Why the Fed can't just call it Printing Money

From Cliff Thies:

From one of the stated "majority" of economists who thinks QE2 is dangerous: First, Barney Fwank roles the dice on housing, and now The Ben Bernank does the same with the U.S. Dollar.

Lesbian TSA Agents searching Burqa-clad Muslim women

From Eric Dondero:

The new TSA pat-down policies are receiving a great deal of attention, with women in particular finding them especially invasive. TSA Agents are now routinely scanning and even touching genital, breast and and anal areas during the screening process. But one group of women may soon be exempt, if CAIR has its way. The Council on American Islamic Relations is strongly protesting the procedures and urging Muslim women to opt out.

From CNS News "Muslim Group Advises Women Wearing Hijabs to Allow TSA ‘Enhanced Pat Downs’ Only on Head and Neck Area":

In the “special recommendations for Muslim women who wear hijab,” it states: “Before you are patted down, you should remind the TSA officer that they are only supposed to pat down the area in question, in this scenario, your head and neck. They SHOULD NOT subject you to a full-body or partial-body pat-down.”

It also states: “Instead of the pat-down, you can always request to pat down your own scarf, including head and neck area, and have the officers perform a chemical swipe of your hands.”

Sniffer Dogs loathed by Islamists, to be used in screenings

Another Islamic group, The Figh Council of North America has issued a Fatwa saying that body scanners violate Muslim religious law.

“It is a violation of clear Islamic teaching that men or women be seen naked by other men and women. Islam highly emphasizes haya (modesty) and considers it part of the faith. The Qu’ran has commanded the believers, both men and women, to cover their private parts.”

The TSA has responded with a statement suggesting that all passengers should expect continuation of "unpredictable searches." One method suggested by TSA is Canine policing, likely to deeply offend Muslim travelers.

Additionally, Islam strongly condemns homosexuality. However, the TSA has a strict policy of non-discrimination in employment and regularly hires homosexual men and women as Agents.

There have been no reports as of yet, of Christian women, even religious fundamentalists, Mormons or Orthodox Jews refusing the searches.

Release from the CYS...

Victories Show that Illinois is Ready for Real Reform

This has been a great night for Republicans across the county and right here in Illinois. After more than a year of tough campaigning, the 2010 Election results are in. The Chicago Young Republicans are thrilled that Mark Kirk has won the Illinois Senate seat recently held by President Barack Obama. This is a real repudiation of the current president and his policies since leaving Illinois for Washington.

The CYRs are also excited that the GOP has won a majority the U.S. House of Representatives and that our state will be sending at least three, and hopefully four, new Republicans to D.C. including Adam Kinzinger, Randy Hultgren, Bobby Shilling, and we hope Joe Walsh. We especially congratulate Bob Dold on his victory in the 10 congressional district, his first run for public office.

While we do not yet know the final result in the gubernatorial election, the CYRs want to congratulate Bill Brady on running a strong campaign based on principles and reforming our broken state government. We hope to congratulate him on a win before too much longer. In the meantime, we can give a hearty congrats to Judy Baar Topinka on winning the Comptroller election and Dan Rutherford who will serve as our next State Treasurer after his victory.

The CYRs look forward to working with our newly elected representatives at all levels of government to put Illinois back on the right track to good governance and prosperity.

We would also like to congratulate all the amazing local Republican candidates who ran strong campaigns that represented the Republican philosophies of limited government, personal liberty, free market principles and limited taxation.

The CYRs were proud to help all Chicago area Republicans in the last few months by fundraising, calling voters, knocking on doors, dropping off literature at homes and placing yard signs.

This election is only the first step in a long process to bring reform to Chicago, the surrounding suburbs and the state of Illinois. The CYRs will continue to boldy lead that effort in Chicago.

