Family Security Matters

Family Security Matters (FSM) originated in 2003 as a project of the Center for Security Policy, a hawkish security policy think tank and advocacy group. Soon after its formation FSM claimed to represent "security moms". While generally supportive of President George W. Bush's domestic and international security policies, FSM have had their differences with the Republican administration over issues such as immigration policy, U.S. policy towards Russian Presdient Vladimir Putin. Since the Democratic ascendancy in the 2006 mid-term elections, FSM have also published criticisms of the Bush administration -- such as those by Newt Gingrich -- for being too cautious in their strategy in the Middle East.

FSM states on its website that its mission is to "inform all Americans, men and women, about the issues surrounding national security; to address their fears about safety and security on a personal, family, community, national and international level; to highlight the connection between individual safety and a strong national defense; to increase civic participation and political responsibility; and to empower all Americans to become proactive defenders of our national security and community safety."

Origins
According to whois.com, the domain name for FSM's website was registered by Carol Taber of CAT & Associates on July 6, 2003. On its website the following year, Gay Bryant, the Editorial Director of The Family Security Group, described FSM as a "non-profit, nonpartisan communications initiative formed by a group of passionate women."

Bryant also explained that "a year ago we formed an alliance with the Center for Security Policy, www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org, a prestigious nonpartisan Washington think tank whose aim is to promote world peace through American strength. This association gives us access to vital security information from inside the heart of Washington, D.C." It role, it stated, was to "build grassroots efforts and resources for making the Security Mom's voice heard in the White House and on Capitol Hill."

At that time Tabor wrote that "last year, I heard its president, Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. (a former Assistant Secretary of Defense) give a speech that deeply inspired me to serve my country by using my experience as a publisher of women's magazines to communicate to American women what we need to know. The truth is that America does need to ensure our national security by hunting down these truly evil extremists and destroying them. Defensive action alone simply cannot protect our children and the free society we want them to inherit."

In August 2004 FSM listed its address as "1920 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036", the same address at the time as that of the Center for Security Policy.

In its 2003 annual report, the Center for Security Policy devoted a section to explaining its role with FSM.


 * The Center for Security Policy has established a partnership with the Family Security Group (FSG) led by CarolTaber, one of the Nation’s premier publishing professionals, to address what is, arguably, one of the most serious security challenges of our time: The fact that too many Americans are unaware of and disengaged from the policies and practices that may determine their own safety -- and that of their families and the Nation -- in the years ahead. This partnership will strive to keep our countrymen and women -- and most especially the latter -- well informed about such issues. The goal is to empower the public to play the role it must if the United States is to be made as secure as possible in an increasingly dangerous world. It will do so via: an interactive website, a newsletter entitled Family Security Matters, aggressive research, polling and public relations and community-oriented outreach programs. Through the effective use of such tools, the CSP-FSG team has the potential to add enormously to the policy impact of the Center’s educational mission.

In an August 2004 media release, the Center for Security Policy announced the partnership between FSM and has the Center's DivestTerror.org campaign, aimed at pressuring 400 public companies which it claimed "are providing revenues, technology and moral cover to governments that sponsor terrorism."

However, in its next annual report, CSP did not mention FSM.

Following an appearance on Fox News in September 2004, Media Matters for America (MMA) described Family Security Matters as a "front group for the Center for Security Policy (CSP), a conservative Washington think tank". In support of it claim, MMA pointed out that the phone number listed on the FSM website at the time was answered by the CSP.)

In 2005 the parent organization of FSM, the Family Security Foundation, was registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit group with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. RightWeb notes that in its IRS return, the foundation describes its mission as "to fill the education gap" and that "FSM publishes Middle Eastern, terrorism, and defense experts on the subject of national security threats to America." The stated objective for 2006 was "to complete college study."

