AUSTIN, TEXAS – The Republican Liberty Caucus, a membership organization that exists to promote individual liberty and limited government, is praising its endorsed Congressional candidates who have taken pro-liberty positions on civil liberties and equal rights.

The Caucus Statement of Principles outlines that members support medical and banking privacy, equal protection under the law, and all voluntary and non-violent consensual conduct. Accordingly, the Caucus wishes to praise certain Congressional candidates who have taken exceptional positions on privacy, civil liberties, and equal rights.

“We must drastically limit the ability of government to collect and store data regarding citizens’ personal matters,” says RLC-endorsed Congressional candidate Delia Lopez (pictured, right) of Oregon. Lopez opposes GPS tracking mandates and any move toward a national ID card.

Military veteran David Ratowitz, a RLC-endorsed candidate for Congress in suburban Chicago, says he is “confident that American security is better served by streamlining our military [and] concentrating our forces and avoiding futile nation building.” Continues Ratowitz, “We must recognize that our most powerful tool of foreign policy is the soft power generated by American citizens through their generosity, industry and the example they set for the world.”

“I believe the military should adopt an inclusive approach towards gays and lesbians,” says RLC-endorsed Congressional candidate Joel Pollak of Illinois. RLC Advisory Board member Gary Johnson, the former Governor of New Mexico, recently said “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has always been wrong and it is still wrong.” And earlier this year, the Texas chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus blasted homophobic language that was added to the official Texas Republican Party platform.

According to the late Senator Barry Goldwater, a hero to many RLC members, “You don’t need to be straight to fight and die for your country… you just need to shoot straight.” Goldwater rightly stated that a fundamental tenet of conservatism is that government should stay out of people’s private lives — and out of the impossible task of legislating morality.

According to National RLC Chairman Dave Nalle, “We are proud that our slate of candidates are speaking on these important social issues and bucking the trend of the Republican Establishment by simply being honest about these issues. Ultimately, these issues — civil liberties and treatment of gay Americans — are about individual rights and freedoms. We’re working for a Republican Party that will defend those rights and freedoms.”

For Immediate Release: October 13, 2010

Republican Liberty Caucus Endorses 482 Candidates from 43 States, 65 Percent of Candidates on November Ballots
Reform is Coming to the Republican Party; Battle Just Beginning

Contact: Aaron Biterman,
RLCStateChapters@aol.com

ARLINGTON, VA — With less than three weeks until the mid-term elections, the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) has endorsed 482 candidates in 43 states, a record number of endorsements for the Caucus. Founded in 1991, the Republican Liberty Caucus is intent on electing a liberty-focused slate of legislators at the local, state, and federal levels to balance budgets, stop overspending, protect the free enterprise system, and return individual liberty and personal responsibility to citizens.

“Of the 482 candidates that the Republican Liberty Caucus has endorsed, 317 of them have won their primaries and moved on to the General Election,” according to Aaron Biterman, Vice Chair of the RLC. “Sixty-five percent of our candidates will be on the ballot for voters to select on November 2. This is a remarkable success rate for a grassroots organization focused on restoring constitutional government,” he said.

The RLC’s liberty slate includes Republican U.S. Senate nominees Sen. Jim DeMint (SC), Sharron Angle (NV), Joe Miller (AK), Christine O’Donnell (DE), Dr. Rand Paul (KY), Pat Toomey (PA), Mike Lee (UT) and Dr. Eric Wargotz (MD) as well as U.S. House candidates from 20 states. “This slate of candidates will advance an agenda of common sense solutions that the American people can be proud of. Americans are thirsty for jobs and a revived economy and only an agenda of less spending, debt, and government regulations will produce the results they seek,” said Biterman.

Commenting on the slate of candidates, Dr. John Hospers, a retired professor of Philosophy and 1972 Presidential candidate said, “I’m honored to be on the RLC’s current Board of Advisors, along with many associates, colleagues and other esteemed defenders of liberty. I support the RLC’s 2010 endorsed candidates, and am encouraged with the prospects of returning power to the people.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus, founded in 1991, exists to promote individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party. The RLC will hold its 2011 Convention in Arlington, Virginia on February 12, 2011 and encourages media, liberty-minded citizens, and other interested parties to attend. Learn more about the organization at http://www.RLC.org/. A full list of endorsed candidates is available at http://www.rlc.org/endorsed-candidates-2010/.

