Nelson vs. City of Rochester

Motion For Leave To File And Brief Of Amici Curiae CATO Institute, Reason Foundation, Minnesota Free Market Institute, And Libertarian Law Council In Support Of Petitioners | Nelson v. City of Rochester | Cato Institute - JDSupra:

Dec. 23, 2012 - "Rochester, New York, issued administrative warrants against petitioners’ homes based solely on the fact that a six-year period had expired under the local inspection law. The Fourth Amendment, however, prohibits the issuance of general warrants to search private dwellings. The authorities claim to seek evidence of housing, zoning, or other administrative code violations, of course, but they lack individualized suspicion that any of the renters are engaged in such wrongdoing. Indeed, these home invasions are exactly what the Fourth Amendment was intended to prohibit: In colonial days, the Crown granted British officials general search powers against any home they wished, at any time, for any or no reason. In Rochester, the warrants remain valid for 45 days, permitting multiple entries by city employees and courts are no longer involved after issuing the warrants. These administrative warrants sanction videotaping and photography of the home, which becomes publicly available online."

Read more: http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/motion-for-leave-to-file-and-brief-of-am-91178/
'via Blog this'

Legal marijuana set to become a big Colorado industry

Legalized marijuana set to become a big Colorado industry - Denver Post - Steve Raabe:

December 30, 2012 - "Marijuana is poised to make a big splash in Colorado business after the passage of Amendment 64, allowing its legal sale and consumption.....

"In a fiscal-impact study, the Colorado Center on Law & Policy estimates that legal marijuana sales initially could be as much as $270 million a year. Those sales would produce state and local taxes of $47 million a year, plus savings of $12 million a year in law enforcement costs.

"Marijuana tax revenue dedicated to school construction would create an estimated 372 new jobs, according to the study."

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/news/marijuana/ci_22277867/legalized-marijuana-set-become-big-colorado-industry
'via Blog this'

Meanwhile, in the Libertarian Free State ...

Meanwhile, in the Libertarian Free State | NewHampshire.com - Henry Metz & Dan Moberger:

December 27, 2012 - "The logo of the Free State Project includes a crudely drawn image of a porcupine, a symbol that became part of the movement’s iconography after an online vote by early project participants.... According to the Free State Project’s website, the porcupine was chosen
by popular vote of its members because something more original and 'public relations-friendly' was desired to emphasize the 'freshness' of the movement’s approach....

"There’s little doubt that the Free State Project has established a foothold in New Hampshire. But even one of its more high-profile adherents acknowledges that there’s work to do in order to get the
organization instantly recognized by the average Granite Stater."

"'From what I’ve found, most people in New Hampshire don’t even know about the Free State Project outside of the political class,' said Mark Warden, a Free Stater who has twice won election to the state House of Representatives, most recently on Nov. 6.... 'For the most part, people I’ve met like the idea (of the Free State movement), but there’s no real sense of recognition,' added Warden, who moved to New Hampshire from Las Vegas, Nev., five years ago."

Read more: http://www.newhampshire.com/article/20121227/newhampshire14/121229313/-1/newhampshire01
'via Blog this'

The Best and Worst Christmas Films (Libertarian Edition) - Reason.com

The Best and Worst Christmas Films (Libertarian Edition) - Reason.com - ReasonTV:

December 17, 2012 -  "Reason TV's Kennedy throws lumps of coal at the most un-libertarian Christmas movies and specials of all time, a list that includes A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Memory, Love Actually, White Christmas, and Miracle on 34th Street[*].

"On the flip side, she explains why Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, It's a Wonderfu Life, and The Sound of Music are her favorite fare when snuggling up to the electronic hearth with her kids and a Super Big Gulp filled with 100-proof eggnog."





Read more: http://reason.com/reasontv/2012/12/17/libertarian-christmas-films-the-best-and
'via Blog this'

Merry Christmas: Mary gives birth to a great libertarian

Merry Christmas: Mary gives birth to a great libertarian | Washington Times Communities - Thomas Mullens:

December 24, 2012 - "It’s not a surprise that libertarian themes pervade many iconic Christmas specials. After all, they celebrate the birthday of one of the great libertarians of all time.

"In the Gospels, government is exposed as evil right from Jesus’ birth. A paranoid Herod is willing to kill all of the babies in the kingdom to try to eliminate the perceived threat represented by Jesus.

Tax collectors are considered de facto sinners, on a par with prostitutes. Libertarians would consider this unfair to prostitutes, but for the times this couldn’t land better.

"Jesus himself doesn’t disappoint, either. From the moment he begins his ministry, he wages a nonstop verbal war against the hypocritical, oppressive, tax-devouring Temple priests. Jews at the time were required to pay annual taxes to the priests and were also expected to come and make sacrifices at the Jerusalem Temple. Of course, they had to buy the livestock for the sacrifices from the priests and deal with the priests’ money changers in order to do that.

"That’s why the libertarian from Galilee kicked them out. This would have been considered a revolutionary act."

Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/reawakening-liberty/2012/dec/24/merry-christmas-great-libertarian-born/
'via Blog this'

Libertarian themes pervade Christmas TV specials

Libertarian themes pervade The Little Drummer Boy and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town | Washington Times Communities - Thomas Mullen:

December 8, 2012 - "Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970) ... didn’t disappoint.... One cannot help but see the parallels between Burgermeister Meisterburger’s idiotic law against toys and the U.S. government’s War on Drugs......

"First, the law is completely ineffective in stopping the children of Sombertown from playing with toys, aided by a young, energetic Kris Kringle. When the government confiscates the toys, Kringle brings more. When the government starts searching houses, Kringle hides the toys in stockings hanging by the fire....

"Meisterburger further emulates the U.S. government with ridiculous overreach in enforcing his unjust law, arresting not only Kris Kringle, but his whole family, his future wife Jessica and even the reformed Winter Warlock. All are charged with 'conspiracy,' a tactic utilized by the government to circumvent the rules of evidence in court and put over 2 million people in prison."

Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/reawakening-liberty/2012/dec/8/libertarian-themes-pervade-little-drummer-boy-and-/#ixzz2Fzt05NC7
'via Blog this'

Op-Ed: Top five books to get a libertarian this Christmas

Op-Ed: Top five books to get a libertarian this Christmas - Andrew Moran, Digital Journal:

December 19, 2012 - "If you haven't finished your shopping for that special libertarian in your life then here are five books to give that Ron Paul supporter, proponent of Austrian Economics and hater of big government.

"If you have ever come across a libertarian, one thing you’ll understand right away is that they have an extensive collection of books, whether it’s political theory (Frederic Bastiat), economic thought (Friedrich Hayek) and/or issues that affect personal freedom (Ron Paul).

"However, since there is a large selection of books out there, it’s pretty much a given that a libertarian in the United States or Canada doesn’t have every single book by Murray N. Rothbard, Milton Friedman or Thomas Sowell ... now would be the perfect time to surprise the libertarian in your life with some free market economics."

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/339411
'via Blog this'

Libertarian Party sues three cities in Kansas over open carry bans

Libertarian Party sues three cities in Kansas over open carry bans - KansasCity.com:

"Lawsuits were filed Friday against two Johnson County cities and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., alleging they are violating citizens’ constitutional rights by banning the open carry of firearms.

"The Libertarian Party of Kansas filed suits against Prairie Village, Leawood and the Unified Government, seeking injunctions to prevent them from enforcing their bans.

"“The denial of inherent truth will not stand!' party officials said in a written statement Friday. 'Our efforts will continue until all law-abiding citizens in Kansas have freedom from persecution to exercise their Second Amendment rights to bear arms by open carry.'"

