A group of Liberty Republicans won all the key positions in last week’s election for the leadership of the Dona Ana Country Republican Party in New Mexico. RLC Member David Clements is the new county chairman.  Dona Ana County is the home county of New Mexico Governor Martinez.

For Immediate Release: Dona Ana Republican Party Elects New Leadership, Direction Contact: Chairman David Clements, dkclements@live.com Las Cruces, NM April 12, 2013 On April 6th, 2013, the results of the Dona Ana Republican Party Biennial Convention signaled a change in the direction of the Republican Party. Led by newly elected Chairman David Clements, a clean sweep of all County Officer positions changed the course of Dona Ana County politics; replaced by new faces, fresh ideas, and conversely, a reclaiming of conservative principles to lead the way in New Mexico’s second most populated county. Other elected officers were 1st Vice-Chairman Russell Allen, 2nd Vice-Chairman Daniel Sonntag, Secretary Jared Wallis, and Treasurer Luke Smith. Grassroots leadership was also elected including Ward 33 Chair Luis Gomez, Ward 34 Chair Josue Magana, Ward 35 Chair David Montes, Ward 36 Chair Aaron Henry Diaz, Ward 37 Chair Mike Kopriva, Ward 39 Chair Geoff Smith, Ward 52 Chair Arlington E. Brewbaker, and Ward 53 Chair Abraham Keyvan. Dona Ana Republicans are also well represented with the addition of 29 new local members of the Republican Party of New Mexico’s State Central Committee. Not only was there a change at the top of the county party, a majority of county central committee membership was replaced, effectively changing Dona Ana County’s governing body. The common thread uniting the above group in their efforts to show up in force on April 6th was a realized fear that the government has intruded too far into the lives of all fellow New Mexicans. The Dona Ana Republican Party (“DARP”) believes the remedy can be found in protecting personal property rights, free markets, fighting for traditional family values, and personal responsibility.  In short, the answer is liberty.  The new leadership believes it is time for individuals to come together and fight for liberty right here in Dona Ana County by growing participation at the grassroots level and demanding more accountability from our elected representatives. Although our party is in an exciting transition, it is important that we, as like-minded individuals, remain united.  We must not let any of the dedication or hard work of our previous leaders and volunteers be wasted or forgotten.  Instead, it is our goal to build on the successes of our party and strive to improve the areas that need more work.  We cannot exclude anyone from sharing our patriotism and values and we must encourage them to do their part to integrate those values into our county and our state.  More than ever, the members of DARP must unite and claim victory for the future of our community. Whether we want to admit it or not, both parties seem to have forgotten that freedom is not a pre-existing condition into which everyone is born. Freedom and personal liberty are conditions which are hard fought for, and once won, must be maintained.  Therefore, the Dona Ana County Republican Party will seek out and support in earnest, candidates and elected representatives that are accountable to the Constitutions, both State and Federal; and that State sovereignty must be regained and retained on all issues specifically relegated to the States by the constitution. It is at the local and State level that we can best promote and protect personal liberty, traditional family values, property rights, and protect the unique natural beauty and resources of our great county. So if you are ready to fight for the cause of liberty, please contact us at 575-526-1332. You can show your support by visiting our website at www.darpnm.com to see how you can get involved. ###

In my 20 years as an activist for liberty, one of the many things I have learned is that events attract attention and good events will bring growth.

January 26 of this year, our county RLC charter hosted a state RLC 2014 KICK OFF event (2014 signifying our goal date for becoming the voice of the Party). 165+ liberty activists from 28 counties attended this event with 32 people registering as members that day.

Last month we had a gun show booth, not only drawing hundreds of people to our booth, but receiving an offer for a 10×20 booth at the state’s largest flea market. This event takes place both Memorial and Labor Day weekends and attracts 20-30,000 people during each of those holidays.

Our vice chairman started a Liberty on the Rocks group. This Saturday, March 23, we will be meeting from 4-6 with a theme of ‘Why Don’t We Get Droned’. We typically have 40+ people turn out for these events. They are non-partisan and we allow folks a two minute soap box opportunity. We will have a RLC candidate speak as well.

