Ron Paul unfiltered - Time

Ron Paul Unfiltered: Libertarian Icon On His New Internet TV Channel | TIME.com - Andy Meek:

August 30, 2013 - "Former Texas congressman Ron Paul has never been at a loss for ways to pass the time. Between his books – he’s got a new one out in September – speaking engagements, the presidential runs, and now his online venture the Ron Paul Channel, his professional pace has tended to belie his 78 years.

"The newest of those enterprises is his just-launched subscription-based video “channel,” a platform presenting Paul’s unfettered commentary on the news of the day for which subscribers pay $9.95 a month. That gets them access to a handful of episodes a week featuring the indefatigable libertarian standard-bearer editorializing at length on his favorite subjects and interviewing friendly guests, with Paul broadcasting from Texas and most of the technicians working from California.

"Paul, who says he doesn’t technically own the outlet, nevertheless sees its launch as typifying today’s media topography, in which mobile devices level the playing field for would-be publishers and let anyone with a microphone use new media to bypass old gatekeepers."

Read more: http://business.time.com/2013/08/30/ron-paul-unfiltered-libertarian-icon-on-his-new-tv-channel/
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Libertopia festival in San Diego Labor Day weekend

Libertarian 'Libertopia' Festival Labor Day weekend in San Diego - Shirley Husar, Urban Game Changer, Washington Times Communities:

August 30, 2013 - "Jeffrey Tucker is Master of Ceremonies at this year 2013 Libertopia Festival. The Festival takes place August 30 through September 2, Labor Day weekend, at the Town & Country Resort and Conference Center in Mission Valley, San Diego California.

 "Tucker is the publisher and executive editor of Laissez Faire, Distinguished Fellow of the Foundation for Economic Education, research fellow of the Acton Institute, economic analysis of the Daily Bitcoin, and consultant to Praxis. He is the author of several books including Bourbon for Breakfast (2010), It’s a Jetsons World (2011), A Beautiful Anarchy, and The Annotated Bibliography of Henry Hazlitt (1992)....

 "Keynote speakers at the Festival include:
 "Jennifer Grossman, CEO of Jag TV....
"Matt Amberson, an entrepreneur and un-schooling advocate, is the host of DeadEasyLife.com....
 "Michael Badnarik is a constitutional scholar, and author of the highly acclaimed “Good to be King”.... 

"Additionally, organizers will present The Sovereign Awards for Lifetime Achievement to two outstanding individuals....

"The Festival closes on Sunday night with a scrumptious feast served buffet style....

"To learn more go to http://www.libertopia.org/2013/

 Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/urban-game-changer/2013/aug/30/libertarian-libertopia-festival-labor-day-weekend-/

VA Libertarian kept out of debates & most polls

Debates, polls silence Libertarian VA gubernatorial candidate - Kathryn Watson, Human Events:

August 26, 2013 - "Virginians will have three options in November when they mark their choice for governor on the ballot.

"But you wouldn’t know it from scanning coverage of the contentious race for the commonwealth’s highest seat in public office.

"It’s hard to turn on the TV, read a tweet or open a web browser without seeing ads — usually attack ads — for either Republican Ken Cuccinelli orDemocrat Terry McAuliffe. Many pollsters and debate gatekeepers, not to mention media outlets, are leaving Libertarian Robert Sarvis out of the conversation entirely....

"'I’m talking about issues that just aren’t being talked about,' Sarvis said in an interview with Watchdog.org, mentioning pension reform, decriminalizing minor drug offenses, creating a preferential-free and simple tax system and shrinking Virginia’s reliance on the federal government.

"[T]hird-party candidates like Sarvis ... aren’t well known ... so they often aren’t included in polls. Because they aren’t included in polls, they can’t meet polling criteria for debating their opponents.... They don’t have a chance to hash it out with opponents, so they don’t get public exposure. (The comparatively diminutive size of third-party war chests also doesn’t help.)"

Read more: http://www.humanevents.com/2013/08/26/debates-polls-silence-libertarian-va-gubernatorial-candidate/
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Bob Barr campaigns on individual liberty

Bob Barr Campaigns on Individual Liberty – The Political Alternative - Dennis "DJ" Mikolay, Independent Voter News:

August 23, 2013 - "Had former Congressman Bob Barr decided to simply retire and return to private life upon leaving Congress in 2003, nobody would have blamed him.... Rather than relaxing during his post-electoral career, however, the sixty-four year old attorney spent a decade writing, advocating, and speaking on behalf of liberty-minded issues.

