LR FOLLOW-UP

From Eric Dondero:

We reported weeks ago, on Republican State Representative Tom Trail who was pushing legislation in the Idaho House to legalize medicinal marijuana. Now Trail is brining the issue up to Idaho Republican Convention delegates.

From The Times-News MagicValley.com, June 19:

Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, has been working on the issue for about two years and plans to introduce legislation in the 2011 session. Before that happens, he’ll be able to gauge what other Idaho Republicans think of the idea at the party’s convention next week in Idaho Falls, when he floats a proposed resolution to delegates.

Fifteen states, including Montana, Washington, Oregon and Nevada, have laws allowing medical marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Meanwhile, one Idaho town is taking a "Sarah Palin-type" approach to the issue. (Last week Palin commented on Fox Business News that busting private Marijuana smokers should be local law enforcements "lowest priority.")

In Blaine County, there’s an openness toward medical marijuana. Hailey Mayor Rick Davis has said efforts to curb marijuana use on private property will be the local police force’s lowest priority.

Davis’ announcement came after residents passed pro-marijuana initiatives: One to allow medical marijuana, another to legalize industrial hemp and a third to make enforcement of anti-pot laws the lowest priority for Hailey police.

Davis told the Hailey City Council the decision to make pot smoking on private property the lowest police priority wasn’t easy, but it represents something that “works for those on both sides of this issue.”

Note to our Readers - if you live in Idaho and you are up on ID politics, we need to talk to you. Please contact us (contact page).

From Eric Dondero:

The liberal media is aghast. Republican candidate for US Senate Rand Paul is actually opposed to mandatory seat belt laws. And he's against smoking bans too!

From the Louisville Courier-Journal, Sunday (via The Hill), "Report: Rand Paul supported healthcare bartering"):

Paul has condemned Medicare as ‘socialism;’ denounced seat-belt and anti-smoking laws as ‘Nanny-state’ paternalism; called for voluntary, rather than mandatory, accommodation of people with disabilities; and suggested using satellites to monitor America's borders for illegal immigrants.

Kentuckians may like their fast cars and smokes more than the liberal Nanny-Staters realize. The elites in D.C. (and Louisville!) could very well get a rude awakening come November.

Indiana's Mitch Daniels also in mind

From Eric Dondero:

Interesting article from the Daily Caller, "Ron Paul says GOP will be more open to libertarian-minded nominee in 2012." Paul demures when asked if he'd run. But makes some news with a plug for Gary Johnson.

Asked to name other potential presidential candidates he could support, Paul replied, “I guess the best one would be Johnson from New Mexico — Gary Johnson.”

Johnson, an ultra-marathon runner who was governor from 1995 to 2003 and endorsed Paul in 2008, is beloved by libertarians for his many vetoes and privatizations while in office, and for championing school choice and drug decriminalization.

The article also cites "Paul’s son Rand Paul in Kentucky and Sharron Angle in Nevada" as the top "libertarian-Republican" candidates for 2010.

But it's in the following paragraphs, quoting of Cato Institute Vice-President David Boaz, that might be the most newsworthy. Boaz, normally a cynic of libertarian efforts in the GOP, goes out of his way to highlight New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

The Big Man most able to attract "libertarian" support

From the Daily Caller, June 22:

David Boaz, the executive vice president of the libertarian Cato Institute, said that while he thinks the 2010 elections will sweep in some more libertarian-minded Republicans in Congress and the governor’s mansions, he’s less optimistic about such a candidate being nominated by Republicans in 2012.

“You can’t nominate just anybody, you have to nominate somebody,” Boaz said. “And plausible libertarian-minded candidates are hard to find. Ron Paul may make some noise, and may run, but House members don’t get nominated for president. Gary Johnson has a great libertarian record, but he doesn’t yet have much national recognition.”

Boaz did say that “a governor with a good record, like Mitch Daniels or Chris Christie, might be a candidate who could attract support from conservatives, libertarians, and independents,” if they could get around Romney.

