MAJOR NEWS!!! Perry over Obama... in Wisconsin??

From Eric Dondero:

Wisconsin was a deeply blue state in 2008. Scott Walker's "Miracle" in turning around the economy through deep spending cuts, and reins on public sector union overreach, has certainly helped to turn it a little purple. But a fully red state?

This from Rasmussen:

Barack Obama carried Wisconsin easily in the 2008 presidential election, but he is slightly behind Texas Governor Rick Perry and runs just ahead of two other top Republican hopefuls in Rasmussen Reports’ first Election 2012 look at the Badger State.

Perry earns 46% support from Likely Wisconsin Voters to Obama’s 42% in a new statewide telephone survey. Six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate, and another six percent (6%) are undecided.

Editor's comment - This most certainly will help him gain momentum in the next few weeks heading into Iowa and New Hampshire. Republicans want someone who can win above and beyond all other considerations.

Benedict says Ron Paul "would win" Libertarian Party nomination

He'd be "happy if Paul came over"

From U.S. News & World Report Ken Walsh's Washington:

The national Libertarian Party's executive director Wes Benedict points out that national party staff doesn't directly urge candidates to run, but says he would be happy if Paul came over, though he admits that scenario is unlikely since Paul enjoys a more publicized platform in the Republican primary.

"He'd certainly win the Libertarian nomination," Benedict says...

Editor's note - Ron Paul is a Lifetime member of the Libertarian Party ($1,000 contribution), and was an active member with the LP from 1986 to 1995. Photo credit - Zimbio

Ron Paul concedes he may go Libertarian Party if Romney's the nominee

1988 AND 2012 LP nominee?

From Eric Dondero:

CNN reports ("Will Ron Paul run as 3rd party candidate?") that Ron Paul is not ruling out a third party run. And according to Wolf Blitzer, Romney's Reagan/Pro-Military approach to foreign policy, could be the reason he bolts.

“Would there be a change in foreign policy?” Paul asked during an interview on NBC's “Meet the Press.” “No, there would not be.”

No,” Paul insisted. “There would not be a significant difference between the two [Romney and Obama] – although on the edges, maybe. …

And this from ThirdAge.com "Ron Paul Courted By Libertarian Party Supporters":

The Republican presidential candidate is being courted from leaders of the Libertarian Party, who are enthusiastic about his political views and calling him the “ideal candidate.”

“Absolutely, that would be fabulous,” said Jim Lesczynski, media relations director for the Manhattan Libertarian Party as quoted by ABC News.

The Libertarian Party would share some of the same beliefs as Paul, including limited government intervention and a hands-off social policy. Many members of the Manhattan Libertarian Party openly campaign for Paul.

Paul was the 1988 Libertarian Presidential nominee. He appeared on 46 state ballots, plus the District of Columbia and Guam. He came in third, receiving 432,500 votes (.6%)

Standard disclaimer: This website agrees wholeheartedly with Ron Paul on his domestic agenda; we disagree stridently with his foreign policy views.

Meanwhile over at the Libertarian Party...

From Eric Dondero:

The Nation's largest Third Party has a presidential race of their own, though you might not know it. So far, the race has failed to attract big names. But there are at least 5 declared candidates.

According to Ballot Access News:

At the recent Illinois Libertarian Party state convention, five candidates seeking the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party debated each other: Roger Gary (Texas), R. J. Harris (Oklahoma), Carl Person (New York), Bill Still (Virginia), and Lee Wrights (Texas).

Harris is perhaps the best known. He is a Constitutional scholar and admirably, a National Guardsman. He ran for congress in 2010 (Norman, OK) as a Libertarian and got 10% of the vote.

Gary Johnson is rumored to be considering jumping into the LP fray. And most recently, there's even talk of Ron Paul going back to the party that he was a member of for over a decade to run on the LP ticket for president.

The Libertarian Party will more than likely have 50 state ballot status for 2012.

Standard disclaimer: We're big fans of the Libertarian Party here at LR. Though, we disagree with the LP platform on foreign policy.

LR item: Cliff on Columbus and Political Correctness

From Eric Dondero:

Our Senior Editor has a piece up at the Ludvig von Mises Inst. site, Mises.org

The Calumny against Columbus

Snippit:

Yep, it was Columbus's fault.

The idea that there were about as many people living in North America at the time of the arrival of Columbus as there were at about the turn of the 19th into the 20th century is simply ridiculous.

Be sure to check it out. And a remindier to visit the LR blog from time to time, (button at the top of this site) to read Cliff's rants on everything under the sun.

Tuesday's election day in Miami Beach, and there's a Libertarian on the ballot for Mayor

Capitalist Bad Boy seeks more than just the "Stoner vote"

From Eric Dondero:

He's Pro-Casinos; in favor of Nightclubs open til 5:00 am; supports Liquor Licenses for city's Gentlemen Clubs; No New Taxes; Anti-Union; and wants to Legalize Weed. (See LR article, Jan. 28, "Libertarian comedian announces for Miami Beach Mayor.)

Steve Berke is the Independent-Libertarian candidate for Mayor of Miami Beach. He is being advised by longtime libertarian Republican and LR contributor Roger Stone. There is no Republican on the ballot.

From the Miami Herald, "Four Miami-Dade cities hold municipal elections Tuesday":

In Miami Beach, Mayor Matti Herrera Bower, running for a third and final term, faces challengers Steve Berke, a comedian and former reality show contestant; Dave Crystal, a tutor, and Laura Rivero Levey, who owns a public relations business.

The big issues in Miami Beach: what to do about pension costs choking city finances, raucous Urban Beach Week parties and a convention center spiraling into irrelevance.

Republicans for Steve!

From Joonbug.com, "Can a Comedian Become the Next Mayor of Miami Beach?":

We're not the Democratic Party. We're not the Republican Party. We're the After Party." These words straight from Miami Beach mayoral candidate Steve Berke's mouth are pretty much his mantra. Yes, he is a stand-up comedian that uses profanity and makes music parody videos that he posts on YouTube, but insists that his intent to seek public office is not a joke.

