"Libertarianism is at the very heart of Conservatism..." -- Ronald Reagan

by Eric Dondero

Finally, someone hits it on the head.
All this worrying by purist Libertarians that the Tea Party movement they founded has been taken over by "Conservatives."

It's not that Conservatives have taken over the Tea Party; rather, it's Conservatives have moderated on social issues and put their social agenda on the back burner for the purpose of libertarian/conservative cooperation.

Doug Mainwaring, a member of the National Capital Tea Party Patriots, has a column in the Washington Times, "Defined by principle, not just protestTea Partiers defy the descriptions of their detractors."

He ends:

One question that keeps getting raised is whether the Tea Party movement is more of a conservative phenomenon or a libertarian one. There's a good reason onlookers feel they are getting mixed signals: The Tea Party movement forms a realm in which the two easily can converge. With a focus on fiscal responsibility and limited government, absent social issues such as abortion, gay marriage, legalization of marijuana, immigration, global warming, the deployment of our military abroad, gun control, etc., libertarians and conservatives have found wholehearted agreement and have formed a powerful coalition to bring about change in Washington - change our Founding Fathers would have believed in.

Thank you Mr. Mainwaring. When Conservatives and Libertarians cooperate, and join in coalition, while eschewing those issues that divide us, we simply cannot be beat.

We did this once before with spectacular results:

Any one remember a guy named Ronald Reagan?

From Eric Dondero:

Tuesday is primary day in North Carolina. 11 Republican candidates are seeking the nomination to take on controversial and sometimes Blue Dog Democrat Heath Shuler. One of the candidates is an outspoken "libertarian Republican."

He's also an Ophthalmologist like a similar libertarian Republican running for US Senate close by in Kentucky. From his bio:

Dr. Dan graduated from the Yale School of Medicine Cum Laude and moved on to serve as a commissioned Naval officer during the Vietnam era. Dr. Dan has since led a medical career involving practice in Florida and New York, 26 years of guest lecturing, 12 years of professional research, 14 peer-reviewed publications, and six medical patents. Currently, Dr. Dan practices in his own small business which he has run successfully for 23 years. Also, Dr. Dan is a founding member of the Cherokee County 9/12 Project and is active in grassroots politics across the 11th District.

Dr. Dan Eichenbuam was recently interviewed by Carolina Politics Online, a conservative site. He explained how his libertarian views could attract conservative support. From the interview:

16. You are running as a libertarian Republican, and you’ve given money to libertarian candidates. Some Republicans are uncomfortable supporting you and some of your positions. Do you consider yourself a conservative or a libertarian? What do you say to those Republican voters who may be afraid of your libertarian beliefs?

I consider myself to be a constitutionally based, principled Republican and have been endorsed nationally by the Republican Liberty Caucus, as well as the Independence Caucus. As a dues-paying member of the Libertarian Party for only a few years (about 6), my contributions to the party were for ballot access initiatives and not to elect candidates.
For most of my adult life, I have been a conservative who believes in limited government, sound money, and the free market as espoused by von Mises and the Austrian school. Like Jefferson, I am passionate about individual freedom, which is derived from a person’s right to own property that cannot be arbitrarily confiscated by the state. I am proud of my strong and uncompromising belief in liberty, in the same spirit as Thomas Jefferson, Barry Goldwater, and Ronald Reagan. Little “L” libertarianism and conservatism go hand in hand with the fundamental beliefs of the Republican Party. In speaking at events all around our district since last September, my knowledge of the issues as well as my plan and platform has been widely accepted and approved. In a district where Independents nearly equal registered Republicans, my firm commitment to these principles will make me the most effective challenger to Heath Shuler and will be the key to victory for our party in November.

DrDan4Congress.com

From Eric Dondero:

The Obama Administration's War on America: The Post-American Presidency to be released in two weeks.

Pamela Geller, famed author of Atlas Shrugs blog is a longtime friend of Libertarian Republican blog. We urge our readers to order a copy.