April 26-28, we will be hosting our first RLC state convention. We open Friday night with Liberty on the Rocks, tend to business Saturday, finishing the night with Jordan Page. Sunday morning will finish up with a dynamite sermon, “RECOVERING THE PATRIOT CHURCH: REPENT AND RELOAD”, and a talk by our own Blue Republican, Robin Koerner.

May 15-16, we will have KrisAnne Hall teaching on the Constitution. We start off the evening of the 15th with a session for leaders only. The 16th will include a lunch training, a session for those who are elected, especially sheriffs, and an evening session for the general public.

In June we will kick off our first quarterly Saturday training. This particular one will be geared toward PCO’s and other neighborhood activists.

We meet every month and ALL of our meetings are open to the public. After a quick board meeting, we always have a training, a video, or a guest speaker.

Contact: Daniel Encarnacion
Tel.: 843-410-8868
Email: Secretary@RLCSC.org

REPUBLICAN LIBERTY CAUCUS PAC ANNOUNCES MONEYBOMB FOR RAY NASH

Intends to fundraise through the Send a Sheriff to Congress Moneybomb

The Republican Liberty Caucus National Board announced Friday that it unanimously voted to endorse former Dorchester County Sheriff Ray Nash in the First Congressional District Special Primary.  It joins previous unanimous decisions by the Lowcountry Chapter Board and the RLC of South Carolina Board of Directors.

In an effort to help endorsee Ray Nash in his campaign efforts, the RLCUSA-PAC has created a fundraising event starting on Friday, March 8th at 17:00 and running to Friday, March 15th at 23:59:59 entitled “#SendASheriff to Congress Moneybomb”. The group hopes to raise as much money as possible to be distributed from the RLCUSA-PAC to the Ray Nash for Congress campaign.

The website for this moneybomb is http://sendasheriff.com and the campaign will focus around the twitter hashtag #SendASheriff

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The Republican Liberty Caucus is a nationwide grassroots organization founded in 1991 that promotes individual liberty, limited government, and free market economics within the Republican Party. You can find more information about the Republican Liberty Caucus of South Carolina at www.rlcsc.org

To find out more about Ray Nash, please visit his website at www.nashforcongress.com.  For more information on the national RLC, visit www.rlc.org.

 

The post Announcing: SendASheriff to Congress Moneybomb! appeared first on Republican Liberty Caucus of South Carolina.

Contact: Daniel Encarnacion
Tel.: 843-410-8868
Email: Secretary@RLCSC.org

REPUBLICAN LIBERTY CAUCUS ENDORSES RAY NASH

Local, State, and National Boards Endorse Former Sheriff in US House District 1 Race

The Republican Liberty Caucus National Board announced Friday that it unanimously voted to endorse former Dorchester County Sheriff Ray Nash in the First Congressional District Special Primary.  They joined previous unanimous decisions by the Lowcountry Chapter Board and the RLC of South Carolina Board of Directors.  There will be a public announcement, of the endorsement, Saturday, March 9th at 11:30 AM in the Summerville Town Square at the corner of Richardson and Hwy 17-A.

According to Mr. Scott Pearson, State Chairman, “The 1st District Congressional Race this year offers the most liberty-minded field of candidates we’ve ever seen in a single race. In a field of 16 candidates, we’re blessed with at least a half dozen that would stand out as strong defenders of liberty, including John Kuhn, Mark Sanford, Elizabeth Moffly, Larry Grooms, Jeff King, and Keith Blandford. However, if we are to have an impact, we believe it is important for those who value limited government to come together behind one candidate. That’s why, today, we are endorsing a strong conservative who knows and values the Constitution, Sheriff Ray Nash.”

Ms. Laurie Turner, Interim Chair of the Lowcountry RLC, said, “We are proud to endorse a constitutional conservative like Ray Nash. His proven leadership as Sheriff in Dorchester County and his work in the community prove he knows his constituents and will represent us well in Washington.”

“In a field of excellent candidates, Ray Nash stands out with the integrity and the dedication to constitutional principles,” said Dave Nalle, RLC National Chairman, “which will make him as great an advocate for the people in Washington as he was a guardian of their rights and safety while in uniform.”

