A Beltway Odyssey

Abstract

I was a Cold War baby, whose parents met while both served in the US Air Force. My father’s overseas postings fueled my interest in the world. In my early years I trended conservative, moving libertarian while attending Stanford Law School. On graduation I joined Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign, a grand ride for a political junkie, which took me to Washington and the White House. In 1982 I joined the libertarian movement—first Inquiry magazine, then the Cato Institute. Along the way I’ve worked with many other groups, such as Competitive Enterprise Institute, and written widely on domestic and foreign policy, leaning toward the latter in recent years. I’m at the point where retirement is starting to beckon, but I’m not yet ready to abandon the fight for liberty.