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/21/3977666/libertarian-party-sues-three-ks.html
'via Blog this'

LP: Halt the massacre of innocent children by ending prohibition on self-defense in schools

Libertarian Party: Halt the Massacre of Innocent Children by Ending Prohibition on Self-Defense in Schools -Newsroom America:

"Families throughout the nation mourn the horrific deaths of 26 people, including 20 young children, killed Friday during a Newtown, Conn., mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

"'It’s impossible to imagine the depths of despair and grief that the victims’ families are experiencing right now,”' said Geoffrey J. Neale, Chair of the Libertarian National Committee. 'Our hearts go out to every one of them.'

"In the immediate aftermath of news surrounding the shootings, pundits and politicians called for new restrictions on firearm ownership, exactly the opposite of the approach needed to combat tragic gun violence in schools.

"'We've created a "gun-free zone," a killing zone for the sickest criminals on the face of the Earth," said R. Lee Wrights, vice-chair of the Libertarian Party. 'We've given them an open killing field, and we've made the children of this country the victims.'

"Wrights pointed out that merely the knowledge that armed people will be present acts as a deterrent for would-be shooters."

Read more: http://www.newsroomamerica.com/story/334779.html
'via Blog this'

Volunteering a great gift: LIBERTY RULES | Column | Opinion | Barrie Examiner

Volunteering a great gift: LIBERTY RULES | Column | Opinion | Barrie Examiner - Paolo Fabrizio:

December 17, 2012 - "Christmas has always been my favourite time of the year.

"It’s the time of the year that really brings out a Libertarian style atmosphere, where people help out each other and those less fortunate get to enjoy some Christmas spirit.

"The best part is the government has nothing to do with it, mostly because the politicians are already on their extended Christmas break and aren’t around to mess with it.

"People helping people, and the best part is we can do it for free."

Read more: http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2012/12/17/volunteering-to-help-others-can-be-the-best-gift
'via Blog this'

Australian ban had no effect on gun deaths

Opposing view: Homicide rate was already declining - Robert A. Levy, USA Today:

December 18, 2012 - "Why not emulate Australia's rigorous gun control model in the United States?

"For starters, it hasn't worked. Twelve years after the new regulations were implemented, Time reported on new research suggesting the new regime 'was a waste of public money and has made no difference to the country's gun-related death rates.' The homicide rate had been declining before the 1996 ban; its post-ban decline has merely been a continuation of that trend. Indeed, not one other country that has banned guns has lowered its murder rate.

"That doesn't mean our existing gun controls are optimal. Early detection and treatment of mental illness might lead to firearms access restrictions that the most ardent gun rights advocates could support. But regulations must be fashioned with great care, not simply as a formulaic response to the Newtown tragedy. Multivictim killings — heart-rending and horrifying — are but a fraction of 1% of all murders in the United States, and they will sadly occur even where stringent gun controls are imposed."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2012/12/18/gun-control-cato-institute/1778507/
'via Blog this'

Rapper Big Boi trashing Obama, praising Gary Johnson

Rapper Big Boi: Trashing Obama, praising Gary Johnson · Hammer of Truth:

December 14, 2012 - "Atlanta rapper Big Boi (of Outkast fame) was interviewed by Pitchfork, and he’s mighty unimpressed by Obama:

"'BB: I’m not pro-government at all, I’m pro-people. Our freedoms are getting taken away every day with things that people aren’t aware of, like the [National Defense Authorization Act]. I don’t care who the president is– it ain’t just all about who’s black or who’s white or who’s Republican or Democrat, it’s about who is for the betterment of people, period.'

"And last month, he was on Hot 97 in NYC where he claims it was racist of some people to assume he (or other black people) voted for Obama, when in fact he says he voted for Gary Johnson:





Read more: http://hammeroftruth.com/2012/rapper-big-boi-trashing-obama-praising-gary-johnson/
'via Blog this'

Does government trigger mass shootings?

In Mass Shootings Does Government Provide the Trigger? - Blogcritics Politics - Dave Nalle:

December 16, 2012 - "That young men in the 16-24 year old age range have a higher propensity towards adjustment disorders leading to true mental illness is nothing new. But there is a perception that members of this group are more prone to act out violently today than they did in the past. Assuming that this is true and acknowledging the facts that guns and violent entertainment have been around since long before this rise in violent outbursts, I think we have to look for another specific trigger.

"When you put guards and metal detectors in your schools, when you invasively search airline passengers, when you begin to spy on your own citizens: you create an atmosphere of fear and the expectation of violence. The average citizen finds this heightened level of state security oppressive. Red light cameras, TSA checkpoints, random blood draws, internet data mining and new security laws like the warrantless indefinite detention of citizens in the NDAA all contribute to this environment. For someone who is troubled and prone to paranoia this creates a world which is directly threatening....

"We all react to ... stress differently, but logic suggests that in those already prone to irrational violent impulses the high level of stress we are subjected to and the threats posed by government can lead to the heightened paranoia which triggers violent action.

"This isn’t just speculation. The writings, statements and behavior of these killers consistently express a fear of government as one of their overriding concerns. Even in the sane community this has been responsible for increased political radicalism, higher gun sales, and an increase in harmless paranoid behavior like 'Doomsday Prepping.' It’s about time we admit that the actions of government play a major role in encouraging this violence. 

"Ironically the reaction to these incidents is invariably to try to implement more security and take away more rights. They’ll want to seize guns, fortify schools and other public places, track the mentally ill,. monitor more of our communications and take away more of our rights. None of these will be very effective at solving the problem and all of them are likely to contribute to pushing more volatile people over the edge to violence."

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/in-mass-shootings-does-government-provide1/
'via Blog this'

Former Libertarian politician polo player releases book filled with humor, wisdom

Cherokee Tribune - Gem of insight: Former Libertarian politician polo player releases book filled with humor, wisdom:

December 16, 2012 - "Jack Cashin knows first-hand about a lot of things from his years as a restaurant owner, politician, polo player, actor and model. Now he is sharing his knowledge and more in a book he complied and just released titled A Gift of Wit, Wisdom, and Modern Folklore....

"[R]eaders can find a collection of funny, thought-provoking and touching emails, articles and minutiae the author has collected over the years. Poems, cartoons, hilarious pictures and stories are included ... on topics such as “The Rules by Men,” “The Rules by Women,” “You Know You’re Getting Old When,” “Rules of Politics,” Things I’d Wish I’d Known,” and “Golf Humor.”

"Cashin is the oldest active polo player in the United States. He is president of Chukkar Farm Polo Club in Alpharetta, publisher of DARE Magazine, an actor and model on TV and in industrial films, as well as founder of CASHIN’S PLACE, a Georgia restaurant chain.... In 1996, Cashin was a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate and in 1998, a Libertarian candidate for governor in Georgia....

"A Gift of Wit, Wisdom, and Modern Folklore is available for $25 at Yawn’s Books & More in Canton or online at www.yawnspublishing.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and www.Amazon.com. 

Read more: http://cherokeetribune.com/bookmark/21144400-Gem-of-insight-Former-Libertarian-politician-polo-player-releases-book-filled-with-humor-wisdom
'via Blog this'

Rand Paul calls for cutting entitlement spending instead of raising taxes | Politics and Government | Kentucky.com

Rand Paul calls for cutting entitlement spending instead of raising taxes | Politics and Government | Kentucky.com - John Cheves, Lexington Herald-Leader:

December 14, 2012: "Congress needs 'to cut domestic welfare and entitlement spending' to balance the budget rather than tax the rich more, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told a Commerce Lexington luncheon on Friday.

"Instead of raising taxes to avoid the approaching 'fiscal cliff,' the debate should focus on what federal spending to cut and how much, Paul said.

"'We should try to minimize how bad our government is and how much it gets in the way,' he said.

