• In Peach Pundit, Georgia RLC Chair Travis Bowden argues that a proposed shift in power violates the Georgia Constitution in “The Role of the Lt. Governor“;

• At her blog, Nebraska RLC Chair Laura Ebke opines that having both Ron Paul and Gary Johnson in the presidential race is a good idea.

• In NH Insider, New Hampshire RLC Chairman Andrew Hemingway argues that Republicans should end their typical view of government and instead adopt a new perspective;

• At RedState, Wisconsin RLC Chair Mike Murphy’s efforts to rescind a promise between Democrat and Republican incumbent politicians has been exposed as a result of his tireless work.

Our RLC state chapters are busy building momentum for electoral successes in 2012. Please get involved today!

Laura Ebke says its beneficial to have two liberty candidates in the 2012 GOP race.

Raise your hand if you support torture.

Arizona and Oklahoma voters voted 55 percent and 65 percent, respectively, not to enact the individual mandate contained in the health care law. Seventy-one percent of Missouri voters endorsed an anti-mandate statewide constitutional amendment in August.

State legislatures in Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana and Virginia have all passed laws that would similarly stifle Obamacare by granting citizens freedom of choice in health care.

According to columnist Deroy Murdock, the Republican Party’s conquest of 19 previously Democrat state-representative chambers, 10 full legislatures, and 11 governorships gives state-level Republicans brand-new opportunities to hammer ObamaCare.

Additionally, Republican control of the most state-legislative seats since 1928 could spawn fresh anti-ObamaCare lawsuits beyond the 21 that states have filed. According to national exit polls, 48 percent of voters surveyed want Congress to repeal ObamaCare.

Dr. Rand Paul is Senator-elect from Kentucky. Justin Amash (pictured, right) is Representative-elect from Michigan’s Third Congressional District. Congratulations, Rand and Justin! RLC supporters have no doubt that these two champions of liberty will work vigorously to promote our vision of a free country in Congress.

The RLC is also pleased that Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, John Koster of Washington state, Chip Cravaack of Minnesota, and Steve Chabot of Ohio will join Dr. Ron Paul and our other pro-liberty Republican legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Joining Rand Paul in the Senate are RLC-endorsed Senate candidates Mike Lee of Utah and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Two RLC-endorsed candidates for Governor, Paul LePage of Maine and Nikki Haley of South Carolina, were elected. LePage and Haley come from very different backgrounds and from different parts of the country, but are united in their strong belief in the individual and faith in the free market system.

Other key RLC victories and races we are still watching are below.

Arkansas: State Rep. Mark Martin, a RLC endorsed candidate, won his bid for Secretary of State. He is the first statewide Republican elected official since former Gov. Mike Huckabee left office.

California: Despite losing on the RLC-endorsed Proposition 19 to legalize marijuana in California, the RLC’s positions on Prop. 27 (no to eliminate the state redistricting commission) and Prop. 21 (a vehicle license surcharge to fund state parks) were adopted. Additionally, the RLC’s positions on Prop. 20 and 26 were adopted. These propositions related to Congressional redistricting and the process to impose state/local fees. See the proposition results here and view the RLC’s positions on each of the proposals here.

Arizona: 55 percent of state voters supported an amendment to the state constitution disallowing the Obamacare individual mandate to take effect in Arizona. Voters also approved medical marijuana.

Colorado: Despite Ken Buck’s Senate loss, RLC-endorsed candidate Donald Beezley defeated an incumbent and is now an elected State Representative from Broomfield.

Idaho: RLC-endorsed candidate for Bonner County Commissioner in District 2, Mike Nielson, won election on a platform of transparency and balanced budgets. Nielsen said he was eager to start getting more detailed budget information on the county website and wants to get a head start on the 2012 spending plan, according to The Bonner County Daily Bee.

Indiana: Republican Liberty Caucus member Steve Davisson was elected State Representative in Southern Indiana’s 73rd district. Congratulations, Hoosiers!

Kentucky: In addition to Rand Paul’s victory, RLC-backed candidate Thomas Massie was elected Judge Executive in Lewis County.

