“It’s gratifying to see term limits continue to spread across the country a city and county at a time,” said Philip Blumel, RLC activist and president of U.S. Term Limits, a Virginia-based advocacy group. “And also that another state affirmed their existing term limits in South Dakota, where over 75% of voters voted to retain term limits on the state legislature.”

“Yes, there is a backlash against term limits in New York and elsewhere,” said Blumel. “But only among politicians and lobbyists. The voters continue to reaffirm their support for limiting political power whenever they get the chance.”

South Dakota (J) – repeals term limits on state legislature.

YES: 87,361 (24.27%)

NO: 272,551 (75.73%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

Memphis, TN (1) – Places a maximum of two terms on the city council, mayor and other constitutional offices.

YES: 177,571 (78.23%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

NO: 49,420 (21.77%)

Shelby County, TN (365) – Places term limits on various city charter offices to match limits on county commission and mayor

YES: 273,107 (78.59%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

NO: 74,409 (21.41%)

San Antonio, TX (1) – Extends term limits for city council

YES: 190,417 (51.6%) TERM LIMITS EXTENDED FROM 4 TO 8 YEARS

NO: 178,611 (48.4%)

Tracy, CA (T) – Places a 2 four-year term limit on the city council and mayor

YES: 12,613 (67.21%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

NO: 6,154 (32.79%)

What’s next for term limits? With Congressional approval ratings at historic lows of about 10%, the focus is turning on Congress. To sign a petition for Congressional term limits, please see www.termlimits.org.

While Obama cannot be expected to be better than Bush, particularly when armed with a Democratic majority in the Congress, his ascendance will necessarily send the minority GOP into a frenzy of finger-pointing and soul-searching. This is healthy and overdue. It should have occurred in 2006. After tonight, the president, legislators and party chiefs who led us into this debacle will no longer receive the uncritical loyalty of the party’s base. New leaders will necessarily emerge, and if history is any indication these leaders will better represent more traditional themes of the Republican Party: lower taxes, less government and a prudent foreign policy.

At some point, the GOP upstarts will be the leaders of a new GOP majority in the Congress. In the 1990s, this process took only two years after the election of Bill Clinton.

Refocused by loss, we may find that today’s election was the first victory for an improved Republican Party of the future. Let’s make it so.

I track political races all across the country — with an emphasis on the races that libertarian Republicans can win or have a significant impact on. The following is a list of races that you should pay attention to.

ARIZONA: Sydney Hay is a traditional limited government conservative with a long track record of leadership in Arizona. Now, Sydney wants to replace Republican Rick Renzi in Congress. Sydney has an uphill battle because of Renzi’s corruption charges and because the DNCC is targetting this seat for her opponent, State Representative Ann Kirkpatrick. The race will be a nail-biter come Nov. 4.

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The RLC-USA PAC has donated $1,000 to Sydney Hay’s campaign.
Above, Sydney poses with RLC Advisor Barry Goldwater, Jr.

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CALIFORNIA: Tom McClintock has, for over 20 years, been the conscience of the ultra moderate Republican Party of California. Tom is running for Congress in Placer and Modoc Counties, which traditionally trend conservative, but is having trouble because of George W. Bush and other neo-conservatives who have literally ruined the Republican brand. The race is rated “toss-up,” but libertarian Republicans across the country should be rooting for Tom McClintock.

INDIANA: Ron Paul campaign activist, businessman, and RLC member Bill Johnson is the Republican candidate for State Represenative in District 19, running against a one-term Democrat incumbent in a swing district. This is a race to watch!

MAINE: Former State Representative and RLC State Chair Ken Lindell is running for State Representative in the district he formerly represented.

MICHIGAN: Justin Amash is running for State Representative in a conservative district in suburban Grand Rapids. Justin is a longtime RLC member and supporter, and is considered a “rising star” in Michigan GOP politics. Look for Justin to win in November.

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RLC endorsed Nevada State Senate candidate Lindsay Madsen.

