For Immediate Release: April 13th, 2011
Contact: Dave Nalle, National Chair: (512) 656-8011 or chairman@rlc.org

Republican Liberty Caucus Endorses Phil Moffett for Governor of Kentucky
Kentucky Voters Have a Strong Candidate Who Will Get Government off their Backs

On Tuesday the national board of the Republican Liberty Caucus voted unanimously to endorse Phil Moffett in the Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky.

In this off-year election season Phil Moffett stands out as one of the most promising candidates. His background in business, his support for limited government and his mission of protecting the people of Kentucky from an overreaching federal government make him the kind of strong champion of liberty the RLC wants to see elected.

“Kentucky already scored a major victory for liberty last year with the election of Rand Paul, and I’m confident that Phil Moffett will bring the same kind of integrity and dedication to better government at the state level which Rand Paul is promoting in Washington,” said RLC Chairman Dave Nalle. “We need Republicans like Moffett who will stand up for the best interests of the people and for Constitutionally limited government on the state level just as much as we need them on the national level.”

RLC Vice Chairman Aaron Biterman observed, “Moffett’s ideas for cutting taxes and his stand against the intrusive policies of the FDA and other federal agencies show creative thinking and a dedication to small and responsive government. Our members in Kentucky are very enthusiastic about Moffett and are rallying around his campaign.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus wishes Mr. Moffett every success in his campaign, and will be working hard this year to promote him and Republican candidates like him in order to bring the GOP back to its founding principles of limited government, free enterprise and individual liberty.

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More information on the Phil Moffett campaign is at http://www.philmoffett.com
Information on current and past RLC endorsees and office holders can be found at http://www.rlc.org/

The National Committee of the Republican Liberty Caucus has endorsed Brian Costin for Mayor of Schaumburg, Illinois — a western Chicago suburb.

Mr. Costin serves a board member of Northwest Suburban Taxpayers United and a volunteer with the Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association of Schaumburg. Brian serves as Director of Outreach for the Illinois Policy Institute. Among his duties is heading up the Liberty Leaders project. Previously, he worked for the Heartland Institute as Assistant Director of Government Relations.

In 2008, Brian founded the Schaumburg Freedom Coalition, a non-partisan, non-profit volunteer group advocating lower taxes, personal and economic freedom, and greater government transparency. SFC gained recognition for its work in exposing the Village of Schaumburg’s red light camera program as a failed safety measure and preventing an unjust $15 million tax.

Schaumburg hasn’t seen a fight for mayor since 1995. Brian’s 2011 campaign is focusing on ethics reform, disciplined spending, and lower taxes for village residents. The election will occur on April 5.

Wisconsin RLC Chairman Michael S. Murphy is setting a good example for RLC members in his state and for state chapters in other parts of the country.

Gaining Election

Murphy was recruited by GOP members to run for South Branch Chairman of the Milwaukee County Republican Party earlier this year, which is the most populated of the six branches of the county Republican Party structure.

In late January, Murphy won election uncontested after it became clear that he was going to win even if the establishment put up a candidate against him. Murphy and Vice-Chair Alfredo Rios joined several pro-liberty allies on the Milwaukee County GOP Committee and, together, have been able to change some minds of members. For example, the Republican Party of Milwaukee County’s main page features a link to Ron Paul’s Facebook Fan Page and headlines an article by Thomas Sowell.

The Unwritten Rule

Last year, Murphy helped expose an unwritten rule that Wisconsin Republicans and Wisconsin Democrats have been upholding for many years. His efforts brought attention to a rule that was not previously known by Republican Party registrants or members.

The agreement is that incumbent Members of Congress will not campaign against each other. The agreement is between all Members of Congressional delegation. In Wisconsin, there are three Democrat incumbents and five Republican incumbents, none of whom will mention each other by name (except in a positive light) in the 2012 election cycle as a result of this unwritten agreement.

The absurd agreement is one of the reasons that RLC-endorsed candidate for Congress Dan Sebring, who ran against Democrat Gwen Moore, did not receive party support for his campaign in 2010 — despite that Sebring was the Republican nominee in the race.

