St. Louis's Sassy Conservative Female in Playboy

Dana Loesch, afternoon talk-show host on 97.1 FM Talk in St. Louis, and top Tea Party icon is featured in a lengthy article on the Tea Party in this month's Playboy Magazine.

Comments Dana via The Other McCain:

I can’t wait to tell my Baptist mother that her daughter is in Playboy.

This month’s issue of Playboy features an interesting article on the tea party movement and in particular, focuses on a particular group of activists, myself included.

Dan Riehl of Riehl World View comments on Dana's guest appearance:

the Tea Party mentality, whether it continues to call itself the Tea Party movement, or not, is new - vibrant. And in many ways, it is as youthful...how successful this new Right is in altering America's course remains unknown.

But it is new - different from the old Right, less conservative and more Libertarian. It will be interesting to watch it play out over, hopefully, many years. It is a long war, more than it is one, or a few political battles. And victory is far from assured. But the battle is, indeed, sexy, or the new chic if you prefer. It must be au currant. After all, it's in Playboy...

Rightwing World turned upside down

Frances Martel, columnist at Mediaite has an editorial "The Prospect Asks “What Ever Happened To Ann Coulter,” But She’s Still Here." Included in the piece is this gem:

Coulter’s commentary feels dated, and she has been overtaken by even zanier voices on the right...

The question of whether the “old guard” of neo-conservatives– now often referred to as “paleo-conservatives”– like Coulter still have a seat at the table when the dialogue is being increasingly controlled by libertarian voices with a much bigger focus on loving the Constitution than hating liberals. Coulter’s narrative has consistently been that “liberals are stupid”– compare this to, say, Beck, whose narrative is, in general terms, “we must save America.” Libertarians have been a game-changer for Coulter.

Set aside the libertarianization of the Rightwing angle for a moment. Ann Coulter a "Paleo-conservative"? Pro-War in Iraq. Pro-War in Afghanistan. Pro-War on Islamo-Fascism.

That's enough to make the Paleos at American Conservative, LewRockwell.com and among the Ron Paulists scream bloody murder.

A historical footnote for Mr. Martel: Ms. Coulter briefly sought the Libertarian nomination for US House to challenge incumbent moderate Republican Rep. Chris Shays in 1996.

From Eric Dondero:

Libertarian Party candidates for office are often accused of being out-of-the-mainstream, and not "real world."

Meet Kira Willis. She is a mother of two. She has been a teacher for 17 years.

From her campaign website:

I see parents and teachers, schools and communities blaming each other for our schools' failures when the politicians and the policy makers are to blame. I see career politicians who have never been in the classroom telling those of us who live our educational system every day what is right for our kids. As a product of public school, a teacher in public school, and a parent whose children will attend public school, I want to make a difference.

She was recently featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Libertarian Kira Willis says too much administrative bloat." They asked her 4 questions. On Parental Choice from AJC:

[What] I do support are tax credits for families that wish to home school or send their children to private school.

I also support school choice. Vouchers mean another department within the DOE created to decide who receives a choice and who does not. A simple tax credit eliminates the need for a voucher department. School choice allows a free market in education and creates competition between schools.

Note - the Libertarian Party of Georgia has long been considered one of the most successful in the Nation (along with Indiana and North Carolina.) For example, Karen Johnson, an African-American woman, is an elected Libertarian currently serving on the John's Creek City Council (Fulton County, pop. 59,000).

Disclaimer - although we are first and foremost a Republican site, on occasion, we will highlight "Republican-type" or more conservative-leaning Libertarian Party candidates for office.

From Eric Dondero:

Also-ran 2008 GOP Presidential primary candidate and staunch religious right conservative Sam Brownback is showing a bit of a libertarian streak. He is proposing a unique new office for Kansas government. The frontrunner in the Governor's race says why not an "office of Repealer." The goal is to repeal long out-dated laws still on the books.

From the NY Times, June 12:

“People just love this idea,” Mr. Brownback said here the other day, smiling broadly. “They feel like they’re getting their brains regulated out of them.”

Case in point, in Mr. Brownback’s telling: the rejoicing of residents in Saline County, Kan., when a strict fireworks ban was lifted there. Mr. Brownback recalled the mood: “It was kind of like, ‘I got a little piece of liberty back!’ ”

From Eric Dondero:

Kristin Davis, Independent Libertarian for New York Governor was featured in Human Events yesterday. The article by Emily Miller was titled "Former Madam Protests CNN’s Hiring Elliot Spitzer." Libertarian Republican was linked in the first paragraph (Libertarian). From HE:

Kristin Davis, the former madam who is running for governor of New York as a Libertarian, is leading a protest against CNN for giving Eliot Spitzer his own talk show.

Spitzer resigned as New York’s governor when he was caught soliciting prostitute Ashley Dupré and violating interstate trafficking laws when meeting at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. CNN has not yet confirmed the new Spitzer 8 p.m. talk show, which was originally reported by the Washington Examiner in mid-May.

