Should Libertarians be happy with Palin?

by Andrew Davis, from lp.org...
Should Libertarian be happy with Sarah Palin, the current Alaskan governor and now Sen. John McCain's running mate in his presidential bid? The gut reaction is yes, Libertarians should be excited about Palin. Palin has a reputation for fighting government corruption, wears fur, shoots guns, eats moose and has earned the respect of our state affiliate in Alaska.

Palin's reputation as a reformer—standing up to politicians in one of the most corrupt states in the nation—appeals strongly to the anti-establishment tendencies of Libertarians. Additionally, she was one of the leading figures in stopping the infamous Sen. Ted Stevens' "Bridge to Nowhere."

On the surface, Palin looks like she could be the future of the GOP, especially where McCain fails to live up to the image Republicans hoped to recreate following an embarrassing self-defeat in the 2006 election. Her appeal to the religious right for her strong pro-life stance, and her appeal to fiscal conservatives for taking down the Alaska-regime brighten McCain's prospects in winning the hearts of the GOP base.

But like the permafrost that lies a few inches beneath Alaska's soil, is there a troubling layer to Palin that has yet to be exposed?

McCain's pick of Palin will be the defining moment in the 2008 presidential contest. Like going for two instead of sending the game into overtime, McCain's risky choice will be a make or break decision. While other no-name VP picks have helped, or at least not hurt the presidential tickets, Palin's unknown background may end up turning John McCain into a 2008 version of the McGovern/Eagleton ticket from the '72 election.

Aside from a very calculated attempt to attract a number of different groups McCain has struggled to woo (libertarians, Christian-right, young voters), a Palin pick will seriously stunt McCain's most effective attack on Obama: Lack of experience. Some will say that Palin has more experience than Obama—and admittedly, it's a close call, but even in Obama's limited experience in the Senate he will have gained more practical knowledge of the Executive than Palin would have in her brief time as a city councilwoman, mayor and first-term Governor.

After all, Palin will be spending most of her time presiding over the Senate (someone should tell her this).

"She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?" said State Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican from Palin's hometown of Wasilla.

The New York Times echoed this sentiment, saying, "Senator John McCain spent the summer arguing that a 40-something candidate with four years in major office and no significant foreign policy experience was not ready to be president, and then on Friday he picked as his running mate a 40-something candidate with two years in major office and no significant foreign policy experience."

Secondly, Palin isn't exactly the fiscal-warrior that many make her out to be.

In less than two years as governor, she managed a 6 percent increase in part of the state's budget, as well as being responsible for a windfall tax on oil companies—much like that proposed by Democrats and opposed by people like John McCain. And, according to CNN, "Alaska now has some of the highest resource taxes in the world."

This, of course, has disastrous consequences to development in the area. "BP Alaska, which runs Prudhoe Bay, said earlier this year that it had delayed the development in the western region of the North Slope as a result of the tax," the Seattle Times reported earlier this month. "ConocoPhillips cited the same reason for scrapping a $300 million refinery project."

Palin also was responsible for using $500 million in taxpayer money to help build a pipeline in Alaska, without the support of Alaskan oil companies. Without their support, CNN says many in the Alaskan government feel the pipeline will never be constructed, though the state will still be on the hook for half-a-billion dollars.

Is this Palin's "Pipeline to Nowhere"?

The calculated decision to pick Palin certainly flies in the face of most everything John McCain has claimed to be this election cycle. For a supposed "maverick" that cares little for the political games of the establishment, his move to pick an untested candidate who fails to line up with him on a number of issues stinks highly of a cheap political ploy to pick up support from disenchanted voting blocks.

One fantasy conservatives in the GOP are deluding themselves with is that somehow Palin will stem the leftward drift of their disorientated party. Should Palin be the fiscal stalwart that conservatives hope her to be, she's still playing second fiddle to the progressive John McCain.

Hoping that Palin influences McCain and pushes him back to the right is pipe dream for bitter conservatives resistant to voting for McCain. The fact that the GOP took out its ANWR plank so that it wouldn't conflict with their nominee's position is evidence enough that even John McCain has limits to how far he will tailor his message to pick up votes.