"Unless Congress and President Barack Obama reach a compromise by Dec. 31, there will be an immediate 9.4 percent drop in defense funding and an 8.2 percent reduction in discretionary domestic programs, sparing most entitlements'.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/12/14/2444082/rand-paul-calls-for-cutting-entitlement.html
'via Blog this'

The most Libertarian place in America?

The most Libertarian place in America - POLITICO.com - Charles Mahtesian:

December 14, 2012 - "Is Austin’s Travis County the nation’s Libertarian Party stronghold?

"The co-founders of a Libertarian political action committee based there make that case, arguing that the Texas locale is the “most Libertarian large county in America.'

"Wes Benedict and Arthur DiBianca of Libertarian Booster PAC note that 31 Libertarian candidates were on the Travis County ballot this year, more than any other county in America. Among the other stats they cite:

"Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson won 2.7% there, his highest percentage nationwide for large counties outside his home state of New Mexico.

"Four Libertarians got over 40% of the vote for the portion of their district within Travis County

"The current chairman of the national party, Geoffrey Neale, lives in Travis County, and 2004 Libertarian presidential nominee Michael Badnarik had previously run for office as a Libertarian in Travis County, and his presidential campaign headquarters were located in Travis County."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/charlie-mahtesian/2012/12/the-most-libertarian-place-in-america-152016.html
'via Blog this'

Rand Paul scores libertarian victory; Feinstein-Lee passes Senate

Rand Paul Scores Libertarian Victory, Proves He is One of Us - Jason M. Farrell, PolicyMic:

December 2, 2012 - "Rand Paul’s months of hard work have paid off; the Feinstein-Lee amendment eviscerating that awful NDAA 2012 Section 1021 passed in the Senate 67-29. If this passes the House and the president signs it into law, libertarianism can take pride in a major victory — the law will not permit American citizens to be held indefinitely. The language reads: 'an authorization to use military force, a declaration of war, or any similar authority shall not authorize the detention without charge or trial of a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.'

"If not for the persistent yet delicate advocacy of Fourth Amendment principles Rand Paul has advocated in the Senate, U.S. law would still permit the executive branch to indefinitely detain any American citizen suspected of supporting terrorists (which can apparently be proven just by liking a status on Facebook), without charge or trial. Yes, at least for now, politics have actually repealed a small but crucial snippet of state power and pushed us in the direction of liberty. Pinch me, I still can’t believe it."

http://www.policymic.com/articles/19983/rand-paul-scores-libertarian-victory-proves-he-is-one-of-us
'via Blog this'

Amash to Speaker Boehner: "Show Us the Scorecard!"

Amash to Speaker Boehner: "Show Us the Scorecard!" - Joe Wlverton II, ''New American:

December 12, 2012 - "Republican Representative Justin Amash ... and Representative Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) were booted from the Budget Committee - likely a result of the two congressmen’s record of opposing the Speaker on key fiscal issues. Last year, for example, Huelskamp and Amash voted against raising the debt ceiling and are adamantly opposed to any tax increases.... Huelskamp and Amash cast the only House Budget Committee votes against Paul Ryan's budget plan....

"Regarding the forced exile of Amash, Huelskamp, and [David] Schweikert (R-Ariz.) ... FreedomWorks said: 'These three principled legislators have stood with the Constitution even when it was unpopular to do so. Their dedication to the principles of lower taxes and limited government is now being punished by a Speaker who would rather concede to the big spenders in Congress instead of making the tough choices.'"

Read more: http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/13910-amash-to-speaker-boehner-show-us-the-scorecard
'via Blog this'

Libertarian and environmental groups unite against five-year farm bill | AgriPulse

Libertarian and environmental groups unite against five-year farm bill | AgriPulse: Sarah Gonzalez, Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.:

"WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2012- Conservative and taxpayer groups joined the Environmental Working Group (EWG) today to oppose passage of a five-year farm bill during the lame duck session as an attachment to a fiscal cliff package.

"During a press conference titled, 'No Secret Farm Bill in Fiscal Cliff Deal,' several speakers requested that Congress pass a one-year extension of current policy, but eliminate direct payments as a 'down payment' toward deficit reduction.

"'A five-year bill will have sweeping fiscal, social and environmental impacts and should be the result of careful and transparent deliberation. In our view, this Congress simply does not have the time to undertake such legislation this year,' according to an open letter to members of the House sent last month, signed by several groups including Americans for Prosperity, Club for Growth, Americans for Tax Reform and Heritage Action for America.

"The groups represented today claim the proposed farm bill would cost $1 trillion over the next ten years, and would exceed its Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score as did the previous two farm bills.

"CBO estimates the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill would save more than $35 billion and the Senate bill would save more than $23 billion, with an overall cost of around $960 billion over ten years.'"

Read more: http://www.agri-pulse.com/Libertarian-environmental-groups-unite-against-five-year-farm-bill-12102012.asp
'via Blog this'

Green Leaf unveils libertarian strain - Jerusalem Post

Green Leaf unveils libertarian st... JPost - Diplomacy & Politics Ben Hartman, Jerusalem Post:

December 10, 2012 - "If you were expecting plumes of sticky cannabis smoke and mounds of Cheetos at the 'Green Leaf New Liberal Movement' press conference in Tel Aviv on Monday, you would have been sorely disappointed.

"The party, which first ran for the Knesset in the 1999 general elections, now has a platform for their fifth election campaign that is almost completely taken over by the libertarian 'new liberal movement,' with a cleancut message of less government and more personal freedom, and nary a dreadlock in sight.

"New party head Yaron Lerman said on Monday that the joint Green Leaf New Liberal Movement list would “work to strengthen the power of the voters over that of the politicians,” and unveiled the party slogan “say yes to freedom.”"

Read more: http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=295381
'via Blog this'

Conservatives demand answers on Boehner snub

Conservatives demand answers on Boehner snub - FOXNews.com:

December 8, 2012 - "House Republicans who were removed from plum committee posts are demanding an explanation from House Speaker John Boehner....

"'We write to request a full and complete written explanation of the rationale for removing us from our current committee assignments, including any "scorecards" presented to the Steering Committee to justify our removals,' they wrote. The letter was signed by Reps. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan.; Justin Amash, R-Mich.; and David Schweikert, R-Ariz.

"Huelskamp was yanked off the budget and agriculture committees; Schweikert was pulled from the financial services panel; and Amash was also booted from the budget committee. A fourth, Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., lost his seat on financial services.

"The three who wrote the letter lamented that they were never 'officially informed' and never got a 'formal explanation.' But they claimed to have found out a 'scorecard' of past votes was presented to make the case for removing them....

"Boehner has also faced criticism from conservative groups and members for putting revenue on the table as part of fiscal talks with the White House, with some going so far as to say Boehner could be risking his speakership."

Read more: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/20297388/2012/12/08/conservatives-demand-answers-on-boehner-snub
'via Blog this'

Book makes free-market case for copyright reform (video)

New book makes free-market case for copyright reform - Jerry Brito, Technology Liberation Front:

December 6. 2012 - "I’m happy to announce today that the new book I’ve edited, Copyright Unbalanced: From Incentive to Excess is now available. The book is not a moral case for or against copyright; it is a pragmatic look at the excesses of the present copyright regime from a free-market, limited government perspective....

"Conservatives and libertarians, who are naturally suspicious of big government, should be skeptical of our ever-expanding copyright system. They should also be skeptical of the recent trend toward criminal prosecution of even minor copyright infringements, of the growing use of civil asset forfeiture in copyright enforcement, and of attempts to regulate the Internet and electronics in the name of piracy eradication. These are the issues Copyright Unbalanced addresses."