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NEVADA: Lindsay Nicole Madsen, a young rising star in the state GOP, is running for State Senate in Clark County (Las Vegas). How much damage can an outspoken, attractive and principled limited government candidate have in a traditionally Democrat district?

NORTH CAROLINA: There are three races to watch for libertarian Republicans interested in the Tar Heel State. B.J. Lawson, a favorite of libertarian Republicans, has waged an amazing uphill battle for Congress against David Price in District 4. Similarly, Asheville City Council member Carl Mumpower is targetting Heath Shuler in District 11; Shuler was elected by a small margin in 2006 in this swing district. Finally, State Auditor Les Merritt (Incumbent), who the state RLC has been in close contact with, is fighting off a challenge from accountant Beth Wood.

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RLC endorsed incumbent, North Carolina State Auditor Les Merritt.

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PENNSYLVANIA: Long-time State Representative Sam Rohrer (Incumbent) is in a tough re-election battle, and needs your support. Rohrer has been firm about preserving individual rights, and fought hard against the federal government on REAL ID.

TEXAS: State RLC Executive Director and all-around great guy Don Zimmerman is running for Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector.

WASHINGTON: Former State Representative and RLC State Contact Toby Nixon is running for State Representative in the district he formerly represented.

These are the races to watch as the election nears. Please help the above candidates succeed!

Walter Stanley, RLC member in California, is leading a group of limited government Republicans won 12 seats on the Alameda County Republican Central Committee during the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election. There are 30 total seats on the Committee. According to Stanley, “In January, we’ll have a chance to add a few more, further increasing our numbers.” He noted that the Bay Area conservative base casted almost 70,000 total individual votes for the Constitutional Republicans slate. “Our campaign efforts paid off well for us in the end,” noted Stanley.

In Sonoma County, the RLC elected four new members to the Sonoma County Republican Party Central Committee on June 3. “The foursome worked on the Ron Paul campaign and now will work hard to return the Republican Party to its roots,” said RLC California Communications Director Matthew Heath. In January, the group will work hard to fill any open seats with like-minded individuals.

According to RLC California Treasurer Laura Crockett, “[Success comes when you] … show up, work hard, follow through and keep passing out your contact information.”

Sol Grosskopf.

Sol Grosskopf has a lot on his plate. Sol, originally from Shawano, Wis., is a senior at the University of Wisconsin.  At 21 years old, he was the youngest Wisconsin delegate to the Republican National Convention this September. While he was in Minneapolis, he ate breakfast with former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker.  To top it off, he currently serves as Chairman of the Wisconsin Federation of College Republicans, a position he was elected to last spring.

Even better than all of that is Grosskopf’s political philosophy. He says: “In reality, the individuals should be making choices for their lives and not some group of people, whether it be a block away or hundreds of miles away.” Grosskopf is involved in forming the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin and supported Ron Paul’s presidential bid.

Grosskopf is currently overseeing an effort by Wisconsin’s campus Republicans to ensure that the Wisconsin Assembly keeps its Republican majority.  If it doesn’t, the Democrats will control every branch of state government.

As if he doesn’t have enough to do already. Keep up the good work, Sol!

Last weekend I spent a couple of days in Washington, DC at the Defending the American Dream Summit, sponsored by Americans for Prosperity. It was a unique experience to be at an event with so many liberty-minded people from all sorts of backgrounds, all united by a desire to bring our republic back to the principles on which it was founded. Although AFP is technically a non-partisan group, I found myself mostly in the company of Republicans who were battered and bruised by the difficulties of the presidential campaign and events of recent days, but above all they remained unbowed and determined not to allow our nation to perish at the hands of reckless government or sacrificed on the altar of greed and irresponsibility.

