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Pat Buchanan Pat Buchanan began his career in journalism, then served speechwriter and special assistant to President Nixon. He did not have a major role in the Watergate scandal. In 1973, he testified before the Senate Watergate committee that he knew of no covert operations or dirty tricks campaigns against Democratic opponents. However, a 1972 memo, released many years later, shows that Buchanan endorsed activities designed to harass and embarrass Democrats during the campaign. He returned to the White House as an assistant to President Gerald Ford in 1974 and served as communications director for President Ronald Reagan from 1985 to 1987. Over the years, he emerged as a conservative political figure in his own right, as an author and as the pugnacious co-host of CNN's "Crossfire" talk show and other news analysis programs. He challenged George H.W. Bush for the Republican presidential nomination in 1992. In 1996, he again sought the nomination, winning a surprising victory in the New Hampshire primary before dropping out of the race a month later. In 1999, Buchanan left the Republican Party for the Reform Party, winning its presidential nomination but garnering less than one percent of the national vote in the 2000 election. Today, Buchanan is a syndicated columnist, political analyst and blogger. |
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