(And No! we don't make a dime off of this endorsement. Pamela just happens to represent the beliefs and values of Libertarian Republican to the greatest degree.)

Here's what another icon of Libertarian Republican blog had to say:

This book is a chilling analysis of how the policy of president Barack Obama is chipping away at the very foundation of America’s leading role in the world. It exposes his philosophy of near universal ‘moral equivalency’; a philosophy that is a dead ringer for the cultural relativism that has been poisoning Europe for the past decades. America is the last man standing and it is vital that the people in Europe adopt the attitude of proud American citizens and learn that it is not shameful to be proud of one’s heritage. This book is incredibly fascinating and at the same time holds a deeply disturbing message — a message we should all take to heart.

—Geert Wilders Dutch MP

Editor's Note - Photo of Geller with co-author Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch. Spencer has been a guest on LR's "Libertarian Politics Live"

From the Hawaii Advertiser comes this breaking news...

Djou leads with 36 percent, former congressman Ed Case is chasing at 28 percent, and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa is trailing with 22 percent. Thirteen percent were undecided.

The poll, taken for The Advertiser and Hawai'i News Now, confirms fears among Democrats that Case and Hanabusa could split the Democratic vote in the winner-take-all election and help Djou score a rare Republican upset.

The poll was conducted by Ward Research from April 23 through April 28 among 349 voters who said they were likely to mail back their ballots in the May 22 election. The margin of error was 5.2 percentage points.

Charles Djou is a US Army Veteran, and current City Council member for Honolulu.

The first hour will feature a debate on the Arizona Immigration Law with Dan Gainor from the Business and Media Institute alongside Danny Cortes, who heads up a faith-based Hispanic group called Esperanza.

The second segment will feature Steve King, Congressman from the Hawkeye state to discuss immigration.

The third segment will feature Vijay Kumar, Republican candidate for congress from the 5th congressional district in Tennessee. Vijay's website is http://www.kumarforcongress.com/.

Monday, 8pm CST.

Co-hosts Jim Lagnese of The Right Guy Show (www.therightguyshow.com) and Eric Dondero of The Libertarian Republican (libertarianrepublican.net). Call in at 1-646-915-9887.

From Eric Dondero:

The London Telegraph just reported hours ago, on an interesting angle that is being pursued by law enforcement in New York. Viacom is the owner of the Cartoon series South Park created by libertarians Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

From the Telegraph:

The device, which failed to detonate, was left near the offices of Viacom, which owns the irreverent cartoon series.

Last month postings on an Islamic website warned the creators of South Park - Matt Stone and Trey Parker - that they could face violent reprisals after an episode of the show featured Mohammed in a bear suit.

A posting on the website of a US-based group called Revolution Muslim warned Stone and Parker that they would “probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh”, the Dutch film-maker who was murdered in 2004 by a Muslim angered by his film about Muslim women.

Images of the Prophet are strictly forbidden in Islam, and Comedy Central, which broadcasts South Park, has banned Stone and Parker from depicting Mohammed in the past. In 2006 the network stopped them from featuring Mohammed in an episode which followed worldwide protests over a caricature of the Prophet by a Danish cartoonist.

And this from the NY Daily News:

The Viacom offices are right around the block from where the potential attack took place... threats against the Comedy Central animators were made by a New York Islamist Web site last month and police are aggressively looking for connections, sources told the Daily News.

The dark-colored Nissan SUV, its engine running and hazard lights flashing, was parked on W. 45th St. right next to the Broadway headquarters of Viacom, which owns Comedy Central.

From The Right Guy Show via What Does It Mean?

Obama has dropped the ball on the oil spill. He's done an even worse job then Bush with Katrina. What was his response time on this?

This is theory being talked about increasingly over talk radio and some right internet sites. We don't necessarily agree with the premise, but given the extent to which Communists have gone too in the past to destroy the West, nothing could be considered too extreme.

