By: Raymond Lady
Ron Paul inspired millions with his message of freedom and brought hope to the American political process. But with all the enthusiasm and activism Ron Paul inspired he did not win the Republican Nomination. Ron Paul activist looked to the Libertarian Party to give them a candidate they could support. Instead the LP nominated Bob Barr.
While in congress Barr voted for the Iraq War and the Patriot Act. Barr also proposed to ban the practice of Wicca in the military and expanded the War on Drugs. He also wrote and voted for the Defense of Marriage Act.
Barr claims that he has changed his position on these issues but his actions in recent days and weeks have caused many to beg to differ. On Hannity and Colmes Barr said that he would not legalize the “hard drugs”. He also supports keeping some portions of the Defense of Marriage Act and has yet to release a statement about whether he still plans to ban a religion. And most recently Barr stubbed Ron Paul’s third party unity press conference claiming, “It wasn’t worth it”.
Bob Barr has proved himself NOT to be a libertarian.
Many Ron Paul supporters finding themselves without a candidate to support have turned to the Constitution Party and Chuck Baldwin. Many of these activists have been lead to believe that the Constitution Party is a libertarian or Ron Paul-like party. It is not.
The Constitution Party platform starts with, “The Constitution Party gratefully acknowledges the blessing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe and of these United States.” Apparently they don’t know that the United States is a secular nation.
There platform also states, “We oppose any legal recognition of homosexual unions” and “we oppose efforts to legalize adoption of children by homosexual singles or couples.” It als states, “we also believe that our collective representative body we call government plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining the highest level of decency in our community standards.” Libertarians recognize that government has no authority regulate mortally; the Constitution Party does not.
The Constitution Party and Chuck Baldwin have proved themselves not to be libertarian.
Now I bet you are asking yourself, “Were on Earth is a Ron Paul activist to go?” I’ll tell you, to the Boston Tea Party.
The Boston Tea Party is America’s only truly libertarian political party. All members must agree to the one sentence platform that reads, “The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.”
Members of the Boston Tea Party can belong to other political parties and the party endorses candidates not matter what their party affiliation as long as they agree with the party platform. The Boston Tea Party strongly believes in both Economic and Personal freedom. The Boston Tea Party is Americas hope for a libertarian future.
The Boston Tea Party’s presidential candidate Charles Jay, who recently was on Fox News (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNG0iOUtAQU) is the closest candidate to Ron Paul out of any running.
All Ron Paul activists should join the Boston Tea Party. It is the home of true libertarians and of Ron Paul’s ideology. The Revolution lives on in the Boston Tea Party.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Even the So-Called Progressives at Pacifica doen’t seem to Understand…
…that the major parties are two wings of the same bird of prey (flying into a jet engine). Luckily Democrat turned Libertarian Mike Gravel is around to straighten them out.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Barr qualifies in Alabama
Bob Barr has qualified in Alabama, however, as an independent:
Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia has qualified for Alabama’s presidential ballot as an independent.
Candidates other than Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain had a deadline of Friday to submit the signatures of 5,000 Alabama voters to get on the state’s ballot as independent candidates.
The elections attorney for the secretary of state’s office, Rob Johnston, said the last of Barr’s signatures were verified Monday and he’s on the general election ballot for Nov. 4. Barr is running in other parts of the country as the Libertarian Party nominee, but he didn’t try to get the more than 37,000 signatures needed to run in Alabama as a third-party candidate.
Bob is now on the ballot in 43 states.
Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia has qualified for Alabama’s presidential ballot as an independent.
Candidates other than Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain had a deadline of Friday to submit the signatures of 5,000 Alabama voters to get on the state’s ballot as independent candidates.
The elections attorney for the secretary of state’s office, Rob Johnston, said the last of Barr’s signatures were verified Monday and he’s on the general election ballot for Nov. 4. Barr is running in other parts of the country as the Libertarian Party nominee, but he didn’t try to get the more than 37,000 signatures needed to run in Alabama as a third-party candidate.
Bob is now on the ballot in 43 states.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Schansberg town hall in Bloomington on Tuesday
JEFFERSONVILLE, IN -- Dr. Eric Schansberg, the Libertarian candidate for the U.S. Congress in Indiana's 9th District, will hold a town-hall meeting in Bloomington on Tuesday, September 9th, from 6:00-7:30 PM. (The meeting will be held in Room #1C of the Monroe County Library, located at 303 E. Kirkwood Ave. in downtown Bloomington.)
Earlier in the day, Dr. Schansberg will be at the 2008 IU Student Involvement Fair from 11:00-2:00 with IU Students for Liberty. After that, he will be a guest on "The Afternoon Edition" with Darryl Neher on WGCL (1370-AM) from 4:00-5:00.
