Richard Viguerie

Richard A. Viguerie is often dubbed the direct mail titan of the U.S. right. He is the Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com and a founder of the American Freedom Agenda.

Background
In an autobiographical note, Viguerie wrote that in 1961 he became executive secretary of the conservative youth group, Young Americans for Freedom. "Since 1965, owner of direct marketing/advertising companies such as American Target Advertising. Political/campaign strategist, activist and conservative spokesman and writer," he wrote.

"Pioneered political use of computerized direct mail. That technology was the Internet of its day: it enabled conservatives to get around liberals' dominance of the mass media; it allowed thousands of conservative candidates, organizations and causes to get their messages to grassroots Americans," he wrote.

Viguerie founded Conservative Digest magazine in 1975 and served as its publisher for ten years.

Asked by Campaigns and Elections in May 2000 what his immediate goals were Viguerie wrote "To use the Internet to involve Americans in the political process, to help conservatives gain an advantage over the left. To fight against government's use of power, to fight for individual rights and responsibilities, and to fight to extend the blessings of liberty throughout the world."

Writing in The Nation, David Corn noted that Viguerie "raised money for Judicial Watch" and is associated with Larry Klayman, conservative lawyer and activist.

Books

 * Richard A. Viguerie, The New Right: We're Ready to Lead (Falls Church, VA: The Viguerie Company, 1981).ISBN 0960481427. (See Excerpts from The New Right: We’re ready to lead).
 * Richard A. Viguerie, The Establishment Vs. the People, Regnery Publishing, 1st edition February 1984. ISBN 0895266083.
 * Richard A. Viguerie & David Franke, America's Right Turn: how conservatives used new and alternative media to take power, Bonus Books, August, 2004. ISBN 1566252520.
 * Richard A. Viguerie, Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause, Bonus Books, 2006. ISBN 1566252857 ISBN 978-1566252850

In March 2007, Viguerie was listed as one of the founders of a new conservative group, American Freedom Agenda, which describes itself as campaigning to "restore check and balances ... under assault by the executive branch." 

Other SourceWatch Resources

 * American Freedom Agenda

Articles/Statements by Viguerie

 * Richard Viguerie, "Richard Viguerie - Brief Article", Campaigns & Elections, May 2000.
 * Richard A. Viguerie, "Media Titans, you're not alone", USA Today, September 22, 2004.
 * Richard A. Viguerie and David Franke, "The Big Winners", Washington Post, October 24, 2004.
 * "Statement of Richard A. Viguerie for The American Freedom Agenda", PR-Inside, March 21, 2007.

General Articles

 * "Decisions 2004: Choosing winning fundraising strategies", 2004 Non-Profit Fundraising Conference, accessed October 2004.
 * D Shribman, "'Sincerely yours', Your Congressman's computer", New York Times, Bates Number: 03667245, August 17, 1982.
 * R Whitehead, "Direct Mail: the underground", Bates Number: 10394015/4017, Columbia Journalism Review, February 1983.
 * Walter and Miriam Schneir "The right's attack on the press", The Nation, March 30, 1985.
 * Michael Griffin, "Senior Citizens group to run ads attacking Chiles campaign calls", Bates Number: TIFL00496310, Orlando Sentinel, February 4, 1996.
 * William A. Rusher, The Rise of the Right (New York, NY: William Morrow, 1984).
 * Dom Bonafede, "Part Science, Part Art, Part Hokum, Direct Mail Now a Key Campaign Tool," National Journal, vol. 14, no. 31, July 31, 1982, p. 1332.
 * William Claiborne, "Little in 'New Right' War Chest Finding Its Way to Candidates," Washington Post, March 20, 1978, p. A1.
 * Kent Jenkins, Jr., "North's Consultants Turn Junk Mail into Gold Mine of Financial Support," Washington Post, July 31, 1994, p. B1.
 * John Persinos, "Ollie, Inc.," Campaigns & Elections, June 1995.
 * Jim Drinkard, "Postal Inspectors Investigate Seniors Group's Mailings," Associated Press, September 29, 1995.
 * Diana Walsh, "The Fear Merchants," San Francisco Examiner, February 8, 1998, p. A1.
 * National Center for Public Policy Research, IRS Form 990 for 2001.
 * David Corn, "Klayman Watch", The Nation, March 10, 2004.
 * Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, "Liberal Praise Drawn From Unlikely Source", Washington Post, October 18, 2004.
 * Thomas Omestad, "Fixin' for a fight," U.S. News and World Report, October 25, 2004.
 * Bill Berkowitz, "Richard Viguerie: Still thundering after all these years," WorkingForChange, March 4, 2005.
 * Bill Berkowitz, "Richard Viguerie's Army Attacks Social Security", Media Transparency, March 9, 2005.
 * blogenfreude, "Father of the Whinycons. Richard Viguerie - Shut the Fuck Up," AGITPROP, July 29, 2006.
 * Bill Berkowitz, "GOP defeat could benefit conservatives, says Richard Viguerie", Media Transparency, October 4, 2006.
 * Ted McKenna, "Conservative group campaigns against White House ‘abuses'", PR Week, March 22, 2007.
 * David D. Kirkpatrick, "Giuliani Inspires Threat of a Third-Party Run", The New York Times, October 1, 2007.