ED FEULNER

CAL THOMAS COMMENTARY JULY 22, 2025

     A TRIBUTE TO MY FRIEND ED FEULNER. THE CREATOR ALONG WITH PAUL WEYRIGH, OF THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION WHO DIED LAST WEEK AT AGE 83. ED PROVIDED THE INTELLECTUAL DEPTH CONSERVATISM HAD NEEDED IN THE LATE 1970S AND SINCE. HERITAGE BECAME MORE THAN WHAT IS CALLED A THINK TANK. IT WAS A RESOURCE FOR INFORMATION, NOT JUST FROM A CONSERVATIVE PERSPECTIVE, BUT FROM A FACTUAL ONE.

     PEOPLE WOULD ASK ME WHERE THEY COULD GO TO GET TRUTHFUL INFORMATION ABOUT AN ISSUE. I WOULD RECOMMEND THE HERITAGE.ORG WEBSITE AS THEIR FIRST STOP.

     ED FEULNER WAS NOT THE SAPPY PERSONALITY CABLE TV LIKES TO HAVE ON. HE HAD DEPTH AND WISDOM. HE WAS ALSO KIND TO ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE, MENTORING THEM AS THEY BEGAN THEIR POLITICAL CAREERS. AND HE GREATLY INFLUENCED RONALD REAGAN, WHO ADOPTED MANY OF HIS POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HELPED REAGAN SUCCEED DURING HIS TWO TERMS.

     IT’S A CLICHÉ TO SAY ED FEULNER WILL BE MISSED, BUT I WILL MISS HIM AND SO WILL CONSERVATIVES. FORTUNATELY, HERITAGE CONTINUES UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP. ED ALWAYS SIGNED HIS LETTERS TO ME, SAYING “ONWARD.” THAT SEEMS TO BE A GOOD EPITAPH. I’M CAL THOMAS.