of the Confederate era to its post-World never regain the power of the purse or the played a significant role in the ideology War II revival by “Southern Agrarian” power of the sword until and unless we re- of the civilian militia movement. Larry writers and, later, the late Christian Re- establish the 50 Militias in each and every Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners 68 constructionist Rousas J. Rushdoony. It one of our 50 states.” The film is part of of America since 1976, was the “chief made its way into neo-Confederate maga- a series starring Paul and Buchanan. Oth- theoretician of the militia movement” of zines like Southern Partisan and religious er films include one about the possibility the 1990s.61 More recently, he has helped publications like Rushdoony’s Chalcedon of a third party winning the presidency. expand this potential source of armed Report, and since then into popular books Another is titled Cultural Marxism. resistance to the federal government to and media. include elected county sheriffs across the The sacralized “lost cause” of the South THE MOVEMENT’S THINK TANKS nation. [See related sidebar.] is often undergirded by Christian Recon- The work of developing the intellectual In one of the early Christian Recon- structionism—that is, the belief that the underpinnings of the nullification move- structionist publications, Pratt contrib-

6 • The Public Eye FALL 2013 ment—and reviving neo-Confederate ide- ology—is taking place at two influential think tanks, the Abbeville Institute and John Birch Society: the Old Right Reemerges the Ludwig von Mises Institute. The for- A key partner in the Nullify Now! tour mer’s work is largely behind the scenes; and nullification advocacy is the John the latter is intensely popular among fans Birch Society (JBS). The organization of Ron Paul. was initiated in 1958 to fight the per- The Mises Institute has a multi-million dollar budget and claims 350-plus fac- ceived infiltration of communism in ulty and donors in 80 countries.69 Based American society. Fred Koch, father in Auburn, AL, it touts its website as the of the billionaire Koch brothers, was “most trafficked institutional economics one of its founding members. Margin- site in the world.”70 Mises was founded alized for decades from mainstream in 1982 by Lew Rockwell Jr., former Con- conservatism, it has recently made a A billboard in Jasper County, SC. gressional chief of staff for Ron Paul and comeback, largely via the Tea Party Photograph taken in 2013 by author. creator of the popular LewRockwell.com movement and the Ron Paul Revolu- 1 blog. He credits several people with help- tion. ing to found the , including The JBS was a major force in the battle against the Civil Rights Movement. In Ron Paul. Rockwell has served on the na- addition to the publication of books and pamphlets, the JBS placed advertise- tional board of advisors for the Southern ments in newspapers in 1965, asking, “What’s Wrong with Civil Rights?” The ads Heritage Society and describes himself as filled half a page with fine print outlining a communist conspiracy and United the only “copperhead” on the board.71 Nations plot that the JBS claimed to be behind the movement, including plans The Abbeville Institute is named for for a “Soviet Negro Republic” in the United States.2 the birthplace of John C. Calhoun, a U.S. An essay on the JBS website calls for states to “nullify every act of the central Senator from South Carolina who was a government that exceeds its constitutional authority, every time, without ex- passionate defender of slavery. Calhoun ception.”3 Although defending secession as a legal option for states, the JBS is best known for his role in the Nullifica- promotes nullification as a better alternative to secession or revolution. tion Crisis of 1832 and his outspoken ad- vocacy of states’ rights. The Institute has The organization’s nullification advocacy includes working directly with state 4 a post office box in McClellan, SC, and legislators on enacting model bills. For example, Oklahoma State Rep. Mike an annual budget of less than $200,000 Ritke (R) credits the John Birch Society with “providing the leadership” for the dollars, but it hosts an influential annual state’s bill to “nullify Obamacare.” The effort was recounted in the “JBS Weekly scholars’ conference and summer pro- Update” on the Florida Tenth Amendment Center website. In an accompanying gram. video, Rep. Ritze calls for new members to help in adding more Birchers to the 5 Abbeville was founded in 2003 by an Oklahoma legislature. JBS has also led efforts to nullify current and potential Emory University philosophy professor, federal gun laws,6 produce guides for activists,7 and encourage and track activ- , who also founded ism on nullification legislation. and led the League of the South’s edu- cational arm.72 Abbeville claims to have about a hundred affiliated scholars, of all libertarian organizations,” with a though only about three dozen are listed founded by the late Jerry Falwell. Accord- founding board of directors that included publicly on its website. Most of the schol- ing to the conference summary, “North- the creator of the John Birch Society, Rob- ars are college and university faculty, erners became progressively liberal and ert Welch.77 Before going to FEE, Reed and many have also been affiliated with secular, the political doctrine of human was president for 20 years of the Macki- the League of the South and the Sons of rights replacing the Gospel in importance nac Center for Public Policy, one of the Confederate Veterans.73 Time described and in doing so lost influence; whereas first and largest of the state free-market Abbeville’s group of scholars as the “Lin- Southerners and their section remained think tanks. Reed has been described as coln loathers,” and a Chronicle of Higher orthodox and flourished in Christian and 75 having “nurtured so many state policy Education article summed up their online humanitarian influence.” groups that he has been called the move- lectures: “ is not the In 2010, the Abbeville Institute hosted ment’s Johnny Appleseed.”78 Great Emancipator; he is Dishonest Abe, “State Nullification, Secession, and the The 2010 Abbeville event was pro- a president hellbent on creating a big cen- Human Scale of Political Order.” It fea- moted by the John Birch Society and the tral government, even if that meant wag- tured speakers affiliated with Abbeville Tenth Amendment Center.79 Speakers ing war.”74 and Mises, including , focused on the “peaceful secession” of In 2009, the Abbeville Institute Schol- president of the Foundation for Econom- states from the Soviet Union as a model. ars’ Conference focused on the superior ic Education (FEE), and leaders from the “Nullification and secession were under- religiosity of the South. It was held at and the Mid- 76 stood by the Founders as remedies to un- Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, dlebury Institute. FEE is the “grandaddy

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 7 constitutional acts of the central govern- arrival as head of Heritage. DeMint, a Tea from the JBS,” according to a JBS account ment,” according to an ad for the event. Party leader and former Republican U.S. of the event. McManus nonetheless took “Yet over a century of nationalist indoc- Senator from South Carolina, is now de- the stage and closed his well-received trination and policy has largely hidden viating from previous positions held by speech by saying, “If you like Ron Paul, this inheritance from public scrutiny. the conservative foundation.85 The new you’ll love the John Birch Society.”92 A The aim of the conference is to recover an Heritage Action, formed in 2010, took a few weeks after his 2008 Rally for the Re- understanding of that part of the Ameri- leading role in promoting the 2013 gov- public, Paul gave the keynote speech at can tradition and to explore its intima- ernment shutdown and, as a senator, JBS’s 50th anniversary.93 DeMint called Paul and the nullification movement for governors pose challenges for progressives, too, Right-wing radicalism is hardly a new to refuse to who face the temptation of using state phenomenon in American society, but its implement nullification as a way to counter the fed- the ACA.)86 In eral government on multiple issues, in- modern manifestation is unprecedented since 2013, the lib- cluding privacy violations, marijuana the era of resistance to school integration. ertarian Cato laws, and the military’s use of drones. Institute also Whatever the short-term gains it might began warning yield, collaboration with paleoconser- tions for today.”80 about the limits of nullification.87 It re- vatives could strengthen the position of Mises and Abbeville have several cently expressed concern about the rise “tenthers” (a term used by many nullifi- scholars in common, including Livings- of “Confederate-defenders” gaining trac- cation advocates to describe themselves, ton, Woods, and Thomas DiLorenzo, all tion in ,88 and posted a vid- referring to their reverence for the Tenth of whom have been affiliated with the eo that warned viewers not to be seduced Amendment to the U.S. Constitution) League of the South and are regulars on by neo-Confederate ideology.89 who would use their interpretation of the neo-Confederate speaking circuit. In particular, the GOP’s hopes to ex- states’ rights to restrict civil liberties. Livingston and DiLorenzo are both listed pand its coalition and attract minorities Partly because of its broad appeal, the as faculty for the Sons of Confederate Vet- are threatened by the Ron Paul Revolu- nullification movement continues to- es erans’ education arm.81 tion’s radicalism. For example, Paul has calate, and its base is expanding. Right- Their books and media have gone signed a proclamation calling for an end wing radicalism is hardly a new phenom- mainstream, and they make regular ap- to public education,90 and his book The enon in American society, but its modern pearances in a variety of media venues, School Revolution, published in 2013, manifestation is unprecedented since the including , MSNBC, and CNN. calls for the abolition of public schools. era of resistance to school integration. DiLorenzo’s 2003 book The Real Lincoln He stresses homeschooling as an essen- Those threatening to resist federal law became one of the top-selling selections tial part of his vision—and has a Christian and regulation are no longer just patriot of the Conservative Book Club.82 These Reconstructionist, Gary North, serving as militias in camouflage, training in isola- scholars are also called on to testify as the director of the new Ron Paul Curricu- tion in the woods. They are elected coun- “experts” before legislative bodies. Liv- lum for homeschoolers. A Mises scholar ty sheriffs, politicians, and state legisla- ingston, for example, was invited by and former Congressional staffer from tors, declaring that their resistance to the South Carolina Rep. Bill Chumley to testi- Paul’s first term in the House, North has federal government is grounded in their fy before the state legislature in February written that he is “trying to lay the bibli- interpretation of the Constitution and 2013 in support of nullifying the Afford- cal foundations of an alternative society U.S. history. Understanding the ideology able Care Act.83 to humanism’s present social order.”91 behind their work is crucial to navigating An example of Paul’s ability to use his the challenges that lie ahead. THE CONSERVATIVE SCHISM AND THE libertarian brand to promote reaction- GOP’S DILEMMA ary ideas and organizations—and cause Rachel Tabachnick is a PRA research fel- The nullification movement, cloaked headaches for the Republican Party— low. She investigates the influence of the in the language of liberty, poses a seri- was the Rally for the Republic, his GOP Religious Right on policy and politics in edu- ous challenge to conservatives and the counter-convention, held in Minneapo- cation, economics, the environment, and Republican Party. The New Right infra- lis in 2008. As the Republican National foreign policy. Frank L. Cocozzelli writes a structure developed over the last several Convention took place across the river, regular column on Roman Catholic conser- decades has an ongoing agenda of shift- an estimated 10,000 people gathered to vatism at Talk2Action.org and is contribu- ing power from the federal government cheer their hero and a roster of speak- tor to Dispatches from the Religious Left: to the states, but it has generally avoided ers, including one special, secret guest. The Future of Faith and Politics in Amer- promoting nullification. In 2012, The The rally’s emcee, , was ica. A former director of the Institute for Heritage Foundation published a force- surprised by the special guest’s identity— Progressive , he is working on ful denunciation of nullification, titled John McManus, longtime president of a book on American liberalism and a docu- “Nullification: Unlawful and Unconstitu- the JBS—and declined to introduce him. mentary on Msgr. John A. Ryan’s quest for tional.”84 (This was prior to Jim DeMint’s Carlson was “apparently scandalized at a living wage. the prospect of introducing someone

8 • The Public Eye FALL 2013 BY FREDERICK CLARKSON The 50 “Freedom Frontiers” How the Right’s State-Based Think Tanks are Transforming U.S. Politics

Two networks of conservative, state-level think tanks have matured rapidly over the past three decades. By crafting public policy, collaborating with Republican state legislators, and fostering new leadership for the Right, they have significantly shaped recent U.S. politics. And their work has only just begun.

he Democratic Party’s of legislative seats was the Democrats’ in North Carolina, for example, and wins in the 2008 and 628-seat gain in the Watergate-domi- passing dramatic anti-labor legislation 2012 presidential elec- nated election of 1974.1 The 2010 land- in . tions, and its modest slide gave the GOP the upper hand in the The roots of this debacle go far deeper successes in recent subsequent Congressional redistricting than one or two election cycles and can- Congressional elec- process, allowing Republicans to tilt the not be explained by the normal ebb and tions, have obscured playing field in their favor and shape flow in electoral fortunes of the two ma- a series of setbacks U.S. elections for years to come. In the jor parties. The seeds were actually sown for the party in the states. As National meantime, conservatives have used in the late 1980s, when strategists in TJournal put it, the GOP “wiped the floor friendly, GOP-dominated state legisla- the conservative movement came to an with Democrats” in the 2010 midterm tures to ram their agenda through leg- important realization. If they were suc- elections, setting a record in the mod- islatures—in “red” states and even some cessful in their efforts to devolve much ern era by picking up 680 seats in state states that lean “blue”—on a range of is- of federal policy-making authority to the legislatures. The next-largest harvest sues: imposing harsh voter restrictions states—a key goal of the “Reagan revo-

From a promotional video for the ‘s 21st Annual Meeting. Image courtesy of Corey Burres.

