Paul Weyrich R.I.P.

"Next to Ronald Reagan, no single person has achieved more to advance the cause of American conservatism than Paul Weyrich -Morton Blackwell

"Without Paul Weyrich, there would likely have been no conservative movement ... and no Ronald Reagan presidency." - Morton Blackwell

"If there were a Mount Rushmore for conservative leaders, Paul's face would have to be on it." - Morton Blackwel

Oklahoma very own Cleta Deatherage Mitchell, Esq.,
emcee, introduces the 21-Gun Salutes.

Paul M. Weyrich, 66, who helped found the Heritage Foundation and at one time was one of Washington's most visible conservatives, died this morning. At his death, he was president and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.

Heritage announced this morning: "Paul M. Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation and first president of The Heritage Foundation, died this morning around 1 a.m. He was 66 years old. Weyrich was a good friend to many of us at Heritage, a true leader and a man of unbending principle. He won Heritage’s prestigious Clare Boothe Luce Award in 2005. Weyrich will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, including son Steve, who currently works at Heritage."

Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform wrote this tribute: "Paul Weyrich created institutions and networks that incubated new and old powerful policies and strategies to advance liberty. ... He brought leaders of various freedom impulses together. Most of the successes of the Conservative movement since the 1970s flowed from structures, organizations, and coalitions he started, created or nurtured. Paul also lived a balanced life with work, family and his faith. We will miss his puns and wisdom and hard work."

Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review Online, who had the first word of his passing, called Weyrich "a Washington conservative institution" and "a patriot who lived a long life serving his nation."

"No single person, other than Ronald Reagan, has done more to create the modern conservative movement than Paul Weyrich." - Newt Gingrich

"I'm not sure there could have been a 'Contract With America' without Paul Weyrich's leadership." - Newt Gingrich

"Paul Weyrich is the man a generation of Washington conservatives wanted to be -- when they grew up." - Tom DeLay