Palin was picked for what she represents and not for what she believes. Where she stands on the issues is irrelevant to the campaign. It's a matter of how many voters she can pull in by simply having her name on the ticket.

In brief, Palin is a calculated risk that will in the end make or break the McCain campaign. It all depends on what is living in the unseen layers of Palin's unexplored past. While the "Troopergate" scandal and some of the questionable policy moves during her short term as Governor may be overlooked or completely forgiven, "new dirt" is often amplified and exploited by a shameless media. Be it a silly helmet, electroshock therapy, or scandalous photos taken in the carefree days of youth—all possible unknowns will keep GOP strategists from getting a full night of sleep until Nov. 5.

As for Libertarians, Palin is certainly a breath of fresh air from the typical establishment candidates. However, Palin is also more of a political chess piece than a real sign of reform within the GOP. Her backseat in the "Straight Talk Express" makes her a passenger, not a driver, in the campaign.

While the base of the GOP may be more prone to rallying behind Palin than McCain, it's still McCain that is heading the ticket, and it will be McCain that would be making the policy decisions in a McCain administration. Though Palin herself may not know it, and though newly excited conservatives may not be willing to believe it, Palin's role (and her views) will most likely be marginal at best.

Voting for McCain because of Palin is like buying a jalopy with a fresh paint job, and hoping it will perform like a car right out of the factory doors. The GOP is still heading down a bumpy path, and even a reformer like Palin isn't enough to get it back on the pavement.

Palin not the first female V.P.

In the discussion about Sen. John McCain's pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, it should be noted that the Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee Tonie Nathan was the first woman ever to receive an electoral vote. In 1972, Roger MacBride, a Republican elector from Virginia, cast his electoral vote for the Hospers/Nathan ticket.

Media Alert

Upcoming Bob Barr media appearances:

Bob on Fox News "Weekend Live"
12:40 pm Sunday Aug. 31

Bob on CNN "CNN Newsroom"
6:30 pm Sunday Aug. 31

Barr Only Presidential Candidate on Texas Ballot

Republicans, Democrats miss deadline to file presidential candidates in Texas

The following is a media release from the Barr presidential campaign:

Atlanta, GA - Bob Barr is slated to be the only presidential candidate on the ballot in Texas after Republicans and Democrats missed the Aug. 26 deadline to file in the state.

“Unless the state of Texas violates their own election laws, Congressman Barr will be the only presidential candidate on the ballot,” says Russell Verney, campaign manager for the Barr Campaign and the former campaign manager for Ross Perot. “Texas law makes no exceptions for missing deadlines.”

The Texas Secretary of State Web site shows only Bob Barr as the official candidate for president in Texas.

“We know all about deadlines,” says Verney. “We are up against them constantly in our fight to get on the ballot across the nation. When we miss deadlines, we get no second chances. This is a great example of how unreasonable deadlines chill democracy.”

“Republicans and Democrats make certain that third party candidates are held to ballot access laws, no matter how absurd or unreasonable,” says Verney. “Therefore, Republicans and Democrats should be held to the same standards.”

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.

Reminder: Barr on Glenn Beck

This is just a reminder that Bob Barr will appear on Glenn Beck tonight for the full hour. The shows airs at 7pm EDT (and again at 9pm and midnight) on CNN Headline News.

Be sure to tune in and show your support for Bob and the Libertarian Party.

Recent Poll

Zogby poll shows strong support for Bob Barr across America:

Precent of vote:

Oklahoma 9%
New Hampshire 11%
Indiana 7%
Colorado 8%
Nevada 10%
Ohio 8%
Arizona 7%
Georgia 8%
Minnesota 8%

This is great! But Bob still needs your help to get into the debates this fall. we can do this but everyone needs to help out. Donate Today!

Bob Barr on CNN American Morning 8/19/08

Ron Paul the Green?

From campaignforliberty.com...