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 9 STATE POLICY NETWORKS

lution”—they would need relevant re- Christian Right manifesto, the Manhat- servative Political Action Conference] sources to elaborate their vision, and the tan Declaration.5 in Washington. The conference, which organizational capacity to implement it. Though the institutions will become an annual event, attracted The two networks of state-based think tend to command our attention, the in- 320 people from all across the state and tanks that emerged from that realization fluence of the networks is much greater sent shock waves throughout the politi- amount to one of the great under-report- than the sum of their parts. Comprising cal establishment.”7 The conference is ed stories in modern American politics. part of the core infrastructure of the con- still staged annually, and it has served We are just now seeing the implications servative movement, they create syner- as a model for similar conferences held of the networks’ work, and of the conser- gies by sharing information, resources, elsewhere—for example, in North Caro- vative strategists’ vision. and best practices. These synergies al- lina.8 Though several Washington, D.C.- low even the smallest members to rely The Pennsylvania Plan was a template based think tanks were profoundly im- on the same research as the networks’ for two incipient national networks of portant in President ’s largest and best-endowed institutions. think tanks—one focusing on economic administration, few state-level groups Crucially, they also equip the Right with issues, the other primarily on social and existed at the time. Reagan encouraged a common set of talking points and un- cultural concerns—that would share the creation of think tanks in state capi- derstandings, even as the individual a common free-market ideology and tals, and two related networks of policy institutions maintain the flexibility to sometimes a common agenda. Initially, shops and advocacy groups emerged tailor their strategies to state-level cir- both Pennsylvania groups were substan- from this idea.2 Both have become part cumstances. tially underwritten by right-wing phi- of the deep infrastructure of the conser- “The states are our first and final fron- lanthropist Richard Mellon Scaife and vative movement, and they play a critical tiers of liberty,” an SPN video declares. other “strategic funders” of the Right, as role in taking the movement’s agenda to “Just as the pioneers journeyed to the called them at the time.9 the states, where a fierce battle over the wild west to discover new frontiers and The State Policy Network was formed role, size, and scope of government is stake their claim for a new life, we must in 1992 to coordinate the activities of playing out. stake a claim for freedom for us and the the business wing, and it was under- The State Policy Network (SPN) com- generations yet to come. Moving the lo- written by South Carolina businessman prises think tanks that are modeled after cus of power from DC to the 50 freedom Thomas Roe. A small predecessor—the , in that they frontiers requires fortitude, bold strate- Madison Group, which included Roe’s conduct research and make policy rec- gies and a network of equipped trailblaz- South Carolina Policy Council, Scaife’s ommendations to government agencies ers.”6 Commonwealth Foundation, and the In- and legislative bodies. SPN currently dependence Institute, underwritten by comprises 63 member organizations— DIVISION OF LABOR the Adolph Coors Foundation and other at least one in each state. SPN members In a speech at the Heritage Foundation Coors interests—became the core of the vigorously promote a “,” in 1989, Republican political operative SPN. Roe, Scaife, and Joseph Coors—the anti-labor agenda, and they are joined Don Eberly outlined how the networks beer magnate who led his fam- in this mission by dozens of conserva- would operate, explaining that there ily into political prominence—were all tive and libertarian groups with which would be a business-oriented group major funders and board members of the 9 they liaise, including national institu- (the Commonwealth Foundation) and a Heritage Foundation at the time. tions like the Heritage Foundation, Cato Christian Right group (the Pennsylvania In recent years, members and associ- Institute, Manhattan Institute for Policy Family Institute). “We have organized a ates of the State Policy Network have Research, Alliance for , leadership team,” he said, “that is im- been the recipients of massive infusions Americans United for Life, and the Ayn plementing . . . the Pennsylvania Plan.” of cash that have come largely from se- 3 Rand Center for Individual Rights. He explained that the Commonwealth cretive, donor-advised funds serving as The second network comprises orga- Foundation, of which he was founding financial funnels for , corpo- nizations that are modeled on the Fam- president, would function as the state- rations, and foundations. According to ily Research Council (FRC), one of the based equivalent of the Heritage Foun- the Center for Public Integrity, Donors foundational organization of the Chris- dation, while the Pennsylvania Family Trust and the related Donors Capital tian Right that was, for several years, the Institute, where his wife Sheryl was on Fund have quietly funneled nearly $400 public policy arm of the board, would be the equivalent of the million from about 200 private donors (FOF). These think tanks are called Fam- . (including the ubiquitous Koch broth- ily Policy Councils (FPCs), and they take “We now have both economic and so- ers) to free-market causes since 1999. In policy research and political advocacy cial issues coalitions on the state level 2013, the Center also reported that Do- to state capitals the way the FRC does in that meet regularly and are developing nors Trust had given $10 million to the 4 Washington, D.C. They focus primarily agendas,” Eberly continued. “This Sep- SPN over the course of the previous five on reproductive rights, traditional “fam- tember [1989], we had our first statewide years, and that in 2012 “SPN used the ily values” (especially marriage), and, conservative conference for local leaders money to incubate think tanks in Arkan- increasingly, religious liberty. This is and activists, patterned after [the Con- sas, Rhode Island, and Florida, where it in keeping with the agenda of the 2009 hosted its yearly gathering in Novem-

10 • The Public Eye FALL 2013 ber.”10 elected officials “in the name of repair- tems; rolling back environmental initia- An investigation by the Center for Me- ing broken budgets.” As Mother Jones tives; disenfranchising people of color, dia and (CMD) in November reported, “All four ended up in Gover- the elderly, and students; and attacking 2013 unearthed an internal list of SPN’s nor Rick Snyder’s ‘financial martial law,’ workers’ rights.17 major funders for 2010. It included Do- as one GOP lawmaker described it.”15 Several SPN members have shepherd- nors Capital Fund and , as A writer for Forbes called it “one of the ed bills through the process of becoming well as such major corporations as BMO most sweeping, anti-democratic pieces official ALEC “model” bills. For- exam Harris Bank, , , and of legislation in the country,” investing ple, Arizona’s Goldwater Institute and the tobacco companies Altria (formerly Snyder with the power “not only to break the Mackinac Center were responsible Phillip Morris) and Reynolds Ameri- up unions, but to dissolve entire local gov- for ALEC’s adoption of five model bills can.11 ernments and place appointed ‘Emergen- targeting public-sector unions.18 SPN spends about $5 million annu- cy Managers’ in their stead [emphasis in According to an investigation by the ally to support existing groups and original].”16 The legislation became law Institute for Southern Studies, the Civi- help start-ups develop the management in March 2011. tas Institute and the John Locke Foun- and leadership skills of their staff and Some SPN institutions are small but dation—SPN member organizations in board, recruit and mentor staff, teach exert disproportionate influence by North Carolina—published more than strategic marketing and branding, and keeping a high media profile. Other in- 50 articles, op-eds, and blog posts fo- network with other menting unfounded think tanks to le- fears of voter fraud. verage knowledge These helped cata- and resources. SPN member organizations in North Carolina lyze passage of a Thomas Roe, SPN’s strict photo ID law, late founding chair- published more than 50 articles, op-eds, and an end to same-day man, wanted it that blog posts fomenting unfounded fears of voter registration, and a way. “We still do it shorter early voting today,” said Law- fraud. These helped catalyze passage of a strict period in 2013.19 rence Reed, presi- photo ID law, an end to same-day registration, The legislation will dent emeritus of and a shorter early voting period in 2013. The likely suppress turn- the Michigan-based out among Afri- Mackinac Center legislation will likely suppress turnout among can Americans and for Public Policy. African Americans and young people. young people. The “It keeps us knowl- U.S. Department edgeable about of Justice has filed what everyone else a lawsuit to block is doing, it keeps us enforcement of key talking, and it stops us from reinventing stitutions, like the Texas Public Policy provisions of the law.20 the wheel over and over again.”12 Foundation (TPPF) and the Mackinac U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in many SPN member organizations have used Center, have multimillion dollar bud- ways personifies how SPN provides- in this strategic capacity in the fight for a gets and large staffs, and they play an frastructure, develops personnel, and range of major initiatives, notably anti- outsized role in state politics by partner- hatches ideas for the conservative move- labor legislation.13 According to a 2011 ing with other institutions, such as the ment. Prior to his election to the Sen- report in Mother Jones, SPN’s affiliates American Legislative Exchange Council ate in 2012, he served as a senior fellow have led the charge at the state level in (ALEC). with TPPF’s new Center for 10th Amend- the Republican Party’s “war on organized Since 1975, ALEC has developed ment Studies. In 2010, he co-authored labor. They’re pushing bills to curb, model, business-oriented legislation in a report that became the basis of ALEC’s if not eliminate, collective bargaining cooperation with a national network of model legislation to block implementa- for public workers; make it harder for state legislators. It began a more formal tion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).21 unions to collect member dues; and, in and coordinated relationship with SPN The SPN’s recent mixing of Tea Party some states, allow workers to opt out of and member organizations beginning in activism (largely funded by the Koch joining unions entirely but still enjoy the mid-2000s. A study by the Center for brothers) with more buttoned-down union-won benefits. All told, it’s one of Media and Democracy found that two business conservatism is not without its the largest assaults on American unions dozen SPN groups, including the SPN challenges. An SPN “ToolKit” featured in recent history.”14 itself, are organizational members of on its web site in 2013, for example, In Michigan, for example, the Macki- ALEC and serve on one or more of its leg- urged members to avoid language that nac Center made four policy recommen- islative task forces. CMD identified sev- smacks of “extreme views,” advising, dations to give unelected “Emergency eral areas of ALEC’s policy foci in which “Stay away from words like radical, Managers” more power to terminate SPN members play a role: privatizing nullify, or autonomy,” and especially union contracts and fire municipal public education and public pension sys- “states’ rights.”22

