Paul Weyrich, a man who worked away from the limelight to galvanize conservative Christian political advocacy, died Thursday (Dec. 18).

Weyrich, 66, co-founded the now-defunct Moral Majority with the late Jerry Falwell and served as the first president of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based conservative think tank.

SEE: Larry Flynt - America’s Unsung Hero of our First Amendment »

"He was key behind the scenes in establishing the religious right,"
said Jerry Falwell Jr., who succeeded his father as president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. "I think he recognized that there were people in many different faiths who shared the same moral values and he saw the need for a coalition to pull those groups together."

Weyrich, who served as a deacon at Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church in McLean, Va., used that coalition and others to advance policies, such as the maintenance of the anti-abortion plank in the Republican platform.

"Paul Weyrich fought tirelessly for three decades to protect the pre-born, preserve traditional marriage and ensure that people of faith had a voice in shaping the public policy that affected their lives," said Focus on the Family Chairman James Dobson. "Had there been no Paul Weyrich, there would be no conservative movement as we know it."

At the Values Voter Summit sponsored by the Family Research Council in 2007, Weyrich urged grass-roots activists to fight efforts to resurrect the Fairness Doctrine, which would require broadcasters to give a portion of their airtime to opponents’ views.

"The reason I am here is because I want you to talk to radio station owners, particularly those who carry news talk programming," he said at that Washington meeting. "It’s going to be up to you to inform them."

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said Weyrich was a Washington fixture who didn’t lose his fighting spirit despite his battle with diabetes. Two years before the summit appearance, Weyrich underwent surgery for amputation of both of his legs.

"He didn’t over-intellectualize about Christians `jumping into the fray,"’ Perkins said. "He recognized early that the fray had jumped onto us. … Paul Weyrich was the first to show us how we could effectively petition our government for redress of our grievances."

Through his 35 years of work in Washington, including his role as president and chairman of the conservative Free Congress Foundation, Weyrich gained the respect of supporters and opponents.

"I don’t think there’s anyone who knew more about grass-roots organizing or how to organize grass-roots conservatives to make a difference in political campaigns and in public policy," said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. "It was always about the cause, not about personal profit or personal gain. He was someone who was dedicated to the cause of conservatism."

Interfaith Alliance President Welton Gaddy, who differed with Weyrich on many issues, nevertheless credited him with sharing a concern for the proper role of religion in U.S. politics.

"The religious right has lost a leader and strategist," said Gaddy. "The nation has lost a patriot. And, I have lost a friend."

EDITORIAL NOTE: Paul Weyrich and the Moral Majority was no friend to Democracy and did not let the United States Constitution get in the way of his hypocritical agenda. The “Religious Right” has done more to harm the democratic process and divide Americans than anything that Communism or Al-Qaeda ever did.

As a person, my condolences to his family…but as a man…good riddance!

AROUND the BLOGOSPHERE:

Conservative icon Paul Weyrich dies - Mike Allen - Politico.com - He helped found the Heritage Foundation and at one time was one of DC’s most visible conservatives.

Michelle Malkin » Paul Weyrich, R.I.P. - Very sad to hear of the passing of conservative giant Paul Weyrich. Rob Bluey at the Heritage Foundation, which Weyrich co-founded, has the announcement. For those who didn’t know, Weyrich had a spinal injury that left him in constant …

Paul Weyrich, Conservative Icon, Dies - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com - Paul Weyrich, an icon of the conservative movement, died early this morning, at age 66, after suffering from a range of health problems. He had a hand in building some of the most famous institutions on the right, including the Heritage …