A sign perhaps, that "culturally liberal" and stridently leftwing/non-interventionist on foreign policy Cato, is tiring of Obama-ism, and might be opening up to a more right-leaning libertarian approach?

In the South Carolina Republican run-off for Governor Nikki Haley has raised virtually all of her money from small individual contributors. Opponent Gresham Barrett has raised almost all of his contributions from Business PACs, many based on 'K' Street in D.C.

From the Sacramento Bee, "Barrett winning money race in S.C. gubernatorial runoff" June 20:

The fact that Barrett's long-shot campaign can raise more money than Haley, who almost won the GOP nomination outright getting 49 percent of the vote in the June 8 primary, is evidence traditional Republican donors have concerns about the Lexington Republican, said Greenville, S.C.-based consultant Chip Felkel.

In particular, those Republicans fear Haley, a protege of libertarian Republican Gov. Mark Sanford, will repeat the two-term governor's pattern of standoffs with the Legislature, which is controlled by more traditional Republicans.

"The business community doesn't want her," Felkel said. "They want to head off four more years of Mark Sanford."

Sharron Angle, and Tea Party now represent Mainstream Values

From Eric Dondero:

Wayne Root, Libertarian National Committee member, contributor to Libertarian Republican, and self-described "Reagan Libertarian," had an editorial published in the Las Vegas Sun-Review on Sunday: "Is [Sharron] Angle's 'radical' streak the new mainstream?" Root runs down a laundry list of incumbents losing across the U.S. losing to Tea Party-backed opponents. He offers praise to Republican candidate for South Carolina Governor and radical reformer libertarian Nikki Haley, who he notes was a "politically unknown female candidate endorsed by Sarah Palin."

He then offers praise for fellow Nevadan and GOP nominee for US Senate Sharron Angle:

In Angle’s case, the Tea Party movement gets 100 percent of the credit. Angle was languishing in single digits, in third place, until she received the endorsement of the Tea Party Express and The Club for Growth...

Sharron Angle is a true fiscal conservative, limited government, anti-tax, Tea Party candidate.

The Wall Street Journal just days ago described her views as “outside the mainstream.” Well I have news for The Wall Street Journal — radical is the new mainstream. The Journal described her radical positions in the past as “abolishing the federal tax code, privatizing Social Security for younger Americans, and eliminating the Education Department.” I have a funny feeling the mainstream media just doesn’t get it — yes, those views used to be out of the mainstream. But not this year, not when you’re running against the U.S. Senate majority leader who carries the water for the most socialist president in American political history.

Root goes on to declare:

Conservative and libertarian philosophy is back in vogue; “traditional,” “establishment” and “mainstream” are dirty words; and radical is the new mainstream.

From Eric Dondero:

Yesterday, we ran a series of articles on Tim Scott, Republican for Congress, in SC's Tuesday run-off election. Scott is a solid Reagan Conservative. Katherine Jenerette, Scott's primary opponent and a libertarian Republican, said this offering her endorsement:

I know that Tim will cut wasteful government spending, watching every precious taxpayer dollar.

I know that Tim will fight to win the war on terror, and support our military so that America can continue to lead the free world.

Now Scott's got a second powerful Female libertarian-leaning Republican in his camp.

From Sarah Palin's Facebook, earlier today:

I’m very proud to add my support to Tim Scott’s campaign to represent South Carolina’s 1st congressional district. Tim has a remarkable success story. He grew up in poverty and was raised by a single-mom who struggled to provide. With help from a mentor and his brave mom, Tim learned to appreciate the value of hard work and American opportunity. He went on to become a business owner and has served in public office with integrity on the county and state level.

Tim is a pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, pro-development, Commonsense Conservative who’s been endorsed by the Club for Growth because of his solid commitment to the principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility.

He will represent the Palmetto State with distinction in DC, so I encourage you to vote for Tim in his run-off election next Tuesday, June 22nd. Please visit Tim’s website at http://www.votetimscott.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

- Sarah Palin

If Scott wins the run-off on Tuesday, his election will be virtually assured. He has only nominal Democrat opposition in the Fall, in an overwhelmingly Republican district. This will make him the first Black American elected to Congress as a Republican since 2002.

