LR very first in Nation on the Story!

From Eric Dondero:

Bachmann rivals are putting out a hit piece on her tax record days before the all-important Iowa Straw Poll begins. Our source indicates that the piece is "about to be circulated," to conservative bloggers nationally, straw poll participants, and among Iowa media.

I was emailed the piece late last night. It is very well-sourced, and professionally put together; most certainly the work of political operatives.

The piece hits her in a number of areas, including a pardon she pushed, for a convicted drug dealer/money launderer in 2007, on her supposed hypocrisy on earmarks, and on various "pet projects" she voted for while a State Senator in Minnesota.

The one most damaging hit, from a libertarian perspective, was the highlighting of her vote in favor of a tax increase on cigarettes.

On Taxes

Michele Bachmann broke pledge in the State Senate to not to raise taxes by voting for a cigarette tax.

Michele Bachmann, while as a State Senator, broke her pledge in 2005 to not raise taxes by voting for a 75-cent cigarette tax increase. The increase was included in a omnibus spending bill for health and human services in the North Star State.

Source: Taxpayers League of Minnesota Vote: SJ 613

Certainly, many will speculate this came from one camp or another. But we here at LR have no evidence whatsoever as to the origin of the piece. And LR's source does not wish to give us any details as to where it originated from. We only know it came from Iowa.

IMPORTANT! We are huge Michele Bachmann fans here at LR. Yes, her vote on the cigarette tax is troubling for libertarians. An explanation to the libertarian wing by the Bachmann campaign would be deeply appreciated. But the rest, is pretty much par for the course hardball GOP primary politics. We take it with a grain of salt.

From Eric Dondero:

New ad produced for Iowa Straw Poll, regarded as the very first legitimate test for the presidential primary season.

Emphasizes:

"I voted against the debt limit"

MicheleBachmann.com

"That the government that governs least, governs best"

From Eric Dondero:

The ink's not even dry on the newly-created congressional district maps for South Carolina. Due to the 2010 census, the staunchly conservative state gains one seat in the House of Representatives.

The new 7th District includes the upper coast known as the Pee Dee.

State Representative Thad Viers of Myrtle Beach, a longtime Nikki Haley supporter and diehard Tea Partyer has announced for the seat.

"I would have proudly stood with South Carolina's conservative congressional delegation in opposing an increase in the national debt ceiling. We have to stop Washington's reckless spending spree if we're ever going to get our economy back on track."

(Source: CarolinaLive.com)

Viers is a graduate of The Citadel, and interned in D.C. at the Heritage Foundation. From his campaign website:

Thad firmly believes as Thomas Jefferson did, that “the government that governs least governs best.”

From Eric Dondero:

Yesterday, as the news was breaking about the Dow plummeting over 400 points, the new daily averages for Gallup and Rasmussen were released. Gallup had Obama at -10 (41% approval, 51% dissaproval), and Rasmussen -9 (45%, 54%).

That brought Obama down to the very lowest culmultative Approval rating ever posted at RCP, right at 44.0%. The previous low was 44.2% back in December of 2010.

Though, his Disapproval rating is not the highest it's ever been. Now at 50.2%; the previous high was 50.6%.

He's also trending dangerously close to the psychologically important, below 40% level on approvals in Gallup.

by Clifford F. Thies

Plaxico Burroughs, a member of the great 2007-2008 New York Giants football team, who was sent to prison for accidentally shooting himself in the leg in a New York City nightclub, is back on the street and, this fall, will be back on the field, this time in the uniform of the New York Jets.

Playing hurt, he made one after another remarkable catch late in the season and during the playoffs during the Giants Superbowl season. After one after another game, in post-game interviews, he would simply thank God that he didn't let his teammates down. In an odd way, his injury - which kept him from practicing with the team during the week - may have been instrumental in the team's success, since it freed up time for David Tyree during practice sessions. Then, facing the heavily-favored New England Patriots, Eli Manning hooked up with Tyree in the miraculous "helmet catch" to keep the team's last offensive series alive and then hooked up with Burroughs for the winning touchdown.