This conference was the centerpiece of a series of similar regional conferences that Americans for Prosperity has hosted around the country. The idea is to bring together political leaders and the liberty-oriented grassroots to develop a dialog and build a movement to make liberty issues the focus of the political process, especially on the right and in the GOP. The conferences include sessions for bloggers and community organizers, working with groups like the Sam Adams alliance to educate and inform attendees and help them find the resources and learn the skills to be more effective. It’s sort of like a right-wing version of DailyKos’s Netroots Nation conference, which I attended a few months ago.

One of the things that struck me was how many of the attendees were surprisingly young … far younger than the GOP blue hairs who dominate the state parties and younger than the Netroots Nation denizens who average in their mid-fifties. There were students and soccer moms and reformed hippies and a surprisingly large number of African-Americans. It was a diverse and interesting and highly motivated group.

There was a great schedule of speakers, including Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, who has earned a career rating of ‘libertarian’ from the Republican Liberty Caucus and was one of the 25 heroic Senators who voted “no” on the Bailout bill. Inhofe spent most of his time talking about the downfall of the global warming movement and talking about sensible energy policy, but he was very impassioned and well received. Also impressive were radio talk show host Herman Cain, TV libertarian John Stossel and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. What surprised me about the speakers was how strongly dedicated to liberty these politicians are. Having heard them speak I understand more than I ever did before that not all politicians are the same and that there are men of principle who are worthy of our support.

Of all the speakers the most impressive was columnist George Will, who gave the keynote address on Friday. Will spoke magnificently, at least partly off the cuff, but presumably stringing together memorized bits of wisdom from past speeches adapted to his audience and the current times as he paced around the stage restlessly, conveying his frustration and anger at Congress and out of control government and the irresponsibility of the American people with enormous enthusiasm and conviction. Will talked at length about the erosion of personal responsibility and the willingness of too many Americans to look for a handout from government instead of helping themselves, pointing out that “more and more Americans are dependent on a government which they are not paying for,” reminding us that while the top 50% of wage earners pay 97% of the taxes in America, the overwhelming majority of our tax money is spent for the 50% of the population which pays no tax at all. He talked about the fall of communism and fascism around the world and how in many ways with no outside enemies we have become our own worst enemies and drifted away from the values which we once shared. He made the fundamental point which I’ve stressed in some of my writing that our current economic woes are not the result of the failure of the free market as the left would try to convince you, but the inevitable outcome of an overly managed and controlled and dependent economy and of businesses which have lost fiscal discipline and become dependent on government for undeserved support. In his conclusion he said that “capitalism does not just make us better off, it makes us fundamentally better.” Although he was angry and clearly dissatisfied with the current state of the world, Will’s speech was surprisingly inspiring and positive in its overall message.

One event which I didn’t attend at the summit was the rally on the steps of the Capitol to call attention to the bailout and government irresponsibility in general. Busses were available to take attendees directly to the mall, and hundreds turned out for some short speeches and relatively dignified protesting. Congress was not in session, but at least some news media were there to report on the concerns expressed by Americans for Prosperity members. You can get a feel for the rally from the Fox News video presented below.

The Defending the American Dream summit attracted a lot of interesting people. Not the kinds of Republicans which the left holds in their imaginations and certainly not what most associate with the Bush administration. At one point during the closing reception Ken Blackwell began talking about the importance of traditional Republican values and the woman next to me turned and surprised me by smiling and declaring that she was a liberal. I smiled back and acknowledged that I’m one too. It was an enlightening experience. Somehow despite all the pulls and pressures and the mistakes of accepting Dixiecrats and Neocons into the party, there remains a growing core in the Republican party which holds to the values of the party from a century and more ago when the interests of business and the best interests of the people were seen as naturally allied and the philosophy of the Republican party was one of individual liberty, responsibility and prosperity. Some of them might consider themselves libertarians or independents today, but the adherent of those traditioanl values were out in force at the Defending the American Dream Summit.

Well represented within this group were members of the Republican Liberty Caucus, the group within the Republican Party which is working hard to return the party to its classical liberal roots, and which shares many principles with the AFP. Some were there to attend the various breakout sessions and presentations and several were there as bloggers. RLC members in attendance included the following.

