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Cal Thomas

By Ellen Belcher

Dayton Daily News

Cal Thomas' unabashedly conservative column, which appears in upward of 600 newspapers, began in 1984. A frequent guest on political talk shows, Thomas has written 10 books, including The Things That Matter Most; Blinded by Might: Why the Religious Right Can't Save America; Liberals for Lunch; and, most recently, The Wit and Wisdom of Cal Thomas.

Thomas began his media career as a disc jockey and news reader when he was 16, and went on to join NBC News in Washington, D.C., as a copyboy at age 18.

He has said his greatest influences — besides his parents — have been the late Rev. Richard Halverson, the former chaplain of the U.S. Senate, and the late philosopher-theologian Francis Schaeffer.

Thomas, who was once a spokesman for the now-defunct Moral Majority, hosts After Hours with Cal Thomas, which airs on Saturdays from 11 to 11:30 p.m. He also has a daily radio program that is on more than 300 stations.

Thomas frequently comments on religion and politics, and he advocates for religion having a bigger role in society, once explaining, "We've been free-lancing religiously and leaving God right out of the equation."

Though he has been intensely critical of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Thomas says he does not oppose all Democrats. He has voted for some conservative ones, he once told an interviewer.

A fan of cats — his is named Precious — Thomas has said, "Cats are just like Republicans. Self-sufficient, independent. Dogs are clearly Democrats. They constantly need attention."

A graduate of American University, the 6-foot-7-inch Thomas is a frequent speaker at churches. He and his wife, Ray, who is a family therapist, have four grown children.