Berke says the inspiration to run for mayor came from making fun of politicians as part of his stand-up routines.

His website is far removed from your typical politician's because, well, he isn't one. With a section of his website devoted entirely to models that might bring you an absentee ballot form... to the whack-a-mayor game where players try to knock the incumbent mayor Bower on the head, this dude is definitely trying something different. He even proudly displays his "Should Be Legalized" music video... so he's definitely got the stoner vote, if stoners actually vote, that is.

However, he does share a few qualities with your more traditional politicians including being charismatic, an All American athlete and having an Ivy League education from Yale. He was born and raised right here in South Florida and attended North Beach High School. Berke was also a contestant on a reality TV series on Fox called The Rebel Billionare...

From the Editor: Obviously, we wholeheartedly endorse our friend Steve Berke, and urge ALL Republicans in Miami Beach to vote Steve!

A laundry list of libertarian proposals by the Maine Republican legislature and Gov. LePage

Mainers may win the right to suck down a beer while relaxing at the spa!

From Eric Dondero:

Republican Governor Paul LePage, and the Republican-controlled House and Senate are planning a dizzying array of libertarian-oriented proposals to cut back on the size of government and nanny-state regulations for the upcoming session.

According to the Bangor Daily News "Allowing car sales on Sundays, spas to apply for beer licenses among bills readied for 2012 session":

LePage is expected to seek to lower energy bills through broader availability of natural gas, eliminate income taxes on pensions, merge the agriculture and conservation departments...

On the nanny-state front:

allow car sales on Sunday and permit spas and salons to apply for beer or wine licenses

And finally, a major piece of legislation that is greatly angering public sector unions.

A proposal to prohibit union members from paying union dues through authorized payroll deductions has already generated opposition from organized labor, which is asking the council to reject the measure. But that still won’t stop the Republican governor, who opposes such deductions from state workers’ checks, from putting in a bill.

Liberal prude: CBS Sheiffer doesn't like Cain's smoking ad

"it sends a signal that it's cool to smoke"

by Eric Dondero

And liberals accuse those of us on the right of being prudes, stuffy and no fun. Yet here is more ancient than the hills Bob Schieffer telling Herman Cain on Sunday Face the Nation, that he wasn't amused by Cain's smoking ad.

(Via Newsbusters)

“it sends a signal that it’s cool to smoke” before he scolded Cain: “Well, let me just tell you, it’s not funny to me....I don't think it serves the country well, and this is an editorial opinion here, to be showing someone smoking a cigarette.”

Lighten up Bob. Lay off the holier-than-thou dogma. Religious conservatives used to get creamed from all corners for getting on their soapbox about such hot-button social issues. Now preaching from liberals about how to live our personal lives has far eclipsed anything that the religious right ever engaged in.

Iowa Poll: Cain and Romney tied for the lead

by Clifford F. Thies

The just released Iowa Poll put Herman Cain and Mitt Romney into a virtual tie for the lead in the first in the nation Presidential caucus, with 23 and 22 percent. Ron Paul is the only other candidate in double digits, with 12 percent.

Michelle Bachman, winner of the August Iowa Straw Poll, has fallen to fourth place and 8 percent; followed by Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich, each with 7 percent; and, Rick Santurom with 5 percent.

With the Iowa caucus slated for January 3rd, it is getting hard to see how either Bachman or Santurom can do well enough to get the boost they are counting on to propel them to the New Hampshire primary and beyond, as happened for Barack Obama in 2008. Perry, with his massive war chest, might still be able to move the numbers in Iowa. Perhaps more importantly, neither he nor Gingrich have staked out Iowa the way Bachman and Santurom have.

The problem for Perry is that he has thus far focused his attacks on Romney, when his real opponent is now clearly Cain. Perry has to win the quarter-final match determining the leading social conservative candidate, before he can take on the leading moderate candidate in the semi-final (with Obama awaiting the winner of the Republican bracket in the championship match).

Pamela Geller - banned at Hyatt, Houston-area - delivers her Speech

From Eric Dondero:

On October 18, Ayn Rand Individualist Pamela Geller delivered her speech to a roaring crowd of national security conservatives, Tea Partyers and libertarians in Sugarland, Texas (Houston suburb). Geller, and the event hosts had been informed a week earlier that her scheduled speech for the Hyatt-Sugarland had been cancelled. Event organizers later learning that pressure from Islamic groups both nationally and locally, had complained about her appearance.

Here is the speech in its entirety. H/t Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch.

Editor's note - We normally don't post such lengthy videos, but given the circumstances we're making an exception. And might we say, Pamela, former punk rocker that she is, was looking mighty hot for her Sugarland appearance!

Snapshot of the Economy: A Quarterly Reading of Consumer and Business Confidence

by Clifford F. Thies

My latest snapshot of the economy vividly illustrates what everybody knows: consumer confidence is flat-lined and business confidence is tanking.

All but one of the eight monthly surveys of consumers tracked by my meta-poll is at or near minus 273 Celsius. The exception would still make Pluto balmy in comparison.

According to the American Research Group, in September 2011, 76 percent believed the national economy was "bad," "very bad," or "terrible." And the hard times are hitting many families very hard. 45 percent said their household financial situation was getting worse, as opposed to only 11 percent saying it was getting better.

Business confidence, which had recovered somewhat from the devastation of 2008, has re-collapsed.

In my prior snapshot,I noticed that credit managers and chief financial officers were becoming less confident. In this snapshot, concern has spread to the CEOs of larger firms. (Small business confidence had never recovered.)

The Occupiers are wrong. There is no 1 percent. We are all in this together.

Dr. Thies is an economics professor at Shenandoah Univ. in Virginia, specializing in statistics and econometrics.

Why do Moderate Republicans seem to have such totally hot daughters?

