Outlanders of the Day ~ Richard Viguerie and ...

How in the world does Philip Rucker cover the scandals of Roger Chapin's various veterans charities and not mention that Richard Viguerie is a movement conservative that also likes some profiteering with his pandering? I was profoundly shocked that his decades of work for the right didn't merit some ink.

Richard Viguerie is known as the "funding father" of the conservative movement with "direct mail" being his foundation. To make some money and get out the message is killing two birds with one stamp. His Conservative HQ also seems worth noting.

Viguerie is part of this wicked web woven on the veterans charities scandals yet he's also helping Ron Paul out. Paul, long against the invasion of Iraq from his libertarian post inside the GOP, getting Viguerie's support, after Richard has pocketed earning via the Vets, seems a touch twisted.

I also like how Forbes has covered this story. Charitable Taking by William P. Barrett was well written and helped calm me down a touch over former Army General Tommy Franks "earning" 100K from at least one of Chapin's groups. At least General Franks appears to have wiggled away from further involvement. Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Arthur F. (Chip) Diehl III was cashing Chapin checks of Five Grand per month for "consultation and development" as well. I'm hardly a Tommy Franks fan, even naming him as one of my April Fools back in 2006, as he and Rummy and ... helped Bu$hCo goof up pretty much everything they touched in their adventurism in Iraq. He's shown that he is not a complete conservative tool now that he's left the service but his profiteering seems rather shameless. The "paid patriots" movement is another topic for another day perhaps?

Here's hoping the press and politicians will keep pressing for answers as to Chapin and Viguerie and ... yet I do want them to connect the dots and provide better context. P/W

UPDATE ~ January 20, 2008 - I found an email from this joker in my inbox just today. I'd never subscribed to his effort and suppose he vacuumed that address up somehow. I went through the unsubscribe effort yet wanted to drop a nasty comment over his approach in the process. No such luck.