At the town hall, Schansberg will deliver prepared remarks for 15-20 minutes—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.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Schansberg will be at the 2008 IU Student Involvement Fair from 11:00-2:00 with IU Students for Liberty. After that, he will be a guest on "The Afternoon Edition" with Darryl Neher on WGCL (1370-AM) from 4:00-5:00.
At the town hall, Schansberg will deliver prepared remarks for 15-20 minutes—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.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Good Luck, Sarah!
Thank God, She Has No Foreign Policy Experience!
By Sen. MIKE GRAVEL
On rare occasions our nation has been lucky when new political leaders were selected from obscurity by circumstance. They weren’t indebted to the party bosses or special interests, but they rendered unusual and historic service in times of need. Washington, Lincoln, the first Roosevelt and Truman come to mind.
Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska, has been plucked from obscurity and now shares the stage with three other national leaders vying to head the next government of the United States. Sarah is very much of an Alaskan character. Politicos and pundits will have difficulty handling her as she is being tested in the crucible of media scrutiny over the next nine weeks. My guess is, Americans will relate to her and love her story.
In my mind, that Sarah comes to the national scene as a novice with a clean slate is her main asset. Having a long history of political experience also means a long history of exposure to the political corruption endemic to the process of human governance, with the phony public and private compromises that accompany political experience.
Foreign policy experience? Thank god she has none beyond that of a normal citizen subject to the militarization of our culture over the past 50 years, particularly so in Alaska with its strong military presence. The three other would-be leaders have tons of experience among them. But whether liberal or conservative all three are committed to a policy of American imperialism with the self-appointed role of world policeman. This role of trying to influence the world with our military might sustains bloated defense budgets that profit the few and impoverish the social and economic needs of the many.
The United States spends more on defense than all the rest of the world combined. By comparison, Russia and China—our supposed competitors on the world scene—each spend less that 10% of our budget, preferring to strengthen their economic sectors. Are we not as concerned about the wellbeing of our citizens as Russia’s and China’s leaders are? Do they—or do we—have our budget priorities wrong?
Sarah is no doubt going to be briefed by the “best and the brightest” of the neocon crowd that President Washington warned us about with their foreign entanglements, and the military and corporate leaders that President Eisenhower predicted would destroy our democracy. Will they be able to write her a new slate that is a replica of John McCain’s? Odds are they will. But just maybe she won’t be so easily co-opted by corporate America––she hasn’t thus far. Wow! Isn’t that an interesting possibility?
Close observation of Sarah’s meteoric rise points to that very distant possibility I campaigned door to door in Wasilla where Sarah and her husband Todd grew up. (This was before the community prospered as a result of my securing the Alaska Pipeline.) Wasilla is one of the most conservative communities in Alaska. Little wonder that children reared close to family in that environment become conservative with strong family values, a deep sense of fair play and strong patriotism tinged with jingoism. They are personally independent and self reliant, yet fearful of the unknown and susceptible to narrow biblical religious beliefs.
Sarah is instinctively ambitious and rose above her small-town environment because she has a bright inquiring mind and isn’t afraid to question authority in her quest for answers and solutions. She has confronted the powers-that-be in both the Republican and Democratic parties in campaigns and in the legislature. She has been initially inept in handling legislators, a product of inexperience. But she has made some corrections relying heavily on her persuasive charm.
Governor Palin has an advantage that her three other national contestants can’t begin to match. I’m not talking about the fact that she has technically more executive experience than all three put together, although Obama has exhibited uncommon competence in managing the slickest and most efficient campaign since Mark Hannah got William McKinley elected president. However, like Hannah, who ran afoul of his corporate interests by selecting Teddy Roosevelt for vice president, Obama may have doomed his prospects by not selecting Hillary as his running mate.
Sarah Palin has a sense of personal outrage over political corruption that plays extremely well with the public, something the others have lost long ago. She has demonstrated the personal courage to publicly confront and overcome Republican Party corruption and has successfully taken on the oil industry over taxation and oil leasing issues. She has publicly stood up to Senator Ted Stevens and Representative Don Young on the “Bridge to Nowhere” and the policy of federal earmarks arguing for a public transparency process.
Sarah has literally come to the national scene without owing anything to any party or corporate interest––not even McCain––he needs her more than she needs him. Imagine a person a heart beat away not owned by the military-industrial complex, Wall Street, corporate America or AIPAC. WOW! Can this last? Probably not. But she does have an uncanny sense of political direction and the ability to capitalize on change like putting the public interest above Republican Party interests.