In an interesting tidbit, the Independent Green Party has placed Dr. Paul and Michael Bloomberg on the ballot as their presidential ticket in Virginia.

My take:

1) The IGP knew that the name Ron Paul would pull a few votes (probably Bloomberg too)

2) Dr. Paul’s traditional, conservative American message has tremendous crossover appeal with the Left. You don’t see them nominating Mitt Romney, do you?

In all seriousness, Dr. Paul is an environmentalist. He just understands that the best way to protect our natural resources is by enforcing private property rights, not Big Government. The Soviet Union had perhaps the biggest government in human history and produced some of the most diabolical environmental degradation (the Aral Sea or Chernobyl anyone?)

And, a message to the Greens – come join us, environmentalism is very libertarian! The first thing most people stop caring about during tough economic times is protecting the environment. The top-to-bottom prosperity that only true free markets can provide is the best way to preserve our world. A wealthy people have time to smell the roses; and prevent acid rain.

Create Private Accounts for Social Security, Says Bob Barr

National Libertarian Party Press Release:
... "The US is facing a financial tsunami as the Baby Boomers retire,” warns Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate for president, on the 73rd anniversary of Social Security being signed into law. “The total unfunded liability for Social Security and Medicare is more than $100 trillion—that is ten times the official national debt! The longer we wait to act, the harder it will be to reform the system,” says Barr.

“Social Security was sold to the American people as a system of social insurance, but that was merely a polite fraud to win their votes,” notes Barr. “It is a pay-as-you-go system. If it was run by a private company rather than the government, the managers would be jailed for running a Ponzi scheme, one of the classic investment swindles. The so-called trust fund doesn’t exist: in reality, it is a file cabinet full of IOUs rather than a vault full of cash,” he explains.

“The system is headed towards financial collapse,” Barr adds. “It starts running a deficit in 2017 and the red ink piles up fast. In essence, to keep the system afloat we will either have to double taxes or halve benefits. Neither is an appealing option.”

“Moreover, the rate of return for beneficiaries keeps falling. Many Americans are now losing money. Over the long term the most the majority of people can hope for is to make a percent or so—compared to 5.5 percent a year on average for a private investment in a mixture of bonds and stocks,” Barr observes. “The U.S. government is literally stealing people’s retirement from them.”

“I am proposing a system of private retirement accounts,” explains Barr. Younger workers will be able to put increasing amounts of their tax payments into individual accounts. New workers entering the system will be able to exit Social Security entirely. The transition will be paid for in part through savings from adjusting benefits to account for the erroneous use of a wage rather than price index for setting payments and the fact that beneficiaries are living longer. Other savings will be achieved by cutting nonessential programs throughout the government, including corporate welfare,” he adds.

“We cannot afford to wait any longer,” Barr observes. “One of the most important tests for the next president is a willingness to lead. The American people deserve to have a retirement system which they can count on.”...

No Military Entanglements in Georgia, Says Bob Barr

Atlanta, GA – “Statements from both the Bush Administration and Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain regarding the continuing conflict between Russia and Georgia indicate once again their shared predisposition to involve America’s armed forces in foreign conflicts with no clear link to our country’s vital national security interests,” said Libertarian presidential nominee, former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr.

“President George W. Bush is now sending U.S. soldiers to Georgia under the banner of providing humanitarian assistance, placing American forces in an unsettled war zone that clearly risks involving the U.S. in a confrontation with Russia,” warns Barr. “The rationale for Sen. McCain’s refusal to rule out U.S. military action in behalf of Georgian President Saakashvili, remains unclear,” Barr noted. He continued, “Whether Sen. McCain’s position favoring U.S. involvement is based on his personal friendship with the Georgian leader, on a view that U.S. national interests are somehow immediately and seriously threatened by the conflict between Russia and Georgia, or on some other assessment, is unclear; but,” Barr also noted, “it threatens to involve us in a dispute challenging a heavily armed nuclear power in its backyard.”

