MEMBER'S REPORT The Conservative Caucus Inc. • National Headquarters • 7777 Leesburg Pike • Falls Church, Va. 22043 JUNE, 1976 DEAR MEMBER; The Conservative Caucus wasformed in 1974 to resolve the paradox of a basically conservative nation being governed with liberal policies which most Americans oppose. We reached two strategic conclusions about the most effective way to put America back on the right track. First, it was decided that control of Congress is the key to defeating liberal policies and substituting sound conservative leadership. Second, it seemed that the only way to change the direction of Congress was to make it painful for U.S. Representatives and Senators to ignore the conservative sentiments o/ their constituents back home—even more painful than it may now be for them to ignore liberal pressures in Washington. A plan was developed to help organize 433 local caucuses—one in every Congressional District—each one completely autono mous and locally controlled. Our first member was recruited during November, 1974. As of May,1976—-eighteen months later—we had enlisted the support of more than 125,000 Americans. By the end of 1978, we hope to hove nearly 300,000 members. During 1975, our first full year of operation, it was our job to recruit and train a first-rate State Coordinator in every state. That task has been substantially accomplished. This year—1976—the objective which we single-mindedly pursue is the recruitment and training of a TCC Director in all 435 Congressional Districts. We are now half-way toward achieving that goal. To identify and prepare effective leaders in the states and districts, we have, during 1975 and 1976, organized three-day training conferences at Washington, D.C.; Denver, Colorado; Atlanta, Georgia; Columbus, Ohio; and Los Angeles, California. Two more conferences are planned this year: one on the weekend of September 10, 11, and 12 at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Marina Hotel; and another, in Chicago, on the weekend of December 8, 9, and 10. To involve more members in our activities, your national staff has been conducting briefing sessions and similar meetings in forty-one states during the first six months of 1976. During the balance of the year, we will be having hundreds more of these meetings, to make sure that we keep close to our timetable of a leader in each district by the start of next year. Just as TCC's State Coordinators have done an indispensable job in recommending and working with Congressional District Directors, we are now relying on each District Director to build on effective Steering Committee of thirty members in his (or her] Congressional District. Drawn from positions of influence in diverse areas of activity throughout the district. Steering Committee members constitute the nucleus of a powerful Caucus force which the local member of Congress would be well advised to heed. Before 1977 ends, we hope to have thirty first-rate Steering Committee members in all 435 districts from which members of the U.S. House of Representatives are chosen. We are already planning for next year a series of 50 training conferences for Steering Committee members—one weekend conference in every state. The following year, if—because of your essential dollar support—we stay on schedule, every Congres sional District in America will be able to boast its own Conservative Caucus. Eventually, by 1980, we look forward to 435 thriving local caucuses, each with hundreds of active members, a caucus newspaper focusing on what the Congressman has been doing with his time, his votes, and your tax dollars, and even sbme local TV and radio programs which feature District caucus leaders alerting their fellow citizens to latest developments in the Congress, the courts, the bureaucracy, and the radical "non-profit" groupsfunded xvith your taxes: all accountable to the votes of your elected Senators and Representative. The Conservative Caucus structure being built with your support offers great hope for the future. Policy is accountable to the Congress. With a few years' hard work. Congress will be accountable to you. Sincerely, HOWARDHnwARn PHILLIPSPHii I TPc ' National Director MONTANA COORDINATOR JOHN BELL COMPLETES RECRUITMENT OF DIRECTORS Two visits to Billings, Montana on February 21 and April 26 by Howard Phillips and Montana State Coordinator John Bell produced results, with the appointment of Walt Reisig (Inter Mountain Business Forms, P. O. Box 467, Billings, Montana 59103/(406) 259-3675) as TCC Director in the 2nd Congressional District. (Jack Traxler is CDD in Montana's other district—330 East Beckwith, Missoula, Montana 59801/(406) 549-3675). An intensive schedule of radio, TV, and newspaper interviews arranged by Reisig produced excellent coverage, including a thirty-minute news interview on a Billings radio station and a feature story in The Billings Gazette which covered an evening workshop session on Monday, April 26. MEMBER'S REPORT The Conservative Caucus, inc. June, 1976 page 2 BRIEFING SESSIONS REACH THOUSANDS National Director Howard Phillips conducts 1-hour workshops for TCC members in Arkansas, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Ok lahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In an effort to spur the recruitment and training of TCC Congressional District Directors and Steering Committee members, TCC National Director Howard Phillips, beginning in April, has launched a nationwide series of briefing session/workshops for Conservative Caucus members. Phillips said: "We eventually hope to conduct a briefing session for our members in every one of the 435 districts from which members of Congress are chosen. These meetings enable us to meet first hand with Caucus supporters, get their ideas, and answer their questions. In many cases, we have been able to identify some first-rate leaders at these meetings." "Another useful aspect of the one-hour workshop format is that it permits us to get together with our State Coordinators and District Directors on their own turf, obtain reports on their progress, and bring them up to date on new developments nationally." 41 STATES VISITED In addition to the Briefing Sessions conducted this Spring in California, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kentucky, Nevada, and Utah, staff members also spoke recently to groups of TCC leaders and contributors in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Mon tana, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Earlier this year, there were visits to Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas, and Wyoming. TCC members in the states where briefing sessions are planned are generally notified by first class mail about two weeks in advance of a meeting scheduled in their area. No funds are solicited and the participation of non-members is encouraged. During July and August, sessions will be held in Florida and Texas. Through June 30, 71 briefing sessions will have been held in 9 states. ROBERT R. PARKER JOINS TCC NATIONAL STAFF Louisiana Native At Work On Plans for 1977 Robert R. Parker Attorney Robert R. Parker, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served for several years in Boston as LegislativeI (Counsel for the Christian Science Committee on Publication, joined TCC's National Headquarters- staff on ,June 1,, with special responsibilityres for planning fifty weekend conferences during 1977, directed at training District Steering Committee members in each of the 50 states. By the time a statewide training conference is held, each district in the state should have a Director and thirty Steering Committee members, Parker stated. Our job will he to make certain that each person involved in leading or organizing a local caucus is trained for maximum effectiveness. The conferences will focus on 'nuts and bolts' details of lobbying techniques, publishing a district caucus tabloid monthly newspaper,compliance with applicable state and Federal election laws,and utilization of'freedom of information' laws to find out what government agencies are up to locally." Parker added that "if enough citizens can be kept informed year-round on their Congressman's activities, fewer Senators and Representatives will vote for programs that subsidize forced busing, welfare rights, gay liberation, and reverse discrimination. Right now,liberal special interest groups get their way because too few voters understand how 'conservative-sounding' politicians support appropriations for radical causes. Once the average citizen understands that his Congressman does have the power to change things, either 'things' will change or the Congressman will." Mr. Parker was General Counsel of the Republican City Committee of Boston from 1964-66 and Chairman of the Ward Four GOP Committee. Later he was a nominee for the Massachusetts State Senate. In 1973, Parker served in Washington, D.C. with Howard Phillips, aiding in the effort to abolish the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity. Parker is a graduate of Louisiana State University and the New England School of Law. DR. ROBERT HOEHN LEADS DENVER WORKSHOP AND MEDIA BLITZ Colorado State Coordinator Robert Hoehn made maximum use of National Director Howard Phillips' time during an intensive one-day blitz of the Denver area on Sunday, April 25. In addition to an evening workshop, covered by the Rocky Mountain News, Phillips visit included interviews at several Denver radio and TV stations as well as a meeting with reporter Howard