I strongly disagree with her views on abortion, creationism, stem cell research and a host of extreme conservative views that are a product of her environment. We must bear in mind she is running for vice president––a heart beat away––not president. If McCain is as fit as his doctors report, Sarah will have ample time to be the perfect understudy. She will have the opportunity to travel, grow and mature intellectually.
Sarah has issues. What politician doesn’t? Hers are a product of family loyalty and insufficient knowledge of politics and governance. The Troopergate issue will break in her favor politically. Sarah: the next time you get frustrated with personnel laws and union problems, call and commiserate with Michelle Lee, who heads up the Washington, DC dysfunctional public school system. She has fired more than 100 teachers and school principles and closed more than 20 schools. You will find her counsel helpful.
In the interest of full disclosure: I have no intention of voting for McCain. He is too steeped in the use of military power to solve problems and American imperialism—and the wars it creates. At times McCain has been a maverick, but, unfortunately, never that consistently. There are too many temptations in Washington, even for a man born on third base.
McCain did himself proud by flickering back to his gut maverick instincts in throwing a “hail Mary pass” to Sarah Palin. Can she and will she catch it? Wining the election is not the touchdown, it’s her conduct in office a heart beat away. It’s how quickly she learns and grows; what of Wasilla she keeps and what she must discard.
President Kennedy said that the White House is a poor place to make new friends. That’s why his father Joe Kennedy insisted Jack keep Bobby close to him. This would apply to the vice president office. Sarah: keep up the practice of having Todd hang out with you in your official capacities. Insist that he be given a clearance equal to yours, so that you are not excluded from the full depth of his counsel. If push comes to shove, he is the only one you can trust. He must study, read and grow in your office as quickly as you. What you face is more than one person can handle. The two of you must be a political and intellectual team.
One last piece of advice. Governor: you are now in the world of barracudas. It’s no different than Wassila or Juneau; they just pay more for food, clothing and their houses. But they have the same capacity for fear, greed and love. Sarah: if you refuse to sell out––you don’t need to––you have a glorious future ahead of you with your gift of courage, a virtue that permits you to implement all other virtues. Whether you can or will depends on your capacity to constantly re-exam your ideologies and grow politically and intellectually
Good luck...
Mike Gravel served in the senate from Alaska and ran for president in the Democratic Party primaries.
By Sen. MIKE GRAVEL
On rare occasions our nation has been lucky when new political leaders were selected from obscurity by circumstance. They weren’t indebted to the party bosses or special interests, but they rendered unusual and historic service in times of need. Washington, Lincoln, the first Roosevelt and Truman come to mind.
Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska, has been plucked from obscurity and now shares the stage with three other national leaders vying to head the next government of the United States. Sarah is very much of an Alaskan character. Politicos and pundits will have difficulty handling her as she is being tested in the crucible of media scrutiny over the next nine weeks. My guess is, Americans will relate to her and love her story.
In my mind, that Sarah comes to the national scene as a novice with a clean slate is her main asset. Having a long history of political experience also means a long history of exposure to the political corruption endemic to the process of human governance, with the phony public and private compromises that accompany political experience.
Foreign policy experience? Thank god she has none beyond that of a normal citizen subject to the militarization of our culture over the past 50 years, particularly so in Alaska with its strong military presence. The three other would-be leaders have tons of experience among them. But whether liberal or conservative all three are committed to a policy of American imperialism with the self-appointed role of world policeman. This role of trying to influence the world with our military might sustains bloated defense budgets that profit the few and impoverish the social and economic needs of the many.
The United States spends more on defense than all the rest of the world combined. By comparison, Russia and China—our supposed competitors on the world scene—each spend less that 10% of our budget, preferring to strengthen their economic sectors. Are we not as concerned about the wellbeing of our citizens as Russia’s and China’s leaders are? Do they—or do we—have our budget priorities wrong?
Sarah is no doubt going to be briefed by the “best and the brightest” of the neocon crowd that President Washington warned us about with their foreign entanglements, and the military and corporate leaders that President Eisenhower predicted would destroy our democracy. Will they be able to write her a new slate that is a replica of John McCain’s? Odds are they will. But just maybe she won’t be so easily co-opted by corporate America––she hasn’t thus far. Wow! Isn’t that an interesting possibility?
Close observation of Sarah’s meteoric rise points to that very distant possibility I campaigned door to door in Wasilla where Sarah and her husband Todd grew up. (This was before the community prospered as a result of my securing the Alaska Pipeline.) Wasilla is one of the most conservative communities in Alaska. Little wonder that children reared close to family in that environment become conservative with strong family values, a deep sense of fair play and strong patriotism tinged with jingoism. They are personally independent and self reliant, yet fearful of the unknown and susceptible to narrow biblical religious beliefs.
