Pat Buchanan

Pat Buchanan (born November 2, 1938), is an American author, syndicated columnist, and television commentator. In 2000, he ran for President of the United States on the Reform Party ticket. He had twice unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president. He has written several books on his political and religious views.

Early life

Pat Buchanan was born one of 9 children in Washington, D.C. to William Baldwin Buchanan and his wife, Catherine Elizabeth Crum. He is often regarded as an Irish Catholic, but in reality he is one-half German, one-quarter Scots Irish, and one-quarter Irish. He was christened Patrick Joseph Buchanan, and later took the name Francis at confirmation.

Related Topics:
Washington, D.C. - Irish Catholic - German - Scots Irish - Irish

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He was educated in Roman Catholic schools, including Gonzaga College High School. He graduated from Georgetown University with degrees in English and Philosophy in 1961, and he earned a Master's Degree in Journalism from Columbia University in 1962.

Related Topics:
Roman Catholic - Gonzaga College High School - Georgetown University - English - Philosophy - 1961 - Master's Degree - Journalism - Columbia University - 1962

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The same year he obtained his Journalism degree, Buchanan became an editorial writer for the now-defunct St. Louis Globe Democrat newspaper. Buchanan was an early supporter of Richard Nixon's political comeback, and in 1966 began working as an advisor to Nixon's campaign, primarily as an opposition researcher. When Nixon took office in 1969, Buchanan worked as a White House advisor and as a speechwriter to Nixon and to Vice-President Spiro Agnew. He was associated with some of Nixon's "dirty tricks" campaigns to harass and embarrass opponents during the 1972 election, revealed years later in a memo that contradicted his testimony before Congress on the subject in 1973, where he said that he did not know of any covert operations.

Related Topics:
Editorial - Writer - St. Louis - Newspaper - Richard Nixon - 1966 - 1969 - White House - Speechwriter - Spiro Agnew - Dirty tricks - 1972 election - 1973

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Buchanan was not implicated in the Watergate Scandal, though he was mentioned as a possible (but incorrect) identity of "Deep Throat". When the actual identity of Deep Throat was revealed in 2005 as FBI Associate Director Mark Felt, Buchanan called Felt "sneaky," "dishonest," and "criminal," commenting that "What he should have done, was if he felt the investigation was corrupted, stand up and say, 'I'm going to resign from the FBI because I don't want to be a party to what's going on. This is not correct, I think things are going on in the White House that are wrong. I don't believe they're investigated. I don't believe they're being investigated properly.'"

Related Topics:
Watergate Scandal - Deep Throat - 2005 - Mark Felt

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When Nixon resigned in 1974, Buchanan briefly fulfilled the same duties under President Gerald Ford before quitting the same year. After leaving the White House, he became a syndicated political columnist and began his regular appearances as a host and commentator on various national television public affairs programs, including The McLaughlin Group and Crossfire. Buchanan returned to the White House in 1985, serving until 1987 as White House Communications Director for the Reagan administration.

Related Topics:
1974 - Gerald Ford - Syndicated - Political - Columnist - Commentator - The McLaughlin Group - Crossfire - 1985 - 1987 - Reagan

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He and liberal commentator Bill Press cohosted Buchanan & Press on American cable channel MSNBC from 2002 until its cancellation in November, 2003. Buchanan is still with MSNBC as an analyst, and he occasionally fills in for Joe Scarborough on the nightly show "Scarborough Country". His wife is Shelley Buchanan, who shares her husband's views in most, if not all, areas. They have no children.

Related Topics:
Bill Press - MSNBC - 2002 - November - 2003 - Joe Scarborough

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