by Eric Dondero

Many in the non-interventionist and weak on defense wings of the libertarian movement like to call for a scaling down of the CIA and even abolishment.

Anarcho-libertarian Jacob Hornberger, at FFF:

How about just abolishing the CIA... Not only are the CIA and the military the source of America’s foreign-policy woes, not only are their actions subjecting Americans to a perpetual threat of terrorist blowback, not only are they bankrupting our country financially with their ever-growing expenditures, not only have they shamed our country with their torture, but they also just happen to pose the biggest threat to the freedom and well-being of the American people.

Well, we now have a pretty good idea as to what such a policy of abolishing Intelligence Services would look like.

Obama's scaled-down Intelligence services and greatly reduced emphasis on National Security, has just given us two huge foreign policy blunders in two days.

From the NY Times "Obama Faces a Stark Choice on Mubarak":

The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Leon E. Panetta, testified before the House of Representatives on Thursday morning that there was a “strong likelihood” that Mr. Mubarak would step down by the end of the day.

American officials said Mr. Panetta was basing his statement not on secret intelligence but on media broadcasts, which began circulating before he sat down before the House Intelligence Committee.

And then there's this as reported by Jake Tapper, ABC News:

The director of the Office of National Intelligence James Clapper today told a House Intelligence Committee hearing that the Egyptian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood – which seeks Egypt to become an Islamic state ruled by sharia law – is “a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence and has decried Al Qaeda as a perversion of Islam.”

A CIA director who gets his intelligence from watching Katie Couric on CBS and CNN's Anderson Cooper, and a director of of National Intelligence who compares the Radical Islamic terrorist group the Muslim Brotherhood to the Rotarians and Lions Club.

With Obama administration officials, you're seeing the face of cutting back on National Security and Intelligence Services.

Strong on Defense libertarian Trump disses the non-interventionist Ron Paul at C-PAC

From TheDailyCaller.com:

On Thursday at the CPAC conference in Washington, Trump addressed the audience about his own potential 2012 run and how there was a lack of good candidates, including Ron Paul.

“So I have a reputation for telling it like it is,” Trump said. “I’m known for my candor. I’ve had a lot of great victories and I may be willing to put that to work. I wish that – frankly, I wish that there was a candidate that I saw that would be fantastic because I love what I’m doing. In fact I have a great club that’s 15 minutes away. By the way, Ron Paul cannot get elected, sorry to say.”

He said he liked Paul, but didn’t see him as a viable candidate. Trump added that if he were elected, the country would be “respected” again.

3rd Man in Gary Johnson chimes in

Gary Johnson quoted by ABC News:

“Republicans have to grow the base. I just think that Republicans are the only party that saves us from where we're at, and to do that we have to grow the base. And Donald Trump ought to bring maybe part of that along.”

From Eric Dondero:

Two well-known libertarian Republicans were behind the last-minute invite to get Donald Trump to speak at C-PAC, one of whom is closely associated with this website. (See related LR article "The Donald's in says Roger Stone," Jan. 13)

The Daily Caller reports "Trump at CPAC points to White House run":

The decision to attend CPAC was pushed by Trump’s longtime political advisor Roger Stone, and indicates the billionaire real estate mogul is becoming serious about seeking the Republican nomination for president next year.

And then this:

Chris Barron, the chairman of the conservative gay group GOProud, told The Daily Caller it was his organization that invited Trump to CPAC and that, personally, he “would love to see Mr. Trump run for president.” Barron noted that CPAC has been boycotted by some social conservatives (whom he dismisses as a “handful of extremists”) because of GOProud’s involvement with the event this year, and that GOProud “wanted to do something to help support the conference, which is why we wanted Mr. Trump to come.”

Note - Stone is a longtime Republican political consultant, having served in the Reagan campaigns, and for Bob Dole for President 1996. More recently, he served as campaign advisor for Kristin Davis, Libertarian for New York Governor. Jimmy LaSlavia is President of GOProud a nationwide group representing gay conservatives. He is self-described "libertarian Republican."

From The Right Guy:

Tonight our guest is Katrina Pierson, founder of the Garland Texas Tea Party and founder of a new magazine called the Tea Party Review, which will be the subject of our program.

Listen to the show live or streaming here. Call in from 8pm-9pm CST Thursday February 10 @ (949) 203-4821.

Host Andre Traversa Co-host Jim Lagnese.

