Conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats have come together to introduce bipartisan legislation to curb the never-ending war in Afghanistan.

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Congressmen Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) have introduced legislation requiring the President to develop a flexible timetable to draw down U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The legislation would require the President to provide a plan for drawing down our forces in Afghanistan. The legislation also increases oversight by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) over work done by private contractors with records of waste, fraud and abuse in order to safeguard U.S. taxpayer dollars.

Senator Feingold has also offered a flexible timetable to draw down U.S. troops from Afghanistan as an amendment to the supplemental spending bill currently being considered by the Senate.

Although the legislation does not set a specific date for withdrawal, it’s a step in the right direction.  It was recently announced that over 1,000 young men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces have died in that war.

It’s long past time to end it.

I have been objecting loudly to the GOP nominating processes in various states for many years now.

In short: the Republican Party Establishment has swooped into competitive Republican Party primaries (election contests that VOTERS should decide) to coronate certain candidates and exclude candidates they do not prefer.

This practice began during the Bush Administration, as far as I can tell. It’s a disgusting process and is truly politics as its worst.

Here is an article in which I criticize the Wisconsin Republican Party for nominating two candidates — one for Governor and another for U.S. Senate — at its Convention on Saturday despite the fact that one other candidate is running in each of these races. Enjoy!

This video is from Jack Hunter, a conservative commentator and columnist. We’ll let the video speak for itself.

There is a growing number of incumbent Members of Congress who “get it”. They understand that the Iraq War was a failure, that Americans are disgusted with the bailout votes, and that any increase in government spending will mean more taxation and debt.

The Club for Growth recently listed its report card on fiscal policy for 2009. The results show that several endorsed Republican Liberty Caucus scored 100% on their legislative barometer, including Congressmen Jeff Flake (AZ), John Shadegg (AZ), Paul Broun (GA), and Doug Lamborn (CO). Scoring 95% or higher are RLC-endorsed Congressmen Scott Garrett (NJ), Tom McClintock (CA), Jim Jordan (OH), Jason Chaffetz (UT), Ron Paul (TX), and Ed Royce (CA).

Of these, Broun (GA), Royce (CA), Garrett (NJ), Paul (TX), and Flake (AZ) did not vote for any of the bailouts. Chaffetz and McClintock were not in Congress during any of the bailouts, so they cannot be held responsible for those votes.

Several of these Members of Congress also either voted against the Iraq War or believe it was a mistake. Those in the former camp include Congressman Ron Paul. Those in the latter camp include Congressman Jeff Flake and Congressman Tom McClintock.

Although this is a small group of Congressmen, we are starting to make some progress.  If we elect just one or two of our Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed candidates to Congress in 2010, we will be even further on our path to a free society.

The Republican Liberty Caucus National Board is offering an outstanding slate of liberty-oriented candidates who will effectively work to limit the size and scope of government if selected by voters in the upcoming primary and in November. The slate of candidates includes:

* Nikki Haley, Governor
* Bill Connor, Lt. Goveror
* Curtis Loftis, State Treasurer
* Richard Eckstrom (Incumbent), Comptroller General
* Jim DeMint (Incumbent), U.S. Senator
* Dr. Mike Vasovski, U.S. Congress, District 3
* Dr. Christina Jeffrey, U.S. Congress, District 4
* State Senator Mick Mulvaney, U.S. Congress, District 5
* Nancy Harrelson, U.S. Congress, District 6

“This slate of candidates is already standing up for liberty and smaller government,” said RLC Endorsements Director Dan Sheill. “We hope South Carolinians will choose them in the upcoming elections to continue the pro-liberty agenda of the outgoing Governor.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin, which was chartered in December of last year, had its first major presence at the state Republican Party Convention. The Convention, which took place over the weekend in downtown Milwaukee, featured Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty and the much-loved Congressman Paul Ryan.

At the Convention, Chairman Michael S. Murphy handed RLC literature out to longtime Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner and had a brief conversation with Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Reince Preibus. Additionally, the Wisconsin RLC received numerous requests for membership applications and talked to candidates who wanted to seek the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin endorsement.

