Farewell Roast Done the Right Way : Conservatives Hail Whittlesey as She Leaves White House

Faith Ryan Whittlesey, in addition to being the highest-ranking woman in the Reagan White House, also has been described as its last true conservative. Reportedly battle-fatigued from dealing with White House moderates who do not see eye-to-eye with her, Whittlesey will leave her post as White House director of public liaison next month to resume her job as ambassador to Switzerland.

But her kindred spirits could not let her go without that fine Washington tradition, a farewell roast.

At least it was billed as a roast. And it was certainly that, but Whittlesey was not the one spinning on the spit.

Other Toasts

Instead of reserving the evening for playfully jabbing Whittlesey, the conservatives spent most of their time bashing--and not too playfully--their many close personal enemies: liberals, Democrats, moderate Republicans (especially the “sea of nincompoops” who columnist-roaster John Lofton said had engulfed Whittlesey at the White House: Michael Deaver, White House deputy chief of staff; James Baker, former White House chief of staff, and Richard Darman, former secretary to the White House staff), the television networks (especially CBS), journalists (especially the Washington Post) and feminists, such as those named in the roasting session by Lofton: “NOW national chair-shrew Judy Goldsmith, chief chair-witch Kathy Wilson of the National Women’s Political caucus. . . .”

Even Chappaquiddick jokes were considered well within the realm of good taste by these most conservative conservatives, who included Rev. Jerry Falwell, Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), Sen. John East (R-N.C.), Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), direct-mail king Richard Viguerie, Pennsylvania Gov. Richard Thornburgh, Rep. Robert Dornan (R-Garden Grove), Rep. Vin Weber (R-Minn.), columnist M. Stanton Evans and National Pro-Life Political Action Committee director Peter Gemma.

Not Top Heavy

Noticeably absent were any top-level White House officials or Cabinet members. President Reagan sent Whittlesey a telegram.

The $100-a-plate dinner benefitted the Committee for Responsible Youth Politics, which recruits and trains young conservatives. One of the products of CRYP, Yale law student Peter Keisler, assured the audience that the conservative revolution was sweeping college campuses. He read several verses of Bob Dylan’s “The Times, They Are A-Changin’,” to illustrate his point, even though Dylan’s hit song had dramatized the rather different changes of the 1960s.

The mood was set early by the opening entertainment, which was a serious presentation. Youngsters put on a martial arts exhibition, dubbed a “patriotic ballet,” while a loud recording of “Exodus” played and Jhoon Rhee, head of the Jhoon Rhee Institute of Tae Kwon Do, read his poem “Might for Right,” comparing the conflict between good and evil to that between the “righteous right and sinister left.” Not to worry. In the end, “ . . . So does the righteous right cover the evil left.”

Members of the Students Against Draft Dodgers passed out pink bumper stickers that said, “Downey is a Wimp,” referring to Rep. Thomas Downey (D-N.Y.), who almost came to blows with Dornan on the House floor recently after Dornan called Downey a “wimp” for criticizing anti-government contra forces in Nicaragua.

A good time was had by all.

A Moot Point

Lofton, who wore a child’s party hat, drew lots of laughs for his belittling characterizations of feminists, which were used in praising Whittlesey for one of her many controversial stances. During the 1984 campaign, Whittlesey told President Reagan that the so-called gender gap was exaggerated, and that he should not consider women as a separate group with its own issues--infuriating feminists. As it turned out, there was a 4-point difference in the men’s and women’s presidential vote, but it seemed a moot point considering that Reagan garnered 57% of the female vote.

Her Own Drummer

Whittlesey marched to her own drummer when she became the director of public liaison in March, 1983, replacing the popular Elizabeth Dole when she left to become secretary of transportation. While many regarded the job as one of dealing with the concerns of different constituencies--women, farmers, minorities and other American groups--Whittlesey was criticized for spending most of her time talking with conservative activists and heading an extensive outreach program on Central America.

One reported example of how Whittlesey irritated other White House officials came during the campaign, when Whittlesey recommended that Reagan appear on the cover of the National Rifle Assn. magazine, accepting an engraved handgun set on a plaque. On another occasion, White House spokesman Larry Speakes told reporters at a news briefing that some remarks she had made were “out of kilter” with the President’s views on women’s rights.

Lavished With Praise

For facing up to such opposition, she was lavished with praise by each of the 12 male roasters. But Falwell told a reporter that all is not lost for conservatives with the departure of Whittlesey.

“I regret deeply the fact that she is leaving,” said Falwell, who was more restrained in his comments. “But Ronald Reagan is there and I think he has a very capable cadre working around him, George Bush, an outstanding Cabinet. I don’t understand anyone who has the feeling there are no conservatives in the White House. That is a total misconception and a slam on the President.”

Falwell himself often has been labeled as one of the key conservative voices in the White House, even though he does not draw a paycheck there. Democrats made an issue during the campaign about Falwell having to give his approval to the selection of Supreme Court justices. During his roasting session, Falwell said, “Faith, I would have appointed you to the Supreme Court but I did not want to give credibility to (Democratic presidential nominee Walter) Mondale.” It was not the only mention of Whittlesey as a Supreme Court justice during the evening.

Viguerie did not roast Whittlesey but told a reporter, “I have mixed feelings. I’m sorry to see her strong conservative voice leave. But the fact that Patrick Buchanan is there (as director of communications) made 1985 itself, made the year. Conservatives feel so much better about 1985 than they did about 1981, because Donald Regan is there, Buchanan is there, Baker is not there, Darman is not there and Deaver will soon be gone.”

Pro-life activist Gemma was among those with pointed remarks at Whittlesey: “Some say Mrs. Whittlesey’s right-to-life stance is not 100% pure. Well, I’m here to set the record straight. Mrs. Whittlesey has exceptions to the pro-life position but there’s some logic. She’s advocated the right to life is undisputable for every preborn baby. She seems to favor, however, monitoring these newborns until they’re age 18, getting a voting analysis on them and then deciding who will be a productive member of society.”

Also from Gemma, “When Faith went to the White House, they changed the rest rooms from Men’s Room and Ladies’ Room to Men’s Room and Crazy Right Wing Extremist’s Room. What you don’t know is there were no facilities in that room.”

Enjoyed the Roast

The 45-year-old Whittlesey appeared to enjoy the proceedings. She reminisced about her time at the White House, “It took me a long time to realize that ‘Star Wars’ referred to White House dinner seating lists.”

William Gribbin, assistant deputy staff director of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, roasted Whittlesey and others, saying, “Faith goes back a long way. She knew Jack Kemp when his hair moved. She was there when (a D.C. government official) angrily stomped out of Nancy Reagan’s conference on dangerous drugs when he found out there were none available.

“Occasions like this show the conservative movement at its best and its worst,” said Gribbin, “and how precious little difference there is between the two.”