“The dispute between Russia and Georgia has roots going back many centuries, and in the current conflict, neither side has clean hands,” Barr noted; and “a similar apparent failure to understand the deep, long-standing and historic animosities between ethnic and religious groups in Iraq led to serious miscalculations in that country. We ought to be much more careful about threatening U.S. military involvement in such situations than current leaders in Washington, including President Bush and Sen. McCain, appear to comprehend,” Barr said.

“U.S. foreign policy should be based on a hard-headed assessment of U.S. interests, not warm and fuzzy feelings about a particular foreign leader,” the Libertarian nominee said. “Moreover, the most important American interest is defending America. Sen. McCain appears to have forgotten that essential principle, since intervening on behalf of Georgia has nothing to do with defending America,” insists Barr. “Such simplistic approaches to foreign policy are always dangerous,” Barr warned, “but are especially so when they involve a major, nuclear power generally.

“Although America must always be prepared to use military force to defend itself, doing so should be the last rather than first resort, and the U.S. should not risk military involvement in such a tragic and unnecessary war, and one with so little direct or immediate relevance to America’s own security,” Barr concluded.

Schansberg to hold Town Hall Meeting in Seymour on Thursday

from lpin.org:

JEFFERSONVILLE, IN -- Dr. Eric Schansberg will hold a Town Hall meeting in Room 301 of the Seymour City Hall on Thursday, August 21st, from 6:00-7:00 PM. (City Hall is located at 309 N. Chestnut St. in downtown Seymour.)

Dr. Schansberg is an economics professor at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany and the Libertarian candidate for Congress in the 9th District.

Schansberg will deliver prepared remarks and then field questions from those in the audience.

In his prepared remarks, Dr. Schansberg will address:

gas prices and energy policy—policies that will work (domestic drilling and a stronger dollar) and policies that will not work (regulations on speculators, subsidies to energy companies, etc.)
the dramatic but overlooked impact of fiscal conservatism
our on-going efforts in Iraq
the oppressive burden of payroll/FICA taxes on income and the need for Social Security reform
All interested parties are encouraged to attend. Audio and video recording are permitted.

For more information on the campaign, see: www.SchansbergForCongress.com. To schedule an interview, contact Eric Schansberg at (812) 218-0443, Melanie Hughes at (502) 432-1930, or send an email to SchansbergForCongress@gmail.com.

Voters want Bob!

from LP.org,by Andrew Davis:

Are you aware that to get our Presidential Candidate, Bob Barr, into the debates, we need to be polling at 15% or higher? Perhaps you saw our urgent email about this?

According to a new Zogby poll, 55 percent of likely voters want Libertarian candidate Bob Barr included in the presidential debates!

In addition, according to the same poll, Barr has 14 percent of the independent vote!

Getting Bob on the ballot in as many states as possible is a great way of gaining attention for all Libertarian candidates & helps build the numbers! However, even after the LP and Bob’s campaign spent almost $500,000.00 on ballot access, we are still coming up $50,000 short and we need to finish the job in the next two weeks.

Bob Barr: Libertarian for President

Thomas Knapp endorses Gravel’s National Initiative

Press release from Tom Knapp:

Earlier this year, former US Senator Mike Gravel (D-AK) left the Democratic Party’s presidential race to instead seek the nomination of the Libertarian Party. While that party passed him over in favor of former US Representative Bob Barr (R-GA), his ideas seem to be catching on with Libertarians.

The latest endorser of Gravel’s “National Initiative for Democracy,” which would enable a process for direct lawmaking by popular vote, is Thomas L. Knapp, the Libertarian Party’s candidate for US House of Representatives from Missouri’s 2nd District.

“The National Initiative isn’t perfect,” says Knapp, 41, of Greendale. “I’d prefer that it included a super-majority requirement and an explicit set of reservations analogous to the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. But we’ve learned from experience that putting national lawmaking authority solely in the hands of 537 people in Washington results in a broken process dominated by corporate and sectional interests and geared toward protecting those interests rather than our rights.”