US Orders Blackout Over North Korean Torpedoing Of Gulf Of Mexico Oil Rig

By: Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers

A grim report circulating in the Kremlin today written by Russia’s Northern Fleet is reporting that the United States has ordered a complete media blackout over North Korea’s torpedoing of the giant Deepwater Horizon oil platform owned by the World’s largest offshore drilling contractorTransocean that was built and financed by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., that has caused great loss of life, untold billions in economic damage to the South Korean economy, and an environmental catastrophe to the United States.

Most important to understand about this latest attack by North Korea against its South Korean enemy is that under the existing “laws of war” it was a permissible action as they remain in a state of war against each other due to South Korea’s refusal to sign the 1953 Armistice ending the Korean War.

To the attack itself, these reports continue, the North Korean “cargo vessel” Dai Hong Dan believed to be staffed by 17th Sniper Corps “suicide”troops left Cuba’s Empresa Terminales Mambisas de La Habana (Port of Havana) on April 18^th whereupon it “severely deviated” from its intended course for Venezuela’s Puerto Cabello bringing it to within 209 kilometers (130 miles) of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform which was located 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of the US State of Louisiana where it launched an SSC Sang-o Class Mini Submarine (Yugo class) estimated to have an operational range of 321 kilometers (200 miles).

On the night of April 20^th the North Korean Mini Submarine manned by these “suicidal” 17th Sniper Corps soldiers attacked the Deepwater Horizon with what are believed to be 2 incendiary torpedoes causing a massive explosion and resulting in 11 workers on this giant oil rig being killed outright. Barely 48 hours later, on April 22^nd , this North Korean Mini Submarine committed its final atrocity by exploding itself directly beneath the Deepwater Horizon causing this $1 Billion oil rig to sink beneath the seas and marking 2010’s celebration of Earth Day with one of the largest environmental catastrophes our World has ever seen.

To the reason for North Korea attacking the Deepwater Horizon, these reports say, was to present US President Obama with an “impossible dilemma”prior to the opening of the United Nations Review Conference of the Parties to the Treat on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) set to begin May 3^rd in New York.

This “impossible dilemma” facing Obama is indeed real as the decision he is faced with is either to allow the continuation of this massive oil leak catastrophe to continue for months, or immediately stop it by the only known and proven means possible, the detonation of a thermonuclear device.

Russian Navy atomic experts in these reports state that should Obama choose the “nuclear option” the most viable weapon at his disposal is the United States B83 (Mk-83) strategic thermonuclear bomb having a variable yield (Low Kiloton Range to 1,200 Kilotons) which with its 12 foot length and 18 inch diameter, and weighing just over 2,400 pounds, is readily able to be deployed and detonated by a remote controlled mini-sub.

Should Obama choose the “nuclear option” it appears that he would be supported by the International Court of Justice who on July 8, 1996 issued an advisory opinion on the use of nuclear weapons stating that they could not conclude definitively on these weapons use in “extreme circumstances” or“self defense”.

On the other hand, if Obama chooses the “nuclear option” it would leave the UN’s nuclear conference in shambles with every Nation in the World having oil rigs off their coasts demanding an equal right to atomic weapons to protect their environment from catastrophes too, including Iran.

To whatever decision Obama makes it remains a fact that with each passing hour this environmental catastrophe grows worse. And even though Obama has ordered military SWAT teams to protect other oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico from any further attack, and further ordered that all drilling in the Gulf of Mexico be immediately stopped, this massive oil spill has already reached the shores of America and with high waves and more bad weather forecastthe likelihood of it being stopped from destroying thousands of miles of US coastland and wildlife appears unstoppable.

And not just to the environmental catastrophe that is unfolding the only devastation to be wrecked upon the United States and South Korea by this North Korean attack as the economic liabilities associated with this disaster are estimated by these Russian reports to be between $500 Billion to $1.5 Trillion, and which only a declaration of this disaster being an “act of war” would free some the World’s largest corporations from bankruptcy.