A touch of Glamour that the GOP so desperately needs

by Eric Dondero

Jon Huntsman's three daughters have produced a rather clever response ad to the monumental Herman Cain "smoking" ad. The "John2012 Girls" have been getting rave reviews from all sides of the political spectrum for their gritty but fun Cain rebuttal. (130,000 views so far.)

Meanwhile, moderate Republican Scott Brown (and his daughters) are running for reelection for the US Senate in Massachusetts.

Hardline conservatives, and even some libertarians often bemoan the very existence of moderates in the GOP. We've even taken a few potshots at RINOs over the years here at LR. But do we really want to kick out of the party the Scott Browns and Jon Huntsmans of the world, with such hot-looking daughters as these?

If nothing else get these girls on the stage at the RNC Convention in Tampa! Find some excuse.

Meghan McCain of course, might be considered an exception. She's a "liberal" (Arlen Specter-like) Republican, not even a moderate. So, it has nothing to do with her looks. No, no.

Side comment - Of course, too many in the Ron Paul camp would have no problem with these gorgeous babes being covered up in a burqa. Strict devotion to non-interventionist foreign policy the supreme consideration, even if it means enslavement of American women to Sharia Law.

Photo credit - Channel 11 News, Boston

Gingrich's common sense on Muslims at Catholic University

Don't like Catholic religious symbols "...Don't go to a Catholic university"

From Eric Dondero:

A Muslim student group has filed a lawsuit the help of an ultra-liberal Washington D.C. lawyer, to force Catholic Univ. to provide prayer space free of Catholic religious symbols to followers of Islam.

Newt Gingrich in South Carolina is the first Republican presidential candidate to offer a response (via Fox Politics):

"I look at the things that are going on in this country that make no sense to me," he said to a crowd of about 250 South Carolinians gathered at a pig roast fundraiser organized by the Myrtle Beach Tea Party. "We now have a lawsuit apparently by some Muslim students at Catholic University who are offended being at a Catholic university. Now my first answer to them is 'Fine, don't go to a Catholic university.'"

Gingrich challenged the "people who filed the lawsuit," asking rhetorically, "Are you prepared to sponsor a Christian missionary in Mecca? Because if you're not prepared to sponsor religious liberty in Saudi Arabia, don't come and nag us with some hypocritical baloney. So I think we need to be prepared to stand firm for genuine religious liberty, not for something that's anti-Christian."

Photo credit - TheBlaze

Word's out: Obama's a Drug Warrior

From Cliff Thies:

Candidate Obama bragged about smoking dope, lots of it, and of course secured most of the dope vote in '08. But the word's out. The alternative press is getting hip to the fact that Obama's just another drug warrior. Not only is he going after the medical marijuana industry in California, but he's finding new and creative ways. Busting them on taxes, threatening banks with money laundering, and getting crazy with the increasingly gestapo-like powers of the federal government. Hey, if the feds aren't going to allow you to smoke tobacco or eat sugar, what makes you think they'll let you smoke pot?

Excerpted from the Broward/Palm Beach New Times "Obama's War on Weed Represents a Strange About-Face on Medical Marijuana" Oct. 25:

The new federal crackdown on medical marijuana announced October 7 by the four California U.S. Attorneys sent chills throughout the industry. It was a stunning reversal by the Obama administration.
More info here.

Only two years ago, Deputy U.S. Attorney General David Ogden wrote his infamous "Ogden Memo," announcing that the feds wouldn't bother businesses in compliance with their own state laws.

It proved a dose of Miracle-Gro to California, where pot-selling stores have multiplied since voters approved the state's 1996 medical marijuana law. By late last year, California reportedly had more dispensaries than Starbucks outlets.

But the feds' tolerance isn't quite what it seemed. While legal weed grew to an estimated $10 billion to $100 billion industry — no one's quite sure of the exact figure — activists noticed an alarming undercurrent to the rhetoric: Raids on growers and dispensaries actually increased under Obama.

As hundreds of thousands of state-approved, doctor-recommended patients happily bought their medicine in well-lit stores from knowledgeable "budtenders," the ire of cops and prohibitionists rose.

Marijuana supporters figured Obama would call off the attack. In 2006, he told an audience of magazine editors: "When I was a kid, I inhaled frequently. That was the point."

Editor's comment - Of course, this begs the question, when will the pro-marijuana voters turn on Obama and vote Republican, or at the very least Libertarian Party?

Gary Johnson files successfully for NH ballot at very last minute

UPDATE!!

From the Editor: Apparently, he hopped on a plane at the last minute and filed his paperwork in person, after failing to file by mail.

Release...

This morning at 11:15 AM, I arrived at the New Hampshire Secretary of State's office to officially file as a candidate in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary!

My name will appear on the ballot in the state's January contest. As you know, New Hampshire is the first primary state in the nation and is an important focus in our campaign.

I’ve spent a lot of time in New Hampshire — even biking across it — and I look forward to continuing to take my message to the voters of this great state.

Show your support: donate/GaryJohnson2012.com.

I have visited New Hampshire over 15 times since I officially entered the presidential race last April, and the response from Granite Staters has been -- and continues to be -- enthusiastic and exciting.

There's no question that the "Live Free or Die" state is an important step on our path to the White House. Who better than voters in a state with no income tax or sales tax to understand that the best government is that which governs least?

I will finish this weekend in Arizona, before heading to California early next week for a slew of exciting events, including an internet town hall via the popular site, yowie.com. Stay tuned for more details.

LR Housekeeping item

From Eric Dondero:

We've had two complaints in the last couple weeks about problems downloading this website. One was temporary that was cleared up rather quickly. But the other was specific; a reader said he couldn't download it in Internet Explorer 9, but was fine with Mozella Firefox.

Has anyone else been experiencing problems with delays downloading this site? Is anyone using IE9 and not having problems?

Please post a comment in the comments section here with any specifics.

Thanks!

Eric - The Management

Fed mission creep: Diapers subsidized by the U.S. Taxpayer

Release...

