Republican Liberty Caucus

I have been a Republican opposed to George W. Bush from almost the instant he became a national figure. I was not impressed with his tenure as Texas Governor, his academic credentials, or his promises as candidate Bush in campaign 2000. In short, I did not trust him. For those reasons, I voted Libertarian in the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections, while often voting Republican for other offices.

At Creative Loafing, Wayne Garcia blogs about how GOP operative Roger Stone, who says he has libertarian leanings, regrets helping George W. Bush win Florida in 2000.

Of course, Stone is not the first to abandon Bush, just the latest. Former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill and former Press Secretary Scott McClellan also have distanced themselves from the President.

According to Stone, “I think across the board he’s led the party to its current position, which means losing both houses of congress and now the White House. How can you be conservative and justify wiretapping people without a warrant?” asked Stone.

“We’re supposed to be the party of personal freedom and civil liberties. Big brother listening in on your phone calls—I got a problem with that.”

Roger Stone, did you really ever believe George W. Bush had solid philosophical grounding?

GOP political operative Roger Stone has regrets.

According to The Associated Press, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was elected the new Chair of the Republican Governors Association. Haley Barbour, who once stated a favorable comment about the RLC, was elected Vice-Chair. Sanford, 48, is a former member of Congress and will be term limited in 2011.

A new website, Draft Sanford 2012, has been created in to enlist supporters for a prospective Mark Sanford bid for President. The site features interesting links, such as “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Mark Sanford.” Among the things I didn’t know are that Sanford rejected the Congressional housing allowance in favor of sleeping in his DC office and kept his term limits pledge.

Like another prospective 2012 libertarian favorite, Sanford enjoys running. The other runner, of course, is former New Mexico Governor and RLC Advisor Gary Johnson, who may run in 2012 for President as either a Libertarian or a Republican.

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!

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:

While he is cagey about whether or not he will vote for John McCain himself, Reason Magazine editor Matt Welch has published The libertarian case for McCain on the Reason blog.

Welch is author of the McCain biography Myth of a Maverick and knows the Senator inside and out. In his blog, Welch picks through the McCain record and offers McCain’s top seven virtues from a libertarian point of view.

“Lord knows, there is a libertarian case to be made against John McCain,” Welch wrote. “Whether it’s his hyper-interventionist foreign policy, disregard for constitutional liberties and individualism, or his up-front opposition to the leave-us-alone libertarian philosophy that led Republican debates in the 1990s, the 2008 Republican nominee has drawn fire from many free-marketeers through (as the Club for Growth has put it), his ‘philosophical ambivalence, if not hostility, about limited government and personal freedom.’”

But then again, there’s free trade, divided government, cutting earmarks, opposing torture, entitlement reform, a reasonable stance on immigration and, well, Sarah. Check out Welch’s case and feel free to leave a comment here to let other RLCers know what you think.

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), yesterday, called on voters to “reject the two-party system” and cast their ballots for one of four “non-establishment, principled candidates” who have indicated their support for Paul’s positions on four issues: war, civil liberties, deficits, and the Federal Reserve.

At a National Press Club news conference, Paul said he has refused to endorse GOP nominee John McCain and could not support Democrat Barack Obama. The presidential candidates of the Libertarian, Constitution, and Green parties — as well as independent Ralph Nader, have signed on to the four issue positions approved by Paul.

After a historic Republican primary campaign which injected youthful energy and limited government ideas into his GOP campaign, Paul has taken the unusual step of outright opposition to the party nominee and endorsement of candidates whose positions include massive expansion of the welfare state, tax increases, nationalization of industries, limitations on free trade, and degradation of United States sovereignty.

Dr. Paul will keep his promise not to run as a presidential candidate in any third party, but he appears to have abandoned the Republican Party as a vehicle for his efforts. His public support for opposing candidates may put his congressional seat in jeopardy under Texas law. Some provisions give the parties discretion to remove their nominated candidates from the ballot. Paul won the 14th Congressional District party endorsement and has no Democratic opposition in November, but recently transferred over $3 million dollars of his Presidential campaign donations to his own Congressional campaign account.