Join today! Become a member of Chicago-land's "fiscally conservative, socially moderate, strong on defense" club. Only requirement? A registered Republican between the ages of 20 to 40. chicagoyrs.com

Republicans win IL 11th Congressional District

Victory Speech for newly elected Republican Congressman and US Air Force Veteran Adam Kinzinger. He is also a libertarian-leaning Tea Party Republican. Kinzinger beat longtime incumbent Debbie Halvorsan in what was considered to be one of the toughest most hard-fought battles for Congress in the U.S.

Kinzinger received a great amount of support from both the Chicago Young Republicans and the Illinois Republican Liberty Caucus.

by Michael Zak

Grand Old Partisan salutes Allen West (R-FL) and Tim Scott (R-SC), who were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday. When they take their seats in January, it will be the first time since Rep. Gary Franks (R-CT) and Rep. JC Watts (R-OK) in the 1990s that more than one African-American Republican served in Congress. Prior to that, in 1891 there were three African-American Republican congressmen: Rep. John Mercer Langston (R-VA), Rep. Henry Cheatham (R-NC), and Rep. Thomas Miller (R-SC).

See the Grand Old Partisan blog for more information about the heritage of the Republican Party.

The book Back to Basics for the Republican Party shows Republicans how they would benefit tremendously from appreciating the heritage of the GOP.

Note - Michael Zak has been a frequent guest on LR's radio show "Libertarian Politics Live."

by Jeff Wartman

On Tuesday, the American people put their trust in the Republican Party.

We now have a majority in the House of Representatives and gained seats in the U.S. Senate and among the Governorships.

This was all made possible because of overreach in Washington -- out of control spending, massive debt, and an economic situation where the average citizen is having trouble seeing any light at the end of the tunnel.

As Republicans, we need to fight for an agenda of ideas to get the economy rolling again. Without deficit reduction and a healthy private sector, recovery will be difficult.

The time for obstructionism and "just saying no" to President Obama is over. If we do not come to the table with ideas to create real solutions for real people, the American people will throw us out as quickly as they put us in. Just as quickly as the American people put their trust in the Republican Party, they'll take it away in two years. President Obama, the Republican Congress and Democrat Senate all need to sit down at the table, bringing ideas and solutions.

The Republican Party has ideas. We have a plan. Let's get started.

Jeff Wartman is an active member of the Chicago Young Republicans, IL RLC, a former member of the Libertarian Party of Illinois, and was a volunteer campaign worker for Mark Kirk for US Senate.

Republican leaders giddy, and even a bit cocky over results

From Eric Dondero:

There has been an absolutely huge shift in politics in the State of Maine. Though the final results were tighter than expected, Tea Party Republican Paul Lepage won over Independent Elliot Culter with 40% of the vote, to Cutler's 38%. Maine has not had a Republican Governor in nearly two decades.

Perhaps even more dramatic, Republicans gained the State Senate with a projected 23 seats out of 40. They have not controlled that body since a brief period in 1996.

Similarly, the State House has also gone Republican. It appears that the GOP will control 77 seats, out of 140.

Maine Public Broadcasting Network, a publicly-subsidized news service out of Portland reports:

The first thing Maine Republicans did the day after being swept into office was to gather all the victorious legislative candidates at the State House and hold a news conference in the Hall of Flags that was more like a pep rally. "This press conference starts out by, 'A funny thing happened last night,'" he said, to laughter and cheers.

Outgoing House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, who is termed out of the Legislature, says he and his fellow Republicans are "proud, excited and humbled" by the choices voters have made, "because we recognize the awesome obligation and the important obligation we have and the trust that the people of Maine have given us. And I am proud to say that Republicans have been ready for this for quite some time. We are ready, willing and able. We have the talent. We have the passion. We have the commitment and we will deliver."

Senate Minority Leader Kevin Raye, who has indicated he'll run for Senate President, says Republicans are under no illusions that their job will be easy. The state faces a budget deficit of about a billion dollars over the next two years. "We face daunting challenges. We have a big mess to clean up," he said. "We can do it. You got it! Yes we can!"