Prior to November, an incumbent member of Congress had not lost in the state in over ten years and only four Members of Congress had lost in The Badger State in the last 28 years.

Participating in the GOP Process

Wisconsin RLC Chairman Mike Murphy, who received an award for his efforts to lead the state RLC chapter at the 2011 RLC National Convention, focused on bringing light to the “Unwritten Agreement” between Democrat and Republican incumbent politicians in Wisconsin.

As Chairman of the South Branch of the Milwaukee GOP, Mike Murphy introduced and passed a resolution condemning and disallowing the elected Republican members of Congress to participate in a sweetheart deal with Democrat incumbents.

Shortly before the Milwaukee County GOP Caucus, the Milwaukee County Resolutions Committee shot down Murphy’s resolution. Murphy took the resolution to the floor for delegates to hear. After explaining the “Unwritten Agreement”, he received support from delegates and even from members of the Resolutions Committee who previously discarded the proposal. The resolution was agreed to by the Milwaukee County GOP body.

On Saturday, March 26, the 4th District Republican Party will also consider the resolution. Murphy anticipates it will pass.

Erasing the Unwritten Rule

Two separate entities — the 4th Congressional District GOP and the Milwaukee County GOP — will be recommending Murphy’s resolution to the State Republican Party Resolutions Committee. Of course, having two GOP groups supporting the resolution will strengthen its appeal.

The state GOP Convention will occur on May 22 in Wisconsin Dells, at which time the State Resolutions Committee will consider the proposal. If passed by the Resolution Committee, the proposal will be listed in the state GOP program for delegates to consider. Should the Resolutions Committee not adopt it, Murphy will introduce the measure from the floor so delegates will have a say on it.

Republican pols like Jim Sensenbrenner should not be protecting Democrat pols like Gwen Moore.

Patriots like Mike Murphy lead by example and show other liberty-minded activists the path to success to restore liberty in the Republican Party.

Gwen Moore, Jim Sensenbrenner, and Paul Ryan have a deal.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin, which supported Governor Scott Walker’s budget proposal and efforts to limit collective bargaining rights for some state employees, is tackling recall and legislative efforts this spring. Specifically:

• RLC-WI members are working to collect signatures to recall eight of the 14 Democrat Senators who fled the state to Illinois for 3 weeks throughout February and early March; and

• RLC-WI members are rallying support for the legislation being introduced by Washington County legislators Glenn Grothman and Don Pridemore to legalize raw milk sales in the state.

Recall the Wisconsin 14!

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin encourages its members to get involved in the recall efforts of eight Democrat Senators who chose to represent Illinois voters rather than Wisconsin voters. If you live in the Stevens Point/Wausau, Green Bay, North Woods, Kenosha, Madison, or Milwaukee areas, it is important to get involved in the recall efforts of the following State Senators. Click the link to be taken to the websites where you can download petitions to circulate.

• Recall Jim Holperin
• Recall Dave Hansen
• Recall Bob Wirch
• Recall Julie Lassa
• Recall Mark Miller
• Recall Spencer Coggs
• Recall Lena Taylor
• Recall Fred Risser

The goal of the recall efforts is to let the voters weigh in on the decision of the Senators to leave Wisconsin during a critical time in state history.

Legalize Raw Milk

Wisconsin RLC members are also working on a legislative initiative, as it did in 2010, to legalize raw milk in the dairy state. The proposal introduced earlier this week would allow for a licensed dairy farmer to register with the state to sell raw milk and its byproducts directly to consumers. Under current law, only incidental sales of raw milk are allowed. Nine states allow retail sales of raw milk.

Last spring, former Governor Jim Doyle vetoed a proposal that would have allowed farmers to sell their raw milk if there were certain safeguards in place to protect the public. But Governor Scott Walker said in January that he would likely sign a similar bill if it were to come across his desk.

