Sarah Palin single individual who is best Tea Party spokesman

The poll conducted by Politico (via Rightosphere), asked a myriad of questions to Tea Party rally attendees in Washington, DC April 15.

Of particular interest, those surveyed were asked to identify the one political party most closely aligned with the beliefs of the Tea Party. The Libertarian Party was way out ahead.
The Republican Party did moderately well. The Democrat Party did poorly.

How well do these organizations represent the views of the Tea Party movement?

The Democratic Party

•Extremely/Very Well 2%
•Not so/Not at all Well 86%

The Republican Party

•Extremely/Very Well 50%
•Not so/Not at all Well 41%

The Libertarian Party

•Extremely/Very Well 57%
•Not so/Not at all Well 30%

In another section of the poll, respondents were asked to name the single political figure who best represents Tea Party views. Sarah Palin placed 1st with 15%, Ron Paul 2nd with 12%, and Michele Bachmann 3rd with 8%. Others who score relatively high included Rep. Paul Ryan, and Sen. Jim DeMint.

Note - Cong. Paul was the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in 1988, and is a Lifetime member of the Party. For her part, fmr. Gov. Palin was a guest speaker at a number of Libertarian Party meetings in Alaska in the 2000s, and received the endorsement of the leadership of the Libertarian Party in the State for her 2006 Governor's race. She has endorsed Cong. Paul's son, Rand Paul for US Senate in Kentucky.

A national survey of tea party supporters conducted by the New York Times and CBS News has yielded some interesting results.  Despite the overarching narrative that the Tea Party Movement is a predominantly male movement, the survey found that the Tea Party actually only split 59%/41% in favor of males.  Additional findings of note included that your [...]

Google has started to post a top level view of all the requests that they receive from world governments to either edit their content or to provide information about individuals that use their services.  Interesting stuff.
You can check out the interactive content here on Google’s page.

End of the Road for Macho Camacho?

From Eric Dondero:

Now this whacky news out of Germany...

The German Green Party has just gone hardline feminist. From Der Spiegel "New Man Manifesto":

Even if some male party members think the Greens tend to exaggerate a bit on this issue, they do not dare say so publicly. Instead a new group of young party members has come up with an even stronger gender message, this time shining the spotlight on men: "We no longer need to be macho!" is the title of their manifesto which deals with "equality and male feminism."

The signatories include several Green politicians from the European parliament, the German Bundestag as well as local Green leaders. "We no longer want to be macho," it declares, "we want to be people. You are not born a man, you are turned into one."

The men's manifesto makes two main points. First, men need to break out of their traditional gender roles. "We need a new awareness of a new masculinity," write its co-authors Sven Lehmann and Jan Philipp Albrecht. Second, they argue that their fellow men need to realize that real equality will not happen without their participation.

"We want to live differently!" writes Lehmann, a senior member of the North Rhine-Westphalia branch of the party, and the European parliamentarian Albrecht. They appeal for a slower pace of life, less focus on profit and more health consciousness. They want to start holding "Boys' Days and gender-sensitive career-guidance sessions."

There's been no word yet from US Greens on whether they agree with the plan.

Note - Greens have infiltrated the Libertarian Party in the past. New Jersey Green activist Robert Milnes, a frequent commenter at Independent Political Report, has been pushing for a Green-Libertarian alliance for years. He even briefly declared for the Libertarian Presidential nomination in 2008. At present, in California, prominent Ralph Nader former campaign staffer Christina Tobin is seeking the Libertarian nomination for Sec. of State.

"Big 'L' Libertarian" could win Mayorship of South Dakota's largest city

In the Sioux Falls mayoral race, party affiliation has become one of the biggest issues. In what may be a sign of the times, the Democrat candidate is seeking to downplay his party. The Republican candidate is talking up his affiliation, and even listing his "Libertarian" views prominently on his website.
From the Argus Leader, April 21:

On the first question at the Good Morning Sioux Falls event at the Holiday Inn City Centre, candidate Kermit Staggers pointed out to the audience where he and candidate Mike Huether stand politically.

"There seems to be some confusion," he said. "Once again, I am the Republican, Mike's the Democrat."