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Republican Liberty Caucus Wants Senators to Stand for the Constitution and Free Speech

AUSTIN, TX — In the controversial Snyder vs. Phelps case, which is currently being considered by the Supreme Court, a group of Senators have filed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiff and in opposition to the free speech rights of Westboro Baptist Church Pastor Fred Phelps.

While the Republican Liberty Caucus in no way condones or supports Phelps’ behavior or beliefs, we believe that even those who hold utterly reprehensible beliefs have a fundamental right to free speech protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. As RLC National Secretary Eric Wall put it, “I will never agree with what Fred Phelps has to say. However the right to free speech, no matter how abhorrent, offensive or controversial the actual words spoken may be, should be honored and respected by all Americans as a crucially important part of our republican form of government.”

These Senators who are attempting to influence the Supreme Court to rule against the Bill of Rights, have lost touch with the most fundamental principles on which our free society is founded.  Most of the Senators who signed the brief are Democrats and we would expect no less from members of a party which has worked hard to degrade and diminish the individual liberty and Constitutional rights of our citizens in the last two years.  However, thirteen of these Senators are Republicans who have forgotten the fundamental principles on which our party was founded.  RLC National Chairman Dave Nalle asks “If these Senators stand in opposition to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in this case, then how can we trust them to respect our rights? Their oath of office requires them to defend the Constitution. They should not be advising the Supreme Court to violate anyone’s freedom of speech.”

These thirteen Senators are:  Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY), Bob Bennett (UT), John Barasso (WY), Sam Brownback (KS), Richard Burr (NC), Susan Collins (ME), Mike Crapo (ID), Chuck Grassley (IA), Mike Johanns (NE), George LeMieux (FL), Jim Risch (ID), Pat Roberts (KS) and David Vitter (LA).  Most of these Senators have a history of voting against individual liberty and the best interests of the people again and again.   Republicans in Utah have already rejected Bob Bennett’s big-government. anti-liberty record, defeating him in their primary.  These other Republicans who also seem not to understand the Constitution should take this as a warning that they will be held accountable as they come up for reelection in the next four years.

We trust that the Supreme Court will not be swayed by the arguments of opportunistic politicians and will remember that when it protects Fred Phelps’ right to be offensive it also protects the right of every citizen to have and express any opinion without fear of interference or persecution.

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The Republican Liberty Caucus is a nationwide grassroots organization which promotes individual liberty and limited government within the Republican Party.   You can find more information about the Republican Liberty Caucus at www.rlc.org.

In a coordinated action the national board of the Republican Liberty Caucus and the California state chapter for the RLC have released press releases announcing endorsement of California’s Proposition 19 which would legalize marijuana for personal use while leaving taxing of sales of Marijuana up to local jurisdictions and the state legislature. This is a major initiative for individual liberty and could be the beginning of ending the drug war and violence on the border.

Polling has shown growing support for the ballot measure, which started with limited public awareness, but has been gathering endorsements from all quarters and is now showing over 50% support in many polls. RLC endorsee John Dennis who is challenging Nancy Pelosi for her congressional seat is quoted in the press releases and also supports Proposition 19.

Here is the National RLC’s press release:

Here is the California RLC’s press release:

And the California RLC’s resolution on Proposition 19:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2010
CONTACT: Dan Sheill, Endorsements Director
dsheill@hotmail.com or call 512-656-8011

Republican Liberty Caucus Endorses Three Congressional Candidates in Georgia
Endorsed Candidates Pledge to Implement Limited Government Agenda

AUSTIN, TX – The Republican Liberty Caucus, a national grassroots caucus which advocates limited government and individual liberty within the Republican Party, is proud to endorse three outstanding candidates in the upcoming Georgia Republican primary. Carl Smith (CD12), Kelly Nguyen (CD5) and Mike Crane (CD13) stand out among the congressional candidates running in Georgia this year as true champions of individual liberty, limited government and fiscal responsibility.

According to Republican Liberty Caucus Endorsements Director Dan Sheill, “Georgia has a long history of electing pro-liberty legislators like Bob Barr, John Linder and Paul Broun. We think that these candidates will continue that tradition and make a big contribution to reversing Democrat excess and bringing us closer to restoring our Constitutional principles in Washington and within the Republican Party.”

These candidates were selected based on their answers to questions on our candidate survey and at the recommendation of the Georgia chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus. Many candidates were reviewed but of the candidates for federal office only these three met our standards. The Georgia chapter has also made a number of recommendations for endorsements in state and local races which can be found on their website at http://www.gopliberty.org/.