CAGW Names Rep. Rosa DeLauro October Porker of the Month

Citizens Against Government Waste
(via Market Watch)
Oct. 26, 2011

Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) named Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) its October Pooper -- er, Porker of the Month for proposing the putrid Diaper Investment and Aid to Promote Economic Recovery Act (DIAPER). The bill would amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to include diapers among the items that may be purchased with the grants. When the nation is already swaddled in $14.9 trillion of debt, creating a new diaper distribution program is a fetid idea.

Rep. DeLauro certainly qualifies as the diaper diva of Capitol Hill. On October 7, 2011, in an attempt to elevate diapers to a level of national significance that they clearly do not deserve, Rep. DeLauro issued a press release stating that "No family should have to choose between buying diapers for their child or buying groceries." Rep. DeLauro added that she "applaud[s] the work of Joanne Goldblum, who has been operating a Diaper Bank in Connecticut for years now, and whose good work has served as the inspiration for this legislation."

However, Ms. Goldblum and her diaper bank have done more than just inspire. In the fiscal year 2009 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, Rep. DeLauro disposed of $133,000 in taxpayer money with an earmark to the diaper bank.

"DIAPER leaves no doubt that the U.S. is moving ever closer to becoming a 'Nanny State,'" said CAGW President Tom Schatz. "It is another example of the mission creep within federal programs that gives taxpayers a bad rash

Halloween Greeting from Pat Condell

On burqas and Western holidays

From Eric Dondero & Right Guy:

If you've never seen a Pat Condell video, this will be a great treat. Of course, proud Britisher Condell goes out of his way not to offend the "religion of peace." Enjoy!

Huge News!! Wider group of Islamists involved in the 9/11 attacks than first thought

Al-Awlaki implicated

by Eric Dondero

Pro-Liberty/Anti-Islamist Republican Congressman Peter King, is opening up a whole new line of investigations into the Islamist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Al-Awlaki, killed by a U.S drone attack in September, is a major target of the investigation.

From Fox News "Congressional Investigators Want 9/11 Suspects Questioned About Awlaki":

In the first letter, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, wrote to Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, which is responsible for directing interrogations of detainees in military custody at Guantanamo, including the self-described architect of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

King asked the agency to question detainees involved in plotting 9/11 about the possible roles of Eyad al-Rababah of Jordan, Daoud Chehazeh of Syria and Awlaki in the terror attack.

"I understand that these detainees have not been interrogated in several years, and certainly not since Awlaki's role within Al Qaeda became widely acknowledged in 2009," King wrote.

It also presented new and compelling evidence that Awlaki was an overlooked player in the Sept. 11 plot who slipped through the FBI's grasp after the attack.

Al-Rababah and Chehazeh, who had direct contact with al-Awlaki at his mosque in suburban Washington D.C., helped the hijackers settle in Virginia and eventually drove them to Paterson, New Jersey -- the hijackers' final stop before the attacks.

(Emphasis added)

Predator Drone attacks on Islamists justified even further

The House Special Investigations Committee into the attacks in 2004/05, criticized by many on the Anti-Islamist Right for putting political correctness over national security, refused to consider evidence of a wider involvement of Islamist terrorists.

Former NYC Mayor and an ally of King's Ed Koch takes it a step further. He posits that more than 200 Islamist operatives may have been planning follow-up attacks but were impeded successfully by ongoing FBI investigations.

From thealgemeiner "What if?" Oct. 17:

What if the government and U.S. law enforcement authorities had not impeded by prosecution the “more than 200 individuals” referred to in the report, and they had successfully carried out their terrorist acts? How many Americans and resident aliens would have been murdered and how many would have been injured? Thank God the government and law enforcement successfully intervened.

If Koch is right, this has enormous implications for national security. In retrospect, Bush's actions in Iraq are even more justified. Of course, ongoing predator drone attacks on Awlaki and other top Arabist leaders by the US Military are justified, as well, despite the vociferous protestations of hard leftists, pacifists, 9/11 Truthers, and even the antiwar faction within the libertarian movement of Ron Paulists and other non-interventionists.

No doubt, typical deniars that they are, they'll write off this new evidence as some "NeoCon conspsiracy" to "protect the Jews."

Mona Charon verifies Palestinians balked at deal with Israel

Time for Israel to decide its own Borders

by Clifford F. Thies

In the National Review, columnist Mona Charon verifies the outright rejection of the peace offer made by then Israeli P.M. Ehud Olmert during the Clinton Administration. The deal was eminently fair. It was all the Israel could ever offer. There could never be any further concession. Most significantly, a divided city of Jerusalem would be the capital of both Israel and Palestine, and an international commission would oversea the Old City.

It is, at this time, absolutely clear that there will never be a negotiated settlement with the Palestinian Authority. Mahmoud Abbas, who may actually be in favor an end to the conflict between Israel and Palestine and willing to negotiate, is today merely a figurehead propped up by U.S. foreign aid. He does not represent the majority of the people of Palestine. Instead, Hamas, which doesn't even recognize the legitimacy of Israel, represents the majority.

So, what is there to do?

We suggest the method employed by the late Ariel Sharon for Gaza: Israel decides what the borders will be, with some help from third parties to try to make this as fair as possible, and that's that. In a show of generosity, Israel and the third parties could offer to leave the Jewish settlements on the Palestinian side of the borders intact to facilitate the return of Palestinian refugees scattered throughout the Middle East and the world, offer crossing rights to connect the two parts of Palestine, and offer an international commission to govern the Old City, in return for acceptance of the offer by the other side. The offer will, of course, not be accepted. Then, Israel should bulldoze the settlements to be abandoned, deny crossing rights, and declare sovereignty over the Old City.