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 11 STATE POLICY NETWORKS

ORIGINS OF A FAUX NEWS NETWORK that it “already provides 10 percent of ers feature established conservative The State Policy Network has now been all daily reporting from state capitals journalists. In Oklahoma, the former developing and deepening its capacity— nationwide.”25 The basis for the claim is editorial page editor of the Oklahoman not only to do research and policy work, unclear, but whatever its truth, it does newspaper, Patrick B. McGuigan, serves but also to absorb and integrate new speak to the Center’s ambitions. as the local bureau chief, and he has a projects—for more than two decades. The Sam Adams Alliance also sepa- weekly segment on Capitol Report, the At the same time, it has faced new chal- rately created three websites modeled CBS affiliate in Oklahoma 28City. And lenges and taken advantage of new op- on Wikipedia: Judgepedia, Ballotpedia, stories in the Pennsylvania Independent, portunities in an era of digital activism and Sunshine Review. They offer right- a Franklin Center online publication and new media. wing analysis of (respectively) the judi- supported by the Commonwealth Foun- SPN’s adaptability in the new era is il- ciary, election issues, and governmental dation, have been picked up by main- lustrated by its development of a news performance. These projects have since stream outlets, including the Philadel- network. Three dozen SPN affiliates now been folded into the Lucy Burns Insti- phia Inquirer. field their own “investigative reporters” tute, an SPN member based in Madison, To date, though, the network has on behalf of a recently created member, WI. Like many SPN organizations, it has shown little capacity to stand on its own the Franklin Center for Government and extensive ties to the Tea Party and fund- and depends almost entirely on fund- Public Integrity, which describes its mis- ing from the Koch brothers.26 ing through Donors Trust. As of August sion as “exposing government waste, The Franklin Center and the Lucy 2013, the Pennsylvania Independent had fraud and abuse.”23 It seeks to fill a void Burns Institute are part of a surge of re- only one ad—for the Commonwealth created by the loss of a third of the na- cent development in SPN’s infrastruc- Foundation’s own campaign to privatize tion’s journalism jobs since 1992. The ture that has expanded its capacity to state-owned liquor stores.29 Center was created by the now-defunct influence both media and public policy, Sam Adams Alliance, which began as a as well as the range of ways by which it BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Tea Party organization and was folded carries out its mission. Donors Trust has While the State Policy Network has most- into SPN. funneled cash to both the Franklin Cen- ly limited itself to the role of influencing SPN’s state news websites collectively ter and to many SPN affiliates for their public policy through the traditional produce Watchdog Wire, which publish- “news” operations. Its $6.3 million do- work of think tanks—research, media es work by “citizen journalists.” As the nation to the Franklin Center constitut- work, and lobbying—the Family Policy website describes the project, “by cov- ed 95 percent of the Center’s revenue in Councils are more explicitly involved in 27 ering stories in your local community 2011. mobilizing the Right’s grassroots base to that are otherwise ignored by the es- This network has had some success. become active in electoral politics. tablishment media, you can make a dif- While some affiliates do little more than There are 36 state FPCs, which typi- 24 ference!” The Franklin Center claims blog off of stories, oth- cally have the word “family” in their

DOONESBURY © 2013 G.B. Trudeau. Used by permission of Universal Uclick. All rights reserved.

12 • The Public Eye FALL 2013 names, such as the Fam- drive against the ballot initiative, col- groups that can legally carry out vari- ily Institute, Louisiana Family Forum, laborating closely with the National Or- ous political, lobbying, and electoral 34 and the Family Foundation of Virginia. ganization for Marriage. Such collabo- functions is an important development Others are less obvious, bearing such rations have been a hallmark of the FPCs in the history of these groups at all lev- names as the Center for Arizona Policy from the earliest days. els. For example, the Family Institute of and the Christian Civic League of Maine, An important trend in recent years, but they are all outgrowths of the origi- indicating the sig- nal Reagan-era plan to take the Christian nificance of the Right’s agenda to the states. role of the FPCs in The network of Family Policy Councils has A change in the federal tax law in 2004 the wider Chris- required 503(c)(3) tax exempt organiza- tian Right, has played an important role in the political tions to be less political than they had been the gradual development and subsequent raw political been, necessitating separately incorpo- adoption of the power of the Christian Right. Many of the rated political action arms. As a result, integrated, three- FOF formed Focus on the Family Action, part agenda of the older FPCs have been active for more than which later changed its name to Citizen- Manhattan Dec- two decades, crafting an activist religious- Link for the sake of clarity.30 laration. This is While the Family Research Council and evident in many political culture, affecting electoral its feisty spokesmen, Tony Perkins and ways, includ- outcomes, and ultimately developing the Jerry Boykin, disproportionately make ing the way that headlines, CitizenLink quietly cultivates “guest posts” from clout to influence legislation and policy the grassroots. Spending about $13 mil- FPC leaders are outcomes on such matters as abortion and lion annually (as of 2012), CitizenLink introduced on the coordinates the work of the FPCs, ensur- national website. LGBTQ rights. ing accreditation and compliance and For example: “Cit- providing services to increase the capac- izenLink is proud ity of the institutions to carry out their to work with The Family Foundation of Connecticut (FIC), which has focused on 31 mission. It also does candidate train- Virginia and other family policy organi- anti-marriage equality, antichoice, and ings and works primarily for Republi- zations across the country to stand for pro-school issues in recent 35 cans in national elections. CitizenLink marriage, life and religious freedom.” years, has divided into three closely re- reportedly spent $2.6 million on inde- “These councils are independent en- lated but legally distinct entities: FIC pendent expenditures in 2012, mostly tities,” according to CitizenLink, “with itself; FIC Action, a 501(c)(4) lobbying on behalf of GOP presidential candidate no corporate or financial relationship to group; and the Family Institute of Con- 32 36 .” each other or to Focus on the Family.” necticut Action Committee, a political The network has played an impor- But if FOF and CitizenLink are legally action committee (PAC) that focuses tant role in the political development separate entities with different tax -sta on candidates for state-government of- and subsequent raw political power of tuses, they are best viewed as two parts fices.38 the Christian Right. Many of the older of the same organization. They share the Efforts to draw bright lines for legal FPCs have been active for more than two same offices, board of directors, top -ex purposes notwithstanding, the lines 37 decades, crafting an activist religious- ecutives, and president, James Daly. still sometimes blur. “Needless, to political culture, affecting electoral out- There is a method to the disclaimers, say,” wrote Jim Daly in a joint Focus on comes, and ultimately developing the though, because stretching the rules re- the Family/CitizenLink annual report, clout to influence legislation and policy garding federal tax-exempt status of the “2012 was extremely busy for our Citi- outcomes on such matters as abortion member agencies has been an issue over zenLink staff as they were actively- in and LGBTQ rights. the years. Many of these groups engaged volved in multiple state legislative and Indeed, FPCs have often been lead- in lobbying and electoral activities— election efforts. More than 2 million ing actors in the state-level battles over such as the dissemination of biased emails were sent to CitizenLink constitu- marriage equality. The Christian Civic voter guides—beyond what the privilege ents regarding important issues. In ad- League of Maine played a central role of federal tax exemption allows. Quietly dition, CitizenLink produced mailers for in the seesaw battle over same-sex mar- coming into compliance with the law, the November election that went to more riage, which was endorsed by the leg- and becoming more sophisticated re- than 8 million homes in 16 swing states. islature and repealed by the voters in garding how best to use the several rel- And that was just the beginning!”39 2009, then restored by a second refer- evant legal categories available for poli- endum in 2012. The League’s executive tics and public policy, has been a trend director and one of its board members33 for both state networks, following the TWO PATHS CONVERGE launched a new political action commit- lead of the Heritage Foundation and the Member organizations across both net- tee, Protect Marriage Maine, to carry out Family Research Council. works share some common issues, such the political organizing and advertising The creation of separate-but-related as school privatization and the idea that

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 13 STATE POLICY NETWORKS

public education should be controlled of research and policy experts and orga- Research Council. Brian Brown directed locally, though there are often differ- nizational executives who would create the Connecticut Family Institute before ences of emphasis. The -based synergies for the movement and shape leading the National Organization for Pioneer Institute primarily promotes the priorities of the Republican Party. Marriage. corporate-style charters and makes And in fact, SPN affiliates sometimes All of this is important because the little mention of homeschooling, for serve as governments-in-waiting for Re- cumulative experience of these two net- example, while the Massachusetts Fam- publican administrations in the states, works—in fostering leaders, working in much the way with government officials, creating col- that Republican laborations, and becoming part of the administrations furniture of public life in state capitals In Louisiana, both networks have mobilized in Washington, around the country—is transforming D.C., often draw American politics from the state level to promote and defend Republican Gov. staff from such na- up. The networks’ growing ability to Bobby Jindal’s controversial voucher tional think tanks craft and influence public policy, work- program, which extended vouchers even to as the Heritage ing in tandem with the American Leg- Foundation and islative Exchange Council, corporate marginal religious schools, some of which the American En- interests, and Republican state legisla- use crackpot textbooks to teach science. terprise Institute. tors, has justified the persistence and In Massachusetts, long-range ambitions of conservative One claims that the Loch Ness Monster is Gov. William strategists three decades ago, when the both real and a proof against evolution. Weld “hired al- movement was just beginning its long most everybody” march to state power. out of the Pioneer Frederick Clarkson, a senior fellow at Po- Institute following litical Research Associates, is co-founder ily Institute (MFI) is primarily inter- his election in 1994. Succeeding gov- of the group blog Talk To Action (www. ested in homeschooling. “The public ernors Paul Cellucci and Jane Swift also talk2action.org) and the author of Eternal schools here have become a primary appointed Pioneer staff or board - mem Hostility: The Struggle Between Theoc- battleground in the ,” MFI bers to crucial positions that enabled racy and Democracy (Common Courage declares, “with homosexual activists us- them to implement their ideas, notably Press, 1997). ing them to indoctrinate students with in shaping the state’s charter school poli- their agenda.” Consequently, “MFI sup- cies. Cellucci, for example, appointed ports the restoration of decision-making Pioneer executive director James Peyser authority over school policy and finance as chairman of the state board of educa- to parents, locally elected school com- tion.43 Eyes on the Right! mittees and taxpayers.”40 In Louisiana, SPN think tanks have also provided both networks have mobilized to pro- leadership opportunities for policy pro- PRA’s Eyes Right Blog features new mote and defend Republican Gov. Bobby fessionals and politicians. Veterans of content every day, keeping you up to date Jindal’s controversial voucher program, the board of directors of Pennsylvania’s with the latest attempts by the Right to which extended vouchers even to mar- Commonwealth Foundation include for- ginal religious schools, some of which mer Lt. Governor William W. Scranton undermine social justice and progressive use crackpot textbooks to teach science. III and current U.S. Senator Patrick J. change. Log on for full backgrounds and One claims that the Loch Ness Monster is Toomey (R-PA). Three members of Con- profiles of major players on the Right, both real and a proof against evolution.41 gress—Sen. (R-AZ) and- for issue briefs of struggles for social justice The Pioneer Institute has promoted New mer U.S. Reps. (R-IN) and across the country, and expert analysis of Orleans—where 80 percent of the public (R-CO)—ran SPN member today’s trends. schools after Hurricane Katrina became groups before coming to Congress. charters—as a model for Boston.42 Likewise, the FPCs serve as talent- Cross-network collaborations are fa- development agencies. Ron Crews, who We’re making sure the Right is kept on its cilitated by having seasoned leaders who led the Massachusetts Family Institute guard, and that you’re staying informed! share a common vision and are able to from 2000 to 2004, rode the notoriety he mobilize the resources to carry it out. In gained in the wake of the historic 2003 Keep up with the Eyes Right Blog at creating the State Policy Network and the Goodridge v. Department of Public Health www.politicalresearch.org/blog . Family Policy Councils, the conservative decision (in which the Massachusetts movement’s strategists sought to create Supreme Judicial Court legalized same- To support PRA’s work for social justice, a deep infrastructure that would be build sex marriage) to an unsuccessful run for make a donation online at capacity over time, both in terms of pol- Congress in 2004. Tony Perkins was the www.politicalresearch.org/donate. icy development and electoral strength. executive director of the Louisiana Fam- They were also developing a talent bank ily Forum before coming to the Family

14 • The Public Eye FALL 2013 perspectives

BY THEO ANDERSON

North Carolina, the Fiery Cross, and the Unhealed Wounds: An Interview with David Cunningham

David Cunningham became interested in the Ku Klux Klan while conducting research for his dissertation at the University of North Carolina. He originally focused on how the FBI monitored the Civil Rights Movement, but his research led to a surprising discovery: North Carolina, which has a reputation as the most progressive Southern state, had the highest percentage of Klan members in the 1960s. “What came out in the FBI’s memos was all of this granular history of Klan activity during the period,” he said. “What surprised me most was that they were focusing mostly on North Carolina, because its membership just dwarfed the rest of the region.” That research led to his first book:There’s Something Happening Here: The New Left, the Klan, and FBI Counterintelligence (University of California, 2004). Cunningham is professor and chair of sociology at Brandeis University. He also chairs the social justice and social policy program at Brandeis, and he has worked with the Mississippi Truth Project and Greensboro (NC) Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The following interview focuses on Cunningham’s second book, Klansville, U.S.A.: The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights-Era Ku Klux Klan (Oxford, 2012), which analyzes the Klan’s rapid expansion—and subsequent implosion—in North Carolina in the 1960s.

