J.C. Watts: Guys, how in the world are you?

Fitton: We’re doing well.

Larry Klayman: We’re doing good. I wanted to ask you, J.C., how do you define a conservative? I define a conservative in a pure sense, and I don’t necessarily relate it to the Republican Party.

J.C. Watts: Well, and that’s a great point. It doesn’t mean you’re Republican. Kay James, who is the lady that’s the Director of Office of Personal Management, said, "conservative is living the way your Grandmama taught you to live," and you know, I believe that. I think conservative means you treat people the way you want to be treated. You understand hard work. You understand sacrifice, commitment. You don’t look to the government for your nourishment or your encouragement.

Klayman: I would say, and correct me if you disagree, but the fundamental basis of conservatism is that we believe in the rights of the individual over the rights of the state.

Watts: That’s right, and we have devalued that concept over the last ten years.

Klayman: John Adams, the second American President, said that it is through morality, ethics and religion that liberty is preserved. I think conservatives put a greater premium on ethics and morality than do people on the left.

Watts: And I think conservatives also believe, and then there’s something else that I talk about in the book, they believe in individual thought, not group thought.

Fitton: J.C., you know, you didn’t start in Washington. You started, as you wrote in your book, in Oklahoma. You were a star football player with Oklahoma, much to the chagrin, I’m sure, of many of our listeners in Texas. Can you describe how your career in football impacted your total philosophy or the way you have led your life since your playing days?

Watts: Well, I think, interestingly, many people think, once you get involved in politics and you declare some association with a party, that this is how you define yourself. But, you know, when I switched from Democrat to Republican, my thoughts didn’t change at all, only my political registration changed. And I submit to you that my parents, my grandmother, my athletic background had a whole lot to do with what I think about personal responsibility, taxes, society, and the role of government.

Fitton: You were the only elected black Republican in Congress when you decided to leave. I’m sure it was a step not to be taken lightly. What was your thinking in leaving?

Watts: Well, it wasn’t taken lightly and, ironically, when I did retire, the press made a big deal about me being the only American of African descent in the Republican Congress. But I found it ironic that the Democrats had no black Democrats when they were in the majority and that was never an issue.

Klayman: None in the leadership, right.

Watts: That’s right. But that was never an issue. It was only an issue when I decided to move on. But the reason I decided in 1994 that I was going to only run three terms is because, as I’ve always said, "I think you have to be careful that you don’t get on the political treadmill and not be able to get off." And Larry and Tom, I’ve never seen anyone or heard of anyone on their deathbed saying, "I wish I would have spent more time in politics," or "I wish I would have spent more time at the office." So there¹s other things that I want to do and that I can do and having "congressman" in front of my name does not validate my existence. Now I¹ll stay involved and I want to be involved. I think there are various issues out there that I think all of us need to be concerned about, but I just didn¹t feel like having "congressman" in front of my name was the only way that I can make a contribution.

Klayman: You probably can make more. One interesting area that I think most people don’t understand with regard to congressmen is that, as a practical matter, they’re not always free to vote the way they want to vote because if you vote your conscience, sometimes your own party retaliates against you. Is that true?

Watts: Well, I tell you what. I can honestly say in eight years that I was in Congress, I never did any horse trading for votes. As a matter of fact, The Washington Post magazine did an article on me when I left and somebody in the Republican Party had said, "J.C. wasn¹t the kind of guy that did horse trading or built coalitions." That’s not my cup of tea. But I do think the longer you stick around Washington, the more you become conscious of trying to build your policy or climb the ladder. I had my run and it was time for me to go.

Klayman: Did anyone ever try to retaliate against you for not being a company guy?

Watts: I’m 45-years-old. I¹ve got six kids and grandkids. I wouldn’t take too lightly to somebody trying to put me in my place. I don’t think my kids or grandkids would be very proud of their dad or their grand dad for letting some other grown man tell him how to vote.

Klayman: That’s to your credit. I mean, there are articles in the paper today that there are Republicans who are opposing President Bush’s tax plans and that Tom DeLay and others are threatening them that their legs are going to be cut out from under them if they don’t toe the line.

Watts: Yeah. Well, and I tell you. You know, Denny Hastert was pretty good at allowing
people to vote their conscience. Now that’s not to say if somebody disagreed with the Speaker, that he wouldn’t call him in and visit with him before the vote, but the four years that I was a Conference Chairman under the leadership of Denny Hastert, I don’t ever remember Denny Hastert trying to put somebody in their place.

Klayman: Where can we get your book? We’re out of time, but we want to sell your book because I’m sure you did a great job writing it.

Watts: WWW.JCWATTS.COM, and at any book store. I know Barnes & Noble has it.

Fitton: And we recommend it. Thank you J.C.