Raye says Republicans are determined to change the culture of state government so that the state of Maine is a place that values prosperity and working people.

Former Maine state legislator and current Republican Liberty Caucus State Board member Stravos Mendros described a conversation he had with another legislator who happened to be at the state capitol the day after the election:

Democrat staffers were literally crying all over the place. In all the hallways, and offices of Democrat reps staffers were balling, and blabbering. These guys have had their secure legislative jobs for 30 to 40 years.

Mendros and the ME RLC played a major role in legislative races across the state, particularly in the Lewiston/Auburn area.

by Clifford F. Thies

The Republicans certainly scored an enormous victory in the mid-term elections of 2010. But, did this victory represent yet another change in the electorate or merely a snap back?

First, it is not unusual for a party that is wiped out in one election to make a snap back in the next. Talk of the demise of one or the other major party is almost always rubbish. The only time a major party actually did disintegrate, leaving the country with only one major party, was in 1816. All around the world, where countries are democratic, you find two or more major parties, or coalitions of parties, invariably coalescing about a “left-right” political axis. Those who argue that the members of the other major party should be held in suspicion, as though they were “enemies,” or should be relegated to the back of the bus, or have political opinions based on fear and the inability to think straight reveal only their own ignorance of how democracies work.

If this was indeed a snap back election, it obviously questions the lurch to the left engineered by the Democrats following their prior victories. But, it also questions the drift of the Republicans into “big government conservatives,” the succumbing of many of them to the corrupting influence of power, and the decision to invade Iraq and to allow mission creep in Afghanistan, that lead to the prior Republican defeats. The snap back is to the principles of limited government under the Constitution. Not to the failures of the prior administration.

While the election of 2010 can be viewed as a snap back in terms of Republicans versus Democrats, the election was also one of continuing change. In this election, we saw the emergence of significant numbers of women and minorities as leaders of the Republican Party. In both majority-white and majority-minority districts, Republicans elected women, African Americans, Hispanics and Asians.

Nobody stepped aside to allow these people to win their elections. In South Carolina, where Nikki Haley was elected Governor, a political rival described her parents, who are Indian Sikhs, as “turbin-heads.” In Idaho, a Republican running for the U.S. Congress was described as soft on Mexican drug-pushers because he is Hispanic. No party has a monopoly on hatred. There are those in each party who will play the race card, or the immigrant card, or the gender or the religion card. But, the heritage of this country has been, for more than 200 years now, to make the promise real, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. We are continue to work on this on redeeming the promise.

With the mid-term elections now concluded, it is time for the winners to get about the work of the American people. Here, in Virginia, we have seen the ability of a new Governor, working with a divided state legislature, to balance the state budget without raising taxes, and start the economy of the state on the road to recovery. With regard to our President, the ball is now in his court. Does he want to work with a divided Congress, or use the Republicans in Congress as his new excuse for a depressed economy? About this choice, I’ll just say: Nobody is re-elected President on the campaign slogan: “Things could be worse.”

From Eric Dondero:

In addition to the monumnetal win of Rick Scott for Governor, and Jennifer Carroll for Lt. Governor, Florida Republicans picked up all three cabinet posts. Leading the statewide wins Attorney General-elect Pam Bondi.

From TBO (Tampa Bay Online):

TAMPA - Republican Pam Bondi led a GOP sweep of the state's three Cabinet posts by edging her more experienced opponent in the race for attorney general.

Former Congressman Adam Putnam defeated former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox to succeed outgoing Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bronson. In the race for chief financial officer, Jeff Atwater completed the Republican rout. Both took double-digit leads into the election and pulled ahead early.

Bondi was supported by Sarah Palin, and received her financial support for the race.

Remember this Guy?

From Eric Dondero:

That's right. The guy who put a young conservative video reporter in a headlock on a Washington D.C. street lost his race. Longtime Democrat Congressman Bob Etherige lost to Tea Party Republican and Registered Nurse Renee Elmers.