You argue that in North Carolina, the Klan provided an outlet sippi or Alabama, in terms of violence. So it wasn’t a big deal. that was unavailable through the more mainstream institu- There wasn’t really much going on.” Police officials would tell tions. me this. But a lot of local people would tell me this, too. North Carolina’s leaders, from the governor on down, were re- Alongside that, I would be looking through records of peo- ally clear. They said two things. One, they did not support the ple who filed police reports after their house got shot into, or Civil Rights Act of 1964. But the second thing was that they a brick got thrown through their window. It would have a note would abide by it anyway, because they would follow the law. on it saying they better stop doing whatever it was that the When you combine that with an environment where there is Klan thought was inappropriate, in terms of the racial status a significant amount of competition in the labor force, there quo. So I was trying to wrestle with this idea of people continu- was racial anxiety around what the Civil Rights Act would do. ing to tell me, “Well, it wasn’t really any big deal; not much So, you have a fairly large white constituency that is concerned was happening”—because nobody was murdered. But there about this. And unlike that same constituency in a place like was a huge infrastructure for the Klan going out several nights Mississippi or Alabama, they can’t count on their mainstream a week, in hundreds of small chapters, and intimidating peo- political leadership to take the lead in resisting civil rights. So ple. And I would hear from people periodically who were the the Klan has a bigger niche that they can fill. They really be- victims of this, and people would move away from the state be- come the primary outlet for White folks who feel aggrieved by cause of this, or refuse to go back to particular places in their changes brought about by the Civil Rights Movement. community. There are all sorts of things that, 40 or 50 years later, people The poem that concludes the prologue, “Incident,” describes a still felt powerfully affected them. I was in Mississippi with the cross burning and ends with these lines: “Nothing really hap- Mississippi Truth Project, which was designed to have people pened/By morning all the flames have dimmed/We tell the sto- tell their stories in a way that could ultimately lead to a truth ry every year.” You conclude the prologue with that poem, and and reconciliation process statewide. Natasha Trethewey was come back to it in the epilogue. What did that mean to you? an invited guest at that statewide convening program, and One thing I heard frequently in researching the book was peo- there was an official declaration of this project. She - iscur ple wanting to explain away the prevalence of the Klan in North rently the U.S. poet laureate. And she read that poem as part Carolina. They would say, “Well, yeah, they were large, but of the meeting. And for me, it just connected everything. The they really didn’t do the sorts of things that they did in Missis- cross that was lit in their lawn went out; the people were gone;

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 15 ROGER ROSS WILLIAMS

no one had been physically struck. But it has this resonance see a very rapid decline in Klan membership. It may well be in people’s memories, in family memories. It crosses genera- that the Civil Rights Act would have eroded the Klan’s support tions. base over time. But the actual trajectory really maps onto what the police were doing. People who are not scholars of the Klan think of it as sort of emerging in waves. There is the original Klan of the Recon- You argue that the North Carolina Klan of this era pioneered the struction era, then a strong resurgence in the 1920s, and then Republican Party’s so-called Southern strategy of appealing to the Civil Rights-era Klan. So, it’s seen as periodically exploding “.” It navigated—these are my words—between in popularity and then declining. But you say that, if you draw explicit racism and middle-class values, and tried to broaden back, you can see it much more as a continuous movement with its appeal by playing to both. Is that accurate? similar leaders across time and ideology. One thing we know is that communities where the Klan was I always try to emphasize those continuities. The place where active in the ’60s were more likely to have a more pronounced you did see a clean break is from the original Klan, which shift from Democratic to Republican voting. That’s true today. emerges immediately following the Civil War and is largely ex- If you want to predict rates of Republican voting, accounting for all the things that political scien- tists would focus on, the presence of the Klan in the ’60s still matters. The Klan was one of the first groups to say, in a very forceful The way that happened was that way, that party allegiance should be subordinated to the Klan was one of the first groups to say, in a very forceful way, that candidates’ willingness to take principled stands for issues. party allegiance should be subor- dinated to candidates’ willingness to take principled stands for issues. And that became really important, tinguished legislatively, through federal action, by the early because the South for decades had been solidly Democratic. 1870s. From then until about 1915, the Klan in any kind of And culturally, it was difficult for people to break away from recognizable form does not exist, though there is a whole the Democrats. The Klan’s move to saying, “You need to look at range of other vigilante groups that serve a kind of Klan-like these candidates and find the people who will take principled function under other guises. stands for what you believe in”—that loosened people’s affilia- But the Klan is “reborn” with the emergence and release tion with the Democratic Party. It made it easier for people to of the film Birth of a Nation (1915), which really provides the shift their allegiance. The Klan really helped to loosen those impetus in Atlanta for William Simmons to, in a very public allegiances and make it possible for Republican messages to way, try to bring the Klan back into being. So the Klan is this really resonate. They would always talk about the importance heroic figure in the film, and Simmons takes that as an entre- of getting “real” White men into office, regardless of party pol- preneurial opportunity. And the Klan within a few years of itics. They were the first group that I ever found that would say that becomes enormous, bigger than it had ever been before that, regardless of party, this is the kind of person you want to or since. It had membership in the millions; it was a national have in office. movement. Another legacy described in the book is the high levels of vio- When you write about the demise of the Civil Rights-era Klan, lence that continue into the present day in communities that you say that it was in large part due to more rigorous enforce- were Klan strongholds—once you tear the social fabric the way ment of existing laws by the police. the Klan did, that damage isn’t easily repaired. The story that tends to be told is that the Klan becomes an When you have organized vigilantism, organized lawlessness, anachronism and dissolves—that it’s an anachronistic joke where people are organizing around the idea that their elected by the end of the 1960s. What I found was a very pronounced leadership is not legitimate, it creates a political and social shift in late 1965. When the Klan was growing, North Carolina culture that delegitimizes authority, that breaks the bonds would monitor rallies—they would have state police officials that criminologists see as providing social controls against monitor rallies. But they would never do anything to hinder crime. That’s really difficult to repair, and in a lot of communi- their ability to organize. But what happens by early 1966 is ties it goes hand in hand with a resistance to seriously dealing that there’s a set of federal hearings investigating the Klan. Be- with a lot of the struggles during the Civil Rights era. And the yond all the communist groups they’re harassing, they inves- ways that affected communities haven’t been repaired. So, at tigate the KKK. And the big news story that comes out, by the least up through 2000, if you look at homicide rates, the pres- start of 1966, is that North Carolina is “Klansville U.S.A.” It ence of the Klan 30 or 40 years prior is a significant and serious has the highest Klan membership. That was something North predictor of how prevalent deadly crime is in that particular Carolina officials knew but had never been overly concerned community. about. And once that was on the front page of national news- papers, the governor immediately forms and anti-Klan cam- Read the extended, uncut version of this interview with David Cun- paign. And so policing entirely changes. And it works—you ningham on PRA’s website, www.politicalresearch.org.