Read more: http://techliberation.com/2012/12/03/new-book-makes-free-market-case-for-copyright-reform/
'via Blog this'

How copyright criminalization threatens online innovation

How Copyright Criminalization Threatens Online Innovation - Forbes - Timothy B. Lee:

December 6, 2012 -: "Jerry Brito has pulled together an edited collection of copyright reform essays by libertarians (and one from a pair of libertarian-leaning conservatives) called Copyright Unbalanced.... Jerry’s book promises to be a handbook for free-market copyright reformers....

"I contributed a chapter focusing on a recent development that I find particularly alarming: the increasing use of harsh criminal penalties, including civil asset forfeiture, against online intermediaries....

"In 2008, Congress passed the PRO IP Act, which for the first time allowed the use of civil asset forfeiture in copyright cases. This tactic, which has become infamous due to its abuse in drug cases, allows the police to seize property without convicting, or even indicting, its owner of any crime. The police have used this tactic with devastating effect against startups such as Megaupload, a popular file-sharing site that was shuttered by the federal government in January. The feds seized the Megaupload servers, all the firm’s assets, as well as the personal assets of founder Kim Dotcom. And they have charged Dotcom with criminal copyright infringement and are seeking his extradition from his home in New Zealand."

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/timothylee/2012/12/06/how-copyright-criminalization-threatens-online-innovation/
'via Blog this'

Amash slams GOP leadership for purging him without notice | The Daily Caller

Amash slams GOP leadership for purging him without notice | The Daily Caller - Vince Coglianse:

December 5, 2012 - "Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, who has reportedly been removed by Republican leadership from his post on the House Budget Committee, wrote on Facebook Tuesday that he has yet to receive official notification that he has indeed been removed:

"'Rumor has it that I’ve been removed from the House Committee on the Budget. Remarkably, I still have not received a single call, e-mail, or text from Republican leadership confirming this story. In fact, I wouldn’t even have learned about it if not for the news reports. I look forward to hearing from my party’s leadership about why my principled, conservative voting record offends them....

"'Rep. Tim Huelskamp, who was kicked off of both Budget and the Committee on Agriculture, voted with me against the 2013 House budget resolution because it does not sufficiently address the federal government’s debt crisis. That was one of only three times during this Congress that I voted against the Chairman’s recommendations in committee.'"

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/05/amash-slams-gop-leadership-for-purging-him-without-notice/#ixzz2EHo551Dl
'via Blog this'

Right Fears ‘Purge’ As GOP Leadership Takes Control | TPMDC

Right Fears ‘Purge’ As GOP Leadership Takes Control | TPMDC - Benjy Sarlin:

December 4, 2012 - "Conservatives fear they’re being pushed aside by Republican leaders as the party looks to regroup from its election losses.

"'At the end of the day we lost seats in the House, we lost seats in the Senate, we couldn’t win the presidency, and the response is to purge conservatives,' Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) said Tuesday during a briefing at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington.

"Huelskamp is one of four Republicans who were stripped of committee seats this week for bucking leadership over the last term. Huelskamp lost his spot on the Budget Committee, where he voted against the House GOP’s budget last year along with Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), who also was removed this week. David Schweikert (R-AZ) and Walter Jones (R-NC), who also voted against the budget from the right, lost seats on the Financial Services Committee....

"Amash, speaking at the same briefing, said he had not received any personal messages or phone calls from leadership announcing his demotion. But he attributed his calls for reduced military spending as the most likely cause for the conflict.

"'I think they are willing to raise taxes to avoid any defense cuts,' Amash said. 'I think they’re willing to take really bad deals to avoid any defense cuts of even a few dollars.'"

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/12/right-fears-purge-as-gop-leadership-takes-control.php
'via Blog this'

Libertarians Are the Only Hope For American Business to Be Competitive Again

Libertarians Are the Only Hope For American Business, and Republicans, to Be Competitive Again - John Mills, PolicyMic:

December 3, 2012 - "To defeat big government Democrats, business needs to organize a new coalition of libertarians, business, and 'Blue-Dog Democrats.' The Republican Party is fatally connected with the religious right’s rejected social agenda, and so the most plausible way to creating this new coalition is for business to leave the Republican Party and start providing serious financial support to the Libertarian Party.

"This year, majorities of voters in four states approved marriage equality by popular vote. By large margins, voters in Colorado and Washington approved marijuana legalization. This tells us a tipping point has been reached on some serious social issues.... Similarly, The total percentage of Americans who believe abortion should be illegal under all circumstances is only about 20%. When it comes to war, a March, 2012 NY Times-CBS poll found that more than two-thirds of those polled — 69% — thought the United States should not be at war in Afghanistan. The number almost certainly is rising, not falling."

Read more: http://www.policymic.com/articles/20024/libertarians-are-the-only-hope-for-american-business-and-republicans-to-be-competitive-again
'via Blog this'

Gary Johnson sets record with Michigan write-in total - San Jose Libertarian | Examiner.com

Gary Johnson sets record with Michigan write-in total - San Jose Libertarian | Examiner.com - Shane Witting::

December 3, 2012. - "Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson has set a record in Michigan, receiving 7,774 write-in votes. The record was previously held by Ralph Nader who received 2,322 write-in votes in Michigan in 1996, running on the Green Party ticket.

"Johnson's vote total exceeded that of Justice Party candidate Rocky Anderson, whose name was printed on the ballot and received 5,147 votes. Anderson was placed on the Michigan ballot by the Natural Law Party....

"Johnson would have appeared on the ballot if not for a technicality during the GOP primary season. Johnson's name was placed on the Michigan primary ballot without his knowledge, and was unable to withdraw his name after filing the necessary paperwork minutes past the deadline....

"As of the writing of this article, Johnson and running mate James P. Gray have set a Libertarian Party record with 1,268,869 votes nationwide, or 0.99% of all votes cast."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/gary-johnson-sets-record-with-michigan-write-total
'via Blog this'

Will Texas LP work to nullify TSA, NDAA? - Dallas Libertarian | Examiner.com

Will Texas LP work to nullify TSA, NDAA? - Dallas Libertarian | Examiner.com:


"'The Texas Libertarian Party supports nullification of unconstitutional federal acts,' The Texas LP's Kathie Glass told Dallas Libertarian Examiner today. 'We are the only party with a nullification plank in our platform and the only party with statewide candidates who ran on a nullification platform. Unlike secession, nullification is simply a return to constitutional government.'

"On November 12, 2012, reported the Tenth Amendment Center, Texas Rep. David Simpson (R-Longwood) pre-filed House Bill 80 to stop aggressive TSA groping in Texas.

"This was a very popular effort in the 2011 legislature that had broad support from Texas citizens and their elected officials but was stymied at the eleventh hour when the federal government sent officials to pressure the state's top political leaders by threatening to declare the entire state a "No Fly Zone" if they dared pass the bill."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/will-texas-lp-work-to-nullify-tsa-ndaa
'via Blog this'

Caution on the Cliff From a Flat-Tax Flagwaver

Caution on the Cliff From a Flat-Tax Flagwaver - The Fiscal Times, Maureen Mackey - November 30, 2012:

"New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, ... the Libertarian Party candidate who received more than one million votes in this year’s presidential election, sent an email to supporters and others on Friday afternoon from his home in New Mexico. He said, “In Washington, their definition of a "cliff" is that government spending will be cut next year by slightly more than $100 billion, if Congress and the president don’t come to an agreement to cut spending by less than that.

"'With a $16 trillion debt and trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see,' he added, 'only in Washington would cutting $100 billion be viewed as an impending disaster'....

"So – 'here we go again,' says Johnson. 'That sound you hear is the can being kicked down the road.' He predicts that after three weeks of 'posturing and posing,' the country’s political leaders will “cut a deal to once again avoid dealing with the disastrous debt problem.'