In an interview with HUMAN EVENTS, Davis says she started the CNN protest “to remind New Yorkers that Spitzer is a criminal who has not accepted responsibility nor been punished for his crimes.” The protest is not about Spitzer “frequenting a prostitute, that’s probably the most honest thing the man has done,” she emphatically states. Rather, the protest is about CNN giving Spitzer “a forum to influence the lives of others.”

Our gratitude to Ms. Miller and HE for the link.

On Tuesday, Tim Scott may become the first African-American elected to Congress as a Republican in over 8 years, (since J.C. Watts). He is in a run-off election with Paul Thurmond, son of former SC Senator Strom Thurmond. The winner of the run-off faces only nominal Democrat opposition in the Fall in this overwhelmingly Republican district, which makes their election virtually assured.

According to CSM, Scott is clearly the Tea Party favorite, in contrast to the more Centrist establishment Thurmond. Scott is endorsed by the libertarian-leaning Club for Growth, and by RedState.

From the Post & Courrier, June 19:

Many political candidates pledge to hold down government spending. Once elected, few do. But Tim Scott, during a decade and a half of elective service, has earned his reputation as an effective fiscal conservative. And as runaway federal debt threatens our nation's future, that record makes him the right choice to represent South Carolina's 1st District in the U.S. House. The district's Republican voters should move him a giant step closer to that job in Tuesday's primary runoff.

Katherine Jenerette candidate for congress, from press release:

Tim Scott shares my conservative platform and will carry a plan of legislative agendas forward; therefore I have decided to fully endorse the candidacy of Tim Scott to be the next United States Congressman for the First Congressional District of South Carolina.

Here are some of the many reasons why I have endorsed Tim Scott:

#1) I know that Tim will carry the conservative message from the First District voters to Washington, DC.

#2) I know that Tim will cut wasteful government spending, watching every precious taxpayer dollar.

#3) I know that Tim will fight to win the war on terror, and support our military so that America can continue to lead the free world.

Note - Scott is a first-term state representative. He is the first Black Republican State Rep. in South Carolina in over 100 years. He faces the son of Strom Thurmond in the June 22 run-off. Scott finished first in a field of 9 with 32% to 2nd place finisher Thurmond's 16%. The winner of the run-off will essentially be the next Congressman, as the District is overwhelmingly Republican, and only a nominal Democrat has filed for the Fall.

VoteTimScott.com

From the Editors:

As our regular readers know we editorialized last week that Libertarian Republicans would hold off on enthusiastically backing Sharron Angle until she explained some troubling comments she made on legalized beer, which were made in a now defunct "libertarian" publication a few years ago. When asked about legalized marijuana, she seemingly suggested that beer was just as culpable of societal ills, and might be better off illegal.

Sharron Angle has now apparently heard our call for an explanation.

From an interview with John Gizzi, Human Events just released:

As to reports she opposed legalization of alcohol, Angle shook her head and replied: “Well, the issue came up from an article that they can’t find the original for, so that makes it suspect in the first place. In the context of the conversation—and it was with a libertarian group—we were talking about legalization of these things because they felt we can’t fight the war on drugs—that was their premise. My premise was that we need to be educating rather than legislating. As a ‘less government’ person, I believe that less regulation is always a better policy, and that is what I was referring to—on all levels.”

She added that Nevada is a “a 24-hour state. We deal with the proper use of alcohol all the time. It is an educational issue and we have problems with legislation.”

That satisfactorly answers our questions. Clifford Thies and I now heartily back her candidacy. We are joined by "Right Guy" Jim Lagnese, and Libertarian Politics Live Host Andre Traversa.

Note - our endorsement does not constitute endorsement by the Republican Liberty Caucus. They are still going through the decision process.

by Clifford F. Thies

With the release of a Battleground Poll of 70 “competitive” Congressional Districts (60 Democrat and 10 Republican), and three “generic Congressional” polls, it is a good time to update our tracking of the 2010 elections.

This Battleground Poll is not a poll of the entire country, nor a set of 70 Congressional District polls. Rather, it is one poll of 1,200 people selected from 70 districts thought to be competitive. While it can't tell us anything about particular races, it can tell us about tendencies in races thought to be competitive. And, what it tells us is this: That Republicans are, on average, 5 points ahead in these districts.

GOP has well-over the necessary 40 to win back the House

Given the normal variation across competitive districts (due, e.g., to the individual candidates involved), we can suppose that Republicans will win a net of something like 45 or 50 seats from these competitive districts. If this were to happen, Republicans will also pick up a few more seats in contests thought not to be competitive as well. So, with the standard caveat that things could change, we're looking at a net pick-up of 50 to 60 seats for the Republicans.