16 • The Public Eye SUMMER 2013 endnotes

Nullification, p.2 ernor Scores One for Modernity,” U.S. marriage, life by protecting subsidiar- 42. Ron Paul, Letter to National Tax- News & World Report, Mar. 28, 2013, ity,” LifeSiteNews, Jan. 19, 2012, www. payers Legal Fund, Dec. 3, 1984, http:// 1. Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/rob- .com/news/lifesitenews- www.lib.ku.edu/paul/RonPaulCitizens- Dream,” Aug. 28, 1963, www.archives. ert-schlesinger/2013/03/28/montana- interviews-ron-paul-protect-family-mar- foraSoundEconomy.pdf. gov/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf. governor-vetoes-gun-control-nullifica- riage-life-by-protecting. 43. , “What Rand Paul 2. These issues are the Affordable Care tion-bill. 27. Paul has taken credit for initiating Aide Jack Hunter and His Resignation Act, food regulation, government-issued 13. The Paleoconservatives: New Voices of the Tea Party and was labeled “father of Say About His Boss,” Daily Beast, July identification cards, gun control, - mari the Old Right, ed. Joseph Scotchie (New the Tea Party” in a book by that title in 23, 2013, www.thedailybeast.com/ar- juana laws, the , the use of Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 2011. The author, Jason Rink, was also ticles/2013/07/23/what-rand-paul-aide- the National Guard, the National Defense 1999), 1. the producer and director of the movie jack-hunter-and-his-resignation-say- Authorization Act, the Transportation 14. Lew Rockwell, “Paleos, Neos, and Nullification: The Rightful Remedy. about-his-boss.html. Security Administration, and “war on ter- Libertarians,” New American, Feb. 26, 28. Tim Manning Jr., “An Open Letter 44. Hunter is the co-author, with Rand ror” concerns such as privacy violations 1990, 5. to Neo-Confederates On Behalf of Ron Paul, of The Tea Party Goes to Washington, and the use of drones by the U.S. govern- 15. “’Political Correctness:’ A Short His- Paul,” Southern Heritage News and Views, and he wrote the “Paulitical Ticker” blog ment. See the Tenth Amendment Center’s tory of an Ideology,” ed. William Lind, Dec.19, 2007, http://shnv.blogspot. for Ron Paul’s 2012 campaign. He intro- “Action Center Home,” http://tracking. (Free Congress Foundation, 2004), www. com/2007/12/open-letter-to-neo-con- duced Thomas Woods when he spoke tenthamendmentcenter.com; and the Na- lust-for-life.org/Lust-For-Life/Political- federates-on_19.html. about nullification at CPAC in 2011, at tional Conference on State Legislatures, CorrectnessAShortHistory/PoliticalCor- 29. Judd Legum, “FACT CHECK: Ron Paul a session sponsored by Ron Paul’s Cam- “State Legislation and Actions Challeng- rectnessAShortHistory.pdf. Lind is on the Personally Defended Racist Newsletters,” paign for Liberty. Tom Woods, “Tom ing Certain Health Reforms,” www.ncsl. board of American Ideas Institute DBA, Dec. 27, 2011, http://thinkprogress.org/ Woods on Rollback, CPAC 2011,” You- org/research/health/state-laws-and-ac- The American Conservative. politics/2011/12/27/395391/fact-check- Tube, Feb. 11, 2011, http://www.you- tions-challenging-ppaca.aspx. tube.com/watch?v=JcAX0oX9ANU. 16. William F. Buckley Jr., Goldwater, ron-paul-personally-defended-racist- 3. Samuel Hutchinson Beer, To Make a the John Birch Society, and Me,” Commen- newsletters. 45. Thomas E. Woods, Jr., “Christen- Nation: The Rediscovery of American Feder- tary, Mar. 1, 2008, www.commentary- 30. Ron Paul, “The Moral Promise of dom’s Last Stand,” Southern Partisan alism (Belknap Press of Harvard Univer- magazine.com/article/goldwater-the- Political Independence,” YouTube, Magazine, 1997, reprinted in Studies in sity Press, 1998), 313. john-birch-society-and-me; and Murray Mar. 26, 2011, www..com/ Reformed Theology, 1998, http://web.ar- 4. Claude Sitton, “Alabama Admits N. Rothbard, “A Strategy for the Right,” watch?v=NHKmr69JbhE. chive.org/web/19991023114339/http:// Negro Students; Wallace Bows to Fed- reformed-theology.org/html/issue04/ LewRockwell.com, Jan. 1992, http://ar- 31. Joe Wolverton II, “Ron Paul: Free eral Force; Kennedy Sees ‘Moral Crisis’ christendom.htm. chive.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/ir/Ch1. People Have the Right to Secede,” New in U.S.,” New York Times, Jun. 12, 1963, html. American, Nov. 21, 2012, www.the- 46. David Neiwert, “Missouri Gun-Law http://partners.nytimes.com/library/na- 17. John Judis, “The Conservative Crack newamerican.com/usnews/constitution/ ‘Nullification’ Bill Had Roots in ’90s- ‘Pa tional/race/061263race-ra.html. Up,” American Prospect, Dec. 4, 2000, item/13712-ron-paul-free-people-have- triot’ Movement,” Southern Poverty Law 5. Rachel Weiner, “Fight brewing in http://prospect.org/article/conservative- the-right-to-secede. Center, Sept. 18, 2013, www.splcenter. Kansas over gun-control nullification org/blog/2013/09/18/missouri-gun-law- crackup. 32. “Ron Paul: Secession Is an American laws,” Washington Post, May 3, 2013, nullification-bill-had-roots-in-90s-patri- 18. The Mises Institute is the hub of the Principle,” RonPaul.com, Nov. 13, 2012 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ ot-movement. “Austrian School” of economics. (reposted from 2009), www.ronpaul. post-politics/wp/2013/05/03/fight- com/2012-11-13/ron-paul-secession-is- 47. Woods is author of Secessionist brewing-in-kansas-over-gun-control-nul- 19. Murray N. Rothbard and Llewellyn an-american-principle. No. 10, titled “Secede!” http://archive. lification-laws. H. Rockwell Jr., “For President: Pat Bu- lewrockwell.com/orig/woods3.html. chanan,” Rothbard-Rockwell Report, Jan. 33. Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr., “Why Do 6. Lois Beckett, “Nullification: How He has been featured at numerous neo- 1992, 1. the Neocons Hate LRC?” LewRockwell. States Are Making It a Felony to Enforce Confederate events hosted by League of com, Dec. 27, 2012, www.lewrockwell. Federal Gun Laws,” ProPublica, May 20. John Payne, “Rothbard’s Time on the South and the Southern Historical com/2012/12/lew-rockwell/why-do-the- 2, 2013, www..org/article/ the Left,” Journal of Libertarian Studies Conference, the latter hosted by the Texas neocons-hate-lrc. nullification-how-states-are-making-it-a- (Winter 2005), 7-24, http://mises.org/ League of the South members in conjunc- felony-to-enforce-federal-gun-laws. journals/jls/19_1/19_1_2.pdf and http:// 34. Michael Boldin, “Body Control: tion with the Bonnie Blue Ball. Woods mises.org/daily/2762. The War on Drugs is War on You,” 7. Leslie Bentz and George Howell, and Ron Paul spoke at the premiere event CounterPunch, Apr. 3-5, 2009, www. “Missouri lawmakers fail to override 21. Lew Rockwell, “Paleos, Neos, and in 2003. counterpunch.org/2009/04/03/the- governor’s gun bill veto,” CNN, Sept. Libertarians,” New American, Feb. 26, 48. These include The Church and the war-on-drugs-is-a-war-on-you. Also 12, 2013, www.cnn.com/2013/09/11/ 1990, 7. Market (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, see Stephanie Mencimer, “If at First us/missouri-gun-laws-challenge, and 2005), which won the 2006 Templeton 22. David Gordon, ed., Secession, State, You Don’t Secede,” Mother Jones, July/ David Neiwert, “Missouri Gun-Law ‘Nul- Enterprise Award. and Liberty (New Brunswick, NJ: Transac- Aug. 2010, www.motherjones.com/ lification’ Bill Had Roots in ’90s ‘Patriot’ tion Publishers, 1998). Contributors also politics/2010/07/michael-boldin-tenth- 49. William Cherry, “Nullification Rally Movement,” Southern Poverty Law Center, included Donald Livingston, Clyde Wil- amendment. Sets Stage for Opposition to Obamacare,” Sept. 18, 2013, http://www.splcenter. son, Hans-Hermanne Hoppe, and Thom- New American, Sept. 8, 2010, www. org/blog/2013/09/18/missouri-gun-law- as DiLorenzo, https://mises.org/store/ 35. “Welcome to the Tenther Action thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/ nullification-bill-had-roots-in-90s-patri- Secession-State-and-Liberty-P88.aspx. Center!” Tenth Amendment Center, http:// item/3314-nullification-rally-sets-stage- tracking.tenthamendmentcenter.com. ot-movement. 23. , quoted in a re- for-opposition-to-obamacare. 8. Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney print of a 1987 article by , 36. State affiliates can be accessed by 50. “Book Discussion on Nullification,” Kube, “Defense Secretary Hagel calls “Toward a New ?” American (name of state).tenthamendmentcenter. North Dakota Policy Council, Sept. out 9 states for refusing to issue military Conservative, Oct. 17, 2012, www.theam- com. For example, http://texas.tenth- 11, 2010, www.c-spanvideo.org/pro- IDs to same-sex spouses,” NBC News, ericanconservative.com/repository/ amendmentcenter.com. gram/295582-1. Oct. 31, 2013, http://usnews.nbcnews. toward-a-new-fusionism. 37. Bill Hahn, “The John Birch Society 51. Scott Logan, “Nullification sails com/_news/2013/10/31/21268214- 24. In 1976 Paul founded the nonprofit Announces Sponsorship of Tenth Amend- through House committee,” KBOI TV, Jan. defense-secretary-hagel-calls- Foundation for Rational Economics and ment Center’s Nullify Now! Tour,” John 26, 2011, http://www.kboi2.com/news/ out-9-states-for-refusing-to-issue-mili- Education, which publishes “Ron Paul’s Birch Society, Sept. 1, 2010, www.jbs. local/114683304.html; Ian Millhiser, tary-ids-to-same-sex-spouses. Freedom Report.” A recently established org/press-room/the-john-birch-society- “Idaho Lawmakers Cite Founder Of Neo- 9. South Carolina General Assembly, project of that foundation is the Ron Paul announces-sponsorship-of-tenth-amend- Confederate Hate Group To Justify Plan “South Carolina Freedom of Health Care Institute for Peace and Prosperity. Two ment-center-s-nullify-now-tour. To Nullify Health Reform,” ThinkProgress, Protection Act,” Dec. 11, 2012, http:// nonprofits—Campaign for Liberty and 38. and Thomas Flem- Jan. 21, 2011, http://thinkprogress. scstatehouse.gov/sess120_2013-2014/ Young Americans for Liberty—emerged ing, “The New Dixie Manifesto: States’ org/politics/2011/01/21/140123/tom- prever/3101_20121211.htm. from Paul’s 2008 presidential campaign. Rights Will Rise Again,” League of the woods-idaho. 10. Jeff Stewart, “Easton, KS Passes- Or 25. Ranking based on common space South, Oct. 29, 1995, http://dixienet.org/ 52. See for example the pamphlet South- dinance to Nullify Federal Gun Control,” scores explained in Keith T. Poole, “Re- rights/2013/new_dixie_manifesto.php. ern Slavery: As it Was (Canon Press, 1996) Tenth Amendment Center, Oct. 2, 2013, covering a Basic Space From a Set of Is- 39. Matthew Ericson, Haeyoun Park, Ali- by Christian Reconstructionists Steven http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter. sue Scales,” American Journal of Political cia Parlapiano and Derek Willis, “Who’s Wilkins and Douglas Wilson. Wilkins is com/2013/10/easton-ks-passes-ordi- Science (July 1998), 954-993. The 2004 Financing the ‘Super PACs,’” New York also a former board member of League of nance-to-nullify-federal-gun-control. ranking showed Ron Paul as the most con- Times, May 7, 2012, www.nytimes.com/ the South and the founder of the South- 11. “Growing List Of Sheriffs, Asso- servative of the 3,320 legislators tracked interactive/2012/01/31/us/politics/su- ern Heritage Society. ciations and Police Chiefs Saying ‘No’ since 1937. “Is A Liberal?” per-pac-donors.html?_r=0. 53. Many major leaders are Catholic, to Obama Gun Control,” Constitutional Voteview.com, Oct. 13, 2004, http:// 40. “History of YAL,” Young Americans including Thomas Woods, Lew Rock- Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, voteview.com/is_john_kerry_a_liberal. for Liberty, www.yaliberty.org/about/ well, Thomas DiLorenzo, and League Jul. 31, 2013, http://cspoa.org/sheriffs- htm. history. of the South co-founder Thomas Flem- gun-rights. 26. Kathleen Gilbert, “LifeSiteNews 41. “Mission,” Young Americans for Lib- ing. See Frank Cocozzelli, “Thomas E. 12. Robert Schlesinger, “Montana’s Gov- interviews Ron Paul: protect family, erty, www.yaliberty.org/about/mission. Woods, Jr. and the Neo-Confederate