Some supporters consider Paul’s announcement to be a repudiation of his assurances that he would remain in the Republican Party and work toward reforming its policies and positions. The objective of Paul’s new organization “Campaign for Liberty” had been described as an effort to “take back the GOP” by working within the party, although its mission statement is non-partisan.

The Republican Liberty Caucus stands by its purpose of reclaiming the GOP as a party dedicated to protecting individual rights, limited government, and private enterprise. The RLC has endorsed Ron Paul for Congress in all of his campaigns and hope that he will be re-elected in November.

However, if his announcement signals his abandonment of the Republican Party, we are disappointed, but we will continue our efforts to elect party officials and support Republican candidates across the country who can be counted on to defend liberty.

(material contributed by Phil Blumel, Bill Westmiller and Dave Nalle)

The Dallas Morning News reports: “Most states cast all of their votes for Mr. McCain though an early vote for Texas Rep. Ron Paul drew a chorus of boos.” I recall that, earlier this year, at the Conservative Political Action Conference, a Paul supporter who was using the mic to ask pointed questions to American Conservative Union David Keene was booed.  It’s a shame that some Republicans persist in booing personal and economic liberty.

Tammy McGraw, of Wasilla was Sarah Palin’s birth coach. She is a Ron Paul delegate.

From The Chicago Sun-Times: “Tammy McGraw, 47, who runs the internet cafe in Wasilla, was elected as a Ron Paul delegate, not a McCain delegate. So, McGraw is especially sensitive to issues involving taxes and the constitution. As a birth instructor, Tammy McGraw taught Palin 20 years ago how to prepare for those five babies Palin would have.

But one line that rankled McGraw was the jab Palin took at Democrat Barack Obama over the prison for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay. “Al Qaida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America, and he’s worried that someone won’t read them their rights,” Palin said to cheers and hollers of support from many of the delegates Wednesday.

“I didn’t like that she said she didn’t think that in Guantanamo that they dont have rights,” McGraw said. “According to our constitution, they do have rights and I would hope Sarah would study up on that before she takes office. I think it is a step away from the constitution. I think she misstepped.”

McGraw is overall a Palin fan and liked most of the rest of the speech. But when Palin was mayor, she did not like Palin raising the town’s income tax.

Writes Huffington Post, “Three months before she was thrust into the national political spotlight, Gov. Sarah Palin was asked to handle a much smaller task: addressing the graduating class of commission students at her one-time church, Wasilla Assembly of God. Her speech in June provides as much insight into her policy leanings as anything uncovered since she was asked to be John McCain’s running mate:

Speaking before the Pentecostal church, Palin painted the current war in Iraq as a messianic affair in which the United States could act out the will of the Lord. “Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God,” she exhorted the congregants. “That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan.”

A cat fight between Alaska State Senator Lyda Green and John McCain’s Vice-Presidential choice, Sarah Palin, has been brewing for some time now.

When Governor Palin was a guest on The Bob and Mark Show, the host said: “Well, I’m going to say what I wish you could say … Lyda Green is a b—-, and she needs to go away because she is a cancer on the progress of the state of Alaska.” Palin laughed, but said little more.

Senator Lyda Green is a cancer survivor and a libertarian-leaning legislator from Wasilla, Sarah Palin’s hometown. Green responded to Palin’s Veep nomination by asking a simple question: “She’s not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?”

Lyda Green, head of the Senate, and John Coghill, speaker of the House — who together are the two most liberty-oriented members of the legislature — have feuded with Governor Palin over her proposal for a TransCanada gas pipeline.

Lyda Green decided not to run for re-election in 2008. In her letter to constituents, she wrote, “It has become clear to me that a very large majority of my constituents also support and believe in Governor Palin’s oil and gas policies. But I sincerely believe that Governor Palin is wrong. I am convinced that her oil and gas policy will lead to terrible consequences for Alaska. I must make a choice.”  Her choice is not to run again.

The plan, backed by Palin, calls for TransCanada (TRP) to build a 1,715-mile pipeline paralleling most of the Alaska Highway and into Alberta, where the natural gas could be sent south to the United States.

Why are the two most libertarian-leaning legislators in the Alaska Legislature at odds with Governor Palin?  Is their feud with Palin only over the Alaska Pipeline, or is there more?

Palin, front, with State Senator Lyda Green looking on.