-Caveat Lector- G.O.P. Devotees Pay Honor to Whittaker Chambers By ELAINE SCIOLINO WASHINGTON, July 9 — The passion for Whittaker Chambers burns brightly in the Bush White House. On the 40th anniversary of his death, Mr. Chambers, the onetime Communist spy who denounced Alger Hiss as a fellow member of an elite Washington espionage cell, was lionized today as a compassionate conservative and loyal Republican. He was remembered at a private event in the Old Executive Office Building organized by a White House aide and prominent Republicans and conservatives. Sam Tanenhaus, author of the biography "Whittaker Chambers," (Random House, 1998) and one of four speakers at the event, said in an interview: "Chambers was not just the witness against Alger Hiss, but was also one of the articulators of the modern conservative philosophy, a philosophy that has something to do with restoring the spiritual values of politics." During the 90-minute private commemoration of Mr. Chambers, which was closed to the news media, William F. Buckley Jr., the founder of National Review, recalled Mr. Chambers's days as an editor there. He described Mr. Chambers as a man whose worldview was "constantly in motion" and who eventually settled on an activist politics of the right, according to a copy of Mr. Buckley's remarks. "I am not a conservative," Mr. Buckley quoted Mr. Chambers as writing in his letter of resignation from National Review in 1959. "I am a man of the Right. I shall vote the straight Republican ticket for as long as I live." Neither President Bush nor Vice President Dick Cheney was at today's event, which was attended by about 100 invited guests. The genesis of the event was a conversation between Mr. Buckley and his old sailing partner, Timothy S. Goeglein, a former aide to the religious conservative Gary L. Bauer who serves as White House liaison to conservative leaders. Mr. Goeglein was among the most senior White House officials present at the event. The White House declined to release the names of other staff or guests in attendance. "There are folks here in the White House who are fans and devotees who were profoundly affected by `Witness,' " said one White House official involved in the event, referring to Mr. Chambers's best-selling memoir of his anti-Communist conversion. "So he permeates our philosophy in a broader sense." Mr. Chambers's implication of Mr. Hiss — and himself — as former Soviet agents before the House Un- American Activities Committee in August 1948, led to a slander suit by Mr. Hiss, who was convicted of perjury after two trials and imprisoned. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