Although the race is considered nonpartisan, Huether's decision to hire a Democratic consulting firm, coupled with donations from labor unions, had the state GOP ready to offer some support to Staggers, who said he was considering the offer.

On the "Kermit Staggers for Mayor" Facebook page, Staggers' political views are listed as Libertarian. Huether does not list his political views on his campaign Facebook page.

Staggers went on to say that he's "not hiding from his record," like Huether.

Continuing:

Staggers focused on lower taxes, more government transparency and less regulation. He said regulations place costs on business "and of course cost means less prosperity for businesses."

Staggers is a city councilman and former state senator. On his Facebook page, under Detailed Info, his Political Views are prominently listed as simply "Libertarian."

South Dacola, which bills itself as South Dakota's "Snarkiest Political Blog," commented:

It is no secret that Kermit isn’t your typical Republican, and it shows in who votes for him. He has wide support amongst all parties, but how does his party feel about him? Do Republicans want a true fiscal conservative with Libertarian beliefs, such as civil liberties, representing their party as mayor of Sioux Falls? Who knows? It was clear that Pat Costello was their dog in the race. Are they willing to look past Kermit’s big ‘L’ behind his name just to pull off a win for their party, or more importantly stopping Huether?

"Stalinist-style bureaucracy"

The Catholic Cardinal is now openly criticizing the Cuban government of Raul Castro. According to the BBC Cardinal Jaime Ortega is saying that the Communist State is suffering from the worst crisis in decades due in part to the US Embargo, the decline in the World economy, and the fall of the Soviet Union.

From the BBC:

The 73-year-old prelate said that people were openly talking about the deficiencies in Cuba's socialist system, calling it a Stalinist-style bureaucracy producing apathetic workers and low productivity.

"Our country is in a very difficult situation," he warned. "Certainly the most difficult we have lived in this 21st Century."

Other reports that "Damas de Blanco" (Ladies in White), a protest group against human rights abuses, made up mostly of wives of victims of the regime, has become emboldened. They are increasing the number of protests, and their intensity.

From the liberal-leaning North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling (PPP):

PPP (D) PA-12 Congressional Survey

•Tim Burns (R) 44%
•Mark Critz (D) 41%
•Undecided 15%

This is a special election for the congressional seat of the deceased Rep. John Murtha, Central Pennsylvania, Johnstown area. The election will take place on May 18.

The Democrat lean for this District is 55%.

by Eric Dondero

With his son Rand in a hotly contested race for the Republican nomination for US Senate, Ron Paul may be treading a bit more lightly on the non-interventionist/isolationist rhetoric of the past. In fact, he may even be inching closer to a more mainstream Republican view.

The younger Paul of course, is running on a strong defense platform. In fact, he's made some statements like supporting intervention against Iran over nuclear missiles, and fiercely opposing closing down Gitmo, that have likely made some Ron Paulist's hairs stand on end.

Cong. Paul sent out a press release endorsing Senate primary candidate and his former House colleague John Hostettler in Indiana. In the 4th paragraph down he made the following slightly nuanced remark:

John also understands that we need to fight for a stronger national defense, where we support our troops and defend our country without policing the world or subsidizing the security of other wealthy nations.

A "stronger national defense"? Defending "our country?" Those are welcomed sentiments by those of us who are in the Pro-Defense wing of the libertarian movement. Contrary to popular view, we Pro-Defensers are not automatic Pro-Policing the World, and we are most certainly not in favor of subsidizing the defenses of wealthy nations, Japan, Germany, Turkey, even Israel.

Perhaps some areas of agreement may be emerging, between previously hostile Pro-Defense wing of the libertarian movement, and the Ron Paulists.

Ironic, that it appears to be Rand Paul, Ron Paul's own son, who may be helping us all to come together.

We Pro-Defensers applaud Ron Paul's move to a more centrist position on National Security. We just hope it's not a short term election ploy.

Disclosure: I served as Travel Aide to Libertarian Presidential candidate Ron Paul in 1987/88, Ron Paul for Congress Campaign Coordinator in 1995/96 and Senior Aide to the Congressman from 1997-2003. I resigned over his opposition to the War in Iraq.

From Eric Dondero:

Charles Djou is the Republican nominee for Congress for a special election HI CD-1, set for late May in Hawaii. He is a Army Reserve officer, and current city councilman for Honolulu. This is the Neil Abercrombie seat.

From Rightosphere:

Research 2000/Daily Kos Hawaii 1st Congressional District Survey

•Charles Djou (R) 32%
•Ed Case (D) 29%
•Colleen Hanabusa (D) 28%
•Other 4%
•Undecided 7%

All three candidates face each other in the same race; winner take all. The DNC is backing Case, which has caused consternation among Hawaii's more liberal activists, and among feminists who are staunchly backing ethnically favored Hanabusa.

Djou has received a wide array of endorsements, including Mitt Romney, Eric Odom's Liberty First (Tea Party) PAC, and the Gay Republican group Log Cabin Clubs.

According to the Star-Bulletin, Djou was one of the attendees at the Tax Day Tea Party rally on the steps of the Capitol in Honolulu. Over 1,500 attended.

An endorsement coming of David Vitter if he advocates abolishing Income Taxes

From Eric Dondero:

It's been a long, strange trip indeed for Stormy Daniels, Louisiana's most popular Porn Star. First, in 2009, in the midst of revelations that incumbent Republican David Vitter sought the services of a prostitute, Daniels announced an exploratory committee for his Senate seat. At the time she flirted with a run on the Libertarian Party ticket.

After over a year of less-than-steller press conferences, and drastic changes in her campaign team, not too mention Vitter's rising popularity, Daniels re-tooled, and announced a couple weeks ago, she'd run as a Republican. Louisiana has a winner-take-all election with no primaries.

Now she's bowing out of the race entirely. Blaming in part, an unfavorable media. NewsMax quotes her as comparing herself to Sarah Palin:

"To begin with, like Governor Palin, I have become a target of the cynical stalwarts of the status quo," Daniels said. "Simply because I did not fit in their mold of what an independent working woman should be, the media and political elite have sought to relegate my sense of civic responsibility to mere sideshow antics."

Now Daniels is putting the word out, that a Vitter endorsement is a distinct possibility. But only if he takes a very libertarian pledge. Continuing from NewsMax:

Daniels accused Vitter of financing his campaign with special interest money but said she still might support him if he goes along with her proposal to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and the federal income tax in favor of a "fair tax" plan that includes a national sales tax.

by Clifford F. Thies

The strong showing by the leader of Great Britain's Liberal Democrat Party, Nick Clegg, in the first ever televised debate among party leaders in that country has scrambled election forecasts.

Going into the debate, the Conservatives, lead by David Cameron (photo), were solidly in first place, with a lead in the popular vote ranging from the high single-digits to the low double-digits over Labour, lead by Prime Minister Gordon Brown; and, projected to win something close to, if not an absolute majority of seats in Parliament. The biggest uncertainty seemed to be how particular districts would fall, whether to the Tories versus Labour, or to the Lib-Dems versus the Scottish Nationalists, or any number of other permutations. Now, the biggest uncertainty appears to be whether the Lib-Dems will overtake Labour in the popular vote, with the outcome in terms of seats much more fluid because of the number of competitive districts in which there are three or more strong parties. The old rule of thumb, that 40 percent in the popular vote results in a majority in Parliament might not work in this election.

In the British (and Canadian) system of elections, the members of the governing chamber of parliament are elected from "winner-take-all" elections, with the government formed by the party (or, by a coalition of parties) winning the most seats. This format practically invites minor parties with appeal in certain regions. In Canada, there is, for example, the Quebec nationalist party and, in Great Britain, the Scottish nationalist party.

In addition to the regional dynamic, the left in Great Britain, as in several other countries, is fracturing, with significant numbers defecting to green parties and with the far-left impatient with the center-left. In Great Britain, Tony Blair's re-casting of Labour as a neo-liberal party enabled the party to string together a series of majorities in Parliament. But, it looks as though this re-positioning of Labour will come undone with the surge of the Lib-Dems in this year's election. Labour, in Great Britain, may come out of this year's election in a position similar to that of the New Democrats in Canada, a minor party that is competitive in only selected districts.

