Dear Lenora:

I have received your letter of resignation as campaign co-chair, and do not dispute your rendition of events -- except to say this:

While we did finally accede to the Dallas faction to support the removal of Jack Gargan as co-chair at Nashville, we did so only after we came to believe it was essential for peace in the party. That is also why, instead of supporting Dallas' choice for chair, we supported Pat Choate, a unifying figure who, indeed, had brought you into the Buchanan campaign. I, too, was personally offended at how shabbily Jack Gargan was treated at Nashville.

And while you understandably were angered at Nashville when the Buchanan delegation voted first to seat your New York delegation, then reversed itself, let me explain: Our campaign had come to a collective decision to support Pat Choate; and you, as our co-chair, declined to support our decision. Yet, even then, our delegation was instructed to vote to seat your New York faction -- but, during the voting, somebody called an audible at the line of scrimmage. Our folks assumed the orders had come from headquarters, and stood and reversed their votes. I regret that; but we felt that the interests of the Buchanan campaign had to come before any marginal gains to be won in intra-party fighting in which we had no real interest.

Third, and more importantly, on the issues: If you read the speeches I have given in the last six months -- on campaign and political reform, deconstructing the New World Order, a more moral foreign policy -- you will find there ideas with which you strongly agree. I do not recall your opposition to any of these; indeed, you seemed to have been enthusiastic about them. With regard to what you call the "social issues," I do believe the deepest problems in our society are not economic or political, but moral. And while the solution to our social crisis may lie less in politics than the human heart, I am and remain proudly pro-life. Moreover, I believe that political leaders must defend the moral order rooted in the Old and New Testament and Natural Law that is under relentless assault; just as we must defend our heritage, history, and heroes, now being denigrated. Else, our society is on a permanent downhill run, as is our country.

Fourth, on your insistence in New York last week that our campaign support you for Chair of the Party, as Bay told you, we do not believe that would be in the interests of our campaign or the Party. This is not because you lack the talent or ability; you have far more than enough. However, I do not believe you could unify the party at Long Beach; and any attempt by us to push your nomination through a defiant party would backfire, fail, and divide us for the fall, and for the future.

While there are going to be delegate battles right up to Long Beach, if we win that nomination, we are going to be there, first, with the oil can, and we will do what is necessary to unite and energize this party, and by that I mean all of its factions, for the fall. We want to put off any further intra-party feuds until we have given Reform the kind of leadership, campaign, and national recognition we believe will put the Reform Party on America's political map -- for good. Anybody who is with us in that cause is welcome to join us.

Let me say finally, in all our dealings, I have found you to be honest, direct, straightforward, and tough-minded always -- even when we disagree -- and, from what I see as your own standpoint and agenda, I cannot disagree with your decision to separate yourself from our campaign. Yet, with personal best wishes,

Pat Buchanan

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