Important to note too in all of these events was that this was the second attack by North Korea on its South Korean enemy, and US ally, in a month as we had reported on in our March 28^th report titled “Obama Orders ‘Immediate Stand-down’ After Deadly North Korean Attack” and which to date neither the Americans or South Korea have retaliated for and giving one senior North Korean party leader the courage to openly state that the North Korean military took “gratifying revenge” on South Korea.

And for those believing that things couldn’t get worse, they couldn’t be more mistaken as new reports coming from Japanese military sources are stating that North Korea is preparing for new launches of its 1,300 kilometer (807 miles) intermediate range ballistic “Rodong” missile which Russian Space Forces experts state is able to “deploy and detonate” an atomic electromagnetic pulse (EMP) device, and which if detonated high in the atmosphere could effectively destroy the American economy for years, if not decades, to come.

© May 1, 2010 EU and US all rights reserved

Editor's Note - the views expressed above do not necessarily reflect the views of this website, or the other writers, and editors.

From Eric Dondero:

It's becomming a trend. Dan Halloran won election to the New York City Council last November running on both the Libertarian Party and Republican Party lines. He is now serving as a "Libertarian-Republican."

Two weekends ago, Attorney and Gunderling Town Councilman Warren Redlich won the Libertarian Party nomination for New York Governor. Redlich is also simultaneously running for the Republican Party nomination.

Now Dino LaVerghetta, also a young Attorney, has announced a run for US Congress as a Republican in NYC's upper Eastside. He will be challenging longtime incumbent ultra-liberal Democrat Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

LaVerghetta is described in OurTownNY.com:

LaVerghetta is a self-described libertarian-leaning Republican and fiscal conservative, as well as an ardent gay-rights supporter...

“It’s come to a point where at least I think she represents the interest of the party, not necessarily the people,” said LaVerghetta, who is seeking the Libertarian and Independence party endorsements. “It’s the independence and new blood argument more than anything else.”

One of LaVerghetta's top issues for his campaign: Opposition to the new Tanning Salon Tax imposed by the Obama administration. Continuing:

“The [tanning] industry is made up almost exclusively of small business owners and they don’t have a strong lobby,” LaVerghetta said.

Though Maloney did not sponsor the Senate’s tanning tax, she has introduced bipartisan legislation requiring better cancer warnings and allowing the Food and Drug Administration to limit the amount of UV rays tanning beds can emit.

LaVerghetta held a press conference April 26 to denounce the tax at Sunpoint Spa, at 344 E. 63rd St. between First and Second avenues. His campaign also set up a website http://www.repealthetantax.org to build opposition and raise campaign money.

DinoForCongress.org

"I'll bet there are more Minnesotans who call themselves conservative, libertarian or free market today than in 1980, when Ronald Reagan was elected president" -- Annette Meeks

The Freedom Foundation is a research facility for free market thought. It has been called the "Cato Institute" for Minnesota. And now Tom Emmer, one of the frontrunners for the Republican nomination for Governor of Minnesota, has chosen the Foundation's President as his running mate for Lt. Governor.

From Tom Emmer for Governor:

Meeks is currently President of the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota, a non-profit educational organization that actively advocates the principles of individual freedom, personal responsibility, economic freedom, and limited government. Prior to founding the Freedom Foundation, Meeks spent nine years at the Center of the American Experiment as Director of Government Affairs and Public Programs and President/CEO.

"Annette Meeks is a dynamic leader with unparalleled knowledge of state government who is ready to lead our state on day one, my top qualification for the job," said Emmer. "She will put her knowledge and experience to work immediately as we redefine state government and return prosperity to Minnesota by creating private sector jobs."

She's tough on spending. Meeks in an interview in 2007:

"Most Minnesotans are happy with our quality of life, but the debate at the Legislature is always about spending more money. If you listen to some legislators, you'd think we're spending down to the level of Mississippi, with services to match."