Mr. Nash has been a law enforcement professional for thirty-four years, most recently in Afghanistan as the Criminal Justice Adviser for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.  During his career, Mr. Nash studied to become a Constitutional scholar, gaining knowledge and an unfailing respect for our country’s faith, heritage and founding principles. According to Sheriff Nash, “our nation is facing a number of moral and Constitutional crises, such as rampant fiscal irresponsibility, unbridled government expansion and an ever growing assault on our Constitutional freedoms.” He believes solutions can be found in the principles of Constitutional conservatism and takes seriously his oath to “Preserve, Protect and Defend…”  Nash demonstrates a knowledge of the Constitution, respect for limited government, and appreciation for the work of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

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The Republican Liberty Caucus is a nationwide grassroots organization founded in 1991 that promotes individual liberty, limited government, and free market economics within the Republican Party. You can find more information about the Republican Liberty Caucus of South Carolina at www.rlcsc.org

To find out more about Ray Nash, please visit his website at www.nashforcongress.com.  For more information on the national RLC, visit www.rlc.org.

The post RLC Endorses Ray Nash for SC CD 1 GOP Primary appeared first on Republican Liberty Caucus of South Carolina.

We know who those who attended the March 7th “Fight for the First” debate, sponsored by the Republican Liberty Caucus an Patch, are supporting for Congress, but who won the debate? You decide.

For those who haven’t seen the debate, Patch provided a live stream of the event which can be watched by clicking here.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

*Curtis Bostic was the one candidate who did not participate and accordingly is not included in this poll.

The post Who Won the RLCSC / Patch “Fight for the First” Debate? appeared first on Republican Liberty Caucus of South Carolina.

Here are the results from the straw poll taken by the RLCSC at the Patch/SCRN/RLCSC debate tonight:

There were 127 votes total

1. Ray Nash – 27 Votes (21%)
2. Mark Sanford – 20 Votes (16%)
3. Larry Grooms – 16 Votes (13%)
4. Tim Larkin – 15 Votes (12%)
5. Jonathan Hoffman – 9 Votes (7%)
6. John Kuhn – 6 Votes (5%)
6. Chip Limehouse – 6 Votes (5%)
6. Peter McCoy – 6 Votes (5%)
9. Teddy Turner – 5 Votes (4%)
10. Keith Blandford – 4 Votes (3%)
11. Ric Bryant – 3 Votes (2%)
11. Jeff King – 3 Votes (2%)
11. Elizabeth Moffly – 3 Votes (2%)
11. Andy Patrick – 3 Votes (2%)
15. Shawn Pinkston – 1 Vote (<1%)
16. Curtis Bostic – 0 Votes (0%)

Poll demographics:

Of those who indicated who they voted for in 2012, 33% voted for Mitt Romney, 28% voted for Ron Paul, 26% voted for Newt Gingrich, and 13% voted for Rick Santorum.

The post RLCSC Straw Poll Results SC1 appeared first on Republican Liberty Caucus of South Carolina.

Thank you for participating in our first ever online convention. The purpose of this convention will be to vote on three proposed bylaws amendments. The text of these amendments can be found here: http://www.rlc.org/delegate-apportionment-proposals/

In order to make the online convention run as smooth as possible, please read the following instructions carefully:

1) If you have an amendment to proffer on any of the proposals please send it to treasurer@rlc.org no later than 5pm Friday, February 8th, so we can put it into the software for presentation ahead of time (we encountered too many computer/software variables when an individual tries to screen share on the fly).

2) At 3:45pm Sunday February 10th log on to the web site with the credentials you were given vie email.

3) Call in using your landline or cell phone (offers best audio quality) and – IMPORTANT! – enter the audio pin provided (this links your phone to you online meeting session). You will NOT be able to vote on floor amendments if you’re only using the audio portion of the conference bridge.