Thank you for listening to the show.

Puerto Rico Red, White and Blue

From TheHill "GOP lawmaker makes birther joke at CPAC":

Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho), a freshman member of Congress who was born in Puerto Rico, joked that he had a birth certificate to prove his American heritage.

"I am fortunate to be born American, and I have the birth certificate to prove it," Labrador said at a speech at the opening session of this weekend's conservative gathering in Washington.

Labrador.com

In 18 days, Egyptian citizens banded together using facebook and twitter to demand the true liberty that all living people deserve. They demanded it peacefully while withstanding attacks by Mubarak’s hired thugs. In 18 days, 30 years of iron-fisted rule has ended. The majority of the nation’s population probably never envisioned true liberty. It wasn’t [...]

Despite the Governor’s call to avoid wading in to divisive issues, The Indiana Republican Party has ignored the head of their party by trying to make discrimination a permanent part of the Indiana Constitution. HJR-6 is a bill that will define marriage between one man and one woman. It is co-authored by two Republicans and [...]

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The Libertarian Party of Marion County (LPMC) strongly opposes the proposed North of South Deal. The proposal (No. 292, 2010) will have the City issue a $98,000,000 bond in order to secure financing for a private development on the near south side of downtown. The project is proposed to include a boutique [...]

(Originally Published by the Indianapolis Star via their legislative blog, The Session.) The tea party presented a choice for Republican leadership the last two years: liberty or central planning? State Rep. Cindy Noe has recently introduced House Bill 1248 that will increase the fees for those seeking marriage licenses. The fee will still be $18 [...]

By Gary Varvel, Indianapolis Star.

(LPLP Press Release) Following a unanimous vote of its membership, the Libertarian Party of LaPorte County (LPLP) announced opposition to the proposed Countywide Zoning ordinance now being considered by city and county officials. Characterizing the ordinance as anti-business, LPLP leadership is proposing the ordinance review process be slowed down to allow the public more time [...]

(Posted by Ilya Shapiro, Via Cato@Liberty) As I continue digesting Judge Vinson’s ruling, I notice two key things beyond the facts that the “individual mandate is unconstitutional”: 1.  In performing his severability analysis — determining which parts of the overall legislation survive — the judge threw out all of Obamacare: In sum, notwithstanding the fact [...]

WASHINGTON – According to The Hill, House Republicans have just announced that they will seek appropriations for the rest of 2011 that are $32 billion below current spending levels. LP Chair Mark Hinkle commented, “The Tea Party supporters have been betrayed. These cuts are so small, you need a microscope to find them.” Hinkle continued, [...]

WASHINGTON – Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle released the following statement today: “Media reports tell us that the Obama administration is heavily involved in the current crisis in Egypt. It shouldn’t be. “Personally, my sympathies are with the Egyptian protesters. Our very own Declaration of Independence said that government exists to secure people’s rights, and [...]

(By Phyllis Klosinski, Brown County, IN) The Libertarian Legislative Think Tank has swiftly reacted to a Senate bill proposing measured restoration of the Constitutional Right to Bear Arms, prompting extensive discussion overwhelmingly expressing support. A Restoration of a Constitutional right: why have we become so willing to “accept” back what government has arbitrarily taken from [...]

(I am a contributor to the Session, a blog of the Indy Star. Please visit it for up to the date thoughts on the IN General Assembly.) After the 3, 2, 1 property tax caps went in to effect, everyone slowly began to realize that local governments were going to be hit very hard without [...]

(By Jesse Walker, Originally posted at Reason’s Hit & Run.) The most hopeful news to come out of Egypt today are the reports of officers fraternizing with protesters, removing their uniforms, refusing to fire their weapons. That’s when a popular revolt succeeds: when the storm troopers won’t follow orders. The question is how widespread that [...]

(By Phyllis Klosinski, A Brown County Libertarian) The Supremacy of Indiana and your individual liberty is being determined by Indiana Legislators making a calculated Constitutional move.  The Libertarian Legislative Think Tank has considered three constitutional amendments and a bill amending Indiana Code defining state sovereignty to block the implementation of certain federal laws in Indiana. [...]

Former Indiana Gubernatorial candidate Andy Horning took the time to write out his thoughts on the Indiana Constitution during his 2008 campaign. You can read those here. Andy has now released his own annotated version of the United States Constitution. View his notes here. Andy is back in Indiana permanently, and available to schools, civic [...]