Thomas J. Carty - Backwards, in High Heels: Faith Whittlesey, Ronald Reagans Madam Ambassador in Switzerland and the West Wing

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BACKWARDS

in High Heels

Also by Thomas J. Carty

A Catholic in the White House? Religion, Politics, and John F. Kennedys Presidential Campaign

Published in the United States of America and Great Britain in 2012 by
CASEMATE PUBLISHERS
908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083
and
10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, OX1 2EW

Copyright 2012 Thomas J. Carty

ISBN 9781612001609 (epub)
Digital Edition: ISBN 9781612001593

Cataloging-in-publication data is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

For a complete list of Casemate titles please contact:

CASEMATE PUBLISHERS (US)
Telephone (610) 853-9131, Fax (610) 853-9146
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CASEMATE PUBLISHERS (UK)
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Para Rosamara

FOREWORD

This fascinating and informative biography by Thomas J. Carty, Ph.D., brings back fond memories of a vibrant and challenging time. It also constitutes a valuable, even indispensable, contribution to the compelling history of the triumph of the free world led by the United States over the Soviet Empire.

Forty years ago, as my father emerged on to the national scene, he had already achieved prominence and made his mark in a number of areasin state government, film, advertising, even organized labor. Political adversaries recognized in Dads devotion to patriotism and principle an unprecedented threat to the power of the central government that had been expanding for several decades. Oh, the labels his opponents made up in their desperate attempts to prevent his efforts to restore confidence, security, and limited government as the United States approached the end of the 20th century! Extremism was a favorite epithet, followed closely by divisive and ultraconservative. And what did ultraconservative mean? It meant ultraanything that critics didnt like.

Dad laughed it all off, a talent which should not be misconstrued: he anchored his political views and his profound faith in God and the American dream, and that made him an optimist. He knew that what Jefferson called the laws of nature and of natures God formed the firm foundation for his efforts to recover the spirit of liberty and peace that Americans were longing for after 35 years of living under the Soviet threat.

He asked a visitor in the late 1970s, Would you like to hear my plan for ending the Cold War?

You bet, Governor, said his visitor, quite willing to miss his plane for that opportunity.

We win, Dad said, with a grin. That was it. And that was Dad.

And how to win? Enter Faith Whittlesey. Like many other Americans, Faith recognized in Dad not only a proven leader but also a solid and very persuasive conservative. Well, Dad inspired people throughout the country, people in all walks of life who valued the virtues of hard work, thrift, self-reliance, family, church, and neighborhood. Like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, Dads confident enthusiasm convinced millions of Americans that the restoration of limited government was not only possible but necessary as never before in the history of our beloved country.

Faith not only shared my fathers goals, she pursued them with a unique combination of gifts. In the White House and as a diplomat in Switzerland, she represented Dads desire to return government to its proper role of smaller government at home, and abroad a policy of resistance to continuous Soviet expansionism and human rights abuses. At home, that meant a government that is accountable, responsive, and, yes, conservativebecause Dad and Faith Whittlesey fervently believed that there was much in America worth conserving. Abroad, that meant restoring Americas mission as a beacon of hope to the world, not merely containing but defeating the Evil Empire.

This resurgence of confidence energized millions of Americans, many of whom had never voted for a Republican in their lives. For them, Faith opened the White House doors, offering countless educational programs designed to illuminate the truth about Dads policies that were so opposed and derided by the prestige press. For the first time, Professor Cartys account painstakingly recounts the details of Faiths unprecedented network of information and energized action programs that spread the administrations message from the White House across America long before the days of the Internet.

And it didnt stop there. As Dads two-time ambassador to Switzerlandthe meeting point of international diplomacy and intrigue for countries all over the worldFaith tirelessly explained and advocated Dads foreign policy to officials who covered a broad political spectrum, as well as to the Swiss people. And when I say tireless, I mean it. Faith paid attention to everything and everybodynothing escaped her gaze, and no visitor escaped her cheerful advocacy of the virtues of a free market society and Ronald Reagans strategies to win the Cold War. In that same spirit, the pages that follow reveal accounts of events and policies that will surprise many who have not read beyond the received opinion produced by historical establishment and mainstream sources from the media and the academy.

You will also be intrigued, as I was, by Faiths distinguished professional career in Pennsylvania politics and law before the 1980 elections. So many people who worked with Dad brought such rich and varied experiencerecords of extraordinary achievementin their hometowns across America, experience that contributed so much to his administrations successes. They had honed those skills and long enacted that devotion to principle and the common good in communities across America.

Professor Cartys account is highly readable and often surprising. It constitutes a welcome new contribution to the historical literature of the period. His extensive research goes behind the scenes to seminal sources and materials that have never before appeared in print. Thus, his work contains new insights and documentation that previous accounts of the period had simply overlooked. Faith Whittlesey played a central role in the Reagan Administration, and Professor Carty deserves our gratitude for so ably bringing her contributions to light for the first time.

Whether in the White House or in the power centers of Europe, Faith never forgot where she came from. She was courageous because America was courageous. She was faithful because Americas founders were faithful. She was loyal because Nathan Hale and Patrick Henry were loyal. She stood on solid rock because she knows the alternative is shifting sand. My Dad warmly admired her combination of tenacity and generosity, and was amazed at her endless capacity to take on new tasks of every kindalways devoted to ensuring that freedom would be secure for future generations.

Encino, California July 3, 2012

MICHAEL REAGAN

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

During the 2005 American Swiss Foundations Young Leaders Conference, Steven Frick, M.D., of Charlotte, North Carolina, and I were speaking casually in Zrich with Ambassador Faith Whittlesey. At one point, Dr. Frick suggested, Tom, you should write Ambassador Whittleseys story. I responded enthusiastically, but the conversation soon moved to another topic.

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