Several candidates who have already been endorsed by the state affiliate were being actively promoted by RLC members, such as Terri McCormick for Congress in Wisconsin’s 8th District and Ed Thompson for State Senate in District 31.

Below are some photos of Wisconsin RLC members at the 2010 GOP Convention. A special thanks to Chairman Michael S. Murphy and Secretary Paul Sanchez for their hard work to prepare for liberty outreach at the Convention.

Learn more about the Wisconsin chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus at http://wi.rlc.org/.

Secretary Paul Sanchez with RLC endorsed candidate for State Senate from Rock County, Rick Richard.

Two RLC board members with Wisconsin’s Voice of Liberty, Ken Van Doren (center).

Michael S. Murphy, U.S. Senate candidate Dave Westlake, and Paul Sanchez.

Wisconsin RLC Vice Chair Chris Ciancimino.

Wisconsin RLC Chair with candidate for Congress Dan Sebring (District 4).

Wisconsin RLC Chair with candidate for Congress Terri McCormick (District 8).

Republican Liberty Caucus Endorses Liberty Slate of Idaho Candidates
Endorsed Candidates Filled out RLC Questionnaire and Will Implement Limited Government Agenda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2010
CONTACT: Dan Sheill, Endorsements Director

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – The Republican Liberty Caucus, a national grassroots caucus which advocates for limited government and individual liberty within the Republican Party, has endorsed the following candidates in the Idaho primary next week:

* Steven Dana Pankey for Lieutenant Governor;
* Todd Hatfield for State Controller;
* M.C. Chick Heilson for U.S. Representative, District 2;
* Dennis Engelhardt for State Senate, District 2;
* Mike A. Nielsen and Russell Schenck for Bonner County Commissioners in District 2 and 3; and
* Bud Mueller for Bonner County Clerk of the District Court

According to Republican Liberty Caucus Endorsements Director Dan Sheill, “The Idaho primary is approaching on Tuesday. Will Republican voters select these small government candidates to return Idaho government to one that respects individual rights and less government intrusion?”  Continued Idaho RLC member Tom Dillin, “This slate of candidates will put Idaho on the right track and will bring us so much closer to restoring our Constitutional principles within the state and within the Republican Party.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus is a 527 political organization committed to protecting the principles of individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise that once defined the Republican Party. The Caucus recruits and endorses candidates who support our agenda, work to elect limited-government Republicans to political office, and work to change the direction of the Republican Party to reflect members’ vision of peace and prosperity.

Learn more about the Republican Liberty Caucus at http://www.RLC.org.

– 30 –

The Republican Liberty Caucus is one member shorter today. Our At-Large Board member Stephen M. Wright (pictured) passed away yesterday in a car accident. Steve, a candidate for Harford County Executive in this fall’s election, was heading to a pro-life event when he was in the accident.

Steve and I began talking in 2008 when some of the Ron Paul campaign supporters decided to form a Maryland chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus. Steve was assigned o work on the by-laws of the new organization. He was very thorough and took the job very seriously. He would call me often to ask procedural or logistical questions about developing the by-laws.

In 2009, Steve attended the Republican Liberty Caucus National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida and was elected to the RLC Board of Directors. Steve was a very active member of the Harford County Republican Party Central Committee and was Chairman of the Route 40 Republican Club in Harford County.  Last summer, Steve and his wife Krista attended a small gathering of some active RLC members from the DC area — see below photo.

We in the RLC remember Steve as a passionate defender of liberty, a family man and father, and as a dynamic speaker.  Steve’s passing comes just a year and a half after the sudden passing of another RLC member from Maryland, Patrick Citroni, who passed away in 2008 in a motorcycle accident. The Maryland RLC created a tribute fund for Patrick.

On behalf of all of the Republican Liberty Caucus members, especially those from Maryland, we will miss Steve and we send our deepest sympathy and support to his family in this difficult time.