"As the years progressed, Barr became increasingly worried by what he saw occurring in Washington: the erosion of civil liberties, the expansion of federal power, and the unwillingness of the Legislature to stand up to the Executive Branch. Consequently, a full decade after leaving office, Barr has decided he is ready to make a comeback.

"'As many Americans have, over the past five and a half years, my concerns for the future of the country was heightened considerably,' said Barr. 'Knowing the Congress and how to get things done up there, and having very strong conservative views on public policy issues, I was very interested in seeking election back to Congress.'"

Read more: http://ivn.us/the-political-alternative/2013/08/23/bob-barr-campaigns-on-individual-liberty/
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Seven Maine Committeemen leave Republican Party

Seven Maine GOP Officials Leave Party In Name Of Libertarian Cause - Igor Bobic, Talking Points Memo:

"August 20, 2013 - State Republican officials appear to be fleeing their party in August.

"After the co-chair of Iowa's Polk County GOP resigned and registered Independent Tuesday citing a party 'headed in the wrong direction,' seven local GOP members in Maine also stepped down lamenting the abandonment of conservative and libertarian principles, the Portland Press Herald reported.

"The officials, including one of Maine's three voting members of the Republican National Committee and six other members of the Maine State Republican Committee, joined a letter accusing House speaker John Boehner (R-OH) of 'cowardly leadership' and criticized establishment for accepting tax increases, supporting National Security Agency surveillance programs and orchestrating a move at the Republican National Convention in Tampa last year that froze out delegates for then-Republican presidential contender and libertarian hero Ron Paul."

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/seven-maine-gop-officials-leave-party-in-name

Sarah Palin says, "I’m on Team Rand"

Palin slams Christie, says ‘I’m on Team Rand’:  Ruth Tam, Post Politics, Washington Post:

August 12, 2013 - "Former GOP vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor Sarah Palin went after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Fox News, saying Christie 'is for big government and trying to go along to get along.'

"Discrediting Christie’s reputation as a governor who 'goes rogue,' Palin said 'he’s got a schtick going there where he’s got a YouTube videographer following him around, kind of these set-up situations sometimes so he can be seen as perhaps a little bit avant-garde and going rogue on things.'

Throwing her weight behind Christie’s rival Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Palin praised Paul’s 'healthy libertarian streak' and said Paul 'gets the whole notion of ‘don’t tread on me’ government.'"

Read more:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/08/12/palin-slams-christie-says-im-on-team-rand/
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19 awesome movies that are secretly libertarian

19 awesome movies that are secretly libertarian - Business Insider - Amelia Acosta:

August 16, 2013 - "John Osborne's "Miss Liberty's Guide to Film and Video: Movies For The Libertarian Millennium" compiles over 250 movies that spotlight libertarian ideology, from anti-war films to dystopian portrayals of totalitarian governments to feel-good flicks about being yourself.

"We picked our favorites from Osborne's list and added some of our own for the 19 movies that best combine politics and cinema. They'll make you think and might incite some small-government enthusiasm. Get popcorn and prepare to embrace your personal liberty, for better or worse.

• A Bug's Life (1998)
• Apocalypse Now (1979)
• Jurassic Park (1973)
• All the King's Men (1949)
• Star Wars (1977)
• Ghostbusters (1989)
• Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1977)
• Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
• Harry's War (1981)
• The Godfather (1972)
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
• Jaws (1975)
• Billy Elliott (2000)
• There Will Be Blood (2007)
• 1984 (1984)
• Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001)
• Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
• Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
• Fight Club (1996)

"Also check out Osborne's full book here."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/secret-libertarian-movies-jurassic-park-2013-8?op=1
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America's Libertarian Moment; an interview with David Boaz

America's Libertarian Moment - Molly Ball - The Atlantic:

August 18, 2013 - "Libertarianism is on the march. From the rapid rise to prominence of first-term Senator Rand Paul to the state-level movements to legalize gay marriage and marijuana, the philosophy of fiscal conservatism, social liberalism, and restrained foreign policy seems to be gaining currency in American politics. But it's nothing new, of course. (New York Times Magazine, 1971: "The New Right Credo: Libertarianism.") A lonely band of libertarian thinkers have been propounding this philosophy since the 1960s, when the late thinker Murray Rothbard published his first book, Reason magazine was founded, and, in 1974, Rothbard teamed up with Charles Koch and Ed Crane to found the Cato Institute, one of Washington's most influential think tanks.