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 17 Catholic Right,” Talk to Action, May the Southern Historical Conference spon- Government,” New York Times, Nov. 17, incoherent. 1, 2013, www.talk2action.org/sto- sored a fundraising ball for Ron Paul. 2006, www.nytimes.com/2006/11/17/ 89. Jason Kuznicki writes in “Rand Paul, ry/2013/5/1/163858/0598; and Freder- 68. “James Jaeger on His Documentaries, us/politics/17thinktank.html?ex=1321 the Confederacy and Liberty” that “any- ick Clarkson, “A Talk to Action Anthology the Danger of Hollywood Blockbusters and 419600&en=3b6af3fbfa4ff01e&ei=5090 one who cares about human liberty—to on Nullification and Secession,” Talk to the Reality of Snowden,” The Daily Bell, &partner=rssuserland&emc=rss. Macki- whatever degree—ought to despise the Action, Sept. 12, 2013, www.talk2action. July 7, 2013, www.thedailybell.com/ex- nac’s biannual Leadership Conference has Confederacy”: www.libertarianism.org/ org/story/2013/7/9/03849/39753. clusive-interviews/29359/Anthony-Wile- trained nearly 500 think-tank executives media/libertarian-view/libertarians-con- 54. Edward H. Sebesta and Euan Hague, James-Jaeger-on-His-Documentaries- from 42 nations and nearly every U.S. federacy. state: www.mackinac.org/8154. “The US Civil War as a Theological War: the-Danger-of-Hollywood-Blockbusters- 90. “Our Proclamation,” Alliance for the Confederate and and-the-Reality-of-Snowden/#sthash. 79. FEE is the senior organization of Separation of School and State, May 27, the League of the South,” Canadian Re- gLdaoDLg.dpuf and http://www.abc27. this group, founded in 1946 with fund- 2009, www.schoolandstate.org/procla- view of American History (2002), www. com/story/23756454/world-premiere-of- ing from J. Howard Pew and others, to mation.htm. theocracywatch.org/civil_war_canadian_ political-film-molon-labe-how-the-sec- roll back the reforms of Franklin D. Roos- review.htm. See also Euan Hague, Heidi ond-amendment-guarantees-americas- evelt’s New Deal. FEE became a vehicle for 91. Gary North, Political Polytheism: Beirich, and Edward H. Sebesta, eds., freedom. the sacralization of unfettered free market The Myth of Pluralism (Tyler, TX: Insti- tute for Christian Economics, 1989) Neo-Confederacy: A Critical Introduction 69. “About the Mises Institute,” Ludwig ideology while opposing the minimum (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2010). wage, labor regulations, and Social Se- ix, www.garynorth.com/freebooks/ von Mises Institute, http://mises.org/ docs/21f2_47e.htm. 55. Frederick Clarkson, “Christian Re- page/1448/About-The-Mises-Institute; curity. Ludwig von Mises was on the staff constructionism: Theocratic Dominion- and “Senior Fellows, Faculty Members, and wrote for its publication, Freeman. 92. “John McManus Rocks the Rally for ism Gains Influence,” The Public Eye, and Staff,” Ludwig von Mises Institute, In the 1960s and ‘70s, Reconstructionist the Republic,” John Birch Society, Sept. 2, Mar./June 1994, www.publiceye.org/ http://mises.org/Faculty. Also see Chip Gary North became a regular contribu- 2008, www.jbs.org/presidents-corner/ magazine/v08n1/chrisrec.html. Berlet, “Ludwig von Mises Rises from the tor to Freeman, providing a theological john-mcmanus-rocks-the-rally-for-the- Scrap Heap of History,” Public Eye, http:// foundation to the publication’s . Paul has a long history with the 56. See, for example, the story of Micah libertarian philosophy. North compiled John Birch Society. He was featured in a Hurd, a 24-year-old Texan who recently www.publiceye.org/economic_justice/ labor/anti_labor/history/von-mises.html. some of his Freeman contributions into JBS movie in 1998 supporting his Ameri- left the National Guard to join a local mili- his 1973 volume, An Introduction to Chris- can Sovereignty Restoration Act, which tia: Bud Kennedy, “In Texas, if at first you 70. “Frequently Asked Questions,” Lud- tian Economics. There has been significant he introduced in 1997 and reintroduced can’t secede, try — joining a militia?,” wig von Mises Institute, http://mises.org/ overlap between FEE and the JBS, as there in 2009, calling for the United States to Star-Telegram, Sept. 7, 2013, www.star- page/1479/Frequently-Asked-Questions. has been with the JBS, Reconstruction- end participation in the . telegram.com/2013/09/07/5142554/in- 71. “Directors,” The Southern Heri- ism, and the Ludwig von Mises Institute. The movie included John McManus and texas-if-at-first-you-cant.html. tage Society, http://web.archive.org/ 80. “State Nullification, Secession, schismatic traditionalist Catholic leaders, 57. Mark A. Beliles and Stephen K. Mc- web/20040106152958/http://www. and the Human Scale of Political Order,” known for their narratives about the New Dowell, America’s Providential History pointsouth.com/southernheritage/direc- Foundation for Economic Education, www. World Order plot of “Judeo-Masonic” con- (The Providence Foundation, 1989), 243. tors.htm. fee.org/publications/detail/state-nullifi- spirators. See “Ron Paul to Keynote Catho- 58. Rousas J. Rushdoony, The Nature of 72. According to the Southern Poverty cation-secession-and-the-human-scale- lic Traditionalist Summit with NeoFascist the American System (Ross House Books, Law Center, Livingston left the League of-political-order#ixzz2hrIq6X5M. and Overtly Anti-Semitic Speakers,” Talk To Action, Aug. 23, 2013, www.talk2ac- 2002). Originally published in 1965. of the South because of its increasingly 81. The Stephen D. Lee Institute lists an overt racism. Livingston insists that there tion.org/story/2013/8/23/144536/636. 59. See Michael McVicar, “Reconstruct- ad for the John Birch Society and Tenth On Sept. 11, 2013, Paul keynoted a con- ing America: Religion, American Con- is nothing racist about the scholarship of Amendment Center event: www.ste- his institute. ference led by these same schismatic servatism, and the of phendleeinstitute.com/faculty.html. Catholics. McManus was also on the pro- Rousas John Rushdoony” (Ph.D. diss.,The 73. “Associates,” Abbeville Institute, 82. “The Real DiLorenzo: A ‘Southern gram. Ohio State University, 2010), and Kim http://abbevilleinstitute.org/index.php/ Partisan’ Interview,” LewRockwell.com, Phillips-Fein, Invisible Hands: The Busi- associates. 93. Brian Farmer, “Ron Paul Addresses June 17, 2004, http://archive.lewrock- the John Birch Society,” New American, nessmen’s Crusade Against the New Deal 74. “Scholars Nostalgic for the Old South well.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo68.html. (W.W. Norton & Co., 2009). Oct. 8, 2008, www.thenewamerican. Study the Virtues of Secession, Quietly,” 83. Ben Lewis, “A Professor’s Defense of com/usnews/constitution/item/7623- 60. Tom Rose, “How to Reclaim the Chronicle of Higher Education, Dec. 6, Nullification,” Tenth Amendment Center, ron-paul-addresses-john-birch-so- American Dream Via Constitutional and 2009, http://chronicle.com/article/Se- Mar. 23, 2013, http://ohio.tenthamend- ciety and www.jsonline.com/blogs/ Christian Reconstruction,” Biblical Eco- cretive-Scholars-of-the-Old/49337. mentcenter.com/2013/03/23/a-profes- news/32002684.html. nomics Today (Apr./May 1978), A-8, A-9. 75. “The Older Religiousness of the sors-defense-of-nullification and “Writ- 61. Frederick Clarkson, Eternal Hostility: South,” Abbeville Institute Schol- ten Testimony on Behalf of Nullification,” CSPOA, p. 4 The Struggle Between Theocracy and De- ars’ Conference, 2009, https://web. Tom Woods, Mar. 5, 2013, www.tom- 1. “Videos Now Online From Historic mocracy (Monroe, ME: Common Courage archive.org/web/20110829061826/ woods.com/blog/written-testimony-on- Sheriff’s Meeting In Las Vegas,” Sheriff Press, 1997), 103. http://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/ behalf-of-nullification. archschol/09Scholars/09schol.php. Mack.com, http://sheriffmack.com/in- 62. Lawrence Pratt, “Tools of Biblical Re- 84. “Nullification: Unlawful and Uncon- dex.php?start=9. sistance” in Gary North, ed. Christianity 76. The Second Vermont Republic and stitutional,” Heritage Foundation, Feb. 8, 2. “Liberty Coalition Intro Letter,” Con- and Civilization: The Theology of Christian Middlebury Institute, founded by Thom- 2012, www.heritage.org/research/fact- stitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Resistance. No. 2., (Tyler, TX: Geneva Di- as Naylor and , represent sheets/2012/02/nullification-unlawful- Association, Feb. 2013, www.cspoa.org/ vinity School Press, 1983), 436. the “left” wing of the secession move- and-unconstitutional. ment. However, both embraced much of sheriffs_say_no/2013%20Liberty%20Co- 63. Pratt, “Tools of Biblical Resistance,” 85. Jennifer Rubin, “Jim DeMint’s De- alition%20Intro%20Letter.pdf. 442. the neo-Confederate ideology of their se- struction of the Heritage Foundation,” 3. “Growing List of Sheriffs, Asso- cessionist partners. Washington Post, Oct. 21, 2013, www. 64. Larry Pratt, ed., Safeguarding Liberty: ciations and Police Chiefs Saying ‘No’ 77. Gary North in Gary Galles, ed., washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/ The Constitution & Citizen Militias (Frank- to Obama Gun Control,” Constitutional Apostle of Peace: The Radical Mind of wp/2013/10/21/jim-demints-destruc- lin TN: Legacy Communications, 1995), Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, ix. (: Laissez Faire tion-of-the-heritage-foundation. Books, 2013). Before going to FEE, Reed July 31, 2013, http://cspoa.org/sheriffs- 65. Larry Pratt, Armed People Victorious, 86. “DeMint Statement on Supreme gun-rights/. was president for 20 years of the Macki- Court Ruling on Obamacare,” Jim De- (Springfield, VA: Gun Owners Founda- 4. Richard Mack, “Stand Up for the nac Center for Public Policy, one of the Mint: U.S. Senator, South Carolina, tion, 1990). Reconstructionists promot- 10th Amendment & Attend the Consti- first and largest of the state free-market June 28, 2012, http://web.archive. ed their ideology in Guatemala follow- tutional Sheriffs Convention Jan 30!,” think tanks. Reed has been described org/web/20120724193426/http:// ing the 1982 coup of Efraín Rios Montt, Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace- Offi as having “nurtured so many state pol- www.demint.senate.gov/public/in- who was supported by many in the U.S. cers Association, Dec. 29, 2011, www. icy groups that he has been called the dex.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRe Christian Right. Rios Montt was tried countysheriffproject.org/CSPOA_Invita- movement’s Johnny Appleseed.” Jason cord_id=85303109-8c0c-491b-972e- and found guilty for genocide in 2013, DeParle, “Right of Center Guru Goes tion_Dec29.2011.pdf. but the guilty verdict was overturned in 5816836350a0. Wide With the Gospel of Small Govern- 5. “Sheriff Joe Obama ID Fraud Presen- May 2013. “The Trial of Efrain Rios Montt 87. Robert A. Levy, “The Limits of Nulli- ment,” New York Times, Nov. 17, 2006, tation,” YouTube, June 1, 2013, www. & Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez,” Open fication,” New York Times, Sept. 3, 2013, www.nytimes.com/2006/11/17/us/ youtube.com/watch?v=LUJOSNZpZEU. Society Justice Initiative, www.riosmontt- politics/17thinktank.html?ex=132141 http://nytimes.com/2013/09/04/opin- 6. “Tracy Connor, “Police chief in trial.org. 9600&en=3b6af3fbfa4ff01e&ei=5090& ion/the-limits-of-nullification.html?_ profane gun video uproar: I’m not a 66. Clarkson, Eternal Hostility: The Strug- partner=rssuserland&emc=rss. Macki- r=0. ‘delusional lunatic’,” NBC News, July gle Between Theocracy and Democracy, 21. nac’s biannual Leadership Conference has 88. Jonathan Blanks, “Why ‘Libertarian’ 24, 2013, http://usnews.nbcnews. trained nearly 500 think-tank executives Defenses of the Confederacy and ‘State’s 67. “Thanks to Our Sponsors,” Founda- com/_news/2013/07/24/19660346- from 42 nations and nearly every U.S. Rights’ are Incoherent,” Libertarianism. tion for Christian Alternatives, http:// police-chief-in-profane-gun-video- state. http://www.mackinac.org/8154. org, Feb. 22, 2012, http://libertarianism. web.archive.org/web/20041207005902/ uproar-im-not-a-delusional-lunatic?lite. http://sincerelysouthern.com/sponsors. 78. Jason DeParle, “Right of Center Guru org/publications/essays/why-libertarian- 7. Nicole Radzievich and Jacob Sei- htm. In 2007, the parent organization of Goes Wide With the Gospel of Small defenses-confederacy-states-rights-are-

