Just a few minutes ago, I conducted an interview with a real patriot and longtime public servant, former United States Attorney General Ed Meese. For FR readers that don’t know the impressive background of General Meese, he was a close friend, advisor and appointee of Ronald Reagan, both as Governor of California and as President of the United States.
From his resume at the Heritage Foundation…
dwin Meese III is a prominent leader, thinker and elder statesman in the conservative movement – and America itself. He holds the Ronald Reagan Chair in Public Policy at The Heritage Foundation, responsible for keeping the president’s legacy of conservative principles alive in public debate and discourse. He also is the Chairman of Heritage’s Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, founded in 2001 to educate government officials, the media and the public about the Constitution, legal principles and how they affect public policy.
These two Heritage "hats" that Meese wears have made the former Attorney General and presidential adviser a major conservative voice in national policy debates at an age when most men enjoy quiet retirements. In 2006, for example, Meese became a member of the Iraq Study Group, a special presidential commission dedicated to examining the best resolutions for America’s involvement in Iraq.
In 2004, after the death of his longtime friend, mentor and employer President Ronald Reagan, Meese appeared frequently on all three major cable news channels to discuss Reagan’s impact on America today. He often summarized Reagan’s legacy in three accomplishments: 1) He cut taxes and kept them low. 2) He worked to end the Soviet Union and its worldwide push for communism. 3) He restored America’s faith in itself at a time when failure and malaise reigned.
"I admired him as a leader and cherish his friendship," Meese wrote in a special 2004 essay to Heritage members and supporters. "Ronald Reagan had strong convictions. He was committed to the principles that had led to the founding of our nation. And he had the courage to follow his convictions against all odds."
Meese spent most of his adult life working with Reagan when the former actor was President and Governor of California. He served as the 75th Attorney General of the United States from February 1985 to August 1988. As the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, he directed the Justice Department and led international efforts to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime. In 1985, he received the Government Executive magazine’s annual award for excellence in management.
From January 1981 to February 1985, Meese held the position of Counsellor to the President – the senior position on the White House Staff – where he functioned as Reagan’s chief policy adviser.
As Attorney General and as Counsellor, Meese was a member of Reagan’s Cabinet and the National Security Council. He served as chairman of the Domestic Policy Council and of the National Drug Policy Board.
Meese headed Reagan’s transition effort after the former governor won the 1980 presidential election. During the presidential campaign that year, he served as Chief of Staff and senior issues adviser for the Reagan-Bush Committee.
Formerly, Meese served as Gov. Reagan’s Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff in California from 1969 through 1974. He also was his Legal Affairs Secretary from 1967 through 1968. Before joining Gov. Reagan’s staff in 1967, Meese served as Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County, Calif.
Read the entire resume of Attorney General Meese here.
What did we talk about? In this interview, we discuss the financial challenges that Ronald Reagan faced when he was elected Governor – and about the tax increase that took place in the first year of his administration. We also talk about the current challenges facing state government, including a chat about the special election taking place and Proposition 1A that is before voters as part of that election.