Last May, the Wisconsin RLC sent out a press release supporting the legislation. “Imagine what a positive impact raw milk can have on the economy in our Dairy State,” said state RLC Chairman Michael S. Murphy of Milwaukee.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin was founded in 2009 to promote individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party. Learn more about the RLC-WI at http://wi.rlc.org/.

At the 2011 Republican Liberty Caucus National Convention in Arlington, Virginia, elected officials from across the country made the case for political participation among students and activists in the liberty movement.

Congressman Justin Amash, in his short speech to delegates, spoke positively about the Republican Liberty Caucus, saying …

“In 2005, I wasn’t involved in politics in any substantive way. I had never really thought about running for office. I began looking for organizations that shared the beliefs I had — and that’s when I came across the Republican Liberty Caucus. And, really, it’s what’s started my move toward running for office.”

Listen to more of our elected liberty Republicans below. Please join or get involved (or both) in the Republican Liberty Caucus today.

Congressman Justin Amash – Part 1

Congressman Justin Amash – Part 2

Elected Liberty Republicans – Part 1 (Dan Halloran)

Elected Liberty Republicans – Part 2 (Jamie Callender)

Elected Liberty Republicans – Part 3 (Terri McCormick)

Elected Liberty Republicans – Part 4 (Mix)

Elected Liberty Republicans – Part 5 (Mix)

Governor Gary Johnson – Part 1

Governor Gary Johnson – Part 2

A founding member of the New Hampshire Tea Party Coalition, Jack Kimball, has been selected to lead the New Hampshire Republican Party for the next term. Mr. Kimball was supported by the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire early in the race, citing his experience and ability to mobilize the grassroots. By a margin of 222-199 — voting members of the New Hampshire GOP Committee — Mr. Kimball defeated the establishment opponent.

At the end of the day long meeting to elect the NHGOP Chair was the announcement of results of a WMUR-ABC News straw poll taken throughout the event. The poll put 21 names of potential 2012 presidential candidates before the voters. With 273 votes cast by New Hampshire GOP insiders, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney came out on top with 35 percent, followed by Ron Paul with 11 percent; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty had 8 percent; former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had 7 percent; and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina had 5 percent each. Governor Gary Johnson received support from 2 percent.

Since January 17, the New Hampshire RLC has received the following notable media hits:

• “Tea Party Activist Takes Over New Hampshire G.O.P.“, New York Times, Jan. 22
• “Romney wins New Hampshire straw poll“, CNN Politics, Jan. 22
• “Romney keeps away from Tea Party”, Boston Globe, Jan. 21, 2011
• “Republicans Battling in New Hampshire”, The Caucus on NYTimes.com, Jan. 21, 2011
• “Chairman vote will indicate Tea Party influence on NHGOP“, Union Leader, Jan. 21
• “GOP vote barometer of party“, Concord Monitor, Jan. 17

New Republican House Speaker Bill O’Brien and new House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt both consider themselves affiliated with the RLC. In November, the RLC actively supported O’Brien in his race for House Speaker.

And on November 2, the New Hampshire RLC elected 81 of its endorsed candidates for the legislature, including two former RLCNH Chairmen, Jim Forsythe and Dan McGuire. Forsythe was elected to the State Senate, which only has 24 members.  The New Hampshire RLC has a total of 99 State House members, 6 State Senators, and one Executive Councilor.

Please join the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire on Facebook and join the RLCNH e-mail list.  The New Hampshire RLC is on the move!

In addition to the upcoming National RLC Convention and the Florida RLC Convention, three RLC states affiliates are also hosting events in the coming days and weeks.

Minnesota RLC 2011 Convention

Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Brookview Community Center (next to the golf course)
200 Brookview Parkway, Golden Valley, MN 55426

Tentative Agenda
2:00pm – Registration Opens
2:30pm – 4:00pm – Convention
4:00pm – 5:00pm – Social Hour with refreshments and appetizers
5:00pm – 6:00pm – Panel Discussion with former and current legislators (TBA)

6:00pm – 6:30pm – Q&A and Wrap-up

The business of the convention shall be to:
1. Nominate and Elect the Board of Directors*
2. Approve any changes to the Bylaws and Rules*
3. Transact other business as may properly come before the convention.