"David Boaz, Cato's executive vice president, has been with the organization since 1981, giving him a good perch to put the current libertarian vogue in perspective. In an interview this week, we talked about the political currents propelling libertarianism into the political mainstream, the Supreme Court's libertarian turn, whether Paul will be our next president, and much more....

"What is the significance of Rand Paul to this discussion?
"Rand Paul is clearly the most significant libertarian-leaning American political figure in a long time. There are a couple of issues I disagree with him on, but when you look at issues that cut across left-right boundaries, like his interest in reduced spending, less regulation, reining in our adventurous foreign policy, protecting America's rights against surveillance -- that's a combination of issues that libertarians have waited a long time to find together in one candidate. I think he can have a lot of appeal. A lot of libertarians, including those who came out of the Ron Paul movement but also others, are very interested in seeing how far his political ambitions might take him....

"Are there other libertarian-leaning politicians you're interested in besides Rand Paul?
"One of the problems for libertarians is they aren't much interested in politics. The three most libertarian governors of past decade -- the brilliant lawyer William Weld, the true citizen-politician Gary Johnson, and the eccentric entertainer Jesse Ventura -- all walked away from politics. In the House you have Justin Amash [of Michigan] and Thomas Massie [of Kentucky] -- I once did a study that determined that Kentucky was the least libertarian state in the country by several criteria. Then they elected Rand Paul and Thomas Massie, so maybe I have to reconsider."

Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/08/americas-libertarian-moment/278785/
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Undeletable child porn images being sent to anti-NDAA activists

Using Child Porn To Take Down The Liberty Movement? (Video) | Ben Swann:

August 22, 2013 - "Dan Johnson of the group P.A.N.D.A (People Against the NDAA) talks with Ben Swann about the child pornography sent to him via a Tormail account.... Johnson received this email only a few weeks after Luke Rudkowski (We Are Change) and Madison Rupert (End The Lie) also received emails from a purported 'whistleblower.' Those emails also contained child pornography....

"Explains Johnson, 'If I didnʼt have any IT background, I would think that deleting the file actually deletes the file. It doesnʼt really delete the file; it just deletes the markers where the file is supposed to be. So the file would still be on my computer and I wouldnʼt know it. So if I were to be raided at any point because someone were to say "I think Dan has child [p]ornography on his computer" then someone would come in, they would open the computer, they would look at it. I would obviously have no idea it was there. They would take the computer and what would happen from there, I am not really sure. It is about 5 years in prison for each image.'"

Read more: http://benswann.com/using-child-porn-to-take-down-the-liberty-movement-video/
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Libertarian Robert Sarvis: Cuccinelli is 'too extreme', McAuliffe 'is terrible'

Libertarian trying to shake up Va. governor's race gets tough on top candidates | Fox News:

August 10, 2013 - "Robert Sarvis, the Libertarian Party candidate in the Virginia gubernatorial race, knows he’s a long shot to win. That’s typical for a third-party candidate going against a Democrat, a Republican and the well-funded operations that support them.

"Yet Sarvis is hoping to ride the country’s recent wave of Libertarian enthusiasm long enough to at least shake up a race in which voters are showing unfavorable opinions for Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe and Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli....

"He accuses both gubernatorial candidates of economic and social 'engineering' in which they pick winners and losers based upon their views and those of their respective political party.

"He argues personal and economic freedoms 'cannot be separated out' and points out that Cuccinelli supports the coal industry while McAuliffe touts green energy.... 'Instead of trying to free business from government, they are picking and choosing which industries they like better,' he told FoxNews.com on Saturday....

"'McAuliffe is terrible for Virginia. He’s a national Democrat, not a Virginia Democrat,' Sarvis continued. 'And Cuccinelli is too extreme on personal issues and not transparent on economic issues.'"

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/08/10/libertarian-trying-to-shake-up-va-governor-race-has-unflattering-words-for-top/#ixzz2cjnEtfN4
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The Ron Paul Channel launched on Internet

The Ron Paul Channel: libertarianism 'unfiltered and uninterrupted' | World news | theguardian.com - Adam Gabbett::

August 16 - "Ron Paul officially launched his Ron Paul Channel this week, an online news source that purports to be the 'next chapter of our revolution' and comes with titles, interviews with key players and lots of Ron Paul talking about libertarianism.