4) All attendees will be muted at the beginning of the call. If you wish to speak you will use the mood button to raise your hand and be recognized. The Chair will give you the floor and unmute you. You can then turn on your webcam if you wish. Once you’ve finished speaking you would turn off your web cam and change your mood to “I’m good” (lowers your hand). The Chair will then move on to the next person.

5) We will use the software’s polling feature to vote on amendments (remember, amendments must be submitted to treasurer@rlc.org by 5pm, Friday, February 8th. The final vote will be taken via a separate voting service called ElectionBuddy through email. The ballots will have a lifespan of 24 hours, so even if you’re unable to make the call you’ll still be able to vote on the finalized amendments.

As this is the first time we’ve tried something of this magnitude, we expect some bumps along the way. Please be patient.

The following were prepared remarks by Daniel Encarnacion, South Carolina state secretary of the RLC, for the Lowcountry Conservative Breakfast in Summerville, SC on January 12, 2013. The Republican Liberty Caucus was founded in 1991 to promote limited government, free markets, and personal liberty within the Republican Party. With the help of my colleagues here as well as our national leadership and dedicated members, the RLC has become the leading Republican Party organization that represents liberty Republicans and Constitutional Conservatives. We see things like the fiscal cliff fiasco which just happened in Washington where taxes increased on 77.1% of the American people, spending went up by $330 billion, and the deficit widened by $4 trillion and believe our nation can do better. We see our Congress giving President Obama the power to indefinitely detain American citizens without due process or right to see a judge on simply the allegation by the President that he is a terrorist, doing a way with nearly a millennium of due process guarantees under Magna Carta and we believe our nation can do better. We see our nation printing money at a record pace under the control of a central planning board that has complete control of our monetary system – the Federal Reserve System. If government cannot be trusted to centrally plan our food, electronics, or health care – what makes us think it can centrally plan our monetary system? We believe our nation can do better. We see our government using public works projects in the name of stimulus to try and build a nation’s economic system and centrally plan every aspect of society. But we do not only see this effort of big government central planning here at home – we also see it overseas with this ongoing fascination with nation-building. Nation-building that weakens our national defense by distracting our armed forces from their core mission of protecting the borders of the United States. We believe America can do better. We see an effort to undermine our nation’s health care system through government boards, mandates, and taxes. We see our Supreme Court stand by doing nothing to enforce the plain meaning of the Constitution that would protect us from this egregious federal over-reach. And of course we see the media and the political lefts to block the implementation of ObamaCare through tools that our founders like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison left us like state nullification. We believe our nation can do better. Here in South Carolina, we see a state with one of the highest income and sales tax rates in the southeast, the highest manufacturing tax in the nation, and double-digit growth per year spending that was nearly $23 billion last year alone. We believe our state and our Republican Legislature can do better. We also see the American Legislative Exchange Council ranked South Carolina 50^th in education last year. We need to offer choice to parents, more free market solutions, and give more control to local officials. We believe that our South Carolina can do better. We can do a lot of things better and the Republican Liberty Caucus draws attention to these issues through candidate endorsements, grassroots activism, and online activism – which helps connect to and appeal to our key constituency and what we believe we can help the overall Republican Party with: young voters. It’s because of young voters that I have hope. There are real problems in this country and in this state. Yet we turn on the TV and hear the professional commentators saying we need to be more like the Democrat Party to be relevant.  