Note - Meeks is a movement libertarian. She has attended conferences in Chicago for the Sam Adams Alliance.

From Eric Dondero:

We've reported twice here at LR on Tom Emmer's campaign for Minnesota Governor. He's even been called a "libertarian" on occasion. The Minnesota Post has said:

Tom Emmer, who is seen as more appealing to the Tea Party/Libertarian brand of Republicans who have become a growing factor in party politics...

And Emmer seems to be polling well against potential Democrats for the seat. Though, he first needs to best conservative Mark Dayton for the GOP nomination. He's a few points behind Dayton in the latest polls.

Emmer just got a major endorsement which could help boost him over the hump.

Sarah Palin's Facebook Page:

A patriotic fiscally conservative “hockey dad” who got his start in politics by serving on his local city councils is running for governor of the great state of Minnesota. His name is Tom Emmer, and I’m proud to support him.

Tom has based his campaign on three founding principles: “Honoring the Constitution, Expanding Liberty and Fostering Economic Freedom.”

Coming from a working class background, Tom is known as a straight-talker who is unafraid of taking on the challenge of reining in the size and scope of government. A proud father of seven, Tom is in this race for the right reasons – to provide bold, principled leadership that will leave Minnesota fiscally stronger for the next generation. He knows that government overspending is the real obstacle to reform. Tom says, “When a family experiences a change in its income, that family adjusts its budget accordingly. If they have less money, they spend less money. This simple form of money management is completely lost on state government.” It’s common sense statements like that which make Tom such an attractive candidate for Minnesotans who want real reform.

A family man who wants to leave his kids a better future, a “hockey dad” who once played for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, a patriotic commonsense conservative who wishes to serve for the right reasons – that’s Tom Emmer, and I ask you to join me in supporting him for governor of Minnesota.

EmmerforGovernor.com

From Eric Dondero:

The headline in The Hill: "Murtha's seat tilts GOP."

A new poll has Republican Tim Burns 6 points ahead. The election is only days away. A win for the GOP here will not only alter the balance in the House, to 179 Republicans, but more importantly serve as a psychological blow to the Democrats. This race is a big bellweather for November.

From The Hill:

Republicans appear to have a real opportunity to take over the seat of the late Rep. John Murtha's (D-Pa.), as another poll shows their candidate in the lead.

The Research 2000 poll for the liberal website Daily Kos has businessman Tim Burns (R) leading former Murtha aide Mark Critz 46-40. It's the biggest lead yet for Burns, who edged Critz 44-41 in a recent Public Policy Polling (D) survey.

The newer poll backs up several key data points from the PPP poll, particularly how unpopular President Obama is in the district. R2000 has Obama's favorable rating at just 38 percent, with 55 percent unfavorable. And Obama isn't just unpopular: Among those 55 percent, more than half say their opinion of the president is "very unfavorable."

It should be noted, that Libertarian Republican contributor Steve Maloney, who lives in Western PA, has been a volunteer with the Burns campaign from the beginning. He's been tireless promoter of the Burns campaign over the internet to bring in campaign contributions. At his self-named blog, Steve recently commented:

The jobs Murtha created were a tiny fraction of the jobs he destroyed. But the millions he received from people he paid off with earmarks were always enough to keep him getting re-elected. John Murtha made out just fine; the 12th district continued its economic nosedive.

Would Mark Critz, Murtha's "deputy director" vote the same way as his old boss? There's no evidence that Critz wouldn't hew the Obama/Pelosi line. In fact, Critz would be one more Democrat disaster for western Pennsylvania.

If the 12th district is to have a future, it must not send another corrupt politician to the House. There is a much better choice: conservative Republican Tim Burns. All the lies the Beltway Democrat establishment tells about Burns can't hide one fact: he knows what's necessary to create jobs; Mark Critz doesn't have a clue.

A Burns win will be especially sweet for Steve. Even though he's a conservative, Burns winning will be a sweet win for Libertarian Republicans, as well.