18 • The Public Eye FALL 2013 bel, “Termination hearing for YouTub- loads/2013/02/PE-Summer-Fall-1999. 2013, http://www.southernstudies. gator.org/index.cfm?bay=search. ing Gilberton police chief continued pdf. In addition to the pieces cited in this org/2013/08/special-investigation-how- profile&ein=200960855#.Um6pAvmk- after gun falls from supporter’s holster,” essay, see Jason Deparle, “Right-of-Center art-pope-helped-turn-bac.html. poE. Morning Call, Oct. 10, 2013, http:// Guru Goes Wide With the Gospel of Small 20. Charlie Savage, “Justice Department 32. “Exclusive: Largest Dark Money articles.mcall.com/2013-10-10/news/ Government,” New York Times, Nov. 17, Poised to File Lawsuit Over Voter ID Law,” Groups Share Funds, Hide Links,” mc-gilberton-pa-police-chief-guns-ter- 2006, www.nytimes.com/2006/11/17/ New York Times, Sept. 30, 2013, www. OpenSecretsBlog, Sep. 10, 2013, www. mination-20131010_1_gilberton-police- us/politics/17thinktank.html?_ nytimes.com/2013/09/30/us/politics/ opensecrets.org/news/2013/09/exclu- chief-chief-mark-kessler-mayor-mary- r=0&pagewanted=all; and Lee Fang, “The justice-department-poised-to-file-law- sive-largest-dark-money-donor-groups- lou-hannon. Right Leans In: Media-savvy conservative suit-over-voter-id-law-in-north-carolina. hide-ties-using-new-trick.html. think tanks take aim and fire at progres- html. John Birch Society, p. 7 sive power bases in the states,” Nation, 33. In the run-up to the 2012 initiative, Mar. 26, 2013, www.thenation.com/ar- 21. Mary Tuma, “Ted Cruz Used Texas Emrich was employed by the Family Re- 1. Hundreds of Tea Party websites and ticle/173528/right-leans#. to Create ALEC’s Anti-Obamacare Legis- search Council as its new “Northeast Field lation,” Current, Oct. 16, 2013, http:// Ambassador”: “Bob Emrich joins Family meetups have helped disseminate JBS pub- 5. Frederick Clarkson, “Christian Right lications and videos. sacurrent.com/news/ted-cruz-used- Research Council,” Christian Civic League Seeks Renewal in Deepening Catholic- texas-to-create-alec-s-anti-obamacare- of Maine, Oct. 27, 2011, www.cclmaine. 2. “The John Birch Society Asks: What’s Protestant Alliance,” Public Eye, July 23, legislation-1.1569056; Ted Cruz, “Texas org/bob-emrich-joins-family-research- Wrong With Civil Rights?” Palm Beach 2013, www.politicalresearch.org/chris- Public Policy Foundation report gives council. Post, Oct. 31, 1965, http://news.google. tian-right-seeks-renewal-in-deepening- states options for pushing back on federal 34. This followed a split with former com/newspapers?id=u4syAAAAIBAJ&sji catholic-protestant-alliance. overreach,” Texas Public Policy Founda- d=ZbcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4291,7598936. League executive director Mike Heath, 6. “SPN Annual Meeting Promo tion, Nov. 18, 2010, www.texaspolicy. whose extreme statements were seen as 3. Joe Wolverton II, “South Carolina’s 1,” YouTube, www.youtube.com/ com/press/texas-public-policy-founda- counterproductive. The split also led to 1860 Declaration of Secession: What watch?v=UbyBqRKDLvc. tion-report-gives-states-options-pushing- a rebranding in which the League sought Has Changed?” New American, Dec. 7. Don E. Eberly, “The States: The New back-federal-overreach; Ted Cruz and to become known as the Maine Fam- 20, 2012, www.thenewamerican.com/ Policy Battleground, Lecture # 225,” The Mario Loyola, “Reclaiming the Constitu- ily Policy Council. The change apparently usnews/constitution/item/13991-south- Heritage Foundation, Oct. 27, 1989, tion Towards and Agenda for State Ac- didn’t take, and the organization is now carolinas-1860-declaration-of-secession- www.heritage.org/research/lecture/the- tion,” Texas Public Policy Foundation, known by both names. Brian Tashman, what-has-changed. states-the-new-policy-battleground. Nov. 2010, www.texaspolicy.com/sites/ “Ron Paul’s State Director Dedicated default/files/documents/2010-11-RR11- 4. “Montana Senate Vote to Nullify His Career to Fighting ‘Evil’ Gay Rights,” 8. “Conservative Leadership Confer- TenthAmendment-mloyola-posting.pdf. Federal Gun Bans, 28-21,” Tenth Amend- ence,” Civitas, http://clc2014.com. Right Wing Watch, Dec. 30, 2011, www. 22. “A Tool Kit to Keep Government Local rightwingwatch.org/content/ron-pauls- ment Center, Mar. 13, 2013, http://blog. 9. Clarkson, “Takin’ It to the States: The tenthamendmentcenter.com/2013/03/ People, Local Decisions, Local Solutions,” iowa-state-director-dedicated-his-career- Rise of Conservative State-level Think State Policy Network and State Budget So- fighting-evil-gay-rights. montana-senate-vote-to-nullify-federal- Tanks.” gun-bans-28-21/#.Ul40SCSZj-Q. lutions, 2013, www.federalisminaction. 35. See Frederick Clarkson, “Christian 10. Paul Abowd, “Donors use char- com/wp-content/uploads/Federalism-In- Right Seeks Renewal in Deepening Cath- 5. “Oklahoma’s HB 1021 Nullifying ity to push free-market policies in states: Action_Toolkit_FINAL.pdf. ObamaCare as explained by Dr. Ritze, OK olic-Protestant Alliance.” Nonprofit group lets donors fly ‘totally 23. Jason Stverak, Media Shield Law State Senator,” Florida Tenth Amendment under the radar,’” Center for Public In- 36. “Family Policy Councils,” Citi- Center, Feb. 11, 2013, http://florida.ten- Doesn’t Protect First Amendment, Free zenLink, www.citizenlink.com/state- tegrity, Feb. 14, 2013, www.publicinteg- Press, The Franklin Center, Sept. 16, thamendmentcenter.com/2013/02/okla- groups. Individual FPCs rarely mention rity.org/2013/02/14/12181/donors-use- 2013, http://franklincenterhq.org/8258/ homas-hb-1021-nullifying-obamacare-as- their close connections to FOF, or Citizen- charity-push-free-market-policies-states. media-shield-law-doesnt-protect-first- explained-by-dr-ritze-ok-state-legislator. Link, or FRC, which maintains a similar, 11. “EXPOSED: The State Policy Net- amendment-free-press. but not identical, list of affiliates. FRC 6. Alex Newman, “States Aim to Nullify work, The Powerful Right-Wing Network 24. “About Watchdog Wire,” The Frank- Action, the 501(c)(4) political arm of FRC, Obama Gun Control,” New American, Jan. Helping to Hijack State Politics and Gov- lin Center, Watchdog Wire, May 25, also lists the FPCs as state-level affiliates. 19, 2013, www.thenewamerican.com/ ernment,” Stinktanks.org, Center for 2012, http://watchdogwire.com/about- 37. For example, see “Focus on the usnews/constitution/item/14273-states- Media and Democracy, Nov. 2013. http:// the-franklin-center. aim-to-nullify-obama-gun-control; and stinktanks.org/national. Family and CitizenLink 2012 Annual William F. Jasper, “Sheriffs and Legisla- 25. “Driving the News: How right wing Report,” Focus on the Family, http:// 12. John J. Miller, “Safeguarding a Con- funders are manufacturing news and in- media.focusonthefamily.com/fotf/pdf/ tors are Acting to Nullify Obama Gun Con- servative Donor’s Intent: The Roe Foun- trols,” New American, Feb. 4, 2013, www. fluencing public policy in Pennsylvania,” about-us/financial-reports/2012-annual- dation at 39,” Foundation Watch, Capital Keystone Progress, Aug. 2013, www. report.pdf. A separate annual report for thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitu- Research Center, May 2007, http://capit- scribd.com/doc/159802911 (subscrip- CitizenLink is at www.citizenlink.com/ tion/item/14394-sheriffs-and-legislators- alresearch.org/pubs/pdf/v1185478634. tion required). uploads/2013/04/2012-CitizenLink-An- are-acting-to-nullify-obama-gun-controls. pdf. 26. Sara Jerving, “The Lucy Burns Insti- nual-Report.pdf. Rev. Dr. Albert Mohler, 7. “Stop ObamaCare,” John Birch So- 13. “EXPOSED: The State Policy Net- tute (Publishers of Ballotpedia, Judge- president of Southern Baptist Theologi- ciety, www.jbs.org/issues-pages/stop- work, The Powerful Right-Wing Network pedia and WikiFOIA) and Her Right- cal Seminary is also a member of both obamacare. Helping to Hijack State Politics and Gov- Wing Bedfellows,” The Center for Media boards. ernment,” http://stinktanks.org/nation- and Democracy, Nov. 26, 2012, www. 38. “Latest FIC Action Committee’s Freedom Frontiers, p.9 al. prwatch.org/news/2012/11/11791/lucy- 2010 Endorsements,” Family Institute of 14. Andy Kroll, “The Right-Wing Net- burns-institute-publishers-ballotpedia- Connecticut, 2010, www.ctfamily.org/ 1. Jeremy P. Jacobs, “Devastation: work Behind the War on Unions,” Mother judgepedia-and-wikifoia-and-her-right. FIC%20Action%20Committee%20En- GOP Picks Up 680 State Leg. Seats,” Jones, April 25, 2011, www.mother- 27. Abowd, “ALEC anti-union push in- dorsements%202010.pdf. National Journal, Nov. 4, 2010, www. jones.com/politics/2011/04/state-poli- cludes key players from Michigan, Ari- 39. “2012 Annual Report,” Focus on the nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineon- cy-network-union-bargaining. zona think tanks.” Family. call/2010/11/devastation-gop-picks-up- 15. Kroll, “The Right-Wing Network Be- 28. McGuigan reported on SPN’s nation- 40. “Parental Rights and Education,” 680-state-leg-seats-04. hind the War on Unions.” al convention in Oklahoma City without Massachusetts Family Institute, www. 2. John J. Miller, “Fifty flowers bloom: 16. Erik Kain, “Michigan Governor Plays disclosing his relationship to the Franklin mafamily.org/issues/parental-rights- Conservative think tanks—mini-Heritage Fast and Loose with Democracy, Invokes Center or the Franklin Center’s relation- and-education. Foundations—at the state level,” Hey Radical New Powers,” Forbes, March ship to the SPN and the host affiliate, 41. Bruce Wilson, “Nessie a Plesiosaur? Miller, Sept. 16, 2009, www.heymiller. 11, 2011, www.forbes.com/sites/erik- Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. See Louisiana To Fund Schools Using Odd, com/2009/09/fifty-flowers-bloom. - Re kain/2011/03/11/michigan-governor- “Capitol Report: National gathering in Bigoted Fundamentalist Textbooks,” Talk published from the , plays-fast-and-loose-with-democracy- Oklahoma City focuses on public policy,” to Action, June 17, 2012, www.talk2ac- Nov. 19, 2007. See also John J. Miller, invokes-radical-new-powers. YouTube, Sept. 30, 2013, www.youtube. tion.org/story/2012/6/17/9311/48633. “Safeguarding a Conservative Donor’s In- 17. EXPOSED: The State Policy Network, com/watch?v=t8OuSdH75tU. tent: The Roe Foundation at 39,” Founda- 42. Jim Stergios, “6 Takeaways on New The Powerful Right-Wing Network Help- 29. “Driving the News: How right wing tion Watch, Capital Research Center, May Orleans’ charter initiative,” Pioneer In- ing to Hijack State Politics and Govern- funders are manufacturing news and in- 2007, http://capitalresearch.org/pubs/ stitute, Oct. 19, 2013, http://pioneerin- ment, http://stinktanks.org/national. fluencing public policy in Pennsylvania,” pdf/v1185478634.pdf. stitute.org/charter_schools/6-takeaways- 18. Paul Abowd, “ALEC anti-union push Keystone Progress, Aug. 2013, www. on-new-orleans-charter-initiative. 3. “Directory,” State Policy Network, scribd.com/doc/159802911/Driving- includes key players from Michigan, 43. Paul Dunphy and Nikhil Aziz, “The www.spn.org/directory/organizations. Arizona think tanks,” Center for Public the-News (subscription required). asp. Pioneer Institute: Privatizing the Com- Integrity, May 17, 2012, www.publicin- 30. Electa Draper, “Focus on the Family mon Wealth,” Political Research Asso- 4. Frederick Clarkson, “Takin’ It to tegrity.org/2012/05/17/8890. rebrands political arm as CitizenLink,” ciates, July 2002, www.publiceye.org/ the States: The Rise of Conservative 19. Sue Sturgis, “Special Investigation: Denver Post, May 20, 2010, www.denver- libertarian/pioneer-institute/index. State-Level Think Tanks,” Public Eye, How Art Pope helped turn back the clock post.com/news/ci_15121872. html;Frederick Clarkson, “Takin’ It to the Summer/Fall 1999, www.politicalre- on voting rights in North Carolina,” 31. “CitizenLink,” Char- States: The Rise of Conservative State- search.org/wp-content/uploads/down- Institute for Southern Studies, Aug. ity Navigator, www.charitynavi- level Think Tanks.”