Sarah is instinctively ambitious and rose above her small-town environment because she has a bright inquiring mind and isn’t afraid to question authority in her quest for answers and solutions. She has confronted the powers-that-be in both the Republican and Democratic parties in campaigns and in the legislature. She has been initially inept in handling legislators, a product of inexperience. But she has made some corrections relying heavily on her persuasive charm.
Governor Palin has an advantage that her three other national contestants can’t begin to match. I’m not talking about the fact that she has technically more executive experience than all three put together, although Obama has exhibited uncommon competence in managing the slickest and most efficient campaign since Mark Hannah got William McKinley elected president. However, like Hannah, who ran afoul of his corporate interests by selecting Teddy Roosevelt for vice president, Obama may have doomed his prospects by not selecting Hillary as his running mate.
Sarah Palin has a sense of personal outrage over political corruption that plays extremely well with the public, something the others have lost long ago. She has demonstrated the personal courage to publicly confront and overcome Republican Party corruption and has successfully taken on the oil industry over taxation and oil leasing issues. She has publicly stood up to Senator Ted Stevens and Representative Don Young on the “Bridge to Nowhere” and the policy of federal earmarks arguing for a public transparency process.
Sarah has literally come to the national scene without owing anything to any party or corporate interest––not even McCain––he needs her more than she needs him. Imagine a person a heart beat away not owned by the military-industrial complex, Wall Street, corporate America or AIPAC. WOW! Can this last? Probably not. But she does have an uncanny sense of political direction and the ability to capitalize on change like putting the public interest above Republican Party interests.
I strongly disagree with her views on abortion, creationism, stem cell research and a host of extreme conservative views that are a product of her environment. We must bear in mind she is running for vice president––a heart beat away––not president. If McCain is as fit as his doctors report, Sarah will have ample time to be the perfect understudy. She will have the opportunity to travel, grow and mature intellectually.
Sarah has issues. What politician doesn’t? Hers are a product of family loyalty and insufficient knowledge of politics and governance. The Troopergate issue will break in her favor politically. Sarah: the next time you get frustrated with personnel laws and union problems, call and commiserate with Michelle Lee, who heads up the Washington, DC dysfunctional public school system. She has fired more than 100 teachers and school principles and closed more than 20 schools. You will find her counsel helpful.
In the interest of full disclosure: I have no intention of voting for McCain. He is too steeped in the use of military power to solve problems and American imperialism—and the wars it creates. At times McCain has been a maverick, but, unfortunately, never that consistently. There are too many temptations in Washington, even for a man born on third base.
McCain did himself proud by flickering back to his gut maverick instincts in throwing a “hail Mary pass” to Sarah Palin. Can she and will she catch it? Wining the election is not the touchdown, it’s her conduct in office a heart beat away. It’s how quickly she learns and grows; what of Wasilla she keeps and what she must discard.
President Kennedy said that the White House is a poor place to make new friends. That’s why his father Joe Kennedy insisted Jack keep Bobby close to him. This would apply to the vice president office. Sarah: keep up the practice of having Todd hang out with you in your official capacities. Insist that he be given a clearance equal to yours, so that you are not excluded from the full depth of his counsel. If push comes to shove, he is the only one you can trust. He must study, read and grow in your office as quickly as you. What you face is more than one person can handle. The two of you must be a political and intellectual team.
One last piece of advice. Governor: you are now in the world of barracudas. It’s no different than Wassila or Juneau; they just pay more for food, clothing and their houses. But they have the same capacity for fear, greed and love. Sarah: if you refuse to sell out––you don’t need to––you have a glorious future ahead of you with your gift of courage, a virtue that permits you to implement all other virtues. Whether you can or will depends on your capacity to constantly re-exam your ideologies and grow politically and intellectually
Good luck...
Mike Gravel served in the senate from Alaska and ran for president in the Democratic Party primaries.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
RNC Free Speech Zone
by Jason Pye, from bobbarr2008.com...
Here are a few photos from Mike Ferguson, our National Field Director, who is on the ground with Bob in Minneapolis. These are the so-called “free speech zones” setup by organizers of the Republican National Committee to keep dissent and disagreement in the distance.
I can’t seem to recall where it is written in the First Amendment where my right to free speech is restricted to a zone in order to make Republicans feel comfortable. As long as a do so peacefully, I should be able to voice my opinion, without being set aside. Isn’t that my right?
Then again, the Republican Party is about to nominate John McCain, who has held absolutely no regard for the First Amendment during his career and is responsible for an egregious violation of free speech with McCain-Feingold.
