Pure and Utter Brillance!

From Eric Dondero:

This is making the rounds on the right blogs. An absolute must see. Senator Rand Paul at his best.

"You favor a women's right to abortion. But you don't favor a person's right to choose what kind of dishwasher or washing maching to use..."

The Senator makes the ultimate anti-Nanny-State statement at the 4:40 mark.

Editor's note - This website was an early and enthusiastic backer of Rand Paul for Senate.

From Eric Dondero:

In the 2010 election cycle, Lisa Murkowski who lost the Alaska GOP primary for Senate to Tea Partyer Joe Miller, seriously flirted with a run on the Libertarian Party ticket. The LP considered her bid. But after consultations, and input from the party's membership, the LPA executive committee unanimously voted not to allow her on their ticket.

Now, 2010 Alaska may be re-played in Indiana. Longtime incumbent Senator Dick Lugar, insulted the Tea Party last year, calling them irrelevent, and has now drawn a number of serious challengers for his seat.

The National Journal gives an analysis of Senator Dick Lugar's current predicament," Could Lugar Run As An Independent?":

An independent bid would cost Lugar much more time and effort. If he opts for that path, state law requires he collect nominating petitions from a number of voters equal to two percent of the votes cast in the most recent election for Secretary of State. That means Lugar would need 34,195 signatures just to reach the ballot as an independent.

Lugar also has the option of pursuing the nomination from the Libertarian Party, if he abandons his GOP campaign before Feb. 27. Although the idea seems far-fetched considering Lugar's political views -- Indiana Libertarian Party executive director Chris Spangle doesn't "see a world" where the scenario is possible -- he wouldn't need to go through a petition process. Lugar would have to win in a convention slated for a date in April 2012. Spangle isn't counting on that. "I don't see anything happening," he said.

In the unlikely result that Lugar got the Libertarian nomination, he would still be placed in the "Minor Parties" category since the Libertarian Party didn't break ten percent in the 2010 Secretary of State race.

Interestingly, Libertarian Party National Vice-Chairman Mark Rutherford is from Indiana. He's known as a leader in the pragmatic wing of the LP.

Lugar himself has yet to give any indication that he might consider such a route.

H/t Ballot Access News

Senator Rubio Calls For Immediate Military Trial Of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed And The 9/11 Conspirators

Co-Sponsors Legislation Prohibiting Civilian Trials

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio today announced that he is an original co-sponsor of legislation that will prohibit civilian trials of the 9/11 conspirators. Senator Rubio is one of nine bill co-sponsors.

“As we approach the ten year anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, it is vital that Congress send a clear message that the 9/11 conspirators should be immediately tried in military courts and not afforded the same rights as an American citizen in a civilian courtroom. For too long, our government has stood idle while the 9/11 conspirators, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, sit in Guantanamo Bay. For the families who lost loved ones almost ten years ago and for all Americans, it is time that the terrorists involved in the attacks on September 11, 2001 face justice,” said Senator Rubio.

The bill was introduced with the following co-sponsors today: U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Richard Burr (R-NC), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), John Ensign (R-NV), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and John McCain (R-AZ).

Editor's note - This website was an early and enthusiastic supporter of Marco Rubio for Senate. Rubio.Senator.gov

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy

From Eric Dondero:

Brooklyn Democrat State Senator Carl Kruger is off to jail. He faces multiple counts of bribery.

It was just a month and a half ago, that we reported here at LR:

Democrat legislator in New York wants to outlaw walking while listening to an iPod

From the Washington Examiner, "Nanny State targets cell phone use on sidewalk" Jan. 26:

New York State Sen. Carl Kruger (D) would have people walk down the sidewalk to an intersection listening to their iPod, stop at the intersection, pause their music (because they can't see the crosswalk sign with headphones covering their ears), cross the street and turn their music back on. (Would they have to take their headphones out after pausing their music?)

The legislation also covers cell phones and mp3 players.

Now this from the NY Post "B'klyn Sen. Kruger will surrender to face corruption charges":

State Sen. Carl Kruger, a powerful Brooklyn Democrat, will surrender to federal authorities Thursday to face corruption charges along with an Upper West Side lobbyist, sources told the Post.

Kruger been under investigation since 2007 by Brooklyn federal prosecutors, who are probing allegations that he performed official acts in exchange for campaign donations.

But that still-ongoing probe is not related to the charges that Kruger, the ranking Democrat on the Senate’s Finance Committee, will face today in Manhattan federal court, sources told The Post.

The Post goes on to report that the FBI had set up a sting operation with an informant to get Kruger on tape. The Brooklyn Rep. can be heard making a pay-for-play deal for cash. Continuing:

A Democratic political operative told The Post, “Everyone knows that Carl has been using his post to take money for years, so this isn’t surprising. What’s more surprising is that it didn’t happen 10 years ago.”