*Members in good standing of the RLCMN, as well as supporters who are in accord with the principles and positions of the RLCMN are invited to unite under this call. To be eligible to vote or seek office at this convention, you must have paid your dues pr ior to the beginning of the Convention.

The cost is $40 per person ($70 per couple) and includes membership, social hour and discussion. Attendance for the social hour and discussion only is available for $25. Checks may be made to RLCMN and mailed to PO Box 14244, St Paul, MN 55114 (preferred method).

Audience participation is requested! Submit your panel discussion topics and questions with your reservation! E-mail us with topics and questions, or for more information.

Triangle Area (North Carolina) RLC Hosts
State Representative-Elect Glen Bradley

Friday, January 21 · 7:00pm – 10:00pm
at Oh’ Mulligans (100 Jerusalem Dr., Morrisville, NC)

The NC GOP State Convention is coming up and we have Precinct Meetings right around the corner (Wake is Feb. 8 at the fairgrounds Kerr Scott Bldg). Now is the time to start recruiting and preparing for the delegate process. We will be electing a new NCGOP State Chair at the State Convention (in Wilmington, NC) this summer. We need a strong presence at this convention and the Precinct Meetings are the first step in the delegate process. If you can’t make it to the Precinct Meeting we can help you get your name on the list to the county and district conventions. We will be going over all of this at the meeting. Becoming a delegate to the State Convention is a must for anyone concerned with the future of our nation. It is extremely easy to become a delegate! You must be registered as a Republican prior to January 31 and we can assist you in registering at this event.

Joining us at this meeting will be State Representative Glen Bradley. Glen was an RLC endorsed candidate who recently got elected to the NC General Assembly representing NC 49 District. He is a huge asset to the liberty movement currently working within the NC GOP. He has a lot to talk with us about in regards to what he is working on and what we need to be doing as a movement within the GOP, i.e. working to reduce government, protect individual liberty, get like minded Republicans elected, and to defend free markets economics.

RSVP on Facebook.

Utah RLC Monthly Meeting

Please join the Utah RLC Executive Board this Saturday, January 8th, from 1 pm to 3 pm at the Murray Library for our monthly meeting. Your input will be very valuable as the new Congress begins to take charge and the new legislative session proceeds here in Utah. We will also be formulating our state liberty index, so be sure to bring your thinking caps!

The Murray Library is located at 166 East 5300 South in Murray, Utah.

See you there! RSVP on Facebook.

A common theme you hear in many libertarian circles is that no legislator or elected official has done anything good or can hold consistently pro-liberty positions.

A quartet of former Republican State Representatives from Maine, Maryland, Ohio, and Wisconsin will put that theory to rest at the 2011 RLC National Convention in Arlington, Virginia on Saturday, February 12. We encourage you to learn more about these pro-liberty leaders below and register to attend the Convention to hear their remarks.

Jamie Callender is an attorney, college professor, and former State Representative who served in the Ohio House from 1997 to 2004. He represented a Democratic area despite being a Republican with a strong libertarian streak. With his leadership, Ohio was able to greatly expand school choice — an issue he is very passionate about. He was term limited out of office. Callender currently serves as a Professor of Public Policy at Kent State University. He and his family live in Lake County, Ohio in the Cleveland metropolitan area.

R. Kenneth Lindell is a former one-term Maine State Representative. In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Maine, Ken was also Chairman of the Ron Paul for President campaign in Maine. Ken is also a Certified Financial Planner. He and his wife Althea, along with their three children, reside in Frankfurt, Maine. He has been a longtime advocate of the liberty message and also attended the 2006 RLC National Convention in Orlando, Florida.

Don Murphy is a former elected Delegate from Baltimore County, Maryland. He was first elected in 1993 and served until 2002. He is a co-founder of the Patapsco Valley Republican Club, served as Chairman of the Baltimore County Republican Party, and served as a Delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 2010, he was a Senior Advisor to RLC-endorsed Senate candidate Dr. Eric Wargotz. Don is also the founder of Republicans for Compassionate Access, a group of Republican legislators who believe in a patient’s right to choose medical treatment under a doctor’s care. Delegate Murphy has attended every RLC National Convention since 2006.

