REMEMBERING LYN NOFZIGER
Citizen Outreach hosts October conference, which will honor this lifelong conservative
BY CHUCK MUTH

Chuck Muth is president and CEO of Citizen Outreach. He is a professional political consultant. Find more about him and read more of his work at www.chuckmuth.com. Other stories by Chuck Muth

Citizen Outreach and Americans for Tax Reform are co-hosting the 2007 Conservative Leadership Conference in Sparks, Nev., this October 11-13. Among the mulititude of workshops, speakers, panel discussions and debates will be an awards dinner where the late Lyn Nofziger, a key Reagan adviser and die-hard conservative, will be honored. For those who may not remember Lyn, here’s a little refresher course. 

Franklyn C. “Lyn” Nofziger was born in Bakersfield, Calif., on June 8, 1924 and died of cancer in Falls Church, Virg., on March 27, 2006. In the years between, Lyn served in the United States Army, graduated from San Jose State College and worked for 16 years as a reporter and editor for Copley News Service. He was a journalist, a political consultant, and, in his final years, a world-class blogger. Lyn also wrote four Western novels and even a book of poetry. 

Lyn served as press secretary and political adviser for Ronald Reagan’s gubernatorial campaign in 1966, and then as Gov. Reagan’s Director of Communications. He later served as a congressional liaison in the Nixon White House and deputy chairman for communications at the Republican National Committee. 

Lyn again worked on Ronald Reagan’s 1976 and 1980 campaigns for president and was named Assistant to the President for Political Affairs following Reagan’s election. He is best remembered by many for handling the press following the shooting of President Reagan and Press Secretary Jim Brady in 1981. 

Lyn was known by friends and associates for his kindness, dry wit, candor, puns, common sense and refusal to take anything too seriously. That, and his love for Mickey Mouse ties. Nofziger will also be remembered for his never-ending concern for, and attention to, grassroots conservative activists and campaign volunteers. As retired Birgadier General James M. Hutchens said at Nofziger’s funeral, “Lyn walked with kings, but he never lost the common touch.” 

Lyn was a proud conservative with a strong Libertarian streak. His definition of conservatism was “believing in a minimum amount of government and a maximum amount of freedom — and keeping government out of people’s lives and business —and leaving people alone.” 

His bottom line: “I don’t like government; it’s just that simple.” 

Less known about Lyn was his support for the medicinal use of marijuana after his daughter, then suffering severe side effects from chemotherapy for her lymph cancer, was helped by the drug. “If doctors can prescribe morphine and other addictive medicines,” Lyn argued, “it makes no sense to deny marijuana to sick and dying patients when it can be provided on a carefully controlled, prescription basis.” 

The Lyn Nofziger Award will be presented each year to a political writer or strategist for excellence in promoting the limited-government agenda which was so near and dear to Lyn’s heart. This year’s recipient will be cyber-columnist Rich Galen, publisher of Mullings.com. The award will be presented by former U.N. Ambassador Gerald Carmen, a longtime Nofziger friend and colleague. 

For additional information on the conference or to register, go to www.clc07.com. See you in October!