[Note from RLCCA Secretary Parke Bostrom: The below interview was originally published on BlogCritics.com and is republished here with the permission of the author.] The "conscience of the Republican Party": advancing the ideals of individual rights, limited government, and free enterprise. [Photo: Matt Heath with Ron Paul, September 2008 at the Rally for the Republic in Minneapolis] It all started as a "typo" on one of my political blogs, which quickly stirred up my inquisitive nature and led to an interaction that brought about a pondering of my own personal beliefs and stance as it relates to “liberty”. This past month, I had the privilege of interviewing the folks from the Republican Liberty Caucus of California (RLCCA), exclusively for Blogcritics Magazine. Because of our very own Blogcritics writer and editor, Dave Nalle, I am somewhat familiar with the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC), but I wanted to get acquainted with the pulse of the RLC in my home state of California. And no better way than from those leading this grassroots organization –– Chairman of the RLCCA, Matt Heath with the assistance of RLC Secretary Parke Bostrom. My thanks! In summary, the RLCCA is the officially chartered California chapter of the RLC (founded in 1991). They work to advance the ideals of individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the State of California and the Republican Party. Considering the 2010 elections are a hot topic in the political arena these days, let’s first talk about the California primary coming up next month. So far the RLCCA has endorsed three Congressional candidates: Gary Clift, Clayton Thibodeau, and John Dennis, who is in the high-profile race against Nancy Pelosi. Do you have any inside information on how this race is going and what are your predictions for the outcome? Heath: Given the size of the Bay Area media market and the fact that Nancy Pelosi is a polarizing figure nationally, a tough, hard-hitting campaign by John Dennis will help every Republican candidate in our region. John is already generating interest and enthusiasm in San Francisco with his small government, pro-liberty message. His race will likely be a key factor in boosting Republican campaigns throughout Northern California. His campaign is going very well, and I predict that John Dennis will do better than any Republican congressional candidate has done in San Francisco in recent memory. Additionally, for us in the RLC it is very exciting to see Dennis receive the pre-primary endorsement of many establishment Republicans in San Francisco. It shows us that we should be trying to find and recruit strong candidates rather than engaging in political debates with other Republican activists. As you know, I had mistakenly reported that the RLC had endorsed one of the three California Senate candidates and your very astute Secretary Parke Bostrom corrected my blog. Is there a reason that the RLCCA has not endorsed Chuck DeVore, Carly Fiorina, or Tom Campbell? And do you have a personal favorite? Heath: We work to recruit and support candidates who will reduce the size of the federal government, and also the size of state and local governments. Specifically, we try to recruit and support candidates who are fundamentally motivated by a sincere and profound respect and appreciation for the concept of human liberty –– the idea that if you are an adult, so long as you are not harming someone else, you should be able to do whatever you want. We focus on this one core issue of liberty because we believe that candidates motivated by respect for liberty will be the most effective at reducing the size and scope of government interference in our private and economic lives. Granted, that is a somewhat subjective criterion, and each member of our board of directors has to make her or his own subjective determination as to whether a given candidate meets that standard. We do not try to endorse candidates in every contested primary. With respect to the Senate race, it appears that the RLCCA board has yet to be convinced that any of three candidates you mentioned shares our appreciation for human liberty. Are there candidates on your radar, that others may not be aware of, who the RLCCA thinks have a lot of promise? Heath: The RLCCA has endorsed Gary Clift (CD10), Clayton Thibodeau (CD45), Linda "Ellie" Black (AD27), and Bill Hunt for Orange County Sheriff, as well as John Dennis in San Francisco. I feel it would be inappropriate for me to mention specific candidates that have not yet been endorsed. Seemingly, the “Boxer match” is receiving a lot of attention –– even from President Obama, who lent his support for her last month. Do you expect that Obama will help or hinder Boxer’s campaign? Heath: President Obama is a popular politician in California and with many Democrats. I suspect he will bring his "bully pulpit" to California in support of Barbara Boxer as often as needed in her reelection bid. Boxer has held the California Senate seat for three terms, and California is primarily a liberal state. What are the odds that California could pull off another “Scott Brown” type victory –– marking us “red?” Or is that just hopeful thinking for us conservatives? Heath: Boxer can be beaten, but the race will be much more clearly defined after the Republican primary election in June. And as I mentioned earlier, it appears that the RLCCA's board has yet to be convinced that any of the three Republican candidates shares our appreciation for human liberty. So Matt, on a personal note, what drew you to the RLC and how did you become Chairman of the California chapter? Heath: After becoming actively involved locally in the Sonoma County Republican Party, I looked for a larger Republican organization that promotes libertarian philosophy. I discovered the RLC and was inspired by their Statement of Principles and Positions. Several other Sonoma Republicans joined me and we organized under the banner of the Republican Liberty Caucus to do political activism in our neighborhoods, on the street, and within the county Republican Party. Subsequently, in February 2009, I attended the state convention of the California Republican Party. I connected with RLC'ers from other parts of California, and was elected chairman. It has been an exciting year! I noticed that the RLC welcomes constitutionalists, libertarians, classical liberals, and free market advocates. Will you expand on that? Heath: All of the groups you mentioned agree that the government, and specifically the federal government, is too