From the Washington Examiner:

Weirdly, it appears only seven-term Democrat Bob “Who are you?” Etheridge -- neck and neck with his challenger throughout the night -- finally succumbed to Renee Elmers (according to WRAL news of Raleigh).

Elmers ran fiery campaign commercials including one accusing Etherige and the Democrats of being soft on Islamo-Fascism and supportive of the Ground Zero Mosque in NYC.

Etherige was the only Democrat Congressman to go down to defeat in the State.

Democrats lose the NC House; a loss of "Titanic proportions"

In other North Carolina results, the State House of Representatives has gone Republican. Continuing:

If history was to be a guide with respect to the Democrats’ lock on the N. C. General Assembly, history was a no-show this November. The N.C. legislature should have remained in the hands of a party that had not let go of power for more than 100 years. Ignoring their appalling ethics, one had to admire the sheer tenacity of Tar Heel Democrats who -- despite all manner of corruption charges and accusations -- had managed to keep the state in their clutches through scandal after scandal (since the horse and buggy age).

And yet North Carolina is now red at the state level. This is a flip of titanic proportions. According to the Charlotte Observer:

Republicans haven't led both chambers together since their Fusion coalition with farmers got defeated in 1898. That includes a 112-year losing streak in the Senate and only four years of House control in the 1990s.

Western Conservatism triumphs!

From Eric Dondero:

Kristi Noem, Congresswoman-elect from the State of South Dakota, addresses a Republican luncheon in Rapid City, the day after her win.

"A small and limited government... We're gonna cut our spending."

The Congresswoman thanks all her supporters, campaign workers and volunteers. She gives a preview of her "Sarah Palin-esque" agenda: Fighting for limited government and frontier values of South Dakota.

Note to Readers: Travel day for LR editor. Next site update tomorrow morning. Tons more election results to report.

From Eric Dondero:

Yesterday Libertarian Republican reported that Pro-Defense Tea Party Republican Jesse Kelly lost his race for US Congress in Arizona to Democrat Gabriell Gifford, by less than 1% of the vote (less than 2,300 votes). We were relying on reports from liberal media sources.

We received a call from the campaign that indeed Kelly was still in contention, and that the race had not yet been called.

Obviously, it's a welcome error on our part. The campaign indicated to us that results might be known within days. We'll keep you informed of the latest.

Additionally, the race for a neighboring seat, Tea Party Republican Ruth McClung vs. Democrat Raul Grijalava, has similarly not yet been called. Approximately 3,000 votes separate the two candidates.

70% of Okies oppose Islamo-Fascism

From Eric Dondero:

The Stop Sharia Law proposition in Oklahoma passed with an overwhelming margin of 70% of the vote.

From Politico:

The proposition’s sponsor, Republican Rex Duncan, told reporters Tuesday that the proposition is a "preemptive strike" against judges who he worries could be “legislating from the bench or using international law or Sharia law.”

Duncan is a Constitutionalist Republican, and strong advocate of increasing state sovereingty.

Two other seats GOP pick-ups

From Eric Dondero:

Ruth McClung lost to incumbent Democrat Raul Grijalva, 48% to 45%. McClung a spritely, inspiring young Republican and Tea Partyer, ran a David versus Goliath type race. She became a sweetheart of the Right blogosphere when polls began to show her within striking distance.

Grijalva is best known for having alled for a boycott of Arizona over Jan Brewer's anti-illegal immigration stance.

Also in southern Arizona Iraq War Veteran Jesse Kelly lost to incumbent Democrat Gabrielle Gifford 48.6% to 47.6%.

Though, Arizona Republicans picked up three other Democrat seats further north, fiscal conservative Dave Schwiekert in a re-match over Democrat Harry Mitchell 53% to 42%, and Paul Gosar over Ann Kirkpatrick 49% to 43%.

Additionally of note, Dan Quayle's son Ben Quayle won the 3rd CD 52% to 42%, already held by Republicans. Quayle had beaten a number of more Tea Party/libertarian-oriented Republicans in the primary.