Read more at http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/11/30/Caution-on-the-Cliff-from-a-Flat-Tax-Flagwaver.aspx#y6dD5xqlJmhHJARk.99
'via Blog this'

Whatever happened to libertarian Nevada? - Opinion

Whatever happened to libertarian Nevada? - Opinion - ReviewJournal.com - Steve Sebelius::

November 30, 2012 - "And you thought Nevada was a pioneer state.

"We made our bones as the country's only home to legal gambling, but now casinos are everywhere and gambling is legal in nearly every single state.... We started the whole quickie divorce thing, with a six-week residency requirement to get un-hitched. Now divorce is simple in most states....

"Nevada has lost its mojo. We're no longer on the cutting edge of libertarian social trends. Now we're watching other states pull ahead."

Read more:
http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/whatever-happened-to-libertarian-nevada-181513341.html
'via Blog this'

Appeals court: U.S. military can’t be sued for torturing civilians

New ruling: Donald Rumsfeld can’t be sued for torture. - Slate Magazine:

"Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld may not be sued by two U.S. citizens who were tortured by members of the military. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ... judges said that no member of our military—presumably even one who personally inflicts torture—can be sued for his related conduct in office....

"Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel were Americans working for a private security firm in Iraq. When Vance became suspicious that his employer was selling weapons to groups hostile to the United States, he went to the FBI. Vance and Ertel were then fingered as arms dealers. Military personnel arrested them in 2006 and held them for several weeks.

"According to the complaint, Vance and Ertel were held in solitary confinement and subjected to violence, sleep deprivation, extremes of temperature and sound, denial of food, water, and medical care, and other abuses."

Read more: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2012/11/new_ruling_donald_rumsfeld_can_t_be_sued_for_torture.html
'via Blog this'

Rand Paul warns of GOP becoming dinosaur – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

Rand Paul warns of GOP becoming dinosaur, cites robotic squirrels – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs: - Ashley Killough:

November 27, 2012 - "(CNN)  Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who's known for his libertarian leanings, cautioned Tuesday that the Republican Party could meet the same fate as animals that went extinct millions of years ago.

"'I think my party, the Republican Party, is shrinking. We're in danger of becoming a dinosaur,' he said on CNN's Newsroom. 'We're not competitive on the West Coast, we're not competitive in New England.'"

"'We need a new type of Republican (Party), I think, one that involves some of the ideas of libertarian leaning Republicans and people who agree in a less aggressive foreign policy,' Paul told CNN's Brooke Baldwin.

"The senator, whose father Ron Paul ran for president for the third time this cycle, said last week he was considering a White House bid of his own in 2016."

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/27/rand-paul-warns-of-gop-becoming-dinosaur-cites-robotic-squirrels/comment-page-1/
'via Blog this'

Did Libertarian Party cost GOP 9 races? - Conservative News - Human Events

Did Libertarian Party cost GOP 9 races? - Conservative News - John Gizzi, Human Events::

November 26, 2012 - "According to a chart prepared by the left-of-center news outlet Daily Kos, there were no fewer than nine contests in which the Libertarian nominee received more votes than the difference between the winning Democrat and losing Republican....

"In Indiana’s nationally-watched Senate race, for example, Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly won by a margin of 131,575 votes over State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who made headlines earlier in the year by defeating veteran Republican Sen. Richard Lugar for renomination. Libertarian nominee Andrew Horning — who was included in televised debates with the two major party nominees — captured 146,453 votes (5.8 percent)....

"In Montana’s Senate race, incumbent Democrat Jon Tester edged Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg by 18,764 votes. But Libertarian Dan Cox drew 31,287 votes....

"Republicans in virtually every state appear to do their utmost to discourage a Libertarian from entering contests. But it is difficult—if not impossible—to find Democrats who wish the Libertarian candidate were not on the ballot or included in debates."

Read more: http://www.humanevents.com/2012/11/26/did-libertarian-party-cost-gop-9-races/
'via Blog this'

Retiring Ron Paul to make his case for liberty on college campuses next year - The Hill

Retiring Ron Paul to make his case for liberty on college campuses next year - The Hill - Molly K. Hooper:

November 18, 2012 - "Retiring Rep. Ron Paul plans to deliver speeches on college campuses next year and beyond, continuing his message of liberty and reducing the size of the federal government....

"The 77-year-old physician-politician said, 'I'm excited about spending more time on college campuses, not less. College campuses will still be on my agenda. That's where the action is.'
He added, 'The young people don't like the debt they are inheriting, the violation of their civil liberties. They don't like the war and it's a fertile field. The people up here sort of ignore them.'

During the 2012 GOP presidential primary campaign, Paul said that he visited at least 36 college campuses. He was surprised that the best turnout occurred at the historically liberal bastion, U.C. Berkeley, where 8,500 students attended his event."

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/268591-retiring-ron-paul-plans-to-make-case-for-liberty-on-college-campuses-next-year
'via Blog this'

Cato Institute To Host 'The Law And Politics Of Marijuana Legalization' Forum | The Weed Blog

Cato Institute To Host 'The Law And Politics Of Marijuana Legalization' Forum | The Weed Blog - Johnny Green:

November 21, 2012 - "In another sign that marijuana is invading all levels of American politics, the Cato Institute is scheduled to host a policy forum dedicated to marijuana reform. Below is the information from the Cato Institute website....

"POLICY FORUM
 Wednesday, December 12, 2012
 4:00 PM (Reception To Follow)

"Featuring Asa Hutchinson, Former Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration; and Robert A. Mikos, Professor of Law and Government, Vanderbilt University Law School; moderated by Timothy Lynch, Director, Project on Criminal Justice, Cato Institute....

"If you can’t make it to the Cato Institute, watch this event live online at www.cato.org/live and join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #CatoEvents. Also follow @CatoEvents on Twitter to get future event updates, live streams, and videos from the Cato Institute."

Read more: http://www.theweedblog.com/cato-institute-to-host-the-law-and-politics-of-marijuana-legalization-forum/
'via Blog this'

Libertarian classic 'I, Pencil' now available as video

Libertarian classic 'I, Pencil' gets modern makeover - Garry Reed:

November 16, 2012 - "The Competitive Enterprise Institute has remade Leonard E. Read's I, Pencil as an animated film, released on their website Thursday....

"I, Pencil was first published as an essay that appeared in the December 1958 issue of The Freeman, generally regarded as one of the oldest and most respected libertarian journals in the US, a publication of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) which was founded by Leonard E. Read in 1946.

The essay, under its full title, I, Pencil: My Family Tree as Told to Leonard E. Read, had a simple goal: 'to show that economics cannot be "planned" since no one, no matter how smart, can create something as incredibly ordinary as a pencil.' Instead, its creation requires a highly complex global industrial network organized not by a master planner but by the spontaneous supply-and-demand workings of the 'invisible hand' in the peaceful, voluntary, libertarian, laissez-faire free market.

"The goal of the project, CEI announced in a news release, 'was to translate Leonard Read’s story into an exciting and accessible film for the Internet age.'"

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/libertarian-classic-i-pencil-gets-modern-makeover
'via Blog this'

Echoes of 1937, big government and a new market collapse?

Echoes of 1937, big government and a new market collapse? | StarTribune.com - Amity Shlaes, Bloomberg News::

November 22, 2012 - "Will 2013 be 1937? This is the question many analysts posed as the stock market dropped after the election. On Nov. 16, they noted that industrial production, a crucial figure, dropped as well.

"In this case, '1937' means a market drop similar to the one after the re-election of another Democratic president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1936. The drop wasn't immediate in that case; it came in the first full year after the election. Industrial production plummeted by 34.5 percent. The Dow Jones average dropped by half by 1938.

