Richard Nadler dies, violin player and political columnist
By Michael Sorkin
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Jun. 05 2009
Richard Nadler, 60, who died Saturday (May 30, 2009) in Kansas City, didn't
always have the conservative traits that marked him as a writer, editor, TV
personality and political activist.

Mr. Nadler grew up in University City and dropped out of high school in 1966 to
pursue his first career: music.

Under the name Siegfried Carver, he played violin for the local rock-jazz group
Pavlov's Dog. Mr. Nadler toured the country as concertmaster with several
classical music groups, and played at Duff's restaurant here.

He came to believe that government was wasting taxes, and his views changed
from communist sympathizer to conservative and libertarian, recalled his wife,
Barbara LeClerq.

After earning his GED, he studied on his own and concluded that conservative
fiscal policies were the way to preserve liberty.

In 1983, he co-founded the Missouri Taxpayers Watchdog Association to keep tabs
on tax spending. He moved to Kansas City about 20 years ago and continued to
produce the association's annual Legislative Ratings Guide.

He started K.C. Jones, an alternative, conservative newspaper, and was a
regular panelist on Ruckus, a public affairs show on public television in
Kansas City. He was active in national politics and president of Americas
Majority, a conservative think tank. He wrote three books, and his articles
were published in the National Review and the Wall Street Journal.

He was a consultant for the Department of Education during the Reagan
administration.

Mr. Nadler gained national attention when he broke ranks with conservative
efforts to deport resident aliens. He also worked to recruit black and Hispanic
voters to the conservative cause. In recent years, he took up Orthodox Judaism.

His wife found his body at his computer, where he was working on his latest
book. The exact cause of death wasn't determined, she said.

Mr. Nadler was buried Tuesday at Chevra Kadisha Cemetery in University City.

Survivors include his wife, of Overland Park, Kan.; his mother, Sarah Nadler of
University City; and a sister, Rae Marjorie Nadler-Olenick of Austin, Texas.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Richard Nadler Library at Torah
Learning Center, 8800 West 103rd Street, Overland Park, Kan. 66212; Kansans for
Life, P.O. Box 4448, Overland Park, Kan. 66204; or Americans For Tax Reform,
722 12th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. 2005.