"Filmed in the little town of Clute, Texas, and Los Angeles, the Ron Paul Channel will publish three 30-minute shows per week. Its slogan: 'Turn Off Your TV. Turn On the Truth' suggests a combative tone, while those behind it say there has been an "outpouring of interest" in the first few days.

"It's Paul's first major initiative since retiring from Congress in January. He told the Guardian that he opted for a news channel 'because the mainstream media is not telling the stories that Americans really need to know.

"'There is no space for people to have a real discussion about the Fed or drone strikes abroad or the pharmaceutical industry, let alone how our freedoms are being infringed upon by big government,' he said. 'These are issues that affect Americans daily and this channel aims to address that directly.'"

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/16/ron-paul-channel-new-show
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Libertarian Wylie polls near 9% in FL Governor's race

LP Candidate Wyllie stuns naysayers with performance in latest political polls - Tampa Bay Libertarian | Examiner.com - Brian C. Cole:

August 5, 2013 - "On Monday, Aug. 5, St.PetePolls.org (a division of Fextel, Inc.) released political polling data stunning media outlets and numerous other naysayers across the Sunshine State working to ignore Libertarian Party (LP) Gubernatorial Candidate Adrian Wyllie's grass-roots campaign to become Florida’s next governor.

Not only did Wyllie receive support when mentioned alongside co-contenders Charlie Crist and Rick Scott, he actually placed at a respectable 8.7 percent. Remarkably, Wyllie's building support base is the result of a much more limited campaign budget than his expected Democratic and Republican opponents in next November's election....

"When respondents are broken down by party affiliation, Wyllie received support from 6.9 percent of voters identifying themselves as Democrats, 9.4 percent as Republicans, and 11.1 percent of Independents.

"In terms of race, 8.8 percent of whites backed Wyllie, along with 9.1 percent of blacks, 8.0 percent of Hispanics, 4.9 percent of Asians/Pacific Islanders, and 9.6 percent other or unknown races.

"When segregated by age, Wyllie received 10.5 percent of the support of voters age 18 to 29, 10.7 percent of voters age 30 to 49, 7.8 percent age 50 to 69, and 5.0 percent for voters age 70 or older.
"
Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/lp-candidate-wyllie-shocks-naysayers-with-his-placement-recent-political-poll
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Julian Assange is "a big admirer of Ron Paul and Rand Paul"

Assange's Emerging Politics: Rand Paul And Libertarian Wing of GOP Represent 'Only Hope' - Forbes - Tom Watson:

August 17, 2013 - "The strong turn of Julian Assange and Wikileaks toward partisan electoral politics continued this weekend, as Assange told an online audience that he’s “a big admirer of Ron Paul and Rand Paul for their very principled positions in the U.S. Congress on a number of issues” and insisted that the libertarian wing the Republican Party represented the “only hope” for reform in American politics.

"The praise for the conservative Paul wing of the Republican Party in the U.S., aligned with Tea Party and anti-government activists, comes on the heels of the establishment of the Wikileaks Party in Australia, where Assange is standing for election to the Senate from Victoria.

"'The Republican Party in so far as how it has coupled together with the war industry is not a conservative party at all and the Libertarian aspect of the Republican Party is presently the only useful political voice in the US Congress,' he said.... Libertarians on the right, claimed Assange, “will be the driver that shifts the United States around.'"

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomwatson/2013/08/17/assanges-politics-rand-paul-and-libertarian-wing-of-gop-represent-only-hope-in-u-s/
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Wilder's Little House as libertarian propaganda

'Little House' Is Not a Big Libertarian Conspiracy - Bloomberg - Megan McArdle:

August 13, 2013 - "Did Rose Wilder Lane, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s daughter, turn the 'Little House on the Prairie' stories into libertarian propaganda? That’s the argument of a long article in the Boston Globe.... Christine Woodside, the author of the Boston Globe piece, argues that Lane imposed her own politics on her mother’s narrative....