Well, I’m here to tell you that’s a bunch of nonsense and all we have to do is look at voters under 30. Young people have been voting in higher percentages than they have in a generation. They are engaged and they are demanding real changes. We saw the excitement in our own primaries among young voters for certain candidates like Ron Paul. But they are seeking out a political agenda that is genuine and consistent. Now do we all here agree with Ron Paul on every issue? Sure. Perhaps you disagree with me on some of the positions I mentioned earlier? But the core philosophy that these young voters believe deep inside and that we in the Republican Liberty Caucus embrace is limited government. We want big government out of our lives. And isn’t that what all of us here believe? Some just go further than others when it comes to particular issues. But we are all heading in the same direction, and while we’re on that journey together, let’s embrace the common ground that we share. In 2010, the Republican Party won a majority with the help of young voters because its message of limited government, cutting spending, and reducing taxes was embraced by the country. In 2012, the Republican Party lost because it didn’t stick to those principles. We must stick to those principles going forward. And that is what young voters in the liberty movement want. Because when we see millions of 18 to 30 year olds reading books about free market economics from thinkers like Rothbard, Mises, and Hayek. Isn’t that incredible? That’s not supposed to happen. The statists think that young people are supposed to be manipulated into thinking government has the answers to society’s ills by the state-sponsored diploma mills. But instead millions of young people are studying the truth and know that their government has failed them – because big government doesn’t work. And the Republican Party ought to embrace that. It ought to embrace them. It must not push young activists out of the party or out of Republican groups on Facebook. Our party should welcome their participation and welcome their activism on behalf of limited government, free markets, and personal liberty. And that is where the Republican Liberty Caucus comes in. We are the voice of liberty Republicans, constitutional conservatives, and young voters dedicated to freedom. And we believe that when the Republican Party embraces our members as well as other tea party conservative groups that the political left and the entrenched political powers that rely on big government to perpetuate their own self-interests will wither away as we promote what we all in our hearts believe to be true:  That we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Last week, the Republican Party suffered a major defeat, when despite horrible performance and dismal statistics across the board, the Democrats maintained power in both the Executive branch and in the Senate (even gaining some seats.) The party spent millions of dollars, not to mention the money spent by individuals and PACs, and yet essentially nothing changed. In the wake of this defeat, the intellectuals, party leaders, and public figureheads have been scrambling for answers, looking for some explanation as to how the worst president in American history (by the numbers) could have possibly beaten them. It has been suggested that this result was purely demographic, and that there is no hope going forward. Some have said that America is no longer a country that supports freedom, that the GOP must become more Democratic to succeed. As you might suspect, I believe this is totally false. While I have already written on the subject, today something happened that absolutely crystalized  my reasoning and made me realize exactly what the root cause of this failure was: Ron Paul gave a speech in congress, and in it, he talked about the two fundamental choices available as to the role of government:

Liberty can only be achieved when government is denied the aggressive use of force.  If one seeks liberty, a precise type of government is needed.  To achieve it, more than lip service is required. Two choices are available.

1. A government designed to protect liberty—a natural right—as its sole objective.  The people are expected to care for themselves and reject the use of any force for interfering with another person’s liberty.  Government is given a strictly limited authority to enforce contracts, property ownership, settle disputes, and defend against foreign aggression.
2. A government that pretends to protect liberty but is granted power to arbitrarily use force over the people and foreign nations.  Though the grant of power many times is meant to be small and limited, it inevitably metastasizes into an omnipotent political cancer.  This is the problem for which the world has suffered throughout the ages.  Though meant to be limited it nevertheless is a 100% sacrifice of a principle that would-be-tyrants find irresistible.  It is used vigorously—though incrementally and insidiously.  Granting power to government officials always proves the adage that:  “power corrupts.”

Once government gets a limited concession for the use of force to mold people habits and plan the economy, it causes a steady move toward tyrannical government.  Only a revolutionary spirit can reverse the process and deny to the government this arbitrary use of aggression.  There’s no in-between.  Sacrificing a little liberty for imaginary safety always ends badly.

The problem with the Republican Party is very simple: for the entirety of my life, they have been pretending to offer government number 1, but in reality, they have given us a whole load of number 2. As a result, we have seen tumultuous times, with financial booms and busts, a major shift toward government dependency, and never-ending international conflicts. People are not stupid, and they can see through this. Even the people who might not explicitly identify this, still have the natural instinct that something doesn’t add up. It all started with Ronal Reagan, who sounded a lot like Ronald Paul when giving his speeches, espousing the merits of freedom and the libertarian soul of conservatism, yet ended up growing the government dramatically. To his credit, Reagan tried to hold the line as much as possible, and he was a great speaker on the merits of liberty, but the end result is still undeniable. Since then, the party has been slowly but surely abandoning its principles, and it’s liberal governing style has been steadily accelerating. George W Bush campaigned on the merits of the free market and non-interventionism, but claimed to be a “compassionate conservative” who supported government forced charity for certain causes. As it turned out, he governed to the left of Bill Clinton, instituting the largest entitlement program ever, taking over control of education from the states, and launching an Orwellian, perpetual war on terror. Now we find ourselves in a state where the Republicans are raising spending by over 10% per year, and fighting to raise our taxes, while doling out special incentives and favors to certain (well lobbied) businesses. We find ourselves defeated nationally after running a presidential candidate who supposedly supported free markets, but also supported a state-level individual mandate, and made the ridiculous assertion that “a free market requires government regulations,” and supported the tyrannical policies of the Democrat incumbent. (Indefinite detention, Internet snooping, Assassinations, etc) Yet somehow, some people think the problem is that Republicans are “too conservative” and not “big-government enough.” How can any rational person hold such a belief, after simply observing recent history? How can any person who isn’t a Democrat think that it would be a good idea to move even farther to the left at this point? The reality is that people are thirsting for a real choice, a real answer. Even people who aren’t politically interested have the feeling that “they’re all a bunch of crooks” and are looking for someone to tell them the truth. This is the opportunity that the Republican party needs to take advantage of: distinguish yourself from the Democrats once and for all. Adopt the message of liberty and work towards achieving the government outlined in option number 1: the defender of individual rights. Stop sending mixed messages by taking inconsistent and hypocritical stances on things like national defense, taxes, prohibition, subsidies, etc. Start working towards real change and real reform in the direction of liberty. The alternative is to fade away into the history books and become largely irrelevant. The reason for this is simple: nobody wants a cheap imitation. We already get enough of number 2 from the Democrats, and so if that is the solution you offer, you’ll never win again. (Image courtesy: ernstl) Update: Video of Full Speech!    

At a post-election event for members of the Republican Liberty Caucus, National Chairman Dave Nalle made the following remarks on the state of the Republican Party in the aftermath of the Romney defeat.

“If you nominate a candidate who has a position to please every constituency you run the risk that voters will decide that this is the same thing as having a position to alienate every constituency and respond by not turning out to vote. The party has lost its way because of lazy leaders who have ignored the sensible voters who make up the base of the party and have instead given too much influence to outside interest groups who bought their loyalty with the promise of easy votes.”

“It is time for fundamental change at the top of the party. Leaders who basically rigged the nomination process to force Mitt Romney on the party gambled their legitimacy on his success. They put the entire party at risk with a candidate whose failure dragged down other candidates including promising newcomers and incumbents whose seats should have been secure. They lost us seats in the Senate where we could have won a majority and even weakened our position in the House. They must pay the full price for their poor decisions and be stripped of any position of leadership in the party.”

“It is time for the Republican Party to return to the control of the grassroots and to a simple, ethical agenda of limiting the size and power of government and protecting the rights of individual citizens. The practice of giving special influence to outside groups whose first loyalty is to their own interests and issues must stop. Our allies should be drawn to us by our principles, not by our willingness to sell influence and trade favors.”

“The party is aging and becoming isolated from the people. Republicans have forgotten how to be activists and stir up popular enthusiasm for our cause. We have lost touch with the younger generation and we have abandoned minority groups which ought to share our principles. In too many counties and too many states the Republican Party has become an exclusive private club rather than the inclusive political movement it was meant to be. This is the course of extinction for a political party. If we do not grow and embrace new members and new strategies we will continue to stagnate and age into irrelevance.”

“The voters we need to attract to revitalize the party want less government on their backs and more liberty in their lives. They do not want to live in fear of external threats or internal security. They do not want to see the fruits of their labor seized by government or devalued by irresponsible policies. They do not want government in their businesses, their schools, their churches or their bedrooms. The Republican Party of the future should be young, entrepreneurial and inclusive. There is no hope for a party which is not strong enough to preserve its core principles while still embracing change.”

“This is the vision of the Republican Liberty Caucus. It is a challenge to the Republican Party to become a better party, rededicated to its founding principles. This election must be a turning point for the party and if we do not pick up the banner of leadership and embrace the changes which must come, then the GOP will fade away lnto whiggish obscurity.”