Krystle Weeks was there to write reports for her Crystal Clear Conservative blog, which features liveblog-style reports. Krystle is very prolific, so you have to go a couple of pages back to find her posts - she’s written about 20 new articles in the last week. She’s well connected in the Virginia and Washington political community and has a lot of useful insights.

Dr. Bill Smith came up from Arkansas and was writing for his ARRA News Service, which is a very useful resource for conservatives with some insightful critiques of the left. There are some really strong, hard-hitting articles on his site and I’ve added it to my regular reference sources.

John Underwood of the North Carolina RLC was there. I hardly saw him since he was intensely immersed in the sessions and meetings throughout the conference. I did at least manage to get him to slow down long enough for a photo, which is more than I was able to manage with a couple of other RLCers who were at the conference but nowhere to be seen. I also saw RLC member Aakash Raut, who writes at University Blog and is with the University of Illinois (Springfield) Young Republicans. Sadly, he wasn’t around for photo time.

I saw a lot more of David Baumgartner, who is the RLC coordinator for Wisconsin and is working hard on getting his state’s RLC organized and chartered. He’s a very nice fellow who has taken a late-life career shift and is attending law school and expanding his political activism. I suspect he’ll do a great job getting the RLC on its feet in Wisconsin.

With thousands in attendance and a high level of enthusiasm, the Defending the American Dream summit was a great look at where the Republican party and the nation might be going in the next few years. The message was positive, the dissatisfaction with the current establishment in both parties was palpable, and there were not just questions but a lot of good ideas and positive approaches to our current problems being discussed.

A lot of people are talking about change this election. The left would have us believe that the change we need is towards a bigger state and more socialism and that it is embodied in Barack Obama. Yet at the Defending the American Dream summit I saw a remarkably strong movement pushing for a very different and much more positive sort of change. Americans for Prosperity has gone from nothing to an estimated 300,000 members in only two years. As they continue to grow, they are poised to emerge to political prominence in the chaos which is likely to follow after next month’s election. They may not have all the answers, but the folks at AFP and the groups who are working with them do at least seem to grasp the key message that less government and more freedom are the only way to run our country if we want to avoid repeating the errors of the current era in the future.

You can find my full series of five articles on the conference with lots of video interviews at the Republic of Dave.

Adina Cappell, RLC California Chair, urges support of
California Propositions 5 and 11.

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On November 4, as we cast our ballots for the next U.S. President, Californians will also decide on twelve state-wide propositions. In a time of unprecedented fiscal crisis, the RLC believes that government need to reign in on spending rather than ratify new expenditures. For this reason the RLC California Board of Directors opposes Propositions 1, 3, 10, and 12, each a new bond measure that will increase government funding for high-speed trains, health care, vehicles, and housing loans. According to the RLC California Board, “While some of these proposals are well-intentioned, in the long run they will diminish the quality of life for most Californians, by dramatically increasing our state’s debt obligations.” The RLC California Board also opposes Proposition 6, a proposal that increases penalties for drug use, and Proposition 7, which mandates that companies generate 20% of their power by “renewable energy,” a measure the Board believes will harm California’s already gloomy economic prospects.

The RLC California Board members endorse Propositions 5 and 11. Proposition 5 would decrease criminalization of non-violent, drug users. The measure would diminish punitive and costly incarceration, while allowing a comparatively small amount of funding for drug treatment and rehabilitation. While Proposition 11 is not an “ideal” redistricting plan, it goes a very long way toward preventing incumbents from carving out preferred district boundaries to ensure their own re-elections.

Non-violent drug offenders like Debi Campbell are serving time
in California prisons. Debi is currently in her 12th year of a 20 year
sentence. Is 20 years a just sentence?

The Board was divided about the controversial Proposition 8. While no Board member favored endorsing the measure, some members of the Board prefer remaining neutral on the matter, while others emphatically believe that we should officially oppose it. The RLC blog has previously posted about RLC members working to oppose Proposition 8.