Here are a few photos from Mike Ferguson, our National Field Director, who is on the ground with Bob in Minneapolis. These are the so-called “free speech zones” setup by organizers of the Republican National Committee to keep dissent and disagreement in the distance.
I can’t seem to recall where it is written in the First Amendment where my right to free speech is restricted to a zone in order to make Republicans feel comfortable. As long as a do so peacefully, I should be able to voice my opinion, without being set aside. Isn’t that my right?
Then again, the Republican Party is about to nominate John McCain, who has held absolutely no regard for the First Amendment during his career and is responsible for an egregious violation of free speech with McCain-Feingold.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Press Releases: Bob Barr Warns: John McCain is No Reformer and He Still Tops the Republican Ticket
Atlanta, GA - “The selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has caused Republicans to claim to be the reform party, but John McCain will still head the ticket, and he has never been anything but a representative of the politics of Washington,” observes Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party presidential nominee.
“Governor Palin is an attractive candidate, but her record as a reformer is far from clear,” notes Barr. “She was for the infamous bridge-to-nowhere before she was against it. She raised taxes in her small town of Wasilla, and the operating budget that she signed last year was the biggest in Alaska’s history.”
Barr says that even if Palin is genuinely committed to reform, "Sen. John McCain is not." Barr explains, "Sen. McCain has gained a reputation as a reformer by voting with Democrats to expand government and restrict liberty. Maybe that makes him a party maverick. It certainly doesn’t set him apart from most everyone else who lives and works in Washington, D.C."
“For instance, it is conventional wisdom in Washington that the people shouldn’t criticize their legislators," Barr says. "So Sen. McCain led the effort to restrict issues ads in elections."
"This is reform?" Barr asks.
“It is certainly conventional wisdom in Washington that taxes are too low," Barr says. "Surprise, surprise, Sen. McCain opposed the Bush administration tax cuts when it mattered. Now he says he is for them, but he adds that ‘everything’ would be on the table in any negotiations over Social Security, which, in Washington-speak means higher taxes. This certainly isn’t a change from politics as usual."
“In fact, it is hard to find an issue where Sen. McCain doesn’t want bigger government," Barr observes. "He supports more military spending and more military intervention abroad. He supports more environmental regulation and the draconian ‘cap and trade’ system to limit energy use. He attacks ‘speculators’ for supposedly running up oil prices. How do any of these positions differ from what many other Republicans as well as Democrats want to do?” asks Barr.
“When it comes to promoting change, there’s no contest,” argues Barr. “The Libertarian Party ticket of Bob Barr and Wayne Root easily beats Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin—and the Democratic pair, Barack Obama and Joseph Biden, as well. If the American people want better government, they need to vote against the two parties which have created the mess that we’re in and choose Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party."
Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.
“Governor Palin is an attractive candidate, but her record as a reformer is far from clear,” notes Barr. “She was for the infamous bridge-to-nowhere before she was against it. She raised taxes in her small town of Wasilla, and the operating budget that she signed last year was the biggest in Alaska’s history.”
Barr says that even if Palin is genuinely committed to reform, "Sen. John McCain is not." Barr explains, "Sen. McCain has gained a reputation as a reformer by voting with Democrats to expand government and restrict liberty. Maybe that makes him a party maverick. It certainly doesn’t set him apart from most everyone else who lives and works in Washington, D.C."
“For instance, it is conventional wisdom in Washington that the people shouldn’t criticize their legislators," Barr says. "So Sen. McCain led the effort to restrict issues ads in elections."
"This is reform?" Barr asks.
“It is certainly conventional wisdom in Washington that taxes are too low," Barr says. "Surprise, surprise, Sen. McCain opposed the Bush administration tax cuts when it mattered. Now he says he is for them, but he adds that ‘everything’ would be on the table in any negotiations over Social Security, which, in Washington-speak means higher taxes. This certainly isn’t a change from politics as usual."
“In fact, it is hard to find an issue where Sen. McCain doesn’t want bigger government," Barr observes. "He supports more military spending and more military intervention abroad. He supports more environmental regulation and the draconian ‘cap and trade’ system to limit energy use. He attacks ‘speculators’ for supposedly running up oil prices. How do any of these positions differ from what many other Republicans as well as Democrats want to do?” asks Barr.
“When it comes to promoting change, there’s no contest,” argues Barr. “The Libertarian Party ticket of Bob Barr and Wayne Root easily beats Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin—and the Democratic pair, Barack Obama and Joseph Biden, as well. If the American people want better government, they need to vote against the two parties which have created the mess that we’re in and choose Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party."
Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.
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