Terri McCormick is Vice Chair of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin and is a former three-term State Representative who represented Appleton and Neenah. She is also a two-time candidate for Congress. Terri pioneered one of the first state charter school laws in the country and formed the Wisconsin Charter School Association. She is an advocate of term limits and upheld her term limits pledge. Legislation she authored expanded small business growth in the state of Wisconsin and also created a prescription drug purchasing pool for seniors. Terri is the author of the book, “What Sex Is a Republican? Stories from the Front Lines of American Politics and How You Can Change the Way Things Are.”

Texas RLC Endorses Ken Paxton for Speaker of the House

Today the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas has endorsed Rep. Ken Paxton (pictured) for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, citing his fiscally conservative record and commitment to principle.

According to Texas resident Dave Nalle, Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, Paxton is rated 100% by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and widely respected for his integrity and vision. He is not just a fiscal conservative, but also has a strong record on civil liberties, supports school vouchers, affirms the Second Amendment, and opposes the criminalization of non-violent civil disobedience. On many of these issues he has stood on principle against the majority despite criticism and controversy.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas is proud to offer its support to Representative Paxton in his campaign for the Speaker’s seat and we hope other Texans who believe in fiscally conservative government and individual liberty will join us in demanding that House Republicans make sure that if Speaker Joe Straus is replaced, the result will be to move towards better government. “Ken Paxton is the real deal,” said Texas RLC Chairman Joey Dauben of Ellis County. Learn more about the Texas RLC at http://www.rlctx.org/.

Texas RLC Hosts Events with Governor Johnson in Austin, Houston, and Dallas

Governor Gary Johnson made a swing through Texas this week and had multiple events set up by grassroots activists throughout the state, including three Republican Liberty Caucus-sponsored events in Austin, Houston, and Dallas.

Last night Governor Johnson ended his tour in Palmer, Texas, a small town outside of Dallas. It ain’t every day that a prospective 2012 Presidential candidate visits the tiny hamlet. Joey Dauben, Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas, was the event organizer. He’s pictured above with the Governor.

On Tuesday evening Governor Johnson was in Houston in at an event co-sponsored by Southeast Texas RLC and the Houston Liberty Campaign. Former RLC-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina, founder of the group We Texans, also headlined the event. Thanks to Corie Whalen (pictured with the Governor below), Texas RLC Board member and regional coordinator, for hosting the event! The RLC brought in several new members as a result of Corie’s efforts.

On Saturday afternoon, Governor Johnson was in Austin for a barbecue at Bartholomew Park sponsored by the Republican Liberty Caucus of Central Texas. RLC Chairman Dave Nalle captured the Governor’s remarks on video (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4).

In one of the most exciting victories for the RLC this November, former Chair of the New Hampshire RLC and its PAC, Jim Forsythe, won election to the 24-member State Senate. Before winning election, Forsythe also chaired the Strafford town GOP and the Strafford Taxpayers Coalition. His campaign focused on making the state more business friendly, cutting spending, and ending the structural deficit.

Another former RLC Chairman in New Hampshire, Dan McGuire, was elected to the 400-member State House. He will join his wife Carol there.

In addition to these important victories, the following 81 New Hampshire RLC candidates were elected on Tuesday. Those with a star (*) are Officers or Board members, past or current, in the Republican Liberty Caucus.

