Ed Gillespie on Principles & Values

Don't let the Left fill the vacuum of minority voters

The Republican argued that it was important for his party to "be there" in communities that have trended away from the GOP, noting that candidates don't need to speak Spanish to go on the Univision or Telemundo television networks. He also mentioned his own efforts to offer campaign videos in other languages. "We certainly should not cede those audiences to the left," Gillespie said of groups that don't typically vote for Republicans, including many minorities. The left will "fill that vacuum, and we cannot allow that vacuum to occur."

1994: Named the legislation in the Contract With America

Significant moments:
• March 1991: Rep. Dick Armey is named ranking Republican on the Joint Economic Committee and names me minority staff director.
• Jan. 1993: Bill Clinton is inaugurated president. Not coincidentally, Dick Armey is elected chairman of the House Republican Conference, ousting the more moderate Representative Jerry Lewis (R-CA). He names me policy and communications director for the House Republican Conference.
• Fall 1993: Armey plays a key role in defeating First Lady Hillary Clinton's health care proposal with an October 13 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal charting its complicated structure.
• Sep. 27, 1994: House Republicans unveil their Contract with America, in which I named the 10 pieces of legislation.
• Nov. 8, 1994: Republicans gain 52 seats to regain control of the House for the 1st time in 40 years.
• Fall 1995: Republicans in Congress and Pres. Clinton clash over budget priorities, resulting in major parts of the US government shutting down.

If you can name something, you can control it

I am tired of having my religious convictions scorned

I have become tired, however, of being told that unless I am willing to support government sanction of same-sex marriage then I am guilty of bigotry, tired of having my religious convictions scorned instead of respected, tired of my children being confronted with shocking images every time they turn on the television or go on the internet.

A good plan beats a bad plan; any plan beats no plan

Planned political reporting career at Catholic U. of America

"[My childhood] was fairly idyllic, playing a lot of sandlot baseball. I had a dog and he & I would go out on long treks. It was a small town childhood," says Gillespie. "New Jersey is like two different states. There's the 201 [area code] state and the 609 state. I grew up in the 609 state.

Raised a Democrat; first job with Democrat; switched to GOP

While he recalls being drawn to the Republican Party from a young age, the Senator he first served under was a Democrat. Gillespie's official party allegiance didn't change until his boss suddenly decided to switch parties in 1984.

"As an Irish-Catholic kid from NJ, my roots were Democratic. My parents' families were very strongly Democrat. But like so many Irish-Catholic Democrats, I found myself relating more to Ronald Reagan and the Republican Party, which was more staunchly anti-communist and more about opportunity."

Contract with America: 10 bills in 1st 100 days of Congress.

As Republican Members of the House of Representatives and as citizens seeking to join that body, we propose not just to change its policies, but to restore the bounds of trust between the people and their elected representatives. That is why, in this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer instead a detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.

Within the first hundred days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given a full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote, and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny:
1. The Fiscal Responsibility Act: Balanced budget amendment & line item veto
2. The Taking Back Our Streets Act: More prisons, more enforcement, more death penalty
3. The Personal Responsibility Act: Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending
4. The Families Reinforcement Act: Use tax code to foster families
5. The American Dream Restoration Act: Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes
6. The National Security Restoration Act: No US troops under UN command; more defense spending
7. The Senior Citizens Fairness Act: Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings
8. The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act: Incentives to small businesses
9. The Common Sense Legal Reforms Act: Limit punitive damages
10. The Citizen Legislature Act: Term limits on Congress