Republican Liberty Caucus

The Des Moines Register published an excellent letter to the editor on November 25. Kudos to the author.

Small fringe makes Republicans look bad

There is no mystery why candidates with an (R) behind their name lost in 2006 and 2008. They defended the indefensible for years, and it made voters mad. Only people in denial say George Bush was unfairly treated, and that Democrats and the media should hound Barack Obama with the same vitriolic intensity. They need to take a little trip down memory lane.

Bush enjoyed a 90 percent approval rating in October 2001, and we had the entire world on our side. It is ridiculous to blame anyone else but him and his top advisers for securing his place among the worst presidents in history.

His actions and inactions resulted in tragedy after scandal after disaster. The Bush-Cheney team has left our country morally, ethically, diplomatically, militarily and financially bankrupt.

Sarah Palin points to a Republican administration’s “blunders with war strategy” and “trillion-dollar debt” for losing the election. Ron Paul has hinted John McCain might have won if he’d held up Bush as the example of what can go wrong with an inexperienced person in the White House.

It is the last 25 percent of Americans refusing to admit how bad the Bush-Cheney years were who make all Republicans look like the lunatic fringe.

- T.J. Facto
Des Moines

Florida RLC Update

Term limits advocate Tom Rooney picked up a Congressional seat (CD 16), replacing incumbent Tim Mahoney in a district still referred to as “Mark Foley’s old seat.” Meanwhile, Rep. Tom Feeney of Orlando (CD 24) lost his Congressional seat.

In the Florida legislature, two of the five RLC-endorsed candidates won their seats: Rich Workman (D30) and Lake Ray (D17). Thanks to Sarah Lovett, Dean Santoro and Matt Caldwell for flying the limited government flag in their first, but hopefully not last, electoral efforts.

RLCer Bruce Reichert won a non-partisan seat on the Collier County Soil & Water Board, as did Jeff Hunt in Duval County. Hunt is not an RLCer, but is the right-hand man of RLCer Adam Guillette, the Florida director of Americans for Prosperity.

Georgia RLC Update

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Georgia needs volunteers! We need liberty oriented folks to step up to the plate and assist the RLC in the following areas:

- Membership renewal and growth
- Writing articles and sending out newsletters
- Legislative coordinator: track legislation in the General Assembly and advise the membership on key votes
- Start a local RLC chapter in your area

If you’re interested in helping out, e-mail chair@gopliberty.org.

Minnesota RLC Update

RLC Minnesota Secretary Norann Dillon penned a beautiful letter in The Woodbury Bulletin on October 29 in response to a letter from a reader that mischaracterized the Republican Liberty Caucus. Norann also offered the following update to RLCMN subscribers:

“RLCMN sent out almost 150 Liberty Compacts to the endorsed Republican candidates in the state. They had to read it and realize there are people who want them to stand for its principles. We received 39 of them back, signed. We’ve received radio mentions by Jason Lewis; we had successful outreach at the Sept. 20 Conservative Issues Fair; Sue Jeffers featured our candidates on her radio show when they called from the Oct. 4th pork chop dinner; we received some press when Kathy Lohmer, candidate in 56A, mentioned our endorsement in a debate, and in the follow up letters to The Woodbury Bulletin.

Additionally, our eGroup has grown from about 170 members in the summer to almost 200 members today. We are creating an identity for ourselves with a RLCMN e-mail address, permanent address, and a bank account (with a positive balance!).

I think this is all significant when you consider that only a handful of people have done this. Imagine where we could go if all 200 of our subscribers found a way to apply themselves. The Executive Committee will meet this month to consider where we should direct our energies next.

RLCMN has six standing committees and three special directors. Which of these should we focus on: website? local chapters? outreach? position papers? membership? coalition building? We are poised and planning for growth. What do you think we should do? I invite and encourage discussion on our direction.

If you have skills, talents or interests that you can offer, please direct them to rlcminn@gmail.com.

I’m excited for our organization. I look forward to reading your thoughts on our future.”

RLC member Kurt Fiech penned an excellent letter to the editor in The Lafayette Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Indiana. His wishes are for Lafayette, Indiana, but Mr. Fiech’s wishes apply universally to those of us who yearn for liberty

Freedom wish list for Greater Lafayette

Ten wishes to bring more freedom to our community:

1. More community needs met by voluntary contributions and fewer community needs met by force of government taxation.

2. More government services through private competition and fewer government services through government monopoly.

3. More decentralized government power residing closer and accountable to the people through townships and town councils; and less centralized government tyranny residing farther away and unaccountable to the people through the ivory towers of the county building, the Indiana State House, the Capitol building and the White House.

4. More elected short-term, “common citizen” government office holders and fewer re-elected, long-term, “professional politician” government office holders and appointed bureaucrats.

5. More peace officers like Andy Griffith and fewer law enforcement officers like Barney Fife.

6. More malum in se laws by percentage as a result of fewer malum prohibitum due to repeal.

7. More disputes settled by arbitration and fewer disputes brought to civil court.

8. More criminal court decisions resulting in restitution for crime victims and fewer criminal court decisions resulting in jail sentences for lawbreakers at taxpayer expense.

9. More “wayward children” sent home and fewer “juvenile delinquents” sent to “detention.”

10. More schools emphasizing reading proficiency and fewer schools ignoring the fact that 70 percent of our children lack reading proficiency.

Kurt Fiech
Lafayette