"It's hard to imagine stock indexes dropping by half today, or unemployment rising past 15 percent, as they did in the 'depression within the Depression.' But the parallels are visible enough to be worth tracing. "

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/180436241.html?refer=y
'via Blog this'

The GOP’s growing Libertarian problem

The GOP’s growing Libertarian problem - Aaron Blake and Shaun Sullivan, The Fix, Washington Post:

November 20, 2012 - "It was a historic election for the Libertarian Party.... Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson took about 1 percent of the vote, winning more raw votes than any Libertarian candidate ever has (about 1.2 million)....

"On the Senate front, Libertarian candidates pulled around 6 percent of the vote in two key contests in Montana and Indiana — the party’s best showings in three-way Senate races in at least the last decade ... in those two races and seven others, the Libertarian candidate’s share of the vote was actually bigger than the victorious Democrat’s margin of victory.

"The suggestion some make, of course, is that these Libertarian candidates can — and in some cases might have already — cost Republicans winnable seats by siphoning off GOP votes....

"The question from here is whether the Libertarian Party continues to be an occasional nuisance, or whether it continues to build on its nascent progress and becomes a real headache for the Republican Party.

"Given the GOP’s ongoing problems with its brand, it’s not hard to see voters continuing to desert that brand and pick an increasingly valid third-party option."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/11/20/the-gops-growing-libertarian-problem/
'via Blog this'

Congress will miss Paul's principled libertarianism | News-JournalOnline.com

Congress will miss Paul's principled libertarianism | News-JournalOnline.com (Daytona Beach):

November 20, 2012 - "The GOP cannot fully embrace Paul's minimalist approach to government. Americans are still a freedom-loving people, but the federal government has become a major presence in American life. Most voters aren't ready to accept a very limited government. But Paul's calls for lower taxes, less federal spending, and an end to foreign interventionism have resonated with many voters.

"If the Republican Party is to expand its base, especially among young people and Hispanic voters, it needs to incorporate into its agenda more of Paul's love for individual freedom.

"Paul's views are really no more radical than those of America's third president, said to be one of the founders of the Democratic Party. In 1801, Jefferson told the nation in his inaugural address that 'a wise and frugal government .. shall leave (people) otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government.'"

Read more: http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20121120/OPINION/311199978/1027?p=2&tc=pg
'via Blog this'

Without You Meddling Libertarian Voters, Romney Could Have Lost By Only 2.7 Million Votes!

Without You Meddling Libertarian Voters, Romney Could Have Lost By Only 2.7 Million Votes! - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Matt Welch:

November 19, 2012 - "Over at National Review, Jim Geraghty takes to task those 1.22 million of us who voted for Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson....

"Even if a vote for Gary Johnson was 100% transferable to any Republican (which it is not), let alone to the hands-off-my-Medicare-and-military-spending Mitt Romney (which it definitely is not); and even if applying that bogus math would have changed the outcome in even one state (which it did not), it does not automatically follow that causing the lesser of two evils to lose is a bad strategy."

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/19/without-you-meddling-libertarian-voters
'via Blog this'

Ron Paul's Last Speech to Congress

Ron Paul's Last Speech to Congress: 30+ Strangely Ordered Questions - Conor Friedersdorf - The Atlantic;:

"The longtime legislator, doctor and three-time presidential candidate is retiring at year's end."

November 15, 2012 - "On Wednesday, Ron Paul stood on the floor of the House of Representatives, where he has spent 23 years, to deliver his last speech to the body prior to his impending retirement at year's end.

"His sprawling, poorly organized, deeply principled remarks lasted nearly 48 minutes. The video is [below]. A transcript is here. "He wrote this speech out and read it, not his usual style," Brian Doherty explained at the libertarian magazine Reason. "For my taste, the extemporizing Ron Paul of the campaign trail is a little more appealing, but this was still a good and important talk." It is basically impossible to summarize it, but reading through the successive questions Rep. Paul posed during one particularly engaging stretch is a pretty good way to get a flavor of his full remarks."

Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/11/ron-pauls-last-speech-to-congress-30-strangely-ordered-questions/265263/
'via Blog this'

Libertarians optimistic for next round of NC elections

The Daily Tar Heel : Libertarians remain optimistic for next round of NC elections - Jeff Kagan:

November 18, 2012 - "The state’s Libertarian Party came away from the 2012 election without any huge gains on paper — but politicians from the two dominant parties say libertarians nonetheless won an opportunity to influence policy....

"Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Barbara Howe received slightly more than 2 percent of the vote, barely crossing the threshold of necessary votes to allow the party to remain on the ballot for the next four years....

"Two Libertarians in N.C. state legislative races received about 20 percent of the vote, which is promising, Howe said."

Read more: http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2012/11/libertarians-remain-optimistic
'via Blog this'

Libertarian 'Spoiler' Alert!

Libertarian 'Spoiler' Alert! Seven Democratic Victories in Which the LP Candidate Received More Than the Margin of Defeat - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Matt Welch:

November 12 - "On Friday, Garrett Quinn pointed out two congressional races in which a Libertarian Party candidate received considerably more votes than the margin separating a winning Democrat from a losing Republican: Massachusetts' 6th District (48.3%-47.3%-4.5%** for Rep. John Tierney over Richard Tisei and Daniel Fishman), and Utah's 4th District (49.3%-48.1%-2.6%** for Rep. Jim Matheson over Mia Love and Jim Vein).

"Last Wednesday, Brian Doherty also flagged Montana's race for U.S. Senate, where incumbent Sen. John Tester defeated the Ron Paul-endorsed Denny Rehberg 48.7% to 44.8%, while LP nominee Dan Cox received 6.5% of the vote. All three losing Republicans had significantly more libertarian credibility than maybe 90% of elected GOPers on the national level.

"So are there any other 'spoiler' accusations out there? At least four, probably more"

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/12/libertarian-spoiler-alert-seven-democrat
'via Blog this'

Sen. Paul filibusters defense bill - The Hill's Floor Action

Sen. Paul filibusters defense bill - The Hill's Floor Action - Ramsey Cox:

November 15, 2012 - "Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is holding up a vote on the Defense Authorization Act until he gets a vote on his amendment affirming the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution.... Paul is seeking an agreement in principle to get a vote on his amendment when the Senate takes up the defense authorization bill that funds and sets the agenda for the U.S. military.

Paul’s amendment would give American citizens being held by the military rights to a fair trial with a jury of peers and the right to confront the witnesses against him or her.

Read moee: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/268369-sen-paul-filibusters-defense-bill-until-his-amendment-is-included-in-votes
'via Blog this'

Welcome to the Rand Paul evolution - Manu Raju - POLITICO.com

Welcome to the Rand Paul evolution - Manu Raju - POLITICO.com:

November 13, 2012 - "Call it the Rand Paul Evolution.... the Kentucky Republican plans to mix his hard-line tea party conservatism with more moderate policies that could woo younger voters and minorities largely absent from the GOP coalition....

"He wants to work with liberal Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy and Republicans to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for pot possession. He wants to carve a compromise immigration plan with an “eventual path” to citizenship for illegal immigrants, a proposal he believes could be palatable to conservatives. And he believes his ideas — along with pushing for less U.S. military intervention in conflicts overseas — could help the GOP broaden its tent and appeal to crucial voting blocs that handed Democrats big wins in the West Coast, the Northeast and along the Great Lakes."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83737.html#ixzz2CDvUuiyx
'via Blog this'

Jillette on Obama, Johnson, Hitchens, & peace

Penn Jillette on Obama, Gary Johnson, Hitchens, and peace | Washington Times Communities - Kevin Kelly:

November 13, 2012 - "Given the recent election and Jillette’s self-proclaimed libertarianism, I asked what he would like to see come from a second-term Obama administration. 'Being a libertarian, I am very happy there will be a sense of social freedom,' said Jillette. 'I wish that Obama would embrace that more, and be more respectful to people who want to smoke marijuana. I wish he would be more respectful to the state, and state’s rights like Colorado, and the other states that voted for that and not go after marijuana, but Obama giggles about dope smoking and doing cocaine, but still seems thrilled to send people to prison for that.