Here's the "helmet catch" by Tyree (YouTube)

Here's the game winning touchdown pass from Manning to Burroughs (YouTube):

We know what Plaxico did was really stupid but we thought it was wrong for him to get hard time for a gun violation, when he didn't have any prior convictions. But, let's face it, sometimes you've just got to man up in this world. We wish Plaxico every success with his new team.

See previous LR article 2009 - "Plaxico 2 year sentence excessive" Photo credit - Daily News archives

Enforcement of collectivism has always depended on government power

Excerpted, Washington Times column, Dr. Milton Wolf, "Liberals’ unmaking of Barack Obama - President enters predictable free-fall from godlike to Carteresque" Aug. 2:

The conflict between liberal collectivist ideology and its application was easily predictable by anyone who has studied big-government economic failures throughout history, from the collectivist all-stars including Mao’s China, Mussolini’s Italy, Hitler’s Germany or Stalin’s Soviet Union to today’s honorable mentions such as Castro’s Cuba or Chavez’s Venezuela. Enforcement of collectivism has always depended on government power, from Stalin’s iron-fisted gulags to Mr. Obama’s mere heavy-handed plan for punitive fines for failure to purchase your government-imposed health insurance. The degree of autocracy may vary, but still the collectivist road to economic ruin is universal.

Editor's note - Dr. Wolf gained notoreity for being an early and vociferous opponent of ObamaCare. Ironically, he is the president's first cousin. He describes himself as a "free market champion." His blog is wolffiles.blogspot.com

Don't talk about "marginal tax rates"

Obama quoted in a video conference from Chicago to supporters, via The Hill "Obama to supporters: Don't get 'bogged down' on war, taxes":

"if somebody asks about taxes, nobody is really interested in hearing what precise marginal tax rate change would you like to see in the tax code," Obama said. "What they want to know is that our campaign stands for a fair, just approach to the tax code that says everybody has to chip in, and that it’s not right if a hedge fund manager is being taxed at a lower rate than his or her secretary."

Photo h/t - SuzieQ. wordpress

OVERNIGHT BREAKING NEWS...

From Eric Dondero:

CTV (Canadian TV) reports that a popular synagogue in Toronto has been vandalized.

A synagogue in the city's northeast end was the target of anti-Semitic graffiti.

Staff members of Beth Tikvah Synagogue on Thursday found the words "Islam will rule" and a swastika spray-painted on the exterior of their building.

According to a press release published by the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy, police have been contacted and measures were taken to increase the security at the synagogue.

Ironically, the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CCIJA) issued a press release two days ago, extending Ramadan greetings to Toronto's Muslim community.

As the holy month of Ramadan begins, CIJA extends its best wishes to the Muslim community for a blessed month (Ramadan Mubarak).

“Ramadan is a time of deep prayer and introspection,” said CIJA Chair Steven Cummings. “We hope that this season will bring us closer to a time of peace, in Canada and throughout the world.”

Editor's note - Photo of a Swastika spray-painted on Paris building 2010.

We here at Libertarian Republican have known her to be a Strong Fiscal Conservative all along

by Eric Dondero

There were 26 'No' votes on the budget deal in the Senate. Among them 6 Democrats, liberals except for NE Sen. Ben Nelson.

Though, there were good fiscal conservatives who voted 'Yay,' most of the 'No' votes came from hardline fiscal conservatives including: DeMint, Paul, Rubio, Toomey, Lee, Coats, Shelby, et.al.

But two otherwise moderate Republicans were included: Orrin Hatch of Utah, and Lindsay Graham of South Carolina.

And one Senator, often viewed as more of a moderate, also voted 'No.' Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, cast her lot in with DeMint, Paul, Rubio, Lee, and the other fiscal hawks, rather than side with her fellow New England Republicans: Brown, Snowe, and Collins.

Senator Ayotte was seen as too go-along-to-get-along establishment for many New Hampshire Republicans in the 2010 primary campaign. She was even savaged by some on the hard right including her primary opponents, and also among ardent libertarian Free Staters, for not being a "true" Granite State conservative.

This website, was an early and enthusiastic backer of Kelly Ayotte in the GOP primaries in 2010. We researched her issue stances and her past record. We stuck our necks out. We even applied the label "libertarian-leaning" to her and featured her race numerous times.