"Bold claims! Unfortunately, they are not bold claims backed up by excellent evidence.... For example, here’s one of the most damning bits of evidence that Woodside offers:

"In the fifth book, for example, “By the Shores of Silver Lake,” Laura promises to become a teacher to pay for her older sister Mary to attend a college for the blind. Wilder’s own account of her life reveals that although Wilder’s sister did attend a college for the blind, in reality it was the government of Dakota Territory -- and not the family’s hard work -- that covered the bills....

"That the Dakota Territory government paid Mary’s tuition at the Vinton, Iowa, college for the blind has been well known to Ingallsologists for some time; it’s mentioned in Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer’s Life, by Pamela Smith Hill. However [according to Smith Hill], ...

Dakota Territory actually paid for Mary’s tuition; the family paid for her room and board, books and supplies, and clothing.

"Woodside’s passage implies that Wilder basically lied about having to work hard to keep her in college, but .[Wilder's account was] ... not nearly as misleading as what Woodside wrote, if Smith Hill has the right of it. And [Woodside] doesn’t offer any proof that this was politically motivated."

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-13/-little-house-is-not-a-big-libertarian-conspiracy.html
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Libertarian Populism and Its critics

Libertarian Populism and Its Critics - NYTimes.com - Ross Douthat:

August 16, 2013 - "Retreating to a federalist, relatively-latitudinarian stance on gay marriage and marijuana, for instance, would take the [Republican] party a step closer to the emerging millennial-generation consensus on those issues. Doubting the wisdom of foreign aid and foreign interventions places the libertarian populists squarely in the center of post-Iraq War public opinion. And the libertarian enthusiasm for criminal-justice reform offers a potential bridge to minority communities that have sound historical reasons to distrust Republicans....

"The ... Obama era has featured a clash of interests in which the winners from liberalism’s preferred policies are just as likely to be insiders of various sorts — well-salaried bureaucrats, even-better-salaried contractors, employers who want low wages and energy companies with the right lobbyists – as they are to be either the middle class writ large or the genuinely disadvantaged."

Read more: http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/16/libertarian-populism-and-its-critics/?_r=0
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NSA broke rules thousands of times per year, audit finds

NSA broke privacy rules thousands of times per year, audit finds - The Washington Post:

August 15, 2013 - "The National Security Agency has broken privacy rules or overstepped its legal authority thousands of times each year since Congress granted the agency broad new powers in 2008, according to an internal audit and other top-secret documents.

"Most of the infractions involve unauthorized surveillance of Americans or foreign intelligence targets in the United States, both of which are restricted by statute and executive order. They range from significant violations of law to typographical errors that resulted in unintended interception of U.S. e-mails and telephone calls."

"The documents, provided earlier this summer to The Washington Post by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, include a level of detail and analysis that is not routinely shared with Congress or the special court that oversees surveillance. In one of the documents, agency personnel are instructed to remove details and substitute more generic language in reports to the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-broke-privacy-rules-thousands-of-times-per-year-audit-finds/2013/08/15/3310e554-05ca-11e3-a07f-49ddc7417125_story.html
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In search of a populist GOP

How Republicans Can Meld Libertarianism and Populism - Stephanie Slade (usnews.com):

August 14, 2013 - "Amid the search for a way forward for Republicans heading into the 2014 midterm elections, the drumbeat for 'libertarian populism' has been getting steadily louder. That idea, defended by writers like the Washington Examiner's Tim Carney and The Transom's Ben Domenech, asks the GOP to meld two strains within its ranks that have, until now, generally been seen as discrete.

"Libertarianism is characterized by its support for only minimal government intrusion into the free market. Populism, meanwhile, is known for its support of anything that benefits "regular Americans" instead of powerful elites....

"The philosophy's advocates ... call for eliminating governmental programs primarily because those programs give a leg up to large, entrenched interests like super PACs, labor unions, banks and corporations. Libertarian populism is defined less by what it's for and more by what it seeks to do away with – the reality that our current system unfairly privileges big institutions at everyone else's expense.

"There can be no doubt crony capitalism is a problem in America. When the biggest, richest, most powerful institutions can collude with government to rig the game in their favor, the competition that makes free markets the greatest force for freedom in the world begins to break down. Aspiring entrepreneurs are dissuaded from trying to start new businesses, because they doubt they'll be able to compete with existing ones – not on the merits, but in the big firms' ability to buy influence with policymakers. And when producers are able to gain an unfair advantage through subsidies, bailouts, federal loan guarