John Hood received a letter from William F. Buckley 20 years ago.

Then editor of his college newspaper, the president of the John Locke Foundation said he was inspired by the famous conservative who died earlier today.

"It was very brief but gracious and nice," Hood said of the letter. "It helped to cement my own career aspirations."

Hood credits Buckley, who is heralded as the founder of the post-World War II conservative movement, for where he is today. "I'm not sure I'd be doing what I'm doing if Bill Buckely had not blazed the trail," he said. "Buckley helped to create the post-war conservative consensus."

He also said Buckley influenced conservative organizations and magazines across the country, including in North Carolina.

"Organizations like The John Locke Foundation and publications like our Carolina Journal probably wouldn't exist in their current form if Bill Buckley had not created National Review in the 1950s," Hood said.

Hood met Buckley several times in Washington, D.C., but they were not close. Hood often writes for The National Review, the magazine founded by Buckley in 1955.

"I was shocked and saddened to hear the news today," he said of Buckley's death. "The conservative movement and American politics clearly bear his impact."

David Frum praised Joe McLaughlin's campaign for Congress.

In a post earlier today, we wrote that the conservative National Review had "praised" McLaughlin, a former Onslow County commissioner running against U.S. Rep. Walter Jones in the Republican primary.

Some Jones supporters complained about that wording, so we thought we would clarify things.

David Frum, a former speechwriter for President Bush, wrote in his online blog at the National Review's Web site last November that he was hosting a fundraiser for McLaughlin because of Jones' actions:

Walter Jones, Republican from the 3d congressional district of North Carolina, has lengthened his list of destructive and embarrassing actions by joining the far-left of the Democratic House members to vote in favor of advancing articles of impeachment against Vice President Cheney.

He also said McLaughlin was a "distinguished American" who would "restore dignity" to the Republican House caucus.

Update: Jones' chief of staff says he "never voted" to impeach Cheney. 

U.S. Rep. Walter Jones is getting some help from the GOP establishment.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will attend a fundraiser next month for Jones, his campaign announced. The event will be held in the Pitt County home of Lynda and Ferrell Blount, the past chairman of the state Republican Party.

The Gingrich event comes on top of a recent Jones fundraiser in Washington that was attended by Rep. Tom Cole, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Rob Christensen reports.

Rep. Spencer Bachus, the ranking member of the House Comittee on Financial Services, will be the star attraction at a Jones fund raiser on Feb. 26th in D.C.

Jones is being challenged by former Onslow County Commissioner Joe McLaughlin, who has been critical of Jones' opposition to the war in Iraq and for not being supportive enough of President Bush.

McLaughlin's candidacy has been been praised by David Frum at the conservative National Review and by Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

Norquist will be in Greenville, New Bern and Morehead City on Monday, Feb. 18, stumping for McLaughlin.