They love libertarian Republican Governor Paul LePage in Maine

From Eric Dondero:

Overwhelmingly strong approval numbers for Maine's Republican Governor Paul LePage

From Critical Insights (via Hedgehog):

GOVERNOR PAUL LEPAGE – MAINE – JOB APPROVAL (Critical Insights)
Approve 47%
Disapprove 31%

Note - A great many libertarian Republicans were active in the LePage campaign in 2010 (including myself as a volunteer for 2 weeks). He was endorsed by the ME Republican Liberty Caucus. ME RLC Vice-Chair Stravos Mendros of Lewiston remains a top unofficial advisor to the LePage administration.

Perry economic plan - Big name endorsers

From Eric Dondero:

Drastic reductions in spending. Low flat tax. Perry comes out forcefully on a limited government economic agenda.

Endorsements for his economic plan from Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh and Paul Ryan.

Gary Johnson campaign - "We screwed up"

From Eric Dondero:

Lack of staff, and serious disorganization has been rumored for months with the Gary Johnson for President campaign. Now, the rumors have proven true.

From MSNBC:

Gary Johnson -- who failed to file by proxy today while he was campaigning in Arizona -- is taking a red eye to New Hampshire and will file in person first thing in the morning at the State House in Concord.

"The technical term is that we screwed up," Johnson's communications director Joe Hunter told NBC by phone last night.

Editor's note - We report on the good, bad and ugly here at LR. We like Johnson. But this is a major fail.

Herman Cain gaining "libertarian Republican" support in Arizona

From Eric Dondero:

A news poll out of Arizona shows Herman Cain now tied with Mitt Romney, 20 - 20. And Cain seems to be gaining among a key set of voters for AZ - libertarians.

From the Business Journal - Phoenix Bizjournals.com "Cain ties Romney in Arizona poll":

Cain has surged in the Republican presidential race with his 999 tax plan that includes flat taxes and a national sales tax and his more libertarian-conservative stances. He is the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza.

The Arizona poll solidifies Romney as one of the GOP front-runners but also shows his challenge of getting more than 20 to 25 percent in polls. Cain is making gains with tea party activists, libertarian Republicans and evangelicals.

Editor's comment - Should anyone be surprised that a libertarian-conservative is gaining support among libertarians?

Herman Cain's Campaign Mngr. taking his son trick-or-treating

From Cliff Thies:

(Okay, that's not really him.)

Cain's "libertarian" ad of the Year!

Smoking issue a "dog-whistle" for libertarians

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution AJC.com "Cain ad catches fire -- or blows smoke":

the grainy 55-second video has been a raging success, generating more than 1 million hits on YouTube by tweaking liberal outrage at the taboo cigarette habit -- and libertarian delight in liberal outrage.

The use of the cigarette was a calculated ploy, said Marty Kaplan, a professor of entertainment, media and society at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California.

"Smoking is a dog-whistle to libertarians, Ron Paul supporters, people mad at the ‘nanny state,' " said Kaplan, who was deputy campaign manager for presidential candidate Walter Mondale in 1984.

"Plus, it vouches for Cain's ‘authenticity.'" Kaplan said in an email, "The subtext is that only a real guy, not a cautious and opportunistic pol -- [like Cain rival Mitt] Romney -- would do something like this."

Yuck! Moscow Muslims demand the right to wash their feet in Bathroom sinks at Supermarkets

From Eric Dondero:

Muslim employees at supermarkets in Moscow are now demanding the right to wash their feet before their prayer rituals 5 times a day, in sinks in the bathrooms.

No consideration is given for non-Muslims - employees or customers - who view this as highly un-sanitary.

Editor's comment - Coming to a supermarket near you? Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Nasvhill,e Philadelphia, Buffalo, or Dearborn/Detroit? H/t BNI

Yemeni Muslim women burning their Veils

Protesting government oppression

From Eric Dondero:

Well, they got half the equation right. Taking a page from American women protesting by burning their bras for equal pay for equal work, Yemeni women burned their veils.

From YemeniVoicesonline:

Yemeni women burnt their veils and head scarves today as a sign of protest to condemn the regime's brutality and violence, which has killed around 25 people overnight in Sanaa and Taiz and has been targeting women lately. The protest was not in anyway related to women's rights or against the Islamic veil as some people misunderstood, it was an outcry for help, specifically targeting the regime

Oddly, the women in the protest (video) were wearing baseball caps over their veils.

Editor's comment - Hopefully next time they'll be burning the veils to protest wearing the veil.

Can we now call it the "Wisconsin Miracle"?

From Eric Dondero:

Newly-released video from Americans For Prosperity - Wisconsin. Explains in detail the successes of Governor Scott Walker's budget reforms. A little over a year later, it's all working wonderfully.

Note - It's a bit long, but well worth the time investment.

And be sure to pass this along to a liberal friend or associate of yours.

Ouch! Did Ron Paul just bash Straights in the Military?

Says Heteros creating more problems for the Armed Forces

From Eric Dondero:

An odd argument for justification of gays in the military from Texas Congressman and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.

From the Iowa State Daily:

Well, like I said, everybody has the same rights as everybody else, so homosexuals in the military isn't a problem. It's only if they're doing things they shouldn't be, if they're disruptive. But there's ... men and women getting into trouble with each other too. And there's a lot more heterosexuals in the military, so logically they're causing more trouble than gays. So yes, you just have the same rules for everybody and treat them all the same.

Editor's comment - We'll let our readers decide what exactly he meant by these comments. H/t Business Insider

Could Romney help the GOP pick off Maine?

From Eric Dondero:

Pundits fully expect New Hampshire to swing back to the GOP column in 2012. But what about neighboring Maine?

From ExceptionMag.com, "As Maine Goes?" Oct. 27:

President Obama's favorability rating among Mainers stands at just 43 percent, which is much lower than the national average of 53 percent. Only 36% of Maine residents have a positive view of how the President is handling the economy and more than half disapprove. This is all according to polling data released this month by Critical Insights, a polling firm based in Portland.

Obama carried Maine in 2008 but his favorability rating in the Pine Tree State is now the lowest it has been during this presidency.

