Gary Bauer
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Gary L. Bauer (born May 4, 1946, in Covington, Kentucky) is an American civil servant and conservative politician notable for his ties to several evangelical Christian groups and campaigns. In 1973, Bauer received a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University. He served as Ronald Reagan's Under Secretary of Education and Domestic Policy Advisor from 1985 to 1989. In 1999 Bauer resigned his post at the Family Research Council, which he held since 1988, and ran for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. He dropped out of the race in February 2000 after doing poorly in the primaries.
Following an incident at a 2000 town hall event in which Republican primary candidate Alan Keyes crowd-surfed in the mosh pit of a group playing the music of rock band Rage Against The Machine, Bauer made a statement that "a band called The Machine Rages On - er - Rage Against the Machine, that band is anti-family, and it's pro-terrorist", quoted in the band's "Sleep Now In the Fire" video.[1]
The son of a janitor, Bauer now heads the Campaign for Working Families.
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[edit] On the Issues
On social issues, Bauer is staunchly pro-life, supports a Constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, and prefers abstinence programs to current sex education programs.
On foreign policy issues, Bauer supports strong ties with Israel, would not trade with China until the country improves its human rights record, and supports military action undertaken to ensure American security.
On economic issues, Bauer supports income tax cuts and decreased regulation of small businesses, though considering his statements to the effect that corporations should serve the U.S. as well as their shareholders and anti-WTO statements, one might classify Bauer as a conservative economic nationalist as opposed to a laissez-faire supporter in the mold of The Wall Street Journal.
In the 2000 Presidential Primary, Salon.com assigned gay columnist Dan Savage to write about the Bauer 2000 campaign. Mr. Savage came down with the flu during the assignment and then attempted to sabotage the Bauer campaign by infecting staffers by licking pens and door knobs that he thought they would use. Savage wrote about his plan in his article and it was published by Salon. Jack Tapper later defended the action by saying that it was "gonzo journalism".[2]
Bauer's personal behavior has been the subject of criticism from his employees and political allies. He was accused of adultery by his 2000 presidential campaign staff, who "charged Bauer with ill-advised private meetings with a 27-year-old female campaign aide. In October, campaign manager Charles Jarvis and almost half the campaign staff left Bauer over the charges of impropriety."[3]
[edit] Recent Developments
Bauer has recently branched out into the realm of talk radio, co-hosting a show that is broadcast occasionally on WABC's radio affiliate in New York with talk radio host Mike Rosen.
[edit] Organizations with which Gary Bauer has been involved
- American Values, President
- Campaign for Working Families, Chairman
- Family Research Council, Past President
- New American Century