This is a year when Liberty Republicans are becoming a major force in elections all over the country. The goal of the Republican Liberty Caucus is to elect at least six Senators and at least 30 Congressmen who are truly dedicated to the principles of small government, free enterprise and individual liberty. With a core of newly elected, principled representatives in Washington we can swing the debate away from the big government status quo and towards putting the best interests of the people first.

Republican Liberty Caucus National Chairman Dave Nalle observed that “These candidates represent the best the Republican Party has to offer. They do more than just pay lip service to the traditional GOP values of individual liberty and limited government and will bring desperately needed integrity back to our government. We urge voters to go to the polls in the primary and elect all of these candidates to send a clear message to Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama that we demand accountable government, protection of our rights and fiscal responsibility.”

In 1774 John Adams wrote that the revolution had been completed “in the minds of the people” before conflict ever broke out, and we believe that a similar revolution in attitude is taking place in the United States today. The people are no longer content to sit idly by and accept the dictates of out of control government. We are demanding better service and real accountability, and if we do not get it we will keep voting complacent and unresponsive office holders out until they get the message.

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The Republican Liberty Caucus is a 527 political organization committed to protecting the principles of individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise that once defined the Republican Party. The Caucus recruits and endorses candidates who support our agenda, work to elect limited-government Republicans to political office, and work to change the direction of the Republican Party to reflect members’ vision of peace and prosperity. Learn more about the Republican Liberty Caucus at http://www.RLC.org.

On Thursday the Republican Liberty Caucus released the following press release on Afghanistan and Michael Steele’s recent comments.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 8, 2010
CONTACT: Dave Nalle at 512-656-8011 or chairman@rlc.org

It’s time for Republicans to open a debate on the war in Afghanistan

When Chairman Steele brought up the war in Afghanistan he was talking about campaign strategies for Republican candidates, and broaching the possibility that some of them might not support a continued American presence in Afghanistan. Some Republicans have been shocked by this, but the Republican Liberty Caucus can assure the doubters that we have thousands of members and hundreds of candidates who share his doubts about the wisdom of expensive long-term military occupations and nation building programs. In particular, many question the practicality of dragging out the war in Afghanistan with no clear objective and little chance of any positive outcome at an unjustifiable cost to taxpayers.

“We haven’t always been impressed with Chairman Steele’s leadership in other areas, but in this instance it is refreshing that the leader of our party has shown he can sometimes think outside the box defined by those who irrationally reject any contrary views on foreign policy”, observed RLC board member Dan Sheill. “We wish he had stuck by his statement and not backed down so quickly.”

Chairman Steele was right to call this Obama’s war, because by choosing to continue it against all good sense the President has taken on responsibility for the costs and the consequences of the war. This creates an opportunity for Republican candidates to stand up for fiscal responsibility, smarter foreign policy and more efficient use of the military by running against Obama and his war. Ronald Reagan won the Cold War because he understood that the best use of our military is to use it as a deterrent and to let our enemies wear themselves out with military adventurism and risky long term deployments. We are now making the same mistake that the Soviet Union made. Do we want to suffer the same fate?

“We are not the world’s policeman, we are not the world’s babysitter and we’re not the world’s social worker,” said RLC Chairman Dave Nalle. “America is a great and charitable country, but we should remember how the Soviet Union was brought down by overreaching ambition, and realize that we can no longer afford to bear the world’s burdens alone. Michael Steele has opened up the debate on Afghanistan. It’s time for sensible Republicans to take the lead on this issue and express their dissatisfaction with this unjustifiably expensive war which no longer serves its intended purpose.”

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The Republican Liberty Caucus is a nationwide grassroots organization which promotes individual liberty and limited government within the Republican Party. You can find more information about the Republican Liberty Caucus at www.rlc.org.

For Immediate Release: June 24, 2010

Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas Calls on Party Leaders to Address Problems with Anti-Gay Platform Planks

CONTACT: Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas
(512) 656-8011

AUSTIN, TX – At the state Republican convention earlier this month, Texas Republicans opted to abandon the Republican tradition of respecting the Constitution and protecting individual liberty and privacy rights by adopting a platform which includes planks attacking the civil liberties of certain Texans.

The platform advocates policies which would make it a felony to perform a same-sex marriage in Texas, which would re-criminalize sodomy and which would take away the rights of gay parents in custody cases. These proposals are contrary to the values of most Texans and run counter to the Republican tradition of vigorously defending individual liberty.