The National Initiative for Democracy would allow citizens to make or alter laws via an initiative and referendum system similar to those currently used in 24 states. Knapp points out that libertarian activists have successfully used those systems to promote and pass pro-freedom legislation such as protection for the rights of medical marijuana patients and limits on government’s powers of taxation and eminent domain.

“While many libertarians distrust democracy and fear its devolution into mob rule,” he says, “it seems unlikely to me that the American people would legislate as corruptly and incompetently as their representatives in Washington have. The National Initiative provides for a period of deliberation and debate, with any new law requiring affirmation by voters in two separate elections. Meanwhile, we frequently hear that Congress has passed new legislation without waiting for it to be printed so that they can actually read it.”

Knapp faces incumbent Republican Todd Akin and Democratic challenger Bill Haas in the November election. The Libertarian Party, one of three established political parties in the state, will run candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, six of Missouri’s nine seats in the US House of Representatives, and several state legislative and local offices.

Montana Governor says Barr may get Second Amendment vote

From BobBarr2008.com, by Jason Pye:

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) points out that Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr has an advantage over McBama on the Second Amendment:

“Neither of these guys is the favorite of the (National Rifle Association),” Schweitzer said. “If guns are your primary issue, you may not like either of these guys.”

Schweitzer, who hangs a gun on his wall in apparent defiance of an ordinance banning firearms in public buildings, spoke with reporters on behalf of the Obama campaign about how he believes the Illinois senator can carry Montana.

The Democratic governor, also on the ballot this year, said he thinks those who vote on the gun issue alone will be equally troubled by McCain and Obama. He said neither is perfect with the National Rifle Association scorecard - McCain has received a “C” and Obama an “F.”

The governor said such voters may turn to Libertarian Bob Barr, “if you are absolutely not going to vote for McCain or Obama on guns.”

Bob is a member of the National Rifle Association’s Board of Directors and consistently received an “A+” rating from the oldest civil rights organization in the United States.

How America is Destroying Democracy!

A Story by Andy Horning

Donkey Sale

Young Chuck, moved to Texas and bought a donkey from a farmer for $100.00. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.

The next day he drove up and said, 'Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died.'
Chuck replied, 'Well, then just give me my money back.'
The farmer said, 'Can't do that. I went and spent it already.'
Chuck said, 'Ok, then, just bring me the dead donkey.'
The farmer asked, 'What ya gonna do with him?
Chuck said, 'I'm going to raffle him off.'
The farmer said, 'You can't raffle off a dead donkey!'
Chuck said, 'Sure I can Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead.'

A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, 'What happened with that dead donkey?'
Chuck said, ' I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $898.00.'
The farmer said, 'Didn't anyone complain?'
Chuck said, 'Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back.'

Chuck grew up and works for the government.

Indiana's 9th congressional Libertarian Candidate Dr. Eric Schansberg

A Letter From Charles Jay to Supporters

Dear Liberty Lovers,

When I ran for president in 2004 on the Personal Choice Party ticket, people would ask me, "Why are you running? There's already a libertarian in this race."

Certainly they had a point.

But now, four years later, as the nominee of the Boston Tea Party, I could give you 100 reasons why I'm in this race. And every day, it seems like there's a new one.

I believe, as I'm sure you do, that we need a presidential candidate who champions liberty. After all, how many people became libertarians thanks to the presidential campaigns of men like David Bergland, Harry Browne, and Ron Paul?

In its thirty-seven year history, the Libertarian Party has had some great candidates and some who were just "good." Some LP standard-bearers -- like Browne and Paul -- were tremendous spokesmen for liberty, while others were merely average. But never in the LP's history has the party's presidential candidate actively spread a non-libertarian message -- that is, never until now.

Republican Bob Barr managed to narrowly win the LP presidential nomination on the sixth ballot, with 51% of the convention vote. Rather than being humbled by the narrowness of his victory, Barr -- much like Bush with his narrow presidential "wins" -- interpreted his nomination as a "mandate" to redefine libertarianism in the mold of Dixiecrat "States' Rights" conservatism, unilaterally casting aside long-held libertarian principles like last week's garbage.