Note - Stephen Maloney, a contributor to Libertarian Republican, and a Co-Founder of Draft Sarah Palin for VP in 2008, served as Campaign Coordinator and Media Director for Jenerette for Congress.

From Eric Dondero:

Delaware has a nomination process similar to Utah. Candidates are nominated at convention, but there is also a primary in September. Michael Castle easily won the Republican nomination in convention, and is the likely GOP nominee for US Senate. However, Christine O'Donnell is still running an active campaign for the primary. It is still possible that she could beat Castle in September.

O'Donnell is considered the hard-right candidate; Castle, more moderate. But interestingly, he happens to be the great, great, grandson of Benjamin Franklin (direct descendent).

This item from Will McVay, Libertarian for State Rep. DE 32nd District campaign blog:

Continuing the recent trend, the turnout at the Kent County [Central Delaware] Libertarian Party meeting for June grew from our May total of around 20 people to more than 30...

Christine O'Donnell, a candidate for the Republican nomination to the US Senate was also present and offered her views on the current state of our country and the steps she believes are necessary to remedy them. While she was eager to appeal to those in attendance currently registered in the Republican Party, she was also respectful of the Libertarian Party's candidate for US Senate, Jim Rash.

(A Press Release from the Indiana Debate Commission)
For Immediate Release
INDIANAPOLIS—U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth, Democrat; former U.S. Sen. Dan Coats, Republican; and Rebecca Sink-Burris, Libertarian; have agreed in principle to participate in three televised debates sponsored by the Indiana Debate Commission.

The commission is now soliciting venue applications as it did for the gubernatorial race in 2008. Three debates [...]

(Editor’s Note: A group of Indiana libertarian college students are bringing libertarian economist Dr. Walter Block to speak in Indiana. This is a message from the organizer, George Edwards.)
Going to college is quite an experience for most young people. They are
exploring themselves within the realm of ideas and challenging the
sacrosanct conventions of their youth. When [...]

Ryan Liedtky is the 2nd District Representative to the Central Committee of the Libertarian Party of Indiana, and now, he’s also a published author. The book is titled, “Wisdom: A Prelude To Liberty”.
In this special edition of the podcast, Liedtky discusses his pragmatic approach to causing readers to think about problem solving with libertarian solutions, [...]

Slavery in the Middle East ignored by liberal media

From Eric Dondero:

Why the silence from the American Left? Why do so-called Human Rights groups ignore the gross violations of personal freedom posed by Radical Islam?

(H/t Jawa)

If they don't contribute they ought not get free hand-outs; what a concept

by Eric Dondero

Geert Wilder may not have won outright the recent elections in the Netherlands. His Party placed 3rd. However, his views are having an enormous influence, in his homeland, and now even here in North America.

First place finisher Mark Rutte of the (conservative, free market) Liberal Party VVD was quoted right before the election:

"Everyone who comes to our country to contribute is welcome. But we need to put a stop to the influx of disadvantaged migrants who come here only to end up dependent on social security."

This was a blatant adoption of Wilderism late in the campaign. And it worked.

The Dutch leading the way for the US, Canada

Now some Canadians are calling for similar policies. From lfpress.com, June 20:

Canada faces a similar dilemma. Thanks to the calamitous ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada in the 1985 Singh case, all foreigners who arrive in Canada, including phony asylum seekers with false documents, are now entitled to the same health and welfare benefits as Canadian citizens.

Herbert Grubel, emeritus professor of economics at Simon Fraser University, estimates the annual net cost to Canadian taxpayers of government benefits for immigrants amounted in 2002 to a monumental $18.3 billion.

That's absurd. Following Rutte's example, Canadian parliamentarians should invoke the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution to enact laws that bar welfare benefits to immigrants for at least a few years and curtail appellant rights against deportation orders so that foreigners who break the law or pose a serious security threat can be expedited out of the country.