From Eric Dondero:

Democrats tried to paint Justin Amash as a dangerous Tea Partyer who wanted to privatize Social Security and abolish Medicare. Amash is a libertarian Republican, friend of former libertarian Republican State Rep. Leon Drolet, and a longtime member of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

He won 59.7% to 37.5% over Democrat Pat Miles.

In other Michigan races, in a re-match former Congressman Tim Wahlberg who lost in the Obama Wave of 2008, regained his Kalamazoo-area seat. He beat incumbent Democrat Mark Shauer 54% to 45%. Wahlberg is a social conservatives and a hero to the pro-life movement. But he's also a strong economic libertarian and Constitutionalist.

Finally, another race of interest to libertarian Republicans, Dr. Dan Benishek won in Michigan's 1st District with 52% to 42%. Benishek is a surgeon. This was his first time running for political office. In Upper Michigan he became a folk hero of sorts for blasting fmr. Rep. Bart Stupak and leading a Tea Party revolt against ObamaCare.

From Eric Dondero:

Jack Brandenburg, a former 3-term State Rep. from St. Clair Shores, easily won election to the State Senate in the 11th District, Macomb County. Back in August, Brandenburg faced a tough GOP primary against two opponents, including fellow libertarian, and his longtime friend fmr. State Rep. Leon Drolet.

From MI SourceNewspapers.com:

In the 11th District, Jack Brandenburg defeated Democrat Jim Ayres by 31,228 votes. The Republican received 65,389 votes while Ayres received 34,161.

Brandenburg is a longtime advisory board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus, and a fervent anti-tax activist. He also served as Chairman of the successful Repeal Affirmative Action initiative sponsored by Ward Connerly in 2006. He owns a construction firm in Macomb.

Republicans now have the Governorship and appear to have taken both the State House and Senate.

Election Night Victory Celebration: "USA, USA, USA..."

From Eric Dondero:

Retired Army Lt. Colonel, Iraq War hero, and Tea Party member Allen West won election last night to the United States Congress with 53% of the vote. He beat incumbent Democrat Rep. Ron Klien.

West represents the ideal libertarian Republican: Staunch advocate of Free Market economics, Individual Liberty, and unapologetically Strong on National Defense.

We were supporting West back in 2006 when he first ran for this seat. He lost a heartbreaker that year. His win last night might be the greatest of all libertarian Republican wins for 2010. Needless to say we are absolutely thrilled that he won.

Editor's note - Site will be updated with more election results tomorrow. This post and open thread for election results, commentary.

From Eric Dondero:

Kelly Ayotte won her Senate race with a much higher percentage than anyone predicted. Ayotte gave Democrat Congressman Paul Hodes a thumping, with 61% to 35%.

Republican Frank Guinta, former Mayor of Manchester, was widely expected to win the 1st District US House race. But he did so with a somewhat larger margin than expected with 58% of the vote. Guinta was running against an ultra-left liberal Carol Shea Porter. (I spent a day in Manchester phone banking for Guinta.)

What was less-anticipated is that moderate-to-conservative Republican Charlie Bass won the Paul Hodes seat in the 2nd District with 49% to 46%%. Ironically, he beat his childhood friend Ann Kunster, a relatively moderate Democrat. The two ran a clean race, and refrained from criticizing each other.

According to RedState.com, Democrats had held a 14 to 10 advantage in the State Senate. That has flipped to Republicans with a whopping 20 to 4 majority.

The New Hampshire State House has completely flipped, and in a big way. Democrats have had a comfortable majority in the House for 4 years. Early indicators predict at the low end of 250 Republicans (out of 400), and possibly as high as 300.

The Executive Council, a statewide constitutional office in the State, with important veto power of the Governor, has flipped from 3 to 2 Democrat, to 5 to 0 Republican.