RIGHTWING LIBERTARIAN

From Libertarian Jew blogspot:

Economic failure and governmental intrusion are very much on the forefront of the Tea Party Movement’s mind. One of the speakers at the rally last night [southern California] was a doctor who was discussing, in detail, how ObamaCare’s price controls on insurance are going to greatly hinder doctors’ ability to treat their patients. A not-so-amusing anecdote he brought up was when Nancy Pelosi was being interviewed after the passing of the health care bill. A reporter asked her about the constitutionality of the bill. You want to know what her response was? It was “Are you serious?” I think that has to be my response to her idiotic response. The head of Congress has no respect for the Constitution, which means she has no respect for American jurisprudence. And she still holds a seat of such affluence?! And you wonder why Congress’ job approval rating is so low.

Idiocies from Congress set aside, people at the Tea Party Rally were just fed up with government intrusion. If you think that economic freedoms aren’t important, think again! In more ways than one, your economic freedoms are your freedoms. If we continue going down this path of giving the government more regulatory powers over the economy, which, by the way, are not granted by the Constitution, you wouldn’t be able to buy property, buy the kind of car you like, eat whatever you want, have the thermostat set the way you like it, or to pursue the career of your choice.

Editor's Note - Steve bills his blog as - The political and religious musings of a right-winged, libertarian, non-Orthodox, traditionalist, Zionist Jew who emphasizes rationalism, common sense, and free, open-minded thought. We're adding Libertarian Jew to our Blog Roll.

Near Pelosi's District

David Harmer, is the libertarian-conservative "Ronald Reagan" candidate in California 11. He just outraised the three other opponents, in the first quarter for the Republican primary by a substantial amount. His contributions exceeded all of theirs combined. And he outraised the incumbent Dem, Jerry McNerny by a substantial amount. Harmer raised over 380K in the first quarter, the incumbent raised 280K. Harmer's Republican opponents raised less than 250K combined.

Almost 15,000 people turned out at the Pleasanton, California tea party on April 15. The campaign was overwhelmed by the interest in his campaign. He was interviewed by ABC 7 from San Francisco, and Greta Van Sustern covered the Pleasanton Tea Party for Fox and featured David in their video coverage.

John Hickey, a longtime California Libertarian (former Libertarian Party activist), and volunteer in the Harmer campaign told Libertarian Republican:

We're going to win the primary and then take the crap sandwich that Jerry McNernery (also known as a Pelosi puppet) shoved down our throats and come November 2, we're going to shove that crap sandwich back at him.

HarmerforCongress.com

From the liberal polling firm out of North Carolina, Public Policy Polling (via Hedgehog):

PRESIDENT – NATIONAL (PPP)
Mike Huckabee (R) 47%
Barack Obama (D-inc) 45%

Mitt Romney (R) 45%
Barack Obama (D-inc) 44%

Newt Gingrich (R) 45%
Barack Obama (D-inc) 45%

Barack Obama (D-inc) 47%
Sarah Palin (R) 45%

Additionally, Real Clear Politics (RCP) running average as of yesterday, had Obama's approvals virtually tied with his disapprovals, 47.7% to 47.4%.

Massachusetts State Income Tax to be reduced to 5 percent

From Eric Dondero:

Meet the Republican ticket for Governor/Lt. Governor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 2010. Over the weekend the MA GOP met in convention, and Charles Baker and his running mate Richard Tisei won an overwhelming 89% of delegate support, thereby assuring no primary election will be held.

Baker is a former CEO of a Health Care provider. Tisei is the Senate Minority Leader, (in the extreme - out of 40 Senators only 5 of them are Republicans). He is also openly Gay, and is known for a hardline fiscally conservative, yet socially tolerant approach.

Upon winning the nomination the ticket made some news. Dedham Transcript:

The Baker campaign on Wednesday began promoting the Thursday’s announcement by Baker and Tisei of Citizens for Limited Taxation chief Barbara Anderson's endorsement and “Day 1 tax cut legislation.”

The Baker-Tisei campaign announced Thursday afternoon that, if elected, they will file on their first day in office legislation to repeal recently increased sales, alcohol and meals taxes and to reduce the income tax to 5 percent.

“The liquor tax has adversely affected businesses here in Massachusetts while border businesses have watched former customers go to New Hampshire and Rhode Island instead,” Tisei said in a press release with a Wakefield dateline.

Interestingly, Tisei is already drawing criticism from Democrat sources for being on the ticket. They say him running for Lt. Governor will take him away from his duties as Senate Minority leader.

Fighting Authority Tea Party style

Tom Schweich is running in a 3-way primary for Missouri Auditor. He produced this video to break out of the pack. It may have worked. The video has gone viral.

According to MO Prime Buzz:

Missouri state auditor candidate Tom Schweich, a Republican and former U.S. ambassador, has a music video up on YouTube. Yes, a music video. On YouTube. Check it out -- it's like John Cougar Mellencamp channeling the tea party movement with absolutely no sense of irony.

The second-most important event in the LPIN’s annual calendar, the state convention, approaches. Delegates from all across the state meet to do the business of nominating candidates to statewide office (Secretary of State, Auditor, etc.), Indiana legislative office (Indiana House and Indiana Senate), and Congressional office (US Senate and US House of Representatives). In addition, [...]

Breitbart proven Right!

From Eric Dondero:

Libertarian media entrepreneur Andrew Breitbart should be feeling pretty good this morning. He has just won a major battle with the liberal media. And it's a United States Congressman who is confirming the media's fraud.

From the AP, by reporter Jesse Washington, "...Health Protest spurs 'N' word feud", April 13:

It was March 20, near the end of the bitter health care debate, when Reps. John Lewis, Andre Carson and Emanuel Cleaver say that some demonstrators, many of them tea party activists, yelled the "N-word" as the congressmen walked from House office buildings to the Capitol.

With so many media and citizen cameras at the demonstration, any epithets would have been caught on tape, says Andrew Breitbart. He's the web entrepreneur... and has pledged $100,000 to the United Negro College Fund if anyone provides proof of the epithets.

"It didn't happen," said Breitbart, who wasn't there. "This is 2010. Even a racist is media-savvy enough not to yell the N-word."

Now 3 days later a correction issued by the Associated Press in the Washington Post "Shuler denies hearing N-word at Capitol protest":

Rep. Heath Shuler is denying a report that he heard racial slurs yelled from a crowd of angry health care protesters outside the U.S. Capitol.

Shouldn't someone in the liberal media cough up $100,000 for one of Andrew's favorite charities? Say, Americans for Limited Government, Sam Adams Alliance, Cato Institute, or Reason Foundation?

(H/t Newsbusters)

Wyoming RLC Coordinator Michael Dean, speaks to Tea Party rally, with a big "Howdy"

Members of the Republican Liberty Caucus, the organization that represents the libertarian wing of the GOP, participated in Tea Party rallies all over the United States yesterday. Here is one RLCer who was asked to address the crowd in Casper, Wyoming.

Dean describes the RLC, as "basically a group that originated out of the Libertarian Party... we want to see Libertarians actually win elections."

He invites Tea Party members to the first statewide RLC organizing meeting next Monday night.

Note - Dean is a former lead singer for a punk rock band in Califoria, turned Wyoming Cowboy gun rights enthusiast.

http://www.rlc.org

Punk Libertarian rails against UK's Nanny State

Polly Morgan is featured in the latest London Evening Standard. The title "Polly Morgan, Death becomes Her."

The art of taxidermist Polly Morgan is once-seen, never-forgotten stuff. Slightly sick yet eminently covetable, it has been bought by Kate Moss and Courtney Love, and promoted by Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst and Damien Hirst, whose gallery Other Criteria is selling her latest series of work, Resurrection, in which a balloon seems poised to carry off a bedraggled pheasant chick. Gothic yet strangely compassionate – such little bodies, so tenderly preserved – her work resonates with questions: who is this artist, and what dark secrets drive her?

Later on in the piece, her politic views come out, and they're more aligned with the libertarian bloc of the Tories, the UK Independence Party, or even the newly formed UK Libertarians.

An old-fashioned libertarian, she lets rip against the Labour government, health-and-safety rules, bland politicians and 'actress puppets who come out and say, "Don't put on your kettle" because their agents have told them they should be against global warming.'

Note - Photo of a recent showing of her works.