So what will Proposition 8 do, exactly? For the first time, it will create a provision in the California state constitution that mentions and defines marriage. According to Adina Cappell, RLC California Chair, “RLC’ers believe that marriage is a deeply sacred institution, which ought to be considered private and contractual rather than a government-regulated affair.” The RLC California Board contends that, “So long as the government allows financial benefits for marriage, we believe that all individuals should be equally eligible, under the law, to receive such benefits. For these reasons, Proposition 8 concerns most of us.” That said, some RLC Board members are concerned that government recognition of gay marriage might allow individuals to file lawsuits against private organizations and businesses that choose to establish their own policies regarding membership, benefits, and services. In a related example, the California Supreme Court recently upheld a ruling in Benitez vs. North Coast Women’s Care Medical Group, in which a clinic was found guilty of unlawful discrimination, after refusing to provide fertility treatments for a couple. According to the RLC California Board, “We believe, in the spirit of free enterprise and freedom of religion, that private institutions have the right to maintain policies with which some of us might disagree and find discriminatory, while in the spirit of equal treatment under the law, public institutions should never be allowed to discriminate against any members of society.” The RLC California Board therefore leaves it to its members to read carefully through the measure and to decide for themselves whether Proposition 8 is a violation of equal protection or a proper defense of private property rights.

The RLC California Board chose not to take any official positions regarding Propositions 2, 4, and 9.

Concludes Cappell, “We encourage our members to become involved in supporting pro-liberty candidates and propositions while fighting anti-liberty propositions.” Read the full-text of the ballot measures at
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_j.htm.

New California candidate endorsements have been posted at 2008 Endorsed Candidates.

According to Salon.com’s Andrew Leonard, “Ron Paul appeared on CNN’s ‘American Morning’ on Friday, pushing the same apocalyptic message he served up during the Republican primaries, with one difference. His prediction of doom makes a heck of a lot more sense now than it did then.” The author continues, “So if things do get even worse, was Ron Paul suggesting that he’s ready for another run at the gold ring in 2012?” Dr. Paul said:

But right now there’s a fight going on in this country. Our numbers are growing. We’re not the majority, but our numbers are growing. And as this situation deteriorates, more people are going to say, “Hey, maybe it’s right. Maybe limited government and freedom works. Maybe freedom is popular, and maybe freedom really works.” And this idea that we have to depend on government for all these programs is an illusion.

Leonard concludes that “whoever is elected president of the United States is going to play a very large role in determining the contours of the new global regulatory system. And if doesn’t work? Well then, Ron Paul, or someone like him, will probably get a chance to pursue a different approach.” Let’s hope — for the sake of our nation — that Mr. Leonard is right.

The clip featuring RLC Advisor Dr. Ron Paul:

The Nebraska Republican Liberty Caucus received its state charter status from the National Republican Liberty Caucus in June, and this marks the first election in which the group has endorsed candidates for office. State Chair Laura Ebke of Crete indicated that the endorsement of Josh Furnish by the RLC Nebraska Board of Directors was a unanimous vote, and represented a strong sense that Furnish would represent the principles of the RLC well.

According to Mrs. Ebke, “Josh Furnish is a small businessman, a parent, and a community volunteer who has the experience voters are looking for. Voters looking for change and tax relief should choose Josh in November. Josh’s success this November will result in more prosperity, lower taxes, and liberty for residents in Cass County.”

Added Ebke, “Ultimately, we believe that the best place for governance to occur is as locally as possible. County Commissioners are an important first step in assuring that our government stays as small and efficient as possible, and makes the best possible use of taxpayer dollars.”  READ MORE from the press release.

Josh Furnish is a Republican candidate for Commissioner in Cass County, Nebraska, District 1 and, if elected, will represent Wards 1, 2, and 4 in Plattsmouth.

New candidate endorsements have been posted at the RLC’s listing of 2008 endorsements. New candidate endorsements have been posted in Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington. View them here.