Democrats claimed only one single victory, and by a hair. Incumbent Democrat Governor John Lynch was re-elected over Tea Partyer John Stephen 52% to 48%.

On the ground in New England.

by Clifford F. Thies, Senior Editor

Republicans scored astounding victories in every category: (1) House seats, picking up a net of 60 or more seats, not only control of the House, but by a margin larger than have enjoyed since the 1920s; (2) Senate seats, picking up six to eight seats (AR, IL, IN, ND, PA and WI, with CO and WA still deadlocked); (3) Governors, picking up maybe a net of nine; (4) state legislative chambers, picking up twenty (!!!). State chambers that flipped from Democrat to Republican as of press time include: AL (both), IA (lower), IN (lower), ME (both), MI (lower), MN (both), NC (both), NH (both), MT (lower), NV (lower), OH (lower), PA (lower), WA (lower), WI (both)

You might ask, with such an enormous victory, why didn't the Republicans win control of the Senate. For about the last four weeks, we have been talking about the 4 Aces: IL, NV, WA and WV; the four key states the Republicans needed to win to win control of the Senate. It turns out we only pulled one of the four Aces from the deck, IL; with WA standing at 50-50 with 54 percent of the vote counted at press time. And, CO, which we should have won, is too close to call. The Democrats circled the wagons tight, cut funds to numerous incumbent Congressmen, and focused their resources on the key Senate races. As a result, Republicans made gains on the House side near the top end of projections and on the Senate side near the bottom end of projections.

From Eric Dondero:

Burnt Orange, named after UT Longhorns colors, is the largest and arguably most respected and influential political blog in Texas. Editor Todd Hill whines this morning about the massive Republican victory in Texas and across the Nation: "The Onus is on Republicans to Now Govern."

Republicans won 3 US House seats from the Democrats: Quico Canseco in CD-23, Bill Flores crushing longtime Democrat incumbent and bitter Ron Paul foe Chet Edwards 62% to 34%, and a shocking win in the Corpus Christi area of little-known Blake Farenthold over Texas Democrat institution Solomon Ortiz, 48% to 47%.

And just as devastating to Texas Democrats, Republicans now have a near 2/3rds majority in the State House 99 to 51.

The cause of the Repubulican Hurricane in the Gulf State of Texas according to Burnt Orange: Libertarians.

These Teapots are not your normal, rank and file, GOP platform supporting, GOP establishment-loving Republicans. You've witnessed much of this splintering as the race toward November 2nd closed, right Sarah? Quite "sleazy" you think?

Teapots in fact do not support the modern Republican Party, they simply saw an opportunity to tap into voter fear, anger and despair and took advantage of that for electoral gain. Most of the recent Teapot-to-GOP nominees are actually more Libertarian than anything else. People seem to forget that since Ron Paul has been on the ballot he has brought forth an army of Libertarian leaning supporters to the Republican Party with orders to take it over at the grassroots level. Many of you may recall that Paul ran as the Libertarian candidate for President in 1988. What Ron Paul figured out many years ago was that running as a Republican versus a Libertarian for Congress and President, is what his supporters and grassroots organizers have figured out over the last two election cycles--if you want to makeover the political process, and want to get like-minded Libertarians elected, you must take over one of the shells that is the American two-party system to make it happen. Developing a third party in the American political system has been tried by many a men, including a former President, only to collapse like a house of cards. Without a billion dollars at one's disposal, mainstream platforms to boot, and a candidate with appeal in the Midwest to Western areas of the United States, forget about it. Ask yourself this, which shell most resembles what a Libertarian-leaning supporter is most likely to vote for? Republican! And which party was reeling after the 2008 election cycle in which many wrote the obituary of the modern GOP? Republican! Libertarian takeover of the Republican Party, although not complete, has certainly moved beyond stage one.

Sidenote: Governor Perry won with 55% of the vote over Houston Mayor Bill White despite a strong Libertarian candidate on the ballot, Houston Attorney Kathie Glass who polled 2.2%.