"'I hasten to add that I have never had a sip of alcohol in my life,' he added, 'and never a puff of marijuana, but I do believe that freedom matters and that should be everyone’s right. I wish he were more open and more accepting of people who are different like gays and so on. I wish he was not using the Patriot Act and having kill lists and detaining people without trials'....

"One libertarian victory was the accumulation of more than one million votes by party presidential candidate Gary Johnson during the recent election cycle. When I pointed out Johnson’s returns to Jillette he offered, 'One of those one million was mine, by the way.' "Given Jillette’s intense political interest, I wondered aloud whether Americans might see Jillette 2016 bumper stickers in the next election cycle. 'I don’t think so', he chuckled, 'I have a job. I love my job, and I have no desire to do anything else. I also wouldn’t have a chance. I don’t think I’m made of the right stuff to be a politician. I think I’m made to be a loose cannon.'" Read more: https://web.archive.org/web/20130122094855/http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/remnant/2012/nov/12/penn-jillette-obama-gary-johnson-hitchens-and-peac/
'via Blog this'

White House website deluged with secession petitions from 20 states

White House website deluged with secession petitions from 20 states - David Martosko, Daily Caller:

November 11, 2012 - "On Nov. 7, the day after President Barack Obama was re-elected, the White House’s website received a petition asking the administration to allow Louisiana to secede.

"If 25,000 people sign the petition by Dec. 7, it will 'require a response' from the Obama administration, according to published rules of the White House’s online 'We the People' program.'

"The Louisiana petition has collected more than 12,300 signatures in four days. A separate effort from Texas has 15,400 supporters.

"Similar petitions from 18 other states began arriving Nov. 9, bringing the total - for the moment - to 20.... "Other than Louisiana and Texas, states with secession-related petitions pending on the White House website now include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina and Tennessee."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/11/white-house-website-deluged-with-secession-petitions-from-19-states/#ixzz2C2Xhp2QJ

Islam and libertarianism are a good fit

Islam and Libertarianism are a Good Fit - MuslimMatters.org - Dean Ahmad:

November 5, 2012 - "The most fundamental ethical principle with political implications in the Qurʾān is the mandate, 'Let there be no coercion in religion' (2:225). This oft-quoted dictum is sometimes oversimplified as meaning only that no one should be forced to convert to Islam. That is certainly one corollary of the basic principle. However, when one realizes that the word here translated as religion (dîn) actually refers to the Islamic way of life, one understands that it has much broader implications, forbidding aggression in any aspect of Muslim life.

"In this respect, the Qurʾānic verse is an endorsement of the fundamental principle of libertarianism, the Nonaggression Principle..... 'No person or group has the right to initiate force or fraud against any other person or group to seek to attain their values.' This common sense principle is accepted by everyone in their daily lives, except for murderers, thieves, and con artists. The problem is that too many people are willing to make an exception to this rule when it comes to the state. The divine law, or (for some) natural law, applies to the state, not just individuals.... In other words a war of aggression is murder (on a massive scale, no less) even though it is conducted by a state; unjust taxes are theft even though collected by the state; and the Federal Reserve Board is engaged in fraud when it prints currency backed by no commodity of value, even though it was chartered by the state to perpetrate the counterfeiting."

Read more: http://muslimmatters.org/2012/11/05/islam-and-libertarianism-are-a-good-fit/
'via Blog this'

Gary Johnson contemplates bowing out of politics

Gary Johnson contemplates bowing out of politics - Rob Nikolewski, New Mexico Watchdog:

November 10, 2012 - "In an exclusive interview with Capitol Report New Mexico on Friday morning, the Libertarian Party candidate for president said, 'If there’s no path to winning I’m really not' interested in pursuing another run for the presidency. 'I’m not interested in duplicating what I’ve just done,' Johnson said via telephone from his home in Taos.

"On Election Night, Johnson became the first Libertarian Party presidential candidate to receive more than 1 million votes in a presidential election — something that the national Libertarian Party leadership said it was 'thrilled about' — but the former two-term governor of New Mexico said, 'I was kind of disappointed' in the showing. 'I thought the numbers would have been higher,' Johnson said.

Read more: http://newmexico.watchdog.org/16490/exclusive-gary-johnson-contemplates-bowing-out-of-politics/

Libertarian Party regains ballot status in W.Va.

Libertarian Party regains ballot status in W.Va. - Huntington Herald-Dispatch

"November 9, 2012 - "Charleston, W.Va. (AP) — Libertarian candidates will again appear on the West Virginia ballot after an absence of more than a decade.... The party’s nominee for governor attracted enough votes for Libertarians to regain ballot status.

"David Moran received more than 8,700 votes or 1.3 percent of the total.... State law recognizes parties for ballot access when at least 1 percent of the gubernatorial vote goes to its candidate.

"The Libertarian Party had cleared that threshold in 1996. But it then lost ballot status in the following election for governor, in 2000, when its candidate missed the mark."

Read more: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x1340518140/Libertarian-Party-regains-ballot-status-in-W-Va

Gary Johnson’s 1.2M vote total set party record; Greens focus on 2014 - UPI.com

Gary Johnson’s 1.2M vote total set party record; Greens focus on 2014 - UPI.com:

Novembr 8, 2012 - "Cravings for less Washington gave the Libertarian presidential entrant a record vote count while a tight Obama-Romney race hurt the Green Party, officials said.

"The nearly 1.2 million votes won by Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, a former two-term Republican New Mexico governor, supported public-opinion polls showing "consistently that a majority of Americans want less government than we have today," party Executive Director Carla Howell told United Press International.

"His nationwide vote count -- the highest count of the minor-party candidates -- represents about 1.2 percent of the total popular presidential vote in the 48 states in which Johnson ran, a UPI analysis of Tuesday's results indicated. Johnson was denied ballot positions in Michigan and Oklahoma.

"His vote count also beat the previous Libertarian Party record, set in 1980 by lawyer-politician Ed Clark, of 921,128 votes, or 1 percent of the nationwide total."

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/11/08/Libertarian-Party-buoyant-Greens-hopeful/UPI-46151352363400/#ixzz2BfjgX3tT
'via Blog this'

D.C.’s Newest Major Party: Libertarians

D.C.’s Newest Major Party: Libertarians - Loose Lips - Mike Madden, Washington CityPaper:

November 6, 2012 - "The Libertarian Party became the fourth political organization to hold major party status in D.C. tonight, with Bruce Majors winning enough votes in his losing challenge to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton to get the party officially recognized as such by the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics. He needed 7,500, which he cleared easily with 83 percent of the vote counted: By 10:56 p.m., Majors had won 11,213 votes.

"Major party status means the District will conduct a primary for Libertarian candidates in 2014, and that the party won't have to seek ballot access for the general election."

Read more: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2012/11/06/d-c-s-newest-major-party-libertarians/
'via Blog this'

Recreational marijuana, gay marriage backed in historic U.S. votes

Recreational marijuana, gay marriage backed in historic U.S. votes - World - CBC News:

November 7, 2012 - "Maine and Maryland became the first states to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote, while Washington state and Colorado set up a showdown with federal authorities by legalizing recreational use of marijuana....

"The results in Maine and Maryland broke a 32-state streak, dating back to 1998, in which gay marriage had been rebuffed by every state that held a vote on it. They will become the seventh and eighth states to allow same-sex couples to marry....

