Paul McCloskey for President 1972 Campaign Brochure

‘Paul McCloskey leadership as tough as the problems.’

...think what victory would mean to the character of our country, our hopes and spirits ... think about returning government to the people. It's entirely possible.

Truth in Government

"Faith in our system, in our laws and in ourselves is the very essence and strength of our government. If that faith is lost, I believe that the nation itself is threatened. We expect our leaders to tell us the truth. Yet, from the war between Pakistan and India to the war in Southeast Asia, from the reports on the SST to efforts for aging Americans, the present administration has practiced deception, concealment and exaggerated self-praise."

In this time of deep questioning by all Americans, Paul McCloskey wonders if we have not allowed secrecy and deceit to go too for as the accustomed and acceptable agents of government.

"Effective presidential leadership requires less raw power and more political courage...less interest in temporary political gain and more desire to mobilize our national energies and resources. We need a president who will tell the Congress and the country what the Executive Branch is doing. We need a president who is ready to admit mistakes, who has faith that public knowledge, criticism and participation is absolutely essential to our system of government."

Secrecy must be limited only to the most critical diplomatic negotiations, to technical defense weapons planning, and to personnel matters. In these areas Congressional leaders must be kept fully informed. We have more to fear from loss of faith in our government our national strength than we do from increased knowledge of our operations and beliefs by foreign governments.

Deception, concealment, news management and self-praising public relations operations should be cause for dismissal from office. "Truth and openness in government must become a national goal."

The War

"This nation's best chance of achieving a "generation of peace" would be enhanced if we could bring ourselves to end the war in Southeast Asia. The Vietnamese alone should have the right to decide how they would like to govern themselves."

Paul McCloskey is tired of the deception which has prolonged this war. He is disturbed by the loss of thousands of American and countless Indochinese lives. The war in Vietnam has furnished the basis for the greatest untruths on the part of the government in our long history. Our goals and methods in Indochina cannot be truthfully described without filling Americans with both horror and shock. The government has lied to us.

If fully informed, the American public would not tolerate the effects of cluster and vault bombing, napalm and white phosphorus. Thousands of villages in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos have been destroyed. Our CIA activities and our interrogation procedures cannot be publicly discussed because American citizens would not accept such tactics.

"What is our quarrel with the people of Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos? Can anyone justify our continued killing of innocent civilians -- people of the most ancient and fascinating cultures? Can anyone justify our continued destruction of the economy, the land and the morale of Southeast Asia? The damage of our actions will be irreparable even in the lives of our children's children. We should have stopped this war."

If the President felt the war had to continue, the truth could not be told. The pursuit of the war has become solely the responsibility of the present administration. Paul McCloskey has spoken strongly on the need for change in our national policy. He wants: 1. " ...to persuade the Congress to exercise its Constitutional responsibility to end the war by cutting off the funds which have permitted it to continue." 2. "...to persuade the President to change his announced policy of continued bombing and maintenance of residual forces in South Vietnam." 3. "...to persuade the administration to make our withdrawal conditional solely upon the return of our prisoners of war."

More than any other single cause the war has spurred the decline of our economy and weakened the morale of our people. If elected, Paul McCloskey will instruct our negotiators to tender his proposals. Paul McCloskey is satisfied that such proposals would be acceptable based on current North Vietnamese positions and past record.

Paul McCloskey seeks an end to the war. Paul McCloskey stands for peace.

Civil Rights

For the minorities who want to learn, for the aging who need jobs, for the women who want to be able to create a life style of their own, the Congress has enacted new laws to guarantee equality of opportunity. The courts have broadened and extended these guarantees during the post decade.

"What is lacking today is the leadership from the White House which will clearly and unequivocally lead each of us to do what is morally right rather than that which has been based on prejudice. Judgement based on race, sex, religion or age is not only wrong, it is illegal. Continued discrimination of all kinds has made hatred, mistrust and fear commonplace in our present society." Paul McCloskey voted against the attempts of the administration to emasculate the extension of the Voting Rights Act. He supported the Equal Opportunity Enforcement Act and the school desegregation provisions of the Higher Education Act. He has publicly disagreed with President Nixon's suggestion that there be "minimal compliance" with judicial decisions on educational discrimination. He challenged the President's use of the term "forced integration" in reference to existing laws requiring equal housing. He has noted the disparity between the rhetoric and the action taken by the administration on behalf of the elderly.

If elected to the Presidency, Paul McCloskey would listen. He has asked the administration to listen to the young, the minorities, the aged, the poor to try to reconcile the disagreements which divide this notion. "We should appeal to a people's good will, faith and hope...no citizen should be the victim of a national neglect."

The Environment

"Having grown up in Southern California before urbanization began, I have always tried to understand the relationship between man and the land...that peace, that strength, that pleasure which one derives from his environment."

Paul McCloskey's leadership helped push two conservation measures through the House of Representatives which signaled a legislative revolution in favor of environmental protection: full funding for water treatment and the National Environmental Protection Act. Paul McCloskey sponsored numerous clean water and wilderness bills and he became co-chairman of the first Earth Day. He has also been awarded the prestigious Congressional Award by the National Parks and Recreation Association.

He feels the following areas require immediate presidential action. 1. A National Land Use Policy -- "to protect our remaining open spaces and to provide for our future housing needs. We must revitalize our cities, and provide every American with adequate housing and transportation." 2. A National Energy Policy -- "to reduce the environmental cost of development and consumption of energy. We must determine the soundest methods of meeting our energy needs for future generations. (And certainly, we must terminate the quota system of oil import regulation.)" 3. Financing Policy -- "to provide federal funds to replace local property tax revenues -- revenues which are no longer adequate to finance environmental quality." Preservation of our environment is a national problem and should be guaranteed by national policy. Every section of our country deserves and should enjoy preservation and protection.

"Only the President can set the tone for environmental quality and only the Executive Branch can provide the tough and consistent enforcement of legislation."

The Man

Paul and his wife Caroline have four children: Nancy 20, Peter 18, John 16, and Kathleen 13. Born 1927, California. Graduated Stanford 1950, Stanford Law 1953.

Marine Combat Commander, Korea. Awarded Navy Cross, Silver Star for gallantry in action. Now Reserve Colonel.

Defense Counsel, District Attorney, formed own law firm. Expert on Constitutional Law. Author of text on the Constitution. New book to be published January, 1972, "Truth and Untruth." Editor, California Bar Manual on Professional Conduct.

Elected to Congress 1967. Reelected 1968, 1970. For McGovern-Hatfield, for Cooper-Church, for environmental action, for reform of Seniority System, for 18-year-old vote, for open housing -- against ABM, SST, Lockheed loan. Awarded Congressional Award by the National Parks and Recreational Association.

Active sportsman, Junior Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year 1960, Stanford Youth Plan President.