Yes, Bob Barr is getting a certain amount of media coverage -- but to what end?

Barr is using his mainstream-media platform to advocate Bush Republicanism in the guise of libertarianism -- he is no threat to the statist quo.

For example, when given the stage to make the libertarian case for laissez-faire free-market capitalism, Barr said that the government "has to do something" to prevent millionaire investors from losing money in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stocks. "Doing nothing would be inadvisable," Barr said -- in direct opposition to a press release put out earlier by the LP entitled "Let Them Fail!" Republican Ron Paul, a true champion of economic liberty, later made the case that Fannie and Freddie should be allowed to go bust -- not propped up with taxpayer dollars and then "privatized" as Barr suggests.

Sadly, Ron Paul will not win the GOP nomination. The Constitution Party's Chuck Baldwin, though probably preferable to Barr, is a social conservative who doesn't respect the personal choices of all Americans. And Bob Barr, though a Libertarian, is no libertarian.

So who will champion liberty from now until November?

The answer is me, Charles Jay.

In 2004, I saw the writing on the wall, and I left the LP. As it turned out, there were still enough true libertarians in the party to ensure the nomination of Michael Badnarik -- a fine candidate -- and I admit, one who articulated the philosophy the party was supposed to represent.

But now, I understand why I needed to run then -- so I could run all the better now.

You see, I gained invaluable experience as the Personal Choice Party's candidate for president in 2004. Now in '08, as the nominee of the upstart Boston Tea Party, I can build on the lessons learned four years ago and give you the best libertarian campaign possible for your buck. This ain't my first rodeo.

The Boston Tea Party was formed in 2006, in response to the evisceration of the Libertarian Party's principled platform by the so-called "Reform" Caucus. Like I said, I saw this coming two years earlier, so it was no surprise to me. Then, after Bob Barr secured the LP's nomination in May, the BTP experienced a huge growth spurt as disgruntled libertarians fled the former "party of principle" for a new, truly principled libertarian alternative. Every time Bob Barr opens his mouth, the Boston Tea Party gets more new members.

* Where do I see the Boston Tea Party going?
* Do I see it eclipsing the LP in the next few years?
* Will the LP continue its rightward drift towards statism until
it merges with the GOP?

I can't say for sure. What I do know is that the Boston Tea Party is growing and there are plenty of "dual citizens" -- members of both the BTP and the LP. Some Tea Partiers have renounced the LP and want to devote all of their energies to our new party. Others see the BTP as a backup, or as a vehicle to "keep the LP honest." I see both views as having merit.

But in order to really make a difference, we need to be able to reach beyond the diehard libertarians who know all about the BTP and Charles Jay. Yes, a vote for Jay is an anti-vote for Barr, and it's important for true libertarians to have their voices heard. But we don't want these voices to fall on deaf ears.

That's why I need your help.

Look, I have no delusions of grandeur. I'm not going to raise $40 million like Bob Barr says he plans to. But the good news is, I don't need to.

You see, in addition to being a libertarian agitator, I have a real job in the private sector: I create wealth rather than receiving a taxpayer-funded paycheck. And how I make my money is by making money for others via Internet marketing.

Bob Barr may be getting a lot of press from the dead-tree media and on the military-industrial complex's cable networks, but the people who read and watch the old media are set in their ways -- they're not likely to become libertarians anyway. The Internet, my friends, is where the action is, and I know how to use the Internet to advance a
message.

With your help, the Charles Jay for President Campaign will:

* Reach millions of voters via Search Engine Marketing
* Target "convertibles" by age, interests, geographic location, etc.
* Run economically efficient banner ad campaigns at leading
libertarian and constitutionalist sites and blogs
* Hit the social networking sites with effective ad campaigns and viral marketing
* Make fun and informative YouTube videos that users will gladly distribute for free, rather than spending tons of cash of commercials no one will watch
* Present a real, uncompromising libertarian message through articles and press releases that will get notice in the blogosphere and indexed with high page ranks by search engines

This is what I do for a living, and I'm damn good at it. With your help, our message will be heard by people to whom it will actually matter!