Across all voters, 41 percent would vote for Obama in 2012 and 40 percent would cast a ballot for likely GOP candidate Mitt Romney, according to a Quinnipiac University poll taken between Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 2011.

Maine, along with the rest of America, may be drifting to the right. State Republicans control the Goverenor's seat, the Senate and the House for the first time since 1964.

A pick off of two New England States could prove disastorous for Obama's electoral college strategy.

Everybody's favorite Joe going with the Herman-ator

From Eric Dondero:

Not a complete endorsement, but Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher is heavily leaning Herman Cain. He told Fox News:

"I'm definitely leaning towards Herman [Cain], I like him, he makes a lot of sense and he's an honest man."

Wurzelbacher just announced his run for Congress in Ohio in a new district that stretches from Toledo to Cleveland. He will face either incumbent Democrats Dennis Kucinich or Marcy Kaptur.

Thompson ahead slightly in Wisconsin Senate

From Eric Dondero:

This would be a major pick-up for the GOP

Via Hedgehog:

US SENATE – WISCONSIN (PPP)
Tommy Thompson (R) 46%
Tammy Baldwin (D) 44%

Note - Sadly, the former Governor lost his brother Libertarian and Republican former Mayor of Tomah Ed Thompson to pancreatic cancer last week.

Why the Constitution Matters

GUEST EDITORIAL

by Wayne Pilcher

From its beginning, the United States of America experienced unprecedented success and prosperity. Why is this true? It did not just "happen", there are reasons behind historical trends and outcomes.

The Declaration of Independence and Constitution established America's founding principles. The Declaration stated that all men are equal before the law and have unalienable rights. These are not just words; they provide a crucial basis upon which a government must be structured.

America was a child of the Enlightenment - the philosophical belief that all people possess reason and the innate ability to use that reason to create values in their lives. Such values include material possessions as well has non-material such as associates, mutual business enterprise, freedom of thought and religion. It is the activities of free people working together in mutual enterprise that create prosperity and a rising standard of living for everyone.

The rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are the rights of people to pursue their aspirations free from interference by others, in particular the government.

The Constitution of the United States is not just some arbitrary set of rules that can be changed to suit the exigencies of the day. The Constitution is based on timeless and immutable principles. Human experience may change but human nature does not. Rights, freedom and prosperity derive from human nature, that human beings create values by the free use of their reason. The Constitution was written for all people for all time. Its purpose is to protect the people from the despotic tendency of government which the founders rightly feared.

We are now living in a different philosophical age. We no longer have the idea that individual people are capable of pursuing and achieving their values. Now, we have pressure groups that have "needs" and make demands on society, to be provided by the governmental taxation. The American people are increasingly becoming dependent on the government and are not shy about making their demands known.

The very foundations of America's political principles are under attack. That foundation is the United States Constitution. Today's "Progressives" want to "transform" America. They advocate a "living" constitution. They are bitterly opposed to "strict constructionists" or "originalists." Members of the Supreme Court look to European or International law when considering their decisions. American courts, including the Supreme Court regularly rule on law, not by Constitutional standards, but by their own standards for political ends. Once installed on the Supreme Court, justices have little accountability for their decisions.

Conservatives and Libertarians need to fight for American principles and Constitutional law. They need to understand and explain the underlying philosophy behind those principles. They should not just advocate for them because "they work" or some other pragmatic rationale.

The American people must rediscover their roots and fight for their right to be free from government overbearance AND largesse.

Editor's note - Wayne is a libertarian-conservative. His blog can be found at renew-america-con. He links LR, and somewhat oddly lists us in the "conservative" category.

Important! This website Happily! accepts guest submissions from its readers, so long as they are in the general interest for libertarian Republicans.

Concealed Carry Handgun Class -- Texas Style!

Down in the Lone Star State they know how to handle Terrorists

From Eric Dondero:

This is an actual radio ad. This is not a spoof. Y'all will want to listen to the whole thing, beginning to end. It gets really, really good towards the end.

We won't spoil it for ya!

H/t Vled

Top Hotel in Nashville, TN cancels Pro-Liberty/Anti-Islamist conference

Release...

Tennessee Freedom Coalition (tnfreedomcoalition.org) Oct. 24

Action cancels "Preserving Freedom Conference" & denies U.S. Christians, Jews and citizens their rights under the U.S. Constitution

Speakers to include Ayn Rand Individualist Pamela Geller, former libertarian Republican Congressman Fred Grandy (IA) and Anti-Islamist Tea Party Republican Lou Ann Zelenick

Today, the Hutton Hotel in Nashville, TN slammed the door on the United States Constitution and the right to free speech due to threats which we perceive came from the Islamic community. The location was the planned host for the Preserving Freedom Conference to be held on November 11, 2011. With less than three weeks prior to the event and after accepting payments from many attendees and sponsors, Nashville's Hutton Hotel backed out of the contract as location host of the event, citing threatening letters and phone calls demanding the conference be cancelled.

Steve Eckley, Senior Vice President of Hutton Hotel, contacted Lou Ann Zelenik, Executive Director of Tennessee Freedom Coalition (TFC) on October 24, 2011, and told her they would not honor the contract signed in August 2011 for the Preserving Freedom Conference and therefore, would not allow the conference to take place at the hotel. Eckley advised they had received many threatening telephone calls and letters. When questioned by others if the hotel had contacted local law enforcement agencies, FBI or Homeland Security to advise them of these threats, Eckley advised they had not and that he simply cancelled the conference instead. Eckley also cited threats from callers advising they would show up and protest against the event, however, refused to cite who these calls were from or what groups/protesters would be present.

The Board of Directors of the Tennessee Freedom Coalition and the Sharia Awareness Action Network (SAAN) are committed to securing another site and holding the November 11, 2011 Preserving Freedom Conference event as planned.

There will be more information available soon, but we must do what we can to hold this hotel accountable for this decision to limit the free speech of law-abiding citizens. You may contact the hotel by calling 615.340.9333 or contact the Hutton Hotel Manager via email to Steven Andre and tell them you support the United States Constitution and NOT Islamic Sharia law.