Maine: In addition to the victory of Paul LePage for Governor, RLC candidates for State Rep. and State Senate also found success. State House Challengers Michael McClellan, Ryan Harmon, Richard Malaby, Beth O’Connor, and Eleanor Espling (pictured, above left) — each endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus of Maine — won election. Additionally, former State Senator Lois Snowe-Mello won her old seat back and State Rep. Doug Thomas was elected to the State Senate. The RLC had a great day in Maine yesterday!

Maryland: Cindy Jones, a RLC member and delegate at our 2009 Convention in Florida, was elected to the St. Marys County Commission. Among all of the county commissioner races, Mrs. Jones had the largest margin of victory and the highest vote total. Four of the five Commission seats are now held by Republicans.

Michigan: RLC-endorsed candidate for State Senate Arlen Meekhof was elected to the post. Meekhof wants to repeal the Michigan Business Tax surcharge and bring jobs to the state.

Minnesota: Despite losing the Governors race narrowly, the RLC had its coalition of candidates elected to the State Senate and the State House. Kathy Lohmer (pictured, right), Andrea Kieffer, Doug Wardlow, Kurt Bills, and Sondra Erickson were elected to the House and Dave Brown and Dave Thompson were elected to the Senate. Former Minnesota RLC Secretary Norann Dillon narrowly lost in her race against an incumbent in a Democrat district. Congratulations to these new legislators and to the Minnesota RLC!

Missouri: In The Show Me State, RLC-endorsed candidate Paul Curtman was elected State Representative. He will represent parts of Jefferson, Franklin and St. Louis counties. Additionally, RLC-endorsed candidate Brian Nieves was elected to the State Senate. Two RLC-endorsed incumbent State Representatives, Tim Jones and Shane Schoeller, will be taking over leadership positions in the Missouri House of Representatives. The Missouri RLC is hosting its 2010 Convention on Saturday, November 13 in Springfield.

Montana: In Montana the RLC has an incumbent coalition in the State House and the entire slate of RLC-backed candidates was reelected. Additionally, former State Senator and longtime liberty advocate Jerry O’Neill was elected to the House of Representatives.

New Hampshire: Former Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire Chair Jim Forsythe was elected to the State Senate and State Rep. candidates Cameron DeJong and Andrew Manuse were elected to the State House. RLC Board member Paul Mirski was elected to the State House in Grafton as was former RLC Chair Dan McGuire in Merrimack. Longtime liberty activists Keith Murphy and Seth Cohn won election to the State House from Hillsborough and Merrimack, too. A full list of RLC victories from New Hampshire can be found here.

North Carolina: Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed candidate Glen Bradley won election to the State House of Representatives. Congratulations to Glen and the North Carolina RLC!

Oklahoma: 65 percent of voters supported a ballot proposition to rebuke Obamacare by not allowing the individual mandate contained in the health care law to be enacted in the Sooner State.

South Carolina: RLC-backed candidate Curtis Loftis, who ousted the incumbent State Treasurer earlier this year in the primary, is now the State Treasurer-elect of The Palmetto State.

Uah: Two new RLC-endorsed candidates won election in Utah — Daniel Thatcher was elected to the State Senate and Ken Ivory won election to the State House. Ivory joins several other RLC incumbents in the House.

Texas: The Texas RLC helped elect two new State Representatives, Jason Isaac and David Simpson. Additionally, former Texas RLC Chairman Melissa Goodwin was elected Justice on the Third Court of Appeals. RLC Advisory Board member Jerry Patterson was re-elected State Land Commissioner. A full list of Texas results are available at our blog.

Wisconsin: In Wisconsin, a coalition of RLC-backed candidates for State House have won election for the first time. The slate includes: Andre Jacque from Green Bay, Jim Steineke from Appleton, Chris Kapenga from Delafield, Evan Wynn of Whitewater, Scott Krug of Black River Falls, Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du Lac, and Roger Rivard of Rice Lake. Mr. Krug beat incumbent Marlin Schneider, who served in the legislature continuously since 1970. Congratulations to the Wisconsin RLC and Badger State voters!

Wyoming: Endorsed State Representative candidate Gerald Gay won election to the legislature for the first time.

These election results show not only the strength of the Tea Party, but also the disgust of average Americans with unresponsive, anti-liberty bureaucrats. The results also illustrate that liberty principles are popular and will make a comeback!