big. Constitutionalists believe the federal government is too big because it is doing more than is authorized by the Constitution. Classical liberals believe that people can best improve their lives without government "help" (or interference) and without the temptation and danger of becoming dependent on government welfare programs. Free market advocates believe that the government should not try to regulate, "stimulate", "bail-out" or otherwise interfere our economy. (Yet strangely some self-proclaimed "free market advocates" support macro-level government interference in the economy via the Federal Reserve and the banking cartels controlling national lending policies and the supply of fiat currency.) So all of the above groups believe that the federal government should be significantly smaller than it is today. That is a huge piece of common ground. The RLC comes into the picture because we take that common ground and work to turn it into a specific political strategy: we work as a caucus within the Republican Party to promote candidates that support these ideals. Since I consider myself a conservative, what caught my attention was that the RLC welcomes "tolerant conservatives". How would you describe a “tolerant conservative”? Heath: We welcome all who support the RLC Statement of Principles and Positions. And, to answer your question, I would describe a “tolerant conservative” as a fiscal conservative who believes the government should not attempt to regulate the private lives of citizens. By “regulate” I mean things like: restricting freedom of speech, compelling military service, interfering in relationships between consenting adults, outlawing adult consumption of recreational drugs, and requiring the use of a national ID card. I’m glad you brought up the topic of “government regulation” –– two areas in particular. I have heard that the RLC gets a certain amount of flak in the GOP in other states as being against the war on drugs and relatively pro-gay. Do you have less of a problem with that in California? Heath: Perhaps California is more tolerant on those issues. I am not aware of our positions on those issues causing any official strife with the California Republican Party (CRP). However, there may be individuals or other caucuses within the CRP that disagree with some of our positions. This is only to be expected and is not unusual in any way. Related to the specific issues you mentioned: I suspect most RLC'ers believe the federal war on drugs is unconstitutional. Back in the 1930's we as a country understood the Constitution well enough to know that attempted federal regulation of alcohol required a Constitutional amendment. Unfortunately, it seems that America today does not understand her Constitution as well as she used to. As for the claim that the RLC is "relatively pro-gay", I suspect most RLC'ers believe that the purpose of government is to secure the natural rights of each individual in these 50 states, so that we as individuals may enjoy Life, Liberty, Property, and the Pursuit of Happiness. We take our inspiration from the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men." Expanding on the RLC and the GOP’s rapport, I hear that the RLC in some states, most notably Florida, has had conflicts with the state GOP. How is your relationship with the state GOP? Heath: Here in California the RLCCA has a growing relationship with the California Republican Party. Many RLCCA members work closely with their respective county Republican parties; so it is only natural that the RLCCA works closely within the California Republican Party. At the September 2009 convention of the California Republican Party, a resolution supporting Ron Paul's "Audit the Fed" bill (HR 1207) and the companion bill in the Senate (SB 604) passed with overwhelming support. Many RLCCA members worked hard to bring that resolution to the CRP and to get it passed. (I should again thank Assemblyman Chuck DeVore for his support in that effort.) It was very gratifying to work with the CRP to call for an audit of the Federal Reserve, as an audit is the first step towards developing an honest currency and restoring economic confidence in America. Speaking of “parties,” what are you thoughts about the Tea Party movement, its relevance and impact on the political scene? Heath: It is exciting to see so many new people jumping into the political process through the Tea Party movement. There is a common theme with the individuals who attend Tea Party events: they believe government, especially at the federal level, is too big and encroaches too much on our private lives. While the Tea Party has a lot of new and exciting energy, it will be interesting to see how the many diverse groups of the Tea Party movement organize over the next few years, and what long term strategies they will rally around to achieve their goals. What are the RLC and/or your personal thoughts about our current administration and its direction –– what many deem to be an intrusive expansion of government on many fronts? Heath: The RLC is, of course, no fan of the Obama administration as they continue down a course of greater federal government power over individual American lives. Personally, I believe the Obama administration is just a continuation of the Bush administration with regards to the scope of the federal government: continuing interventionist foreign policy, expanding executive powers, ongoing manipulation of the free market, continuing growth of federal health care programs (after all, it was President Bush who created Medicare Part D), to mention just a few examples of the similarities. In closing, what can we expect from the RLCCA in the near future? Heath: You can expect the RLCCA to continue to grow in numbers and influence among Californian Republicans. If any activists reading this are inspired by our work thus far, they should contact us via our website to become active in the RLC in their local counties. You can also join the RLCCA on Facebook and Twitter. Exclusive Interview for Blogcritics Magazine: Matt Heath, Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of California Author: Christine Lakatos — Published: May 07, 2010 at 10:10 pm Also, on National Broadside Thanks to Matt and Parke (and the RLC; including my friend, Dave Nalle) for all they do to advance individual rights, limited government, and free enterprise: something us, conservatives embrace as well. And a special thanks for taking the time out of their busy schedules to do this interview. (The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the RLC.)

