What to Expect from the Conservative Agenda
More conservative federal judges, a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and boosting oil exploration in Alaska top the agenda for President Bush's second term, according to a conservative author who pioneered political direct mail four decades ago.
Richard Viguerie Bonus Books hide caption
The Conservative Agenda
Some of Richard Viguerie's predictions for the second Bush term:
- Conservative judicial appointments
- A ban on federal funding for stem-cell research
- A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage
- School vouchers
- More tax cuts
- Private accounts as part of Social Security
- Oil exploration in Alaska, to ease dependence on foreign oil
NPR's Renee Montagne speaks to Richard Viguerie, co-author of America's Right Turn: How Conservatives Used New and Alternative Media to Take Power, about the changes the "values voters" who helped propel the president to victory expect to see in the next four years.
"Probably, No. 1 is judicial appointments," Viguerie says. "Many problems that we experience as a country have come about because we've had unelected judges legislating from the bench. And that needs to be corrected... We're very excited about that possibility of turning the judiciary in a more conservative direction."
Does President Bush's victory with strong support from the right mean he owes something to the conservative movement?
"I don't look at this as the president owing us," Viguerie says. "This is a president who campaigned on conservative issues, some conservative values. This president is fond of saying that he means what he says and says what he means. And so consequently, we're excited about the opportunity to help this president implement his conservative campaign promises."
Related NPR Stories
Books Featured In This Story
America's Right Turn
How Conservatives Used New And Alternative Media To Take Power