Seems she's lived up to our expectations.

Looks like some of those cynics who doubted her, now have some 'splainin' to do.

At least it had a wonderful launch back in 2009

From Cliff Thies:

The Volt is not quite gathering steam. Even with huge subsidies from the tax-serfs of the USSA, the windmill-powered Chevy Volt is going nowhere. Could it be that, even after the subsidies, the thing costs three times as much as a comparable hybrid, drains the entire electric grid when it is plugged in, has limited performance and cruising range, and is more expensive to maintain than a French maid at a swank New York hotel.

Only 125 of the things were sold last month. Meanwhile, 500 of them are listed on cars.com and who knows how many more litter the showrooms of Chevy dealers.

Oh, and this news is just in: the government of the USSA has raised the average fuel efficiency standard to 55 MPG. Not even a Toyota Prius hybrid gets that kind of mileage. But, thanks to the magic that is government, voila!, there it is.

Next, the government will slow down the aging process, develop lawn grass that never needs mowing, make rivers run upstream and turn the oceans of the world into lemonade.

Editor's note - We here at LR would like to apologize to any of our readers who may have been sickened by the above video. On-line virtual barf bags are available at airsicknessbags.com

Photo credit - Delsack

From Eric Dondero:

Italy is set to become the third country in Europe to ban the burqa and face-covering hijab. Right-wing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has large majorities in both houses of parliament, and has promised to introduce the bill in early Fall.

Interestingly, the bill would amend a 1970s law aimed at countering terrorism by radical Communists.

From the UK Daily Mail, "Now Italy is set to join Belgium and France in banning the burkha in public," Aug. 2:

Italy is set to be the next European Union to introduce a burkha ban after parliament announced today it would debate legislation after the summer recess.

France and Belgium already have bans in place and the proposal has the backing of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's ruling centre right coalition.

Italy's Constitutional Affairs Committee said that the bill which was initially suggested by the anti-immigration Northern League would be debated following the summer recess in September.

The Northern League's proposal aims at amending a 1975 law, introduced amid concern over domestic terrorism, which bans anyone wearing anything which makes their identification impossible.

European countries, including Italy, have seen an increase in the last two years, of bank robberies and other violent crimes, involving robbers in burqa disguises.

Just last month two brothers - Mohammed Younis and Waqar Mahmood were convicted of a jewlery store heist in Yorkshire, England, disguised in woman's burqas. (See YorkshirePost.com)

Photo of former Prime Minister Aldo Moro murdered by Red Brigade terrorists and his body dumped on the streets of Rome.

Destination: Tennessee, Texas or Florida

The Chicago Tribune reports "CME Group calls tax situation 'untenable;' says it may exit state" July 28:

CME Group Inc. is evaluating whether to move some operations to other states from Chicago to reduce its taxes, but it has not decided on an exact timeline, CEO Craig Donohue said Thursday.

"Our tax situation is untenable," Donohue told Reuters, noting that CME is taxed more heavily than any of its global competitors. The company is talking with at least three states -- Texas, Florida and Tennessee -- about relocating some of its business to take advantage of lower tax rates there, Donohue said.

The Foundary (Heritage Found.) reports:

Policies like [Democrat Gov. Pat] Quinn’s are leaving some states behind while other more competitive states are surging ahead. A new “Rich States, Poor States” study by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) digs into why some states are prospering while others (like Illinois) are failing, ranking each state based on its economic performance (as determined by 1999–2009 absolute domestic migration, personal income per capita, and non-farm payroll employment).

Sadly for Illinois, it ranks third to last, behind Michigan and Ohio. Illinois saw 652,205 residents leave the state, a drop in employment of 7 percent, and personal income per capita growth of only 34.8 percent. The researchers at ALEC place the blame squarely on the state’s tax burden, and they say the state’s future isn’t bright.

Photo credit - Dealbreaker.com

Chicago, Chicago, not such a wonderful town any more

From Eric Dondero:

Chicago unemployment is up an astounding 48% in the last three years.

Though, in fairness, it wasn't all Obama's fault. Democrat Governor Pat Quinn and the Democrat Legislature which passed a massive personal income tax increase and increase on corporate taxes last year, shares a bit of the blame.

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