David Wheeler, Executive Councilor District 5 (Milford)
Jeanie Forrester, State Senate District 2 (WON)
Jim Forsythe*, State Senate District 4 (WON)
Andy Sanborn, State Senate District 7 (WON)
Raymond White, State Senate District 9 (WON)
Gregory M. Sorg, State House Grafton 3 (WON)
Lester Bradley, State House Grafton 4 (WON)
Paul Mirski*, Grafton 10 (WON)
Charles E. Sova, Grafton 10 (WON)
Rob Huxley, Hillsborough 3 (WON)
William L. O’Brien, Hillsborough 4 (WON)
Bob Mead, Hillsborough 4 (WON)
Stephen Palmer, Hillsborough 6 (WON)
Gary Daniels, Hillsborough 6 (WON)
Robert H. Rowe, Hillsborough 6 (WON)
Mark Warden, Hillsborough 7 (WON)
Calvin Dean Pratt, Hillsborough 7 (WON)
Cameron DeJong, Hillsborough 9 (WON)
Mike Ball, Hillsborough 9 (WON)
J. Gail Barry, Hillsborough 16 (WON)
Jerry Bergevin, Hillsborough 17 (WON)
Keith R. Murphy, Hillsborough 18 (WON)
John Cebrowski, Hillsborough 18 (WON)
Lenette M. Peterson, Hillsborough 18 (WON)
Jeanine Notter, Hillsborough 19 (WON)
Sean McGuinness, Hillsborough 20 (WON)
Carl Seidel, Hillsborough 20 (WON)
Timothy Hogan, Hillsborough 23 (WON)
Bill Ohm, Hillsborough 26 (WON)
Kevin J. Brown, Hillsborough 26 (WON)
Jonathan Maltz, Hillsborough 27 (WON)
George Lambert, Hillsborough 27 (WON)
Andy Renzullo, Hillsborough 27 (WON)
Lynne Ober, Hillsborough 27 (WON)
Laurie Sanborn, Merrimack 5 (WON)
Jenn Coffey, Merrimack 6 (WON)
Seth Cohn, Merrimack 6 (WON)
Tony F. Soltani, Merrimack 8 (WON)
Brian Seaworth, Merrimack 7 (WON)
Carol McGuire*, Merrimack 8 (WON)
Dan McGuire*, Merrimack 8 (WON)
Jon Richardson, Merrimack 8 (WON)
J.R. Hoell, Merrimack 13 (WON)
Tom Keane, Merrimack 13 (WON)
Kathy Lauer-Rago, Merrimack 2 (WON)
Walter Kolodziej, Rockingham 4 (WON)
Charles E. McMahon, Rockingham 4 (WON)
Gary S. Azarian, Rockingham 4 (WON)
Jason P. Antosz, Rockingham 9 (WON)
Al Baldasaro, Rockingham 3 (WON)
D.J. Bettencourt, Rockingham 4 (WON)
David Bates, Rockingham 4 (WON)
Donna Mauro, Rockingham 4 (WON)
Rick Okerman, Rockingham 4 (WON)
Will Smith, Rockingham 18 (WON)
Bob Fesh, Rockingham 5 (WON)
Marilinda Garcia, Rockingham 4 (WON)
Mary E. Griffin, Rockingham 4 (WON)
John Sytek, Rockingham 4 (WON)
John Reagan, Rockingham 1 (WON)
Jim Headd, Rockingham 3 (WON)
Andrew Manuse, Rockingham 5 (WON)
Daniel Itse, Rockingham 9 (WON)
Daniel Tamburello, Rockingham 3 (WON)
Kyle Tasker, Rockingham 1 (WON)
Kevin Waterhouse, Rockingham 4 (WON)
Robert Introne, Rockingham 3 (WON)
Stella Tremblay, Rockingham 3 (WON)
David A. Welch, Rockingham 8 (WON)
Gary Wheaton, Rockingham 14 (WON)
Laura Jones*, Strafford 1 (WON)
Kyle Jones, Strafford 1 (WON)
Susan DeLemus, Strafford 1 (WON)
Warren Groen, Strafford 1 (WON)
Thomas W. Laware (WON)
Steve Cunningham, Sullivan 2 (WON)
Spec Bowers, Sullivan 3 (WON)
Steven Smith, Sullivan 5 (WON)
Colette Worsman, Belknap 3 (WON)
Robert Luther, Belknap 4 (WON)
Bob Greemore, Belknap 3 (WON)

Congratulations to the New Hampshire RLC for running such a great slate of candidates!