And here in the United States, according to the Center on Immigration Studies:

Roughly ONE-HALF of all immigrant households with kids are accessing the welfare system, especially food and Medicaid welfare.

Recent immigrants from Mexico, Central America, Jordan, Somalia, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Korea, Uzbekastan, wherever, should not be allowed to access automatic food stamps, health care and welfare.

The Dutch who have maintained a massive welfare state for decades now recognize this. They're country is literally going broke. Some, at least on the Canadian Right are starting to catch on. When will we here in the US, adopt such policies? And most especially, when will the Republican Party USA start pushing such an agenda?

From Eric Dondero:

Also-ran 2008 GOP Presidential primary candidate and staunch religious right conservative Sam Brownback is showing a bit of a libertarian streak. He is proposing a unique new office for Kansas government. The frontrunner in the Governor's race says why not an "office of Repealer." The goal is to repeal long out-dated laws still on the books.

From the NY Times, June 12:

“People just love this idea,” Mr. Brownback said here the other day, smiling broadly. “They feel like they’re getting their brains regulated out of them.”

Case in point, in Mr. Brownback’s telling: the rejoicing of residents in Saline County, Kan., when a strict fireworks ban was lifted there. Mr. Brownback recalled the mood: “It was kind of like, ‘I got a little piece of liberty back!’ ”

From Eric Dondero:

Libertarian Party candidates for office are often accused of being out-of-the-mainstream, and not "real world."

Meet Kira Willis. She is a mother of two. She has been a teacher for 17 years.

From her campaign website:

I see parents and teachers, schools and communities blaming each other for our schools' failures when the politicians and the policy makers are to blame. I see career politicians who have never been in the classroom telling those of us who live our educational system every day what is right for our kids. As a product of public school, a teacher in public school, and a parent whose children will attend public school, I want to make a difference.

She was recently featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Libertarian Kira Willis says too much administrative bloat." They asked her 4 questions. On Parental Choice from AJC:

[What] I do support are tax credits for families that wish to home school or send their children to private school.

I also support school choice. Vouchers mean another department within the DOE created to decide who receives a choice and who does not. A simple tax credit eliminates the need for a voucher department. School choice allows a free market in education and creates competition between schools.

Note - the Libertarian Party of Georgia has long been considered one of the most successful in the Nation (along with Indiana and North Carolina.) For example, Karen Johnson, an African-American woman, is an elected Libertarian currently serving on the John's Creek City Council (Fulton County, pop. 59,000).

Disclaimer - although we are first and foremost a Republican site, on occasion, we will highlight "Republican-type" or more conservative-leaning Libertarian Party candidates for office.

Rightwing World turned upside down

Frances Martel, columnist at Mediaite has an editorial "The Prospect Asks “What Ever Happened To Ann Coulter,” But She’s Still Here." Included in the piece is this gem:

Coulter’s commentary feels dated, and she has been overtaken by even zanier voices on the right...

The question of whether the “old guard” of neo-conservatives– now often referred to as “paleo-conservatives”– like Coulter still have a seat at the table when the dialogue is being increasingly controlled by libertarian voices with a much bigger focus on loving the Constitution than hating liberals. Coulter’s narrative has consistently been that “liberals are stupid”– compare this to, say, Beck, whose narrative is, in general terms, “we must save America.” Libertarians have been a game-changer for Coulter.

Set aside the libertarianization of the Rightwing angle for a moment. Ann Coulter a "Paleo-conservative"? Pro-War in Iraq. Pro-War in Afghanistan. Pro-War on Islamo-Fascism.

That's enough to make the Paleos at American Conservative, LewRockwell.com and among the Ron Paulists scream bloody murder.

A historical footnote for Mr. Martel: Ms. Coulter briefly sought the Libertarian nomination for US House to challenge incumbent moderate Republican Rep. Chris Shays in 1996.

St. Louis's Sassy Conservative Female in Playboy

Dana Loesch, afternoon talk-show host on 97.1 FM Talk in St. Louis, and top Tea Party icon is featured in a lengthy article on the Tea Party in this month's Playboy Magazine.