Some of the guest speakers committed to this conference are from the United Kingdom, Australia and Nigeria, including Wafa Sultan, Mathew Staver, Father Keith Roderick, Frank Gaffney, William Murray, Rabbi Jonathan Hausman, Kenneth Timmerman, Pamela Geller, Steve Gill, former Congressman Fred Grandy. (Emphasis added for libertarian speakers).

The Hutton Hotel has succumbed to perceived political correctness in order to avoid offending Islamists across the country. Our beloved America would not exist today had our Founders allowed restrictions on the right to free speech and equal protection for citizens. Support our efforts and pass this information along to everyone you know concerned about the future of our nation.

Editor's note - I had the great pleasure of meeting Lou Ann at the Geert Wilders event in Nashville earlier this year. I was planning to attend this event, and hope they are able to get a new venue soon. Hope to see you there!

Merkel rolls the dice on Greece

“It would be irresponsible not to assume the risk.”

by Clifford F. Thies

Remember Bawny Fwank, the fellow who rolled the dice on mortgages and set us up for the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression?

Well, Chancellor Angela Merkel may now be rolling the dice on Greece.

Saying "It would be irresponsible not to assume the risk," Merkel has apparently succeeded in cobbling together a bail out of the irresponsible little corrupt and socialist state of Greece. As to why Spain or Italy should join Portugal in actually reducing their deficits is now an open question. If Greece can, year after year, cook the books, lie to its fellow Europeans, offering cradle to grave benefits, including early retirement to its uncivil workers, and then be bailed out, why can't others? All the honest businessmen have already left the country, so who is left to pay the bills other than the taxpayers of Germany?

At some point, the Euroskeptics will gain the upper hand in the polls, and the countries that actually are financially responsible will slip out of the Euro and perhaps also the EU.

Such is the cost of expansive federal governments. They eventually bankrupt even the wealthiest and most powerful nations. How long will Ontario subsidize Quebec and the Maritime Provinces so as to color so much of the map its color? How many wars will the U.S. become involved in, outside of defending American interests, before we go down the tubes? How much of the debts of the European periphery will the Germans have to absorb before the German people say out - vit der Christian Democrats?

Let Greece become the Detroit of Europe. Then, we can have virtual tours of the place so as to remind ourselves of what democracy results in when it is unrestrained by a Constitution.

Photo credit - Bundestrieg.de

Islamists now targeting Western Tourists in Thailand's Red Light district

Bombing kills 5

From Eric Dondero:

Thailand's civil war in its southernmost provinces continues, with Islamic rebels now resorting to bombings of civilians. The latest in late September, according to the Global Post "Thailand: Terror in the red-light district" Sept. 23:

Shortly after sunset on Sept. 18, in the gritty Thai border town of Su-Ngai Golok a series of explosions erupted on a busy lane lined with hotels, food stalls and karaoke joints... a bloody Sunday night bombing spree in their favored brothel town...

Though Malaysian tourists have been targeted before, such strikes are rare and have never caused so many foreign deaths in one night.

Five were killed in the bombings, four of them Malaysian. Roughly 110 were wounded, some severely.

An observer of the Thai civil war was quoted:

“They feel an ideological justification to target vice: brothels, karaoke joints, nightclubs," Sunai [Phasuk, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch] said. “They want to send a message that, as a Muslim, you shouldn’t get involved in dirty activities.”

Editor's note - We libertarians favor legalized prostitution. But for some reason, there doesn't seem to be any outrage from many so-called "libertarians" when it comes to Muslim violence against those engaging in the sex business. If it was a Christian Right group doing this? Photo credit - girlservesworld

Muslim Terrorists attack Bar goers in Kenya

Westerners warned stay away from malls, night clubs

From AFP, "Grenade attack on Nairobi bar injures 14" Oct. 24:

A grenade thrown into on a bar in the Kenyan capital Nairobi has wounded 14 people, all Kenyans, in an attack police linked to recent threats made by Somali Al-Shebab insurgents.

"We are linking the grenade attack to the threats that have been issued by Shebab, and that is why I am appealing to city residents to be vigilant and cooperate with our officers," said Nairobi police chief Antony Kibuchi.

The US embassy in Nairobi had warned on Saturday of an "imminent threat" of attacks...

The embassy cited "credible information of an imminent threat of terrorist attacks directed at prominent Kenyan facilities and areas where foreigners are known to congregate, such as malls and night clubs".

Editor's note - There is no reporting on other so-called "libertarian" sites of Muslim attacks on alcohol establishments. We libertarians proclaim to be against prohibition. But in instances of Muslim prohibitionist acts, outside of this website, the rest of the libertarian movement is strangely silent.

Malaysia to ban Elton John concert?

OVERSEAS NEWS...

Muslim group calls him a "hedonist"

From Phuketwan.com:

Members of an opposition Islamic party have called on Muslim-majority Malaysia to ban next month's concert by Elton John, saying that the gay singer promotes "hedonism".

Editor's note - Curiously, there is zero coverage of this story in the American gay media, and zero coverage on so-called "libertarian" news sites. Muslims attacking gays. Must not fit the template?

Democrat incumbent for VA Senate campaign aide: "Why would you want to vote for a Homosexual?"

Bob McDonnell comes to the defense of the Republican challenger

From the Charlottesville Examiner, "Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell says GOP stands for ‘equal opportunity for all’":

According to press reports, the reelection campaign of Democratic state Senator Janet Howell, a 20-year incumbent from Virginia’s 32nd senate district, has been appealing to anti-gay prejudices as a tactic against Republican challenger Patrick Forrest.

In an audio recording obtained by the Washington Blade, Howell campaign volunteer is heard exclaiming: “What my campaign is saying is here’s your Republican candidate. He’s a homosexual. Why would you want to vote for someone who’s a homosexual and is going to push his agenda in your schools?” (Excerpts of the recording were published in the Blade on October 14.)