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 19 reports in review

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Race and Child Care in Mississippi jean v. hardisty • wellesley centers for women, november 2013 Fifty years after the March on Washington, conservatives, libertarians, and even some White liberals have heralded the arrival of a “postracial” era, in which racism—conceived as behavior occurring between indi- viduals—has been replaced by a new frame of “colorblindness.” Jean V. Hardisty challenges this simplistic understanding of racism in her new report, Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Race and Child Care in Mississippi. Founder and president emerita of Political Research Associ- ates, Hardisty analyzes how the colorblind frame operates “to preserve the pre-civil rights power structure and the racial inequality of resources and access.” She explores Mississippi—the “ground zero” of structur- al racism in the United States, according to Hardisty—and focuses on child care for poor and low-income mothers as a case study. Poverty runs deep in Mississippi, especially among African Americans, and its effects are reflected in the state’s health statistics. Mississippi ranks last in the U.S. in child welfare. Life expectancy and other health measures are substantially worse for African Americans, who comprise 37.2 percent of Mississippi’s total population but account for 55 percent of its low-income households. Black women are disproportionately represented among wel- fare recipients. Subsidized child care—a proven and highly effective means of breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty—should be a critical site of intervention and funding for Mississippi’s policymakers. But far from combatting legacies of racial inequality, the state’s child- care system reflects and further perpetuates structural racism. Young mothers must navigate a highly bureaucratic, burdensome application and renewal process. Official language, often openly hostile and stigmatizing, reflects broader efforts to portray welfare recipients as conniving, sinful, lazy, and unintelligent. Hardisty contextualizes Mississippi’s child-care system as the most recent iteration of the Right’s extensive record of hypocrisy— for example, claiming to promote “family values” while criticizing poor women for not working while receiving welfare benefits. Hardisty also notes how the Right has shifted funding for child-care and welfare programs toward block grants that are controlled by the states, thus undermining federal programs that benefit poor women of color. She connects Mississippi’s current policies and protocols to the Right’s historical demonization of the poor. The report concludes by identifying several strategies for strengthening Mississippi’s system. Recommendations include minimizing the bureaucratic and administrative hurdles that shame women and make it difficult for them to receive subsidies; allocating more resources to the nonprofit sector, which can provide advocacy and social services, push for systemic reforms, and challenge block- grant funding systems; and increasing the transparency and efficiency of the child-care certificate programs and regulatory mecha- nisms. Hardisty ultimately argues that Mississippi is emblematic of the challenges facing women of color and antipoverty programs across the country. While subsidized child care is not a panacea, it must be a critical point of intervention in combating poverty, particu- larly among women of color. -Rebecca Suldan and Britt Moorman

Convenient Targets The Anti-“Propaganda” Law and the Threat to LGBT Rights in Russia human rights first, august 2013 Human Rights First describes a deteriorating and increasingly dangerous situation in its report on the state of LGBTQ rights in Russia. Since 2006, ten regional legislative bodies have adopted laws banning homosexual “propaganda.” Several more regions were considering similar measures when the federal law was enacted in June 2013. As described in Convenient Targets, the federal anti-“propaganda” law marks a departure from recent trends in Russia. was decriminalized in 1993, but following a wave of anti-government protests in December 2011, Russia has accelerated a rollback of human rights as part of a broader crackdown to weaken and “positive liberties.” By backing antigay measures, as the report describes, Russian President has been able to “curry favor and change the subject away from the question of his own performance.” The report notes that the federal law’s vague language may enable antigay agitators and judges to use it to codify discrimination, since there are no firm legal definitions for several key terms in the law, including “propaganda,” “distributing information,” and “nontradi- tional sexual relations” (a term used instead of “homosexuality” or “sexual orientation”). These gaps could be exploited to target LGBTQ rights further. Convenient Targets concludes with a discussion of the upcoming 2014 Sochi Olympics, Russia’s preparations for the event, and interna- tional responses to the ban. Putin has already issued a decree that will ban protests during the Olympic Games and limit access to the city, and with the Games looming, the report considers how the U.S. and the broader international community can pressure Russia to repeal the law without fueling anti-American or anti-Western sentiment. Convenient Targets calls for President Obama to meet with Russian human rights leaders to learn firsthand how the U.S. can be most effective in its support. The report does not recommend that the U.S. boycott the Games, as it asserts that a boycott would fuel anti-American sentiment while doing little to advance human rights. Finally, the report calls for multilateral responses, which would challenge the notion that homosexuality is a “Western cause.” -James Lavelle

20 • The Public Eye FALL 2013 Our Moment for Reform Contraception and Beyond Seeking Shelter and Transgender The Health Benefits of Services The Experiences and Unmet Needs People Provided at Family Planning Centers of LGBT Homeless Youth national center for transgender equality, the guttmacher institute, 2013 andrew cray, katie miller, and laura e. durso • october 2013 More than nine million individuals center for american progress, september 2013 Our Moment for Reform received publicly funded contracep- The Center for Amer- explores how “short- tive services in 2006, according to a re- ican Progress has is- comings and inequities port released by the Guttmacher Insti- sued an update to its in current US immigra- tute. Such services help prevent nearly 2010 report about tion law impact tens of two million unintended pregnancies, LGBTQ youth home- thousands of transgen- 860,000 unplanned births, and 810,000 lessness. Seeking der people and fam- abortions every year. Overall levels of Shelter highlights the ily members,” who are both unintended pregnancy and abor- persistent challenges victimized by a system that discriminates tion in the U.S. would be almost two- facing LGBTQ youth, who continue to be against both LGBTQ people and immi- thirds higher—and twice as high among disproportionately represented among grants. poor women—in the absence of these the homeless youth population in the Expanding on the Center for American publicly funded clinics and centers. United States. Trans youth, in particular, account for “15 percent or more of home- Progress’s Living In Dual Shadows (see “Re- Contraception and Beyond: The Health less youth.” ports in Review,” Spring 2013, The Public Benefits of Services Provided at - Fam Eye), the report discusses how the undocu- ily Planning Centers notes that, for many The report identifies family conflict and mented trans population suffers from dis- Americans, visits to publicly funded rejection as the most common and direct proportionately high levels of insecurity in clinics are their only opportunity to re- reason for LGBTQ youth homelessness. the realms of food, housing, employment, ceive any type of medical care, includ- Such conflict often occurs within a larger and health care. It features stories of sev- ing STI testing and treatment, HPV context of harassment in school and bro- eral individuals attempting to navigate vaccinations, Pap smears, and services ken juvenile-justice and child-welfare the U.S. immigration system, including a for people dealing with intimate part- systems. Once homeless, LGBTQ youth trans woman who came from Nicaragua to ner violence. The clinics are also heav- are more likely to be forced to turn to escape persecution but was deported twice ily used for routine screenings for blood high-risk activity such as “survival sex,” before securing legal status. pressure, anemia, and diabetes. and are more likely to face harassment by the police. Homeless LGBTQ youth expe- The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn “Services provided at publicly funded rience shockingly high levels of violence, the Defense of Marriage Act makes it easi- family planning centers . . . are vitally trauma, and criminalization, including er for trans people and spouses to establish important to the health of men and robbery, rape, and assault. their marriages for immigration purpos- women who seek care at these sites,” the es. Still, trans immigrants face a particu- report observes. “This is the case both Seeking Shelter recommends reforming larly difficult path to citizenship since they for the 63% of female family planning the juvenile-justice system and strength- cannot marry in states that deny marriage clients who rely on these sites as their ening home-based interventions. The au- equality, and many trans people are un- usual source of health care, as well as for thors stress the need for increased “LGBT able to marry because of onerous require- those male and female clients who ben- cultural competency,” especially regard- ments for gender recognition. Navigating efit from being linked to follow-up care ing the use of preferred gender pronouns family-based immigration laws can also be with other health care providers.” for transgender and gender non-con- difficult, and many have to wait years for forming individuals. They recommend The National Commission on Prevention a visa—a problem exacerbated by threat- that institutions currently serving home- Priorities ranked chlamydia screening ened cuts to sibling sponsorships. less populations, including education for women 25 and under—a procedure and employment services, provide LG- Our Moment for Reform calls for compre- that is commonly performed at publicly BTQ-specific services. The report identi- hensive reform, including reforms to the funded clinics—among the ten most fies several pieces of federal legislation, asylum process and the operation of de- cost-effective and beneficial preventive including the Runaway and Homeless tention centers, which are particularly health services. Such rankings are strik- Youth Inclusion Act, that would “ensure dangerous for LGBTQ immigrants. Staff ing in the context of the GOP’s recent that federally funded programs that serve members often do not respect the gender attacks on reproductive justice, which homeless youth are welcoming of and ca- identity of trans people, who may end up affect not only public health and- wom pable of serving LGBT youth.” in solitary confinement. en’s rights but also the economy. As a A bill passed by the Senate in June 2013 more recent Guttmacher report notes, in Finally, Seeking Shelter calls for “[disas- includes a repeal of the asylum deadline, 2008 public expenditures on unplanned sembling] the school-to-prison pipeline,” yet chances of passing meaningful immi- births “including costs of prenatal care, though it does not elaborate on the issue gration reform by the end of the year have labor and delivery, postpartum care and in its recommendations. Further research since dimmed. NCTE’s report highlights one year of care for the infant—totaled should focus on how , insti- the urgent and ongoing need for such re- $12.5 billion in 2008. These births ac- tutionalized racism, and right-wing at- form, as well as the complexity of the is- counted for 53% of all publicly funded tacks on public education and the welfare sues involved. births that year.” state help perpetuate the pipeline and exacerbate LGBTQ youth homelessness. -James Lavelle -Britt Moorman -Owen Jennings

FALL 2013 The Public Eye • 21 NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID POLITICAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES BOSTON, MA 1310 BROADWAY, SUITE 201 PERMIT NO. 54584 SOMERVILLE, MA 02144

From the Archive Since 1982, Political Research Associates has been collecting material by and about the Right—books and maga- zines, marketing appeals, posters, pamphlets, videos, and more. This series illuminates some of the more intriguing pieces in the collection. The library is available for use by qualified researchers; contact PRA for details. Six years after the U.S. Su- in works like Southern Jus- preme Court ruled in Brown v. tice (Murder in Mississippi) Board of Education that “sepa- in 1965 and New Kids in the rate but equal” public schools Neighborhood in 1967. were unconstitutional, Ruby The Problem We All Live With Bridges became the first Black shows Ruby Bridges flanked child to attend an all-White el- by her federal bodyguards. ementary school in the South. The wall behind her shows Bridges walked into William the remnants of a hurled to- Frantz Elementary School on mato and the faint letters of Nov. 14, 1960, accompanied a racial slur, along with the by several U.S. Marshals, amid letters KKK. Though its per- taunts from an angry crowd. manent home is the Norman She was six years old. Rockwell Museum in Stock- One of the most important milestones in the Civil Rights bridge, MA, President Barack Obama selected the painting Movement, the moment was captured on film and widely to be hung outside the Oval Office for three months in 2011. reported in newspapers and magazines. But the painter Explaining the choice on its blog, the stated, Norman Rockwell gave the milestone its most enduring “The President likes pictures that tell a story and this paint- publicity more than three years later, when The Problem We ing fits that bill . . . Rockwell was a longtime supporter of All Live With was featured as the centerfold for the January the goals of equality and tolerance.” For an African-Ameri- 14, 1964, issue of Look magazine. The painting came dur- can President who has often eschewed explicit discussion of ing the late stages of Rockwell’s career, during which he race, the decision was a significant one, and even provoked actively sought to engage broader social issues, especially pushback from some right-wing commentators. -Ben Schmidt

Political Research Associates (PRA) is a think tank devoted to challenging the Right and advancing social justice. Visit our website, www.politicalresearch.org, to access past issues of The Public Eye, connect with us through social media, and donate. You’ll also find in-depth reports, web-only features, and our Eyes Right blog. Need to renew or purchase a subscription? Go to politicalresearch.org/subscribe. Call 617.666.5300 or email us at [email protected] for more information.

Your support makes The Public Eye possible. Subscribe and donate today!