"The marijuana measures in Colorado and Washington will likely pose a headache for the U.S. Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, which consider pot an illegal drug. The Department of Justice has declined to say how it would respond if the measures were approved."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/11/06/us-election-ballot-initiatives-sidebar.html?cmp=rss
'via Blog this'

Liberty Daily | Setting Expectations: Will Gary Johnson Join The Million-Vote Club?.

Liberty Daily | Setting Expectations: Will Gary Johnson Join The Million-Vote Club? - Austin F. Cassidy:

October 21, 2012 - "I always hate when I encounter the post-election disappointment coming from people who are brand new to minor party politics. It’s not their fault really, as for many people this might be the very first presidential election where they’re truly engaged. They often have wildly, ridiculously grand expectations. This is the first time they’ve ever been excited about anything political and when the returns start rolling in they feel crushed — even if their candidate did significantly better than expected.

"For myself, I’ve set my expectations at what I think are a pretty reasonable level. No Libertarian candidate for president has ever captured more than 1 million votes and I will consider the Johnson campaign a thoroughly successful effort if he breaks through that barrier....

"Another thing to look for is Johnson’s individual showings in each of the 48 states he’ll be on the ballot in. How many states can Johnson poll more than 1%, 2%, or even 3% in? Outside of the Ed Clark campaign in 1980, a Libertarian candidate for president has only attracted more than 1% of the vote in a state on 12 instances. And it’s only happened 3 times in the last 20 years!"

http://www.libertydaily.com/2012/10/setting-expectations-will-gary-johnson-join-the-million-vote-club/
'via Blog this'

November 7 - As of 10 a.m. today, Google is showing Johnson at 1,139,000 votes. He is polling at 2% or better in: New Mexico (3.5%), Montana (2.9%), Alaska (2.5%), Wyoming (2.2%), and Maine (2.0%). - GD

Ron Paul Republicans win House races

Ron Paul Republicans win House races | The Daily Caller - W. James Antle III:

November 7, 2012 -  "Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul will retire from Congress next year after serving for 12 terms, but several Republicans influenced by the iconic libertarian-leaning lawmaker will be arriving to take his place.

"Thomas Massie won the race to replace retiring Kentucky Republican Rep. Geoff Davis, beating Democrat Bill Adkins by 20 percentage points. Massie, an ally of Paul’s son, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, raised nearly 10 times as much money as Adkins, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"Michigan Republican Rep. Justin Amash, who was already vying to be the House’s next 'Dr. No' in his first term, was re-elected with 58 percent of the vote....

"In a neighboring Michigan district, Ron Paul Republican Kerry Bentivolio was elected to the House seat formerly held by GOP Rep. Thaddeus McCotter....

"Many other candidates endorsed by Ron and Rand Paul, as well as Paul-influenced organizations like Campaign for Liberty, were on the ballot Tuesday, including Texas Sen.-elect Ted Cruz. But these three Republicans most self-consciously identified with the Pauls’ calls for deep spending cuts, auditing the Federal Reserve, and a more restrained foreign policy.

"They all raised money from Paul’s vast national network of donors, which helped them remain competitive in their primaries and the general election."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/07/ron-paul-republicans-win-house-races/
'via Blog this'

Johnson satisfied with presidential run, mum on future bid for elected office | Fox News

Johnson satisfied with presidential run, mum on future bid for elected office | Fox News - Joseph Weber:

November 6, 2012 - "Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson spent Election Day wrangling last-minute votes and staying upbeat in the face of possible defeat.

The long-shot candidate, a former New Mexico governor, knew he had essentially no chance of becoming the next U.S. president, but he argued he had delivered his message to the public and still wanted to get 5 percent of the vote, which would give the Libertarian Party equal access to federal funding in 2016 and easier access to ballots in all 50 states.....

"'Regardless of the outcome today, ours is a mission accomplished,' Johnson told FoxNews.com. 'We put a true small-government, individual-freedom option on the ballot in virtually every state and have assembled an organization that will carry that message forward...'

"Johnson said he 'fully expects to remain a messenger for a liberty, small-government agenda.

"'But this election is not even in the books yet. It is too soon to be talking about 2016,' he added."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/johnson-satisfied-with-presidential-run-mum-on-future-bid-for-elected-office/#ixzz2BUbNoUph
'via Blog this'

Gary Johnson and libertarian Republicans (new Nolan Chart article)

Gary Johnson and libertarian Republicans

---

Why liberty-minded Republicans should vote for Gary Johnson for President
by George Dance
(libertarian)
Sunday, November 4, 2012

http://www.nolanchart.com/article9940-gary-johnson-and-libertarian-republicans.html

Gary Johnson in D.C.: Libertarian Candidate Seeks To Upset Mitt Romney

Gary Johnson in D.C.: Libertarian Candidate Seeks To Upset Mitt Romney - Michael Grass, Huffington Post:

November 5, 2012 - "While President Obama and Mitt Romney will be in Chicago and Boston, respectively, on Tuesday, Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson will be in the nation's capital trying to woo voters heading to the polls....

"According to a media release, Johnson and Bruce Majors, the Libertarian candidate for D.C.'s non-voting congressional delegate, will be in the Dupont Circle neighborhood on Tuesday morning greeting voters at Precinct 15 at Foundry United Methodist Church, which 'boasts an electoral history as one of D.C.'s higher-performing Libertarian polling places.'"

"There's a good reason why Johnson is putting extra pressure on D.C. voters: The former New Mexico governor wants to place second in the nation's capital and upset Romney. A third-place finish for the Republican presidential nominee would be a huge symbolic victory for Libertarians."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/gary-johnson-dc-presidential-vote_n_2080388.html
'via Blog this'

Gary Johnson best choice for president - Coldwater, MI - The Daily Reporter:

Our View: Write-in candidate Gary Johnson best choice for president - Coldwater, MI - The Daily Reporter:

Nov. 4, 2012 -- "Polls show most voters believe the country is on the wrong track. Both Democrats and Republicans are indebted to special interests that benefit from deficit spending and federal mandates.

"Just as we said four years ago that then-candidate Barack Obama’s pledges were unrealistic, today’s promises by Republican challenger Mitt Romney would also leave Americans disappointed four years from now.

"Moving America off its decades-long track toward a crash of unsustainable deficit spending requires leaders who are not part of the problem yet who also have experience in government management.

"The Daily Telegram editorial board believes on balance that former two-term New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate, is not only better qualified than either Obama or Romney, but also represents the principles of limited government and personal freedom and responsibility that America today desperately needs."

Read more: http://www.thedailyreporter.com/article/20121104/OPINION/121109825#art-tit
'via Blog this'

2008 Libertarian Party nominee is supporting Romney - Human Events

2008 Libertarian Party nominee warns of 'dire necessity' to defeat Obama - Conservative News - John Gizzi, Human Events

November 5, 2012 - "Clearly thinking of those planning to vote for Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson — or not vote at all — the 2008 Libertarian nominee for president said last week he is supporting Mitt Romney this time because “it is an absolute dire necessity to defeat Barack Obama.”

"Four years after he carried the Libertarian presidential standard — and in all likelihood tipped North Carolina’s electoral votes from John McCain to Barack Obama — former Republican Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia told Human Events last week he is back in the Republican fold and strongly supporting Mitt Romney....

"Barr ... refused to utter anything but kind words about the Libertarian ticket of former New Mexico Gov. Johnson for President and California jurist James P. Gray for vice president. As he told us, 'they are a tremendous ticket and champions of liberty. But unfortunately we have a system that has a closed door to a third party. Building a third party is certainly a noble goal and it should be pursued. But given the possibility that a strong showing by (the Libertarian Party) might lead to a second term for Barack Obama, this isn’t the time or place for it.'"

Read more: http://www.humanevents.com/2012/11/05/2008-libertarian-party-nominee-warns-of-dire-necessity-to-defeat-obama/
'via Blog this'