We can't afford to run a campaign crisscrossing the country in private jets or even Greyhound buses. We plan to run a national campaign on a shoestring budget -- will you help us afford the laces?

Please make your most generous contribution today. Whether your gift is $2300 or $20; $1000 or $100; $500, $50, or even $5 -- every bit helps. Contribute online at:

http://www.cj08donate.com/

And make no mistake about it -- although I've got an Internet-based business, and we'll be harnessing the cost advantages of cyber-marketing to our advantage, this is a REAL campaign, not a Web-based fantasy. We also have to get on the ballot where that's still possible, and coordinate effective write-in campaigns where it's not. In order to do this, we need your help.

Click Here to Donate Today

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. If you believe that we do need a candidate to champion liberty, and if you agree that Internet marketing is the future of political campaigning, then I trust you will make an investment in the building of a true libertarian alternative by supporting my campaign.

Yours in liberty,

Charles Jay
Boston Tea Party Candidate for President

Campaign for Liberty

The Truth

Banned: Welcome to Nanny State Nation

A great video from Reason TV, a divison of Reason Magazine, the number one libertarian publication.

A look at the Nanny State and it's complusion to ban things hosted libertarain actvist and actor Drew Carey. This is what libertarians are fighting against. The youtube logo is the link.

Where Does your Canidate Stand?

From the LP national site:
Do you know where your candidate stands on the important issues in this upcoming election? Did you know that John McCain stands for an expensive cap and trade program in his war against global warming? Did you know that Barack Obama wants huge tax increases on oil companies, which will in turn be passed on to the consumer?

The following is a list of issues and where your candidate stands on each one:

Taxes
Bob Barr: "Tax reform is desperately needed in the United States; but before we can reform the tax code, we must sharply reduce the tax burden on Americans made necessary. Second, we need a tax code that makes taxation fairer and simpler for all citizens. Meaningful tax reform begins with reining in government spending." - Bob Barr

John McCain: "I don't want tax increases. But that doesn't mean that anything is off the table." – John McCain

Barack Obama: "I think the best way to approach this is to adjust the cap on the payroll tax so that people like myself are paying a little bit more and people who are in need are protected." – Barack Obama


Government Spending
Bob Barr: "The American people simply cannot afford more of the same, which means more government spending; more special interest pay-offs; more fraud and waste; and continuing to treat American taxpayers like geese to be plucked rather than citizens of a free society and democratic republic." – Bob Barr

John McCain: "Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the presumptive Republican nominee…would swell annual federal outlays by $68.5 billion -- almost 10 times the amount he was backing in January." – National Taxpayers Union Study

Barack Obama: "Obama's annual spending platform ($343.6 billion) has increased by about 20 percent since January 29 ($287.0 billion), and by about 12 percent since March 3 ($307.2 billion)." – National Taxpayers Union Study

Guns
Bob Barr: “The individual’s right to keep and bear arms helps ensure all of our freedoms. The Supreme Court’s recognition of the constitutional right to gun ownership is a recognition of the right to life, liberty, and property for all Americans.” - Bob Barr

John McCain: "[McCain is] one of the premier flag-carriers for enemies of the Second Amendment." – NRA publication

Barack Obama: "Before [Obama] became a national political figure, he sat on the board of a Chicago-based foundation that doled out at least nine grants totaling nearly $2.7 million to groups that advocated the opposite positions. The foundation funded legal scholarship advancing the theory that the Second Amendment does not protect individual gun owners’ rights, as well as two groups that advocated handgun bans. And it paid to support a book called 'Every Handgun Is Aimed at You: The Case for Banning Handguns.'" – Politico article

Global Warming
Bob Barr: "We must address the issue of climate change, but do so realistically, recognizing the importance of simultaneously expanding energy supplies and maintaining economic growth. Our greatest strength in confronting the problems of the future is our free market economy. Only by reducing government barriers to private research and development are we going to achieve the innovative, even transformational, changes necessary in the years and decades ahead." – Bob Barr

John McCain: "In fact, if 'the market' is your favored mechanism, Mr. McCain's endorsement of a 'cap and trade' system is the worst choice for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions." – Wall Street Journal

Barack Obama: "This windfall profit tax, it's politics—it's terrible economics. I mean, it's been tried before. Jimmy Carter tried windfall profit taxes. It drove down domestic production. It increased imports from OPEC. It's just bad economics." - David Brooks of The New York Times during an interview with NPR regarding Obama's plan for taxing oil companies.