The battle has just begun, so thanks to all of our activists and candidates from across the country. Thanks especially to the state and national officers of the RLC who allow our organization to function.

The Republican Liberty Caucus is a grassroots coalition of liberty-loving Americans.

Won’t you join us in this critical battle to win hearts and minds for liberty and Constitutional restoration?

Topping the list of runoff candidates is Karen Handel (pictured, left), who was one of two candidates endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus of Georgia Board of Directors for Governor. Handel will face Congressman Nathan Deal in the August 10 runoff election.

In Congressional District 12, voters will get a chance to choose between candidates Carl Smith (RLC endorsed) and Ray McKinney in the same runoff. The winner will face Congressman John Barrow (D).

In Congressional District 13, RLC-endorsed candidate Mike Crane will face off against Dr. Debra Honeycutt in a runoff. The winner will face Congressman David Scott (D).

In the Attorney General race, ex-Cobb County Commission chair Sam Olens will face State Sen. Preston Smith in the runoff. The Republican Liberty Caucus has endorsed Preston Smith.

The RLC-backed candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture, Gary Black, won his primary.

Jason Shepherd (pictured, right), a longtime Board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Georgia, won his State Representative primary in District 37 and will face Terry Johnson (D) in November.

For State Representative in District 180, RLC-endorsed candidate Jason Spencer has advanced to a runoff.

For a full list of RLC-backed candidates in Georgia, click here.

Congratulations to these candidates!

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.

Below are the minutes of the Convention portion of the meeting:

Republican Liberty Caucus of Georgia
Convention
December 5, 2009
Varner’s Tavern, Smyrna, GA

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Chris Farris at 2:40 PM.

Nathan Smith was nominated and elected as Convention Secretary.

Chairman Farris credentialed all of the delegates to the Convention.

There was a motion and a second on the approval of the Convention Agenda.

Chairman Farris proceeded with the election of officers for the Republican Liberty Caucus of Georgia. The floor was open to the nomination of the Chairman. Tyler Burgess was nominated. With no further nominations, the floor was closed. The floor was open to the nomination of Vice-Chairman. Todd Pull was nominated. With no further nominations, the floor was closed. The floor was open to the nomination of Secretary. Nathan Smith was nominated. With no further nominations, the floor was closed. The floor was open to the nomination of Treasurer. Chris Farris was nominated. With no further nominations, the floor was closed. The floor was then open to the nomination of five board members at-large. Ben Brandon, Jason Shepherd, Travis Bowden, Doug Deal, and Jason Thompson were nominated. With no further nominations, the floor was closed.

A motion, without objection, was made to elected said nominees to their respective offices by acclamation. There were no objections and the nominees were duly elected.

With no further business to come before the Convention, the Convention was adjourned at 3:00 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Nathan A. Smith

Convention Secretary

Elected Officers:

Chairman- Tyler Burgess

Vice-Chairman- Todd Pull

Secretary- Nathan Smith

Treasurer- Chris Farris

Board Members At-Large:

Ben Brandon

Jason Shepherd

Travis Bowden

Doug Deal

Jason Thompson

The event is taking place in Smyrna at Varner’s Tavern (725 Concord Rd.). RSVP at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176508476860.

Liberty fans across the country will be pleased to note that the RLC endorsed Rand Paul in his bid to become U.S. Senator in Kentucky, and Peter Schiff in his bid to represent Connecticut in the Senate.

The RLC has also endorsed Jason Shepherd for State Representative in Georgia, Shane Schoeller (Incumbent) for State Representative in Missouri, and Bill Hunt for Orange County Sheriff in California.

Our endorsements process has just begun, so please stay tuned for more endorsements of worthwhile, liberty-loving candidates. In 2008, the RLC endorsed over 220 pro-freedom candidates, many of whom were inspired to run as a result of RLC Advisory Board member Ron Paul’s 2008 Presidential bid.

RLC members will be working to help all of the above candidates succeed. Our Connecticut and Kentucky chapters are in the process of chartering, which we believe will be tremendous assets to the Paul and Schiff campaigns as we head into 2010.