Funding
The Center for Security Policy's annual return for 2004 listed "Family Security Group, LLC" on its "other investments" schedule with the company being valued at $75,999. On a subsequent schedule listing "taxable subsidiaries: the Center listed the "Family Security Group, LLC" which it listed it as having a 51% interest in with its activities described as "national security awareness". The company was listed as having made a loss of $34,001.Center for Security Policy, Form 990 2004, Statement 8, August 2006, page 20. The following year the Center listed the value of the Family Security Group LLC as being $115,764. Later in its return the center indicated that the company had made a loss of $58,835 for the year.

FSM's IRS return for the period of October 18,2005 to the end of December that year provided no financial details as the group income for the period was under $25,000 threshold for disclosure of financial details. The IRS return lists Carol Tabor as the President. The organization's address and phone number is not disclosed. However, Guidestar lists the foundation's address as 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 298 Washington, DC 2006.

Staff

 * Carol A. Taber, President, Founder
 * Linda G. Cohen, Executive Vice President
 * Nancy Kennon, Director of Operations
 * Tracy Lawler, General Manager

Board of Directors
As of June 2006, the website listed the board of directors as:
 * Carol A. Taber, President, Family Security Foundation, Inc., publisher of familysecuritymatters.org; former Executive Vice President, Group Publisher, Lang Communications, Inc.
 * Amanda C. Bowman, President of the Coalition for a Secure Driver's License; New York Director of Washington, D.C.-based Center for Security Policy.
 * Linda Cohen, Member of the Leadership Santa Fe program, appointed to the Santa Fe Planning Commission, serves as trustee on the New Mexico Board of the Anti-Defamation League, member of the International Women's Forum and the Santa Fe Community College Foundation Board.
 * Dale W. Lang, Former Chairman of Lang Communications, Inc., senior executive at the 3M Corporation; owner and manager of national magazines, local television stations and major outdoor advertising enterprises.
 * Edward A. Taber, III, Executive Vice President, Legg Mason/Institutional Asset Management; former President, Prime Reserve Fund, T. Rowe Price.

Board of Advisors

 * Barbara Comstock
 * Dr. Monica Crowley
 * Susan Ann Davis
 * James T. deGraffenreid
 * Terence A. Elkes
 * Frank J. Gaffney
 * Laura Ingraham
 * Dale W. Lang
 * John LeBoutillier
 * Maria Estella Lopez De Rios
 * Shirley Lord
 * Abby S. Moffat
 * Roger W. Robinson
 * W. Thomas Smith
 * Dr. Latanya Sweeney
 * Frank S. Swain
 * Paul E. Vallely
 * Dr. Arthur Waldron
 * Dr. Joan Woodward
 * R. James Woolsey

Contributing Editors

 * Alex Alexiev
 * Walter Anderson
 * Colonel Jeff Bearor(Ret)
 * Phyllis Chesler
 * Ian M. Cuthbertson
 * John Dendahl
 * Brigitte Gabriel
 * Christopher Holton
 * Susan Konig
 * Harvey Kushner
 * Joan Harrold Messner
 * Charles Mitchell
 * Walid Phares
 * Ben Shapiro
 * W. Thomas Smith, Jr.
 * Cinnamon Stillwell
 * Tim Wilson
 * Contributing Editors

Former staff

 * Gay Bryant, Editor, Founder
 * Heather MacDonald, former Editorial Director
 * Dr. Cheryl Willman, member Board of Advisors
 * Philip Atkinson, Contributing Editor
 * Jed Babbin, Contributing Editor
 * Katharine DeBrecht, Contributing Editor
 * Joel Mowbray, Contributing Editor

Contact details
Family Security Matters P. O. Box 70 Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450 Web: http://www.familysecuritymatters.com/

External articles

 * Philip Atkinson, "Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy", Family Security Matters, August 3, 2007. (This is an archived version of a FSM article that has now been removed from their site). (For commentary in Ducth on the article see here).
 * Digby, "Hail Caesar," Hullabaloo Blogspot, August 20, 2007. (Discusses FSM's webscrubbing.)
 * Steve Benen, "National Review rocked by controversy over fabricated stories," The Carpetbagger Report, December 2, 2007.

External resources

 * Profile: Family Security Matters, RightWeb.