From Clifford F. Thies:

"We have two options: Either freedom and access to development, or slavery under the feet of the tyrant Moamer Gaddafi." Libyan National Council.
On the eve of a meeting of the EU in Brussels, France has become the first country in the world to recognize the Libyan National Council as the legitimate government of the people of Libya.

Great Britain, which at one time floated the idea of imposing a no-fly zone in the northern region of the country, says merely that the LNC is a valid intermediary with which to make contact. Great Britain also continues to say that Gaddafi must go. NATO, while not imposing a no-fly zone, has instituted 24 hour surveillance of Libyan airspace using places in the Mediterranean equipped with side-looking radar. The French foreign minister is, at the time, meeting with his German counterpart, to press the issue.

In the meantime, Gaddafi continues to order air strikes against rebel positions. And, in Washington, D.C., the White House was claiming that the international community had never acted so quickly "with leadership from the United States," while the State Department was insisting that this is a U.N. matter and that the United States should not be identified as leading any effort to deal with the situation.

New from NRCC

The NRCC released a new web ad highlighting the divide between elected leaders throughout the country who are tackling deficit spending and Democrats in Washington who continue to spend at will on America’s future while offering no solutions.

From Right Guy:

Our first guest will Chris Littleton, president of the Ohio Liberty Council, who will be talking about the current legislation to abolish collective bargaining rights for state workers in Ohio and discussing it too will be Tom Niehaus, Ohio Senate president.

Our second guests at the bottom of the hour is former congressman Bob Beauprez of Colorado and Dan Gainor, vp of Business and Culture for the Media Research Center, who will be commeting on the NPR sting operations, the NPR mindset, and why NPR should not receive federal funds.

Our third guest will be Robert Greer, professor of theology at Judson University. He will be discussing the hearings on D.C. on radical islam.

Host Andre Traversa, Co-Host Jim Lagnese

Show Time 7:00PM-9:PM CST

Call in at 949-203-4821 or stream here.

From Dave Nalle:

At its recent national convention the Republican Liberty Caucus voted to raise its membership dues for the first time in 20 years. This may seem like bad news, but there's a silver lining. The dues change doesn't go into effect until the end of this month. That means this is a fantastic opportunity to renew or join at the old rate.

The dues structure is:

Student/Military New: $30/year Sale: $20/year
Regular Individual: New: $45/year Sale: $30/year
Premium: New: $75/year Sale: $50/year
Sustaining: New: $150/year Sale: $100/year
Patron: New: $350/year Sale: $250/year
Benefactor: New: $750/year Sale: $500/year
Roundtable: New: $1,500/year Sale: $1000/year

This year we'll be debuting our new Precinct Project which will provide information and training for liberty activists who want to get involved in the GOP and help to return the party to its pro-liberty principles. We'll also be holding some great events around the state with interesting speakers and some of our more liberty inclined state legislators.

Join us in the fight for liberty as we go into what may be the most important 18 months in our nation's history.

From the Editor: As many of you are aware, I founded the RLC back in 1990, and Cliff Thies served as an early RLC National Chair. Though, LR is an independent libertarian Republican website, it's safe to say there is not a single organization that we support more than RLC. We don't make appeals for funds or "hit the tip jar" here at LR. We are making an appeal for you to join the RLC. Join Now! RLC.org

"this is not your father’s Republican Party"

From Eric Dondero:

A guest editorialist at the far left Nashua Telegraph is blasting libertarian infiltrators in the Republican Party. Diane Raymond of Nashua says that the State's GOP is being taken over by a radical libertarian element bent on limiting government and cutting back spending. Titled ironically: "These Republicans in Name Only."

They ran as Republicans, campaigning for fiscal reform and job creation. They told you what you wanted to hear. They won seats by pretending to have the same agenda as the mainstream GOP.

The 2010 election brought or returned 81 “Republican Liberty Caucus” members to the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

The RLC is a right-wing group that favors privatizing all government assets and eliminating most government agencies – including, incredibly, the Transportation Security Administration.

The election also brought us around a dozen members of the Free State Project. This group began moving to New Hampshire in 2003.

In its quest for a libertarian utopia, gun-control laws would be abolished, schools and social services would be privatized, and most federal aid would be rejected. In 2003, Jason Sorens, founder of the FSP, estimated that by 2010 the group would start influencing policy by running for local and state office.

She goes on to urge her fellow Nashuans "don't be a stooge," by voting in the next election for these libertarians in sheep's clothing.

this is not your father’s Republican Party. It is now splintered and radicalized... they know they cannot be elected without deceiving you.

Photo of Marlinda Garcia, RLC-backed New Hampshire State Rep. Garcia is one of the youngest state reps in the NH House, and has been featured in a number of Latina national magazines as a political rising star.