The Republican Liberty Caucus strongly opposes the Texas GOP platform’s anti-gay and anti-liberty planks. We call for the state party to take action to address this problem. While it may not be possible to repeal or change the party platform, the state leadership should issue a clear statement that the platform is non-binding and does not represent the core, shared beliefs of Texas Republicans or of our candidates.

In a year in which we are looking forward to extraordinary opportunities for a great slate of Republican candidates in Texas, it would be a terrible mistake to shackle them to a platform which will alienate many potential supporters. This platform will weaken the party at a time when a strong coalition of Republicans and independents is needed to stop the radical agenda of Democrats in both Austin and Washington.

“We need to focus on keeping the government out of our pocketbooks; especially in Texas,” said Texas RLC Chairman, Joey Dauben of Ellis County. “There are far more pressing problems for the GOP in our state to worry about. While I personally disagree with same-sex marriage from a Biblical perspective, marriage is a contract between individuals and God, not with the government. If we want government out of our wallets and our boardrooms, we should also keep government out of our churches and our bedrooms.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus believes that cutting government spending is more important than wasting our limited resources on policies that open Texas to lawsuits and treat some citizens in a different manner than other citizens. Texas RLC members believe divisive social issues should be put on the back burner and instead the focus should be on solving real problems.

We call on the state party to send a clear message to voters that the this platform does not represent the highest ideals of our party and that as a party we support individual liberty and equal rights for all Texans.

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The Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas advocates constitutionally limited government, individual liberty and traditional Republican values. It is part of a nationwide organization which shares those goals and has local organizations in almost every state. This year the RLC has endorsed hundreds of candidates nationwide, including Rand Paul (KY), John Dennis (CA), Peter Schiff (CT), Mike Lee (UT), and Nikki Haley (SC).

For more information on the Texas chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus, visit http://www.rlctx.org. For information on the national RLC, visit http://www.rlc.org.

Republican Liberty Caucus Endorses Liberty Slate of Idaho Candidates
Endorsed Candidates Filled out RLC Questionnaire and Will Implement Limited Government Agenda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2010
CONTACT: Dan Sheill, Endorsements Director

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – The Republican Liberty Caucus, a national grassroots caucus which advocates for limited government and individual liberty within the Republican Party, has endorsed the following candidates in the Idaho primary next week:

* Steven Dana Pankey for Lieutenant Governor;
* Todd Hatfield for State Controller;
* M.C. Chick Heilson for U.S. Representative, District 2;
* Dennis Engelhardt for State Senate, District 2;
* Mike A. Nielsen and Russell Schenck for Bonner County Commissioners in District 2 and 3; and
* Bud Mueller for Bonner County Clerk of the District Court

According to Republican Liberty Caucus Endorsements Director Dan Sheill, “The Idaho primary is approaching on Tuesday. Will Republican voters select these small government candidates to return Idaho government to one that respects individual rights and less government intrusion?”  Continued Idaho RLC member Tom Dillin, “This slate of candidates will put Idaho on the right track and will bring us so much closer to restoring our Constitutional principles within the state and within the Republican Party.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus is a 527 political organization committed to protecting the principles of individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise that once defined the Republican Party. The Caucus recruits and endorses candidates who support our agenda, work to elect limited-government Republicans to political office, and work to change the direction of the Republican Party to reflect members’ vision of peace and prosperity.

Learn more about the Republican Liberty Caucus at http://www.RLC.org.

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Republican Liberty Caucus of Utah Endorses Candidates at Statewide Convention
Caucus Advocates Change in Direction of Republican Party to Favor Limited Government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/19/10
CONTACT: Julian Babbitt

Draper, Utah – The Republican Liberty Caucus of Utah, an affiliate of the national Republican Liberty Caucus, met over the weekend at its Annual Convention and endorsed the following candidates for public office:

* Mike Lee for U.S. Senate
* Morgan Philpot U.S. Congress, District 2
* Daniel Thatcher for State Senate, District 12
* John Dougall for State Representative, District 27
* Rob Alexander for State Representative, District 35
* Chuck Bateman for State Representative, District 5
* Ken Ivory for State Representative, District 47
* DJ Schanz for State Representative, District 20
* Craig Frank for State Representative, District 57
* Curt Oda for State Representative, District 14

Said the newly elected chair, Julian Babbitt, “Small government and personal liberty advocates have been increasingly frustrated with the Republican Party, best exhibited by the recent showing by Senator Bennett at our State GOP Convention, which gained national headlines. Our slate of candidates offers hope for the cause of liberty and for all Utahns who believe in a sharply limited government.”