Foreign Policy
Bob Barr: "America should not be the world’s policeman. The American purpose is to provide a strong national defense, not to engage in nation building or to launch foreign crusades, no matter how seemingly well-intentioned." – Bob Barr

John McCain: "Make it a hundred," McCain said, referring to how many years he'd be willing to maintain a military presence in Iraq.

Barack Obama: "As president, I would pursue a new strategy, and begin by providing at least two additional combat brigades to support our effort in Afghanistan. We need more troops..." – Barack Obama

Civil Liberties
Bob Barr: “Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats can be trusted to protect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. As president, I would never forget that it is a free society which we must defend. We must never sacrifice the individual freedoms that make America so unique.” – Bob Barr

John McCain: "[McCain believes that] neither the administration nor the telecoms need apologize for actions that most people, except for the A.C.L.U. and trial lawyers, understand were constitutional and appropriate in the wake of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.” – McCain Adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin

Barack Obama: "The ability to monitor and track individuals who want to attack the United States is a vital counter-terrorism tool, and I'm persuaded that it is necessary to keep the American people safe -- particularly since certain electronic surveillance orders will begin to expire later this summer. Given the choice between voting for an improved yet imperfect bill, and losing important surveillance tools, I've chosen to support the current compromise." – Barack Obama

For more information on the Libertarian Party and its presidential candidate Bob Barr, please visit http://www.lp.org/.

Please help Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party get on the ballot across America today by generously donating to ballot access efforts. Only through getting on the ballot will Americans have a real choice in 2008.

Indiana Libertarian News

Here are some articles about recent events and upcoming events of libertarian interest in Indiana (photos are links):

Williamsburg parade brings LP canidates out

Indiana Governors Debate to include libertarian Andy Horning

Libertarian Congressional canidate Dr. Eric Schansberg calls on Baron Hill to apologize

Media Update

Bob Barr just finished making another great media appearance. The topics discused included debunking the spoiler myth and the real reason the McCain and Obama people are fighting over race.

The link is the Fox logo.

Media Alert

Bob Barr will be on America's Election HQ on Fox News on Sunday August 3rd around 12:30 or 1:00 (the website has 2 different times).

Thats tomorrow so write it down and remeber to keep e-mailing the MSM networks and asking for them to allow Bob to be on their shows. This is the best way to get the word out about this historic campaign. Everyone should tune in to watch and support Bob even if you don't regularly watch Fox News.

UPDATE: The time Barr will apear on Fox News is now 1:15. Thank you.

A Liberal Case for Bob Barr

Here is a great article from Publius Endures. It's about why Liberals should realy condsider Bob Barr and libertarianism in genral. I found it to be most interesting. The only thing I think it misses to explain is the apparent Rightward drift of the party since the Reformers gained a majority in 2006 this culminating in the election of Barr this year.

But I'd recemend to all liberals to realy take a look at what they belive and compear it to libertarainism. Why do you belive that the goverment has the right to tell the citzens what they can and can not own (as in guns)? And why do you continue to surport the Democratic Party and it's simply pitiful surport of your civil rights?

The link is the picture to the right.

The Time for Liberty

Here's a great video from the Barr Campaign. I was made about a week ago but I wasn't able to see it until today. I didn't think using Ronald Reagan was tasteful because of his anti-libertarian stance on many issues but the segments did back the point.

I can't figure out how how to upload videos so to view it just click on the YouTube icon to the left of this post. I hope you enjoy it.