John LeBoutillier '76 Moderates His Image

Former Congressman John LeBoutillier '76 said last night that when he first went to Washington in 1980, his biggest problem was that he "never adjusted from being a candidate."

The controversial 29-year-old Republican, who was at Harvard to speak at the Republican Club's officer elections, explained that he just kept "attacking and attacking." "I was going to tell 'em like I really thought it was." Instead of using the polite language of the House of Representatives, he called Sen. Charles H. Percy (R-III.) "a wimp."

"People said I was too outspoken, "he added.

And in November, the voters from his Long Island constituency decided not to renew his contract.

In an interview before the speech, LeBoutillier attributed the loss to his outspokenness on Capitol Hill, a backlash against President Reagan, and a change in constituency due to redistricting.

"The new constituents were more moderate people and I had molded myself into a hot image," he said, adding. "I had to moderate myself in a matter of months."

He declined to say whether he will try to retake his old seat.

LeBoutiller has been sharply criticized for his personal criticisms of fellow politicians and his book titles "Harvard Hates America," written while he was at the Business School.

LeBoutillier charged that professors forced their political views on students and that Business School fosters an "excessive devotion" to economic success, at the expense of social responsibility.

The critics of the book are hypocrites, LeBoutillier argued yesterday, contending that most of his critics have only read reviews of "Harvard Hates America."

"Harvard is the greatest institution of education in the world," the Kirkland House alum said," and to go along with that it has a higher social responsibility."

LeBoutiller disagreed with Harvard's tentative decision to provide alternate funds for non-registrants for the draft.

"If Harvard doesn't like the law they have a distinguished group of alumni in the House and Senate-they should ask them to change the law," he commented.

LeBoutillier also downplayed accusations that some conservatives were trying to connect the nuclear freeze movement with Soviet propaganda.

"The nuclear freeze movement is a healthy thing," he said, adding that the differences between liberals and conservatives are over tactics, not the idea of reducing arms.

Before a receptive audience at Boylston Half, LeBoutillier talked about campaign tactics-door-to-door is the most effective-and the best types of education for a political career-"The Harvard Business School is great for politics."

When asked during the interview if he is an ambitious person, LeBoutillier said, "I'm like almost anyone who goes to this school; I want to make something of my life.