All of the endorsed candidates share common goals of dramatically reducing spending, cutting taxes and an overall sense that government needs to return to its proper role and and exercise only those powers enumerated in the Constitution. With the Obama Administration’s trampling of states’ rights and personal freedom, the time is now for change at both the federal and state level.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Utah is a grassroots network of concerned citizens dedicated to upholding individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party. The RLC’s mission is to recruit and endorse candidates who support its agenda, elect limited-government Republicans to political office, and change the direction of the Republican Party to reflect members’ vision of peace and prosperity. Learn more about the Caucus at http://www.RLC.org. A specific report on the event is found at the Utah RLC blog.

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This press release went out today from the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida regarding events this past week in St. Johns County. You can find press coverage of these events here: Jacksonville Observer, Jacksonville.com,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

No Dissent Allowed: St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee

St. Johns County, January, 21, 2010 — The leadership of the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee (SJCREC) dealt a blow to the grassroots and derailed recent attempts to reconcile long standing differences with the Republican Liberty Caucus of Northeast Florida (RLCNEF) Thursday night when it refused to allow RLCNEF members access to a meeting where State Committeeman Jon Woodard stepped down and State Senator John Thrasher was elected to Woodard’s position. The election of Thrasher to Woodard’s State Committeeman post clears the way for Thrasher to run for the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) Chair position to be vacated on February 20th by Jim Greer. There is a level of excitement within the party that has not been seen in a long time surrounding the race to succeed Jim Greer. Greer’s re-election a year ago has resulted in a leadership implosion within the RPOF. Thrasher, a sitting Republican State Senator, is seeking to lead the Republican Party out of its doldrums. Unfortunately for Thrasher, the SJCREC appears to have added fuel to an internal firestorm.

The latest in an unfortunate series of events occurred when the majority of the SJCREC members were not given notice the meeting would be closed in Executive Session, and only received the news upon their arrival at the meeting that night. To further exacerbate matters, SJCREC officials – allegedly in preparation for the vote on Senator Thrasher – performed a “purge” of the membership list for the stated purpose of removing members who had missed three consecutive meetings pursuant to state bylaws.

The purpose and accuracy of the list purge is in question, however, as RLCNEF member Cliff Johnson who is also a sworn member of the SJCREC and who had not missed three consecutive meetings, was told that he was not eligible to attend the Executive Session or vote in the Special Election.

While SJCREC leadership claimed that access to the Executive Session was limited only to SJCREC members, at least four members of the Duval County Republican Executive Committee who support Thrasher were allowed inside while known opponents of Thrasher and supporters of Sharon Day – also a candidate for State Chair – were told they must stay outside.

In a protest against the double standard and blatant cronyism on display, RLCNEF Chair John Stevens entered the meeting despite being told not to do so. Stevens was then asked to leave and refused. SJCREC officials called police and Stevens was escorted from the meeting. No charges were filed.

Chairman Stevens desired to attend the meeting to ask Thrasher what position he would be taking on Orange and St. Johns County REC members removed by Greer through the never-before-used grievance process last year. Stevens commented regarding the incident, “It was unfortunate that it had to come that. The RLC is working for accountability within the Party and we would prefer to do so quietly from within; but if members are being locked out and denied an opportunity to be heard then we are left with no option but to make our voices heard publicly.”

This incident in St. Johns is eerily similar to a situation that occurred last year in Orange County where Orange County Republican Executive Committee (OCREC) Chair Lew Oliver prevented members of the OCREC from voting in the election for Oliver’s seat; the people barred from voting were supporters of his opponent, Deon Long, who is now running for the 24th District of the U.S. Congress.

Many of the registered voters of Florida agree with the message of the Republican Liberty Caucus. The

RLC’s message has begun attracting large numbers of people statewide. Support has poured out from around the state as this struggle with the corruption within the party has continued. Many of the recent changes in the RPOF leadership started at the grassroots level with large groups of dissenters, such as the RLC, calling for honesty and transparency in our elected leaders.

About The Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida:

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida is a coalition of traditional conservatives and liberty minded Republicans working within the Republican Party to promote individual liberty, smaller government, state and national sovereignty and the Constitution. The caucus advocates the return of our nation to the values and intentions of the Constitution and our founders.

(i) www.rlcfl.org
(ii) www.rlcnef.org

CONTACT:

Frank Zilaitis
Email: frank@zilaitis.com
Phone: (321) 480-7597