Comments Dana via The Other McCain:

I can’t wait to tell my Baptist mother that her daughter is in Playboy.

This month’s issue of Playboy features an interesting article on the tea party movement and in particular, focuses on a particular group of activists, myself included.

Dan Riehl of Riehl World View comments on Dana's guest appearance:

the Tea Party mentality, whether it continues to call itself the Tea Party movement, or not, is new - vibrant. And in many ways, it is as youthful...how successful this new Right is in altering America's course remains unknown.

But it is new - different from the old Right, less conservative and more Libertarian. It will be interesting to watch it play out over, hopefully, many years. It is a long war, more than it is one, or a few political battles. And victory is far from assured. But the battle is, indeed, sexy, or the new chic if you prefer. It must be au currant. After all, it's in Playboy...

From the Editors:

As our regular readers know we editorialized last week that Libertarian Republicans would hold off on enthusiastically backing Sharron Angle until she explained some troubling comments she made on legalized beer, which were made in a now defunct "libertarian" publication a few years ago. When asked about legalized marijuana, she seemingly suggested that beer was just as culpable of societal ills, and might be better off illegal.

Sharron Angle has now apparently heard our call for an explanation.

From an interview with John Gizzi, Human Events just released:

As to reports she opposed legalization of alcohol, Angle shook her head and replied: “Well, the issue came up from an article that they can’t find the original for, so that makes it suspect in the first place. In the context of the conversation—and it was with a libertarian group—we were talking about legalization of these things because they felt we can’t fight the war on drugs—that was their premise. My premise was that we need to be educating rather than legislating. As a ‘less government’ person, I believe that less regulation is always a better policy, and that is what I was referring to—on all levels.”

She added that Nevada is a “a 24-hour state. We deal with the proper use of alcohol all the time. It is an educational issue and we have problems with legislation.”

That satisfactorly answers our questions. Clifford Thies and I now heartily back her candidacy. We are joined by "Right Guy" Jim Lagnese, and Libertarian Politics Live Host Andre Traversa.

Note - our endorsement does not constitute endorsement by the Republican Liberty Caucus. They are still going through the decision process.

Katherine Jenerette candidate for congress, from press release:

Tim Scott shares my conservative platform and will carry a plan of legislative agendas forward; therefore I have decided to fully endorse the candidacy of Tim Scott to be the next United States Congressman for the First Congressional District of South Carolina.

Here are some of the many reasons why I have endorsed Tim Scott:

#1) I know that Tim will carry the conservative message from the First District voters to Washington, DC.

#2) I know that Tim will cut wasteful government spending, watching every precious taxpayer dollar.

#3) I know that Tim will fight to win the war on terror, and support our military so that America can continue to lead the free world.

Note - Scott is a first-term state representative. He is the first Black Republican State Rep. in South Carolina in over 100 years. He faces the son of Strom Thurmond in the June 22 run-off. Scott finished first in a field of 9 with 32% to 2nd place finisher Thurmond's 16%. The winner of the run-off will essentially be the next Congressman, as the District is overwhelmingly Republican, and only a nominal Democrat has filed for the Fall.

VoteTimScott.com

On Tuesday, Tim Scott may become the first African-American elected to Congress as a Republican in over 8 years, (since J.C. Watts). He is in a run-off election with Paul Thurmond, son of former SC Senator Strom Thurmond. The winner of the run-off faces only nominal Democrat opposition in the Fall in this overwhelmingly Republican district, which makes their election virtually assured.

According to CSM, Scott is clearly the Tea Party favorite, in contrast to the more Centrist establishment Thurmond. Scott is endorsed by the libertarian-leaning Club for Growth, and by RedState.

From the Post & Courrier, June 19:

Many political candidates pledge to hold down government spending. Once elected, few do. But Tim Scott, during a decade and a half of elective service, has earned his reputation as an effective fiscal conservative. And as runaway federal debt threatens our nation's future, that record makes him the right choice to represent South Carolina's 1st District in the U.S. House. The district's Republican voters should move him a giant step closer to that job in Tuesday's primary runoff.