GOP Needs to Focus on Principles, Not Twitter
by Kelse Moen

It’s tough to say who is the most absurd U.S. Senator, but my vote goes to Republican Chuck Grassley, the senior senator from Iowa. The seventy-five-year-old Grassley, you see, has discovered Twitter, and now lonely College Republicans all across the country can tune in for daily bits of wisdom like this:

“End of life debate is deliberate atempt to focus attention away fr cost of Pelosi bill. Instead shld focus on lowering cost of health delivry.”

Of course, Grassley’s rapier wit is not limited to legislative topics. In another “tweet,” picked up by NPR, he fired a hefty salvo at President Barack Obama. “Pres Obama,” twote Grassley, “you got nerve while u sightseeing in Paris to tell us ‘time to deliver’ on health care. We still on skedul/even workinWKEND.”

Grassley is no Daniel Webster — but neither are any of the other 99 senators. In 2009, one is more likely to find a spark of intelligence among 100 people randomly grabbed off the street than in the Senate cloakroom. But Grassley’s Twitter page is bad even by senatorial standards. I don’t think it is any exaggeration to call it one of the most pointless, inane things to be created by a senator since Meghan McCain.

Grassley’s Twitter page, like Meghan McCain’s career as a political pundit, is driven by the belief that Republicans have been losing elections lately because they haven’t been able to connect with young people, and that all they need to do to win is become hipper and more technologically savvy. This is the mentality that led the GOP to counter Barack Obama’s presidential victory by finding a black man of their own and putting him in charge of their party. It’s what leads to videos like this and to Meghan McCain’s schoolgirl blather about which Republican congressman is the hottest.

This is a harmful mentality to have. It totally bypasses introspection by assuming that the Republicans’ downfall was started by sins of omission, rather than sins of commission, and thus avoids the important lessons that Republicans should have learned from their defeat. In reality, the GOP hasn’t lost the last two elections because they failed to harness the power of Facebook and Youtube, or because the party hasn’t reached out to the hip hop culture, to paraphrase RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

The GOP needs to look at the principles of the Bush years — big government, perpetual war, big business favoritism — and ask whether those are principles worth defending. I hope that the party big wigs realize that they are not, and will return to the creed of the Taftite Old Right, of limited government, anti-imperialism, and traditional morality — in a word, anti-statism.

The political candidates who have gained positive momentum in recent years — Barack Obama, Ron Paul, Sarah Palin — did so because people saw them, rightly or wrongly, as new and interesting. These candidates weren’t hung up on being cool. In fact, Palin’s populism and Paul’s constitutionalism are, by most contemporary standards, decidedly uncool. But those candidates were genuine, unlike Grassley.

Some might say that the tide is already turning on the Democrats, that recent polls, increasingly favorable to Republicans, show that the whole “death of the Republican Party” line was hugely premature. But even if the Republicans do beat Obama in 2012, so what? Victory would come by default, the result of the president’s failures, not of the Republicans’ popularity. We can have a President Gingrich who bombs and bails just as much as Bush did, while government continues to grow. In that case, who cares whether there’s a Republican or a Democrat in the Oval Office?

Republicans need to realize that their failure was substantive, rather than aesthetic, and that it is their substance, not their aesthetics, that they need to change. But don’t count on them recognizing that. As Chuck Grassley might say, “OMG were so screwd.”

•We OPPOSE HB277, SB39, and SR44 – These measures will levy a 1 percent sales tax, statewide or regionally, for specified transportation projects. The Republican Liberty Caucus of Georgia stands with Governor Perdue (not often we’ve said that) in unequivocally opposing any increases in transportation taxes until the DOT is reformed so that the money is not wasted;

•We OPPOSE HB 160 – Governor Perdue’s “super speeder” bill to boost fines $200 for drivers exceeding 85 mph on Interstate highways and 75 on other roads. This measure is meant to fund “Trauma Care”. While arguable a worthy effort, the RLC-GA opposes the direct funding of any government services through fines or “sin taxes”.

•We SUPPORT HB480 and 481 – JOBS Act to cut taxes on businesses looking to hire workers and relocate to Georgia.

•We Support Senate Bill 1 - Zero-based Budgeting which will require the General Assembly to review all spending every four years.

Senate Bill 1 is sponsored by Georgia RLC Adviser Senator David Shafer of Gwinnett County.  Sen. Shafer has been allied with the RLC since he was first elected in 2002.  Next year he intends to run for Lt. Governor.