Governor McDonnell interviewed by the Examiner:

“I don’t know what she’s doing but I can only say that Patrick and I -- and I think all of us in our party -- stand for equal opportunities for all people. I think you heard his message about job creation. He’s not focused on divisive social issues. He’s focused on the two things that really matter, getting people back to work and getting our spending and our government under control, and I think that’s what people care about, especially independent voters right now.”

Democrat for 67 years!!! Switches to Republican!

Never too late to Go GOP!!

From Eric Dondero:

An 86-year old eastern Oklahoman makes the switch to GOP. He's a WWII veteran. And last week at a campaign function in McAlester for Republican congressional candidate Dustin Rowe, he officially signed the card to switch his affiliation.

Rowe introduces Floyd Miller (2:00 minute mark) to a hearty round of applause.

Stridently Pro-Sex Republican runs for State Senate from South Jersey

Ladies, take care to please your men in the bedroom... Men, be honest and work hard to keep your lady happy

From Eric Dondero:

And they say Republicans are stuffy about sexual matters?

From UPI "N.J. candidate: Sex tip was 'great'" Oct. 23:

Phil Mitsch, a Republican candidate for the New Jersey Senate, says his advice to women to be a "lady in the living room, a whore in the bedroom" was sensible.

Mitsch, a retired real estate broker running in a heavily Democratic district in Camden County, told The Philadelphia Inquirer he was actually advising men with his Twitter post. He told his 44,000 followers on Sept. 2: "Women, you increase your odds of keeping your men by being faithful, a lady in the living room and a whore in the bedroom."

"That's a great tip," he said at a meeting Wednesday with the editorial board. "That shows the utmost respect for women. … What I was trying to say to men was, 'Men, look, if you got to go out and play around and you can't be honest with a woman and respect her, then you're better off just doing pay, play, and get the 'F' away.'"

Predictably, the local Democrat legislators are asking Mitsch to resign from the ballot. But to his credit the local Republican Chairman is standing by his candidate. Camden County (across the river from Philly) is overwhelmingly Dem, and Republicans rarely if ever win any offices.

Mitsch is a Real Estate broker and inspirational speaker for Entrepreneurs.

PhilMitschforAmerica.com

Romney appoints Pro-Liberty Anti-Islamist Walid Phares as top Foreign Policy advisor

From Eric Dondero:

Walid Phares is a Lebanese Christian refugee who fled the country's bloody civil war in the 1980s. He has since become one of the most respected voices in the Anti-Islamist movement, authoring numerous books and appearing as a guest on countless radio and television shows discussing the threat of Radical Islam. He is also an "adjunct professor of Jihadist Global Strategies at the National Defense University."

From Politico.com:

Phares has warned of a broad and under-recognized "jihadist" agenda with deep roots in the Islamic faith... the blogger Pamela Geller counts herself as an admirer,

Two weeks ago, Mitt Romney appointed Phares to his foreign policy advisory team.

Predictably the radical leftist group CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) is raising a stink. They sent a letter to the Romney campaign asking him to fire Phares from his campaign. The Romney campaign issued no response, and so far has held its ground.

Photo credit - VeteransNewsNow

David Duke's Public Enemy Peter Schiff confronts Occupy Wall Streeters

ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS!!

From Eric Dondero:

On Tuesday we brought you the news that David Duke listed financial analyst and libertarian Republican Peter Schiff as a public enemy and part of the Jewish media/banker conglomerate of capitalists that controls the U.S.

Now, here he is living up to his reputation as a champion for capitalism.

Pinal County Sheriff Babeu one step closer to congressional run

From Eric Dondero:

If he goes for it, he'll be running in the newly-created 9th CD (southwest AZ).

The controversial Sheriff Paul Babeu said in a recent TV interview, "people want to send a sheriff to Washington to fix what's broken."

One of his main issues he's raising is the Obama administrations Fast and Furious gun running scandal. He also plans "to fight Janet Napolitano," on her feet-dragging policies on border security.

But he's also a strong fiscal conservative, promising cutbacks in regulations, and balanced budgets through spending cuts.

Babeu is an Iraq War Veteran. He was recently named "2011 Sheriff of the Year" by the National Sheriff's Assoc.

Exploratory Committee SheriffPaul.com

Top Democratic fundraiser Rajat Gupta busted by FBI for Insider Trading

Allegedly gave info he learned at a Warren Buffet meeting, to a "hedge-fund titan" now serving an 11 month prison sentence.

From Eric Dondero:

The WSJ reported late yesterday, "Rajat Gupta Surrenders in Insider Case":

Rajat K. Gupta, the most high-ranking corporate executive to become embroiled in a push by the government to root out insider trading, surrendered to the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday morning on criminal charges of leaking confidential information.

Mr. Gupta, the former head of global consulting firm McKinsey & Co., was under investigation over whether he gave inside information to former hedge-fund titan Raj Rajaratnam, who was sentenced earlier this month to serve 11 years in prison for insider trading.

Additionally:

Prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission have previously said in filings and in court that Mr. Gupta gave Mr. Rajaratnam details he had learned at Goldman board meetings in 2008 about a $5 billion investment in the bank by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and about Goldman's first ever quarterly loss as a public company. Mr. Gupta has denied the SEC allegations.

Turns out Gupta has made major connections to Obama. He has attended numerous fundraising dinners in Connecticut and maxed out on his donations to the Obama campaign. Additionally, Gupta and his firm McKinsey & Co. have given maximum contributions to numerous Democrat candidates spread across New York and New England including big names like Chris Dodd, Hillary Clinton, and John Kerry.

He is listed as a major supporter of CT Congressman Jim Himes (Greenwich), having given him 4 different donations over the years totaling $8,300. Himes (photo right)beat moderate Republican Congressman Chris Shays by a very narrow margin in 2008.

(Source: Newsmeat, campaign contributions list)