Republican Liberty Caucus of Utah Endorses Candidates at Statewide Convention
Caucus Advocates Change in Direction of Republican Party to Favor Limited Government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/19/10
CONTACT: Julian Babbitt

Draper, Utah – The Republican Liberty Caucus of Utah, an affiliate of the national Republican Liberty Caucus, met over the weekend at its Annual Convention and endorsed the following candidates for public office:

* Mike Lee for U.S. Senate
* Morgan Philpot U.S. Congress, District 2
* Daniel Thatcher for State Senate, District 12
* John Dougall for State Representative, District 27
* Rob Alexander for State Representative, District 35
* Chuck Bateman for State Representative, District 5
* Ken Ivory for State Representative, District 47
* DJ Schanz for State Representative, District 20
* Craig Frank for State Representative, District 57
* Curt Oda for State Representative, District 14

Said the newly elected chair, Julian Babbitt, “Small government and personal liberty advocates have been increasingly frustrated with the Republican Party, best exhibited by the recent showing by Senator Bennett at our State GOP Convention, which gained national headlines. Our slate of candidates offers hope for the cause of liberty and for all Utahns who believe in a sharply limited government.”

All of the endorsed candidates share common goals of dramatically reducing spending, cutting taxes and an overall sense that government needs to return to its proper role and and exercise only those powers enumerated in the Constitution. With the Obama Administration’s trampling of states’ rights and personal freedom, the time is now for change at both the federal and state level.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Utah is a grassroots network of concerned citizens dedicated to upholding individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party. The RLC’s mission is to recruit and endorse candidates who support its agenda, elect limited-government Republicans to political office, and change the direction of the Republican Party to reflect members’ vision of peace and prosperity. Learn more about the Caucus at http://www.RLC.org. A specific report on the event is found at the Utah RLC blog.

- 30 –