by Eric Dondero

Check out these two paragraphs from an article by David Sessions a writer at The Daily Beast. "Tea Party: The Christian Right in Disguise?" Aug. 18:

Michele Bachmann, once an outspoken social conservative, has reduced her comments on gay marriage to vague statements like “I’m not judging anyone” and “I think my views are clear.”

Tea Party candidates like O’Donnell and Bachmann have campaigned on libertarian economic platforms, leading some commentators to dig into old Ayn Rand novels for the source of this new economic populism. But what they’ve missed is that the Tea Party’s obsession with the size of government has been part of Christian conservatives’ platform for decades. The Tea Party was just a new name coined by clever activists and the media—a rebranding that has made it much easier for Christian-right candidates to run for office without having to air their views on social issues, which are increasingly viewed in a negative light by the general public.

Mr. Sessions seems completely unaware that the Tea Party was founded by the Libertarian Party, and some elements of Ron Paul's organization very late in 2007. The very first Tea Party events were in Seattle, Denver, and Chicago. The Chicago event was organized by then Libertarian Party of Illinois Exec. Comm. member Eric Odom, who went on to become an early leader of the movement. The Seattle and Denver events were jointly sponsored by Ron Paul groups and the local Libertarian Party affiliates. Later sponsors included the self-described libertarian groups Americans For Prosperity and libertarian economist Dick Army's Freedom Network.

Yes, religious conservatives later joined, and have been fully welcomed by libertarians. But it is still as it always has been, a firmly grounded libertarian movement.

And if Michele Bachmann and Christine O'Donnell have been influenced by libertarians on social matters, all the better.

From Eric Dondero:

In 2009, Texas Governor Rick Perry was the featured speaker at a Tea Party event outside the State Capitol in Austin. He made his now famous remark that "Texas had the right to secede," if the federal government overstepped its bounds.

Appearing on CNN a few days later, Texas Congressman Ron Paul was asked about Perry's remarks.

Via the Manchester Union-Leader, Aug. 18:

[Paul called Perry's comments] “very much American.”

“We seceded from England, so it's a very good principle,” Paul said on CNN in 2009. “It's a principle of a free society. It's a shame we don't have it anymore. I argue that if you had the principle of secession, our federal government wouldn't be as intrusive into state affairs, that would be very good.”

Paul was also quoted recently on him entering the race, that Perry's free market views made him "look like a moderate."

He once owned stock in a Video company that offered X-Rated titles

From Eric Dondero:

The leftwing websites and blogs are all abuzz this morning with another supposed "Gotcha" on presidential candidate Rick Perry.

In the heyday of video stores, Movie Gallery was considered the one risque chain outlet in contrast to the more conservative Blockbuster and Hollywood Movies. They had a back room that included adult titles. Seems in the 1990s while he was Ag Commissioner, according to the far leftwing Democrat partisan site Burnt Orange out of Texas, Perry owned about $5,000 to $10,000 in stock in the company for a short while.

As another far leftwing site Salon explains:

Ironically, it was the social conservative crusaders at the American Family Association -- the very group that helped organize Perry's stadium prayer rally this month -- who spent years on an anti-porn campaign targeting Movie Gallery. AFA was active targeting Movie Gallery both before and after Perry owned the stock; at one protest event outside Movie Gallery's Alabama headquarters in 2000, AFA members held signs reading "Serve God or Serve Money," "Pornography hurts families," and "Porn dishonors mothers."

But the leftwing sites may be inadvertenly helping Perry. Many libertarians as of late have been skeptical of his candidacy and of his libertarian leanings. Some have even accused him of being "too religious right."

Being on the other side of such issues from the AFA ironically builds credibility with the socially tolerant porn-protecting libertarian set.

Photo of a younger Rick Perry circa 1990s.

From Eric Dondero:

From KISS lead man Gene Simmons Twitter account, Beverly Hills, Aug. 16:

genesimmons Gene Simmons

I voted for Pres Bush. I voted for Pres Clinton. I voted for Pres Obama. The next president will be Gov Rick Perry.

Simmons went on to Tweet, that:

"He will be our next president. I've never been wrong."

Simmons is a staunchly Pro-Israel/Pro-Defense, Pro-Business, cultural libertarian.

Photo credit - RealityTVsheknows.com

by Clifford F. Thies

From LR yesterday, "NH GOP Chairman in hot water for signing Libertarian Party petition":

Tea Partyer Jack Kimball is now in trouble with the GOP State Executive Committee for having signed a ballot access petition for the GOP's sometimes partner party. He merely signed to allow them to have ballot status.

It is reasonable for political parties to require that their officers be loyal to the party. When I was a member of the Libertarian Party National Committee, I was myself subject to certain such conditions. But, we should be careful as to what party loyalty means.

On the issue of ballot access, or signing a petition to put a candidate's name on the ballot, the signature does not constitute an endorsement of the candidate or a commitment to vote for the candidate, only that you think the candidate's name should be on the ballot.

Many people support ballot access out of fairness, believing that all law-abiding Americans should have the same access to the ballot, so long as the resulting ballot is not overly confusing to the voter. Others support ballot access because they think more competition among candidates will result in a better winning candidate. There are yet other reasons.

I have always thought very well of people from other parties who sign ballot access petitions, or who support liberalizing ballot access laws in the state legislatures of our country, as they show themselves to be fair-minded people who believe in our democratic process.

From Eric Dondero:

Tea Partyer Jack Kimball is now in trouble with the GOP State Executive Committee for having signed a ballot access petition for the GOP's sometimes partner party. He merely signed to allow them to have ballot status. In the past the New Hampshire Republican Party and the Libertarian Party have worked together on a number of initiatives, and in support of candidates.

From the NH Journal "Kimball petition signature violates GOP bylaws, could get him ousted":

There is photographic evidence of Kimball having signed the petition, which was published by WMUR’s James Pindell last week. By signing that petition, Kimball disqualified himself from serving as an officer of the Republican State Committee according to the Committee’s bylaws.

The photo kicked off a torrent of e-mails and phone calls over the weekend between Republican executive committee members and other GOP leaders expressing outrage that the Republican Chairman would aid another party, especially one that regularly siphons off votes from Republican candidates.

Numerous Republican sources tell NH Journal that Republican leaders are taking Kimball’s bylaws violations seriously and that his offenses could result in Kimball’s removal as Party Chairman. We conducted numerous interviews and party officials were uncertain how exactly the rules would be enforced. The Executive Committee has the right to waive these rule as it sees fit.

For his part, NH Journal is told that Kimball is nonplussed about the controversy and thinks he did nothing wrong.

Editor's comment - Our position here at Libertarian Republican is obviously, the Republican Party should consistently support free and open ballot access for all minor parties.

LR-ers are urged to contact the NH GOP in support of Kimball info@nhgop.org

From Eric Dondero:

A special election is set for early September to fill the vacancy of a Republican State Rep. busted for DUI. A "RINO" Republican snared the GOP nomination in a crowded field. Brendan Kelly is an elected Libertarian serving on the Seabrook Town Committee. He ran for this seat in 2010. He has vowed to "caucus" with Republicans if elected. He is a fiscal hawk, staunchly pro-business, and right-to-work. He is also a pro-defense libertarian and a 20-year Veteran of the US Military. If elected, Brendan will be the only sitting state legislator of the Libertarian Party in the U.S. and the 6th in NH history.

From the Daily News of Newburyport, Aug 04:

Vote for Brendan Kelly

To the editor:

I want to take a quick moment to let the people of District 14, Kensington, South Hampton, Hampton Falls and Seabrook know that there are many people in the N.H. GOP House caucus supporting Brendan Kelly as your new state representative. While Brendan is not a registered Republican, he certainly espouses the values we need in Concord far better than the Republican nominee has publicly stated he would.

With issues like Right-To-Work legislation in the balance, we need a person we know who will vote for important jobs legislation for the people of District 14 and New Hampshire. Unfortunately, I don't believe either the union-backed Republican candidate or the Democratic candidate is willing to do what is best for the people. Both of these candidates have publicly proclaimed representing special interest groups was more important than standing up for the hardworking families of New Hampshire.

We need a principled person like Brendan Kelly in the N.H. Legislature who will work with the team we have in Concord today fighting to reduce the size and scope of government, reducing regulations on our businesses and protecting the liberties and freedoms that others keep trying to take from us. These are not code words or silly ideas with no meaning. These are words that help define who we are as a society and as individuals seeking to enjoy a greater quality of life in New Hampshire.

I urge the people of Kensington, South Hampton, Hampton Falls and Seabrook to support Brendan Kelly with your vote on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Rep. Fred Leonard

Strafford 1

Rochester, N.H

Personal note - Brendan is a personal friend of mine, and I worked as a volunteer in his 2010 campaign. BrendanKellyLPNH.com

Not as tough on Immigration as some would like

From Eric Dondero:

Newly-announced Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry may have lurched ahead of the pack in some polls, but he's not winning kudos from all GOP quarters. An odd mixture of paleo-conservatives, Ron Paulists, hardline social conservatives, and a few libertarian-conservatives, are ranting against his candidacy. They are joined by some of Perry's past political opponents in Texas.

From WaPo, The Fix political blog, "Some conservatives not thrilled by Rick Perry":

Perry has also ruffled feathers with social conservatives in recent days by saying that under 10th Amendment principles, gay marriage in New York didn’t bother him. After all, Perry endorsed former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani in the 2008 presidential race, who is hardly considered a social conservative.

Michele Malkin:

“He’s soft on illegal immigration despite a few recent nods to border enforcement...

And this from NewsMax.com, "Tea Party Texans diss Perry":

“A lot of what he’s done doesn’t measure up to his rhetoric,” said tea party activist Don Zimmerman, a member of the Texas State Republican Executive Committee.

“I think the heart and the soul of the tea party is with Ron Paul,” Zimmerman told Roll Call.

It should be noted Dave Nalle, Republican Liberty Caucus National Chairman, a friend of this website and oddly enough a longtime foe of Zimmerman in Austin-area politics, also opposes Perry, mostly on style and past inner-Texas political dealings.

Hear an interview with Dave on the Andre Controversa Show from early this week.

Tax hikes good enough for Warren Buffet; should be good enough for the Tea Party, right?

GIULIANI: What it shows is he's addicted to spending. He can't seem to get himself off the idea that he needs more revenue so he can spend more money.

The reason I wouldn't raise revenues has nothing to do with the rich or poor or these class warfare battle that he gets into. I wouldn't give the government any more money to waste. I think this government is a profound waster of money. Just like I wouldn't give a business more money to waste, I wouldn't give this government more money to waste.

H/t Newsbusters

BURQA WATCH!

From Eric Dondero:

First the UK, then Australia, Canada. And so it begins in the United States...

Reported by Brenden Gee of The Tennessean "Religious head coverings to be exempt for Davidson Sheriff's policies" Aug. 16:

Beginning Friday, religious head coverings will be exempted from Davidson County Sheriff’s Office policies that require the removal of head coverings for booking photographs and upon entering courthouses and other county facilities.

The move was made at the request of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, which received complaints from two Muslim individuals asked to remove head coverings.

One commenter posts:

First Davidson County, next the whole state of Tennessee will be bowing down to them. Mug shots just showing a persons eyes is not a lot to go on when trying to identifying someone.

From Eric Dondero:

An interesting set of polls released in the last week. Obama hit his lowest approval rating ever, and for the very first time dropped below the psychologically important 40% mark, at 39% in Gallup.

The leftist UK Guardian notes rightly (How President Obama can win – without approval):

Obama's approval rating is legitimate cause for concern among his staffers and supporters. No president has won re-election with a Gallup approval rating of 47% or less. The closest anyone has come was President George W Bush, who won re-election in 2004 with an approval rating of only 48%

At the same time, his approvals among the Muslim community have hit all-time highs.

From CNSNews.com:

Eighty percent of Muslim Americans approve of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president, according to a newly released survey conducted by the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center, a partnership between Gallup and the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi.

This is in stark contrast with 50% among Catholics, 37% among Prostetants, and 25% for Mormons.

The blogprof writes:

Obama's devotion to Muslims show up pretty clearly in this Gallup Poll...

I don't think Obama is a Muslim, albeit he was born a Muslim under Islamic Law since his father was a Muslim and once a Muslim always a Muslim according to Islamic Law. However, Obama sympathizes with and defends Islam.

Photo - Obama with Minnesota Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison.

The Andre Controversa Show Presents:

Steve Forbes will be with us to discuss the recent credit downgrade of the government.

Host Andre Traversa

Co-host Jim Lagnese

Showtime 7:00PM CST Wednesday August 17

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

Jerry Titus was elected as the Vice Chair of the Libertarian Party of Indiana this previous spring. Jerry discusses what role a Vice Chair serves in a political party, why he gives up so much of his own free time for political organizing, and what motives him most. Download Here.

A journalist and author, Daniel Hannan has been a British member of the European Parliament since 1999. He first came to wide notice in the United States when he made a speech on the floor of the European Parliament addressing the then-prime minister of Great Britain, Gordon Brown, about his disastrous economic policies. Hannan’s latest [...]

This Saturday is “Lemonade Freedom Day” across the nation.  

Individuals have rights. But are they natural? And how do they compare and contrast with legal or constitutional rights? Are legal or constitutional rights similar to those inalienable rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence? Professor Aeon Skoble distinguishes such constitutional rights, such as the right to vote, from the rights protected by governments and [...]

June 17, 2011 marks the 40th Anniversary of Nixon’s War on Drugs. Ever wonder what it costs and if it’s worth it?

Tales from America's continuing War on Drugs

by Clifford F. Thies

Better start cleaning up, America! You never know when a dozen or more heavily armed black ops officers will bust through the doors, with semi-automatic rifles and other special weapons, and arrest you for having a disorderly house.

No, you read that right. That is no typo. They were given a citation for having a "disorderly house."

From KCRG.org Cedar Rapids, Aug. 12:

Police in SWAT gear busted through a door and searched a Cedar Rapids home for drugs Thursday morning, but came up empty.

At least 12 officers surprised the tenants at 1135 33rdSt. NE when they arrived around 7 a.m. with a narcotics search warrant. Sgt. Cristy Hamblin, a police spokeswoman, later confirmed that nothing was seized from the house.

No one was taken to jail, but the tenants of the house, Justin Davis, 28, and his girlfriend, Erica Lewis, 26, were charged with disorderly house and signed a promise to appear in court, police said. No one was injured during the raid.

I mean, if you don't actually have any illegal drugs, what do you expect them to do, overlook your stash of high fructose candy bars, half-eaten double cheese pizza, your continued use of incandescent light bulbs, or the thermostat on your air conditioner unit set too low? What, do you think you're still living in the land of the free??? Don't you know, comrade, you are now living in the USSA!

Photo credit - SodaHead

From Eric Dondero:

Republican representative Dave Agema of Granville has introduced a bill in the Michigan legislature to ban foreign laws in U.S. courts.

According to clickonDetroit.com "Mich. Rep. Proposes Anti 'Foreign Laws' Bill

Critics Say Bill Attacks Muslim Sharia Law" Aug. 16:

Although the bill does not specifically mention Sharia law, critics are still saying that it directly targets Muslim Americans.

Radical Islamist legislator Rashida Talib is defending Sharia and fiercely criticizing supporters of the bill. Continuing:

"This is racism at its core," said Rep. Rashida Talib (D-Detroit). "This is how it all starts. This is how the conflict among neighbors starts when you cast suspicion onto people with the introduction of this bill."

So far the legislation has 41 co-sponsors.

Under libertarianism, "little Tommy" would be working at the local factor, making wages "just a few nickels above slavery"

Michael Kindt is a writer living in South Dakota whose work has appeared in College Times, Midwest Lit Review and in the poetry anthology “It’s Dark & Scary In Here.” He’s the author of “Early Onset of Night, Volume One” and blogs at Early-Onset-of-Night.tumblr.com.

Excerpted from his column - "What do you call a Republican who smokes marijuana? A Libertarian" Aug. 21, TheAdvertiser.com (Baton Rouge, LA):

As far as I can make out, Libertarians are just basically Republicans who are really for smaller government—no, like, really —and who are unencumbered by the self-righteousness, love of telling others how to behave, and cosmic levels of hypocrisy found among the Religious Wrong. Libertarians talk a great game about personal liberty, about freedom, but really advocate an increased empowering of business and corporate interests at the expense of everything else...

little Tommy would be down at the factory earning a fair wage as determined entirely by the company he works for and without any input or support from anyone else. In other words, he would be earning a few nickels above slavery.

What’s funny about this to me is that they don’t seem to realize just how much personal and private liberty would diminish if the corporate powers-that-be are allowed to run unchecked. Why, it would be just like things are now, only worse.

I even respect a lot of the Libertarians I know. They seem like honest Republicans, which is rare. They blessedly lack the empty god-talk while still doing everything in their power to force those in need to fend for themselves.

Libertarianism is simply anarchy for rich people — and rich people alone. Nothing more. [emphasis added]

The reality of Libertarianism in America is that it is diametrically opposed liberty. It is the opposite of what it claims to be. It wants to remove the tyranny of the state, which is at least mitigated somewhat by the elective process, and give it over to private organizations who would then be completely unaccountable.

Editor's comment - There are just so many things wrong with this piece, who knows where to start? LR readers are encouraged to visit Mr. Kindt's blog and leave a comment or two, showing him the error of his ways.