This analysis is supported by the three "generic Congressional" polls that have just been released: Ipsos (which might lean Democrat) +1 for Republicans, Gallup +5 for Republicans, and Rasmussen (which has been very kind to Republicans this year) +10 for Republicans. These are very strong numbers for Republicans. We are looking at a 1994-type tsunami.

Over in the Senate, based on a variety of state polls, it looks like Republicans will make major gains: SD, DE, IN, AR, NV and CO look like probable pick-ups. IL and PA also look do-able. CA and WA are competitive. Our most vulnerable seat is OH, which is a toss-up, and several other of our seats are in play. So, I'm thinking there is a possibility of gaining eight to ten seats.

These numbers are available to everybody. Democrat incumbents will be very focused on their own races. You can bet, for example, that Barbara Boxer will be raising and spending all the money she can to hold on to her seat. As a result of this "circle the wagons" mentality, I don't think there will be much money for Democratic non-incumbents or even for vulnerable first-term Democratic House members.

Economic numbers offer no relief for Dems

Let me comment on the economy. The leading indicators are weak. I'm not saying we're going into a double-dip (or, triple-dip) recession (depending on how the course of the U.S. will eventually be adjudicated by the NBER). But, the economy will be weak through the next several months. Plus, there are gathering signs of inflation. (Plus, with all the new taxes and regulations piled onto the economy, the next couple years don't look too good either.)

Consumer confidence is abysmally low. Small business confidence is likewise. There has, on the other hand, been some recovery of confidence in the corporate sector; but, I think this refers to their sense that the survivors among them can operate in these troubled times. The stock market and the real estate market have been moving down or sideways. Continuing to blame it all on Bush is not resonating any longer.

The bottom line is that I don't see any reason for Democrats to feel that their fortunes will turn around any time soon.

Dr. Thies is a professor of econo-metrics and statistics at Shenandoah Univ. in Virginia. He is also a former Libertarian National Committee member, and former National Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

Excerpt from Press Release, Wes Benedict, LP National Director, June 18:

"The president could have taken the opportunity to talk about getting government out of the energy industry, and allowing the free market to guide the future of energy production. Unfortunately, he instead blamed the free market for government failures, and discussed his hopes of increasing government interference in the energy industry.

"For decades, Libertarians have warned against putting trust in government regulatory bureaucracies like the Minerals Management Service (MMS). While costing the taxpayers a lot of money, these agencies generally fail to deliver the kind of protections they promise, they tend to become corrupt, and they discourage vigilance on the part of citizens by lulling them into a false sense of security.

"When large companies and the government start working together, the results can be disastrous. Congressional liability caps, the MMS bureaucracy, and BP have all cooperated to create a costly disaster that should never have happened."

http://www.lp.org

LIBERTARIAN RIGHT VIEW

by Michael W. Dean, Libertarian Punk

I have a HUGE problem with Utah’s executions! They are unsafe for the executioners!

Last night The State of Utah killed scumbag Ronnie Lee Gardner (he murdered a bartender for not serving beer quick enough).

Utah executed Gardner by having four guys with .30-30 rifles shoot the scumbag in the heart. (Five guys shot, but one had a blank…as is common with execution by firing squad….some sort of pussy-ass “Plausible deniability” for the shooters. He’ll I’d ONLY be a shooter in a firing squad if I could know for SURE I had a live round.)

The execution took place in a 20 x 25 foot room, with the five shooters firing through six-inch high slots in the wall (below.)

My problem with this is that at 25 feet in a concrete room, there is ABSOLUTELY the chance for a .30 caliber bullet to go through the scumbag, hit the back wall, ricochet off another wall and come back and kill one of the executioners through the slot. BAD GUN SAFETY PRACTICES, UTAH!

MAINSTREAM MEDIA BLACKOUT

From Eric Dondero:

This story has received no national media coverage. In contrast, Catholic Preists who bugger young boys, and Baptist preachers who get caught with male prostitutes get splattered all over the mainstream media.

From the Tampa Bay Herald-Tribune June 17:

TAMPA, Fla. - An imam pleaded guilty to molesting a teenage boy at a Gulf coast mosque.

A judge put Yasser Mohamed Shahade on probation for 10 years and designated him a sexual offender Thursday. He will be deported to Egypt.

He faced 15 years in prison if convicted of the initial charge, sexual battery on a minor. His attorney confirmed that he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of lewd and lascivious molestation.

He was arrested in May 2009 after a boy who stayed overnight at the Masjid Omar Al Mukhtar mosque said he had been assaulted.

Blogger and Private Detective Bill Warner has more:

Imam, Yasser Mohamed Shahade, Charged With Sexual Battery (Rape) On 13 Year Old Teenage Boy at Masjid Omar Al Mokhtar Mosque 1307 W. North B St. Tampa Fl . Yasser Mohamed Shahade, 35, a prayer leader, holy man, who had been in the country for about two months is from Egypt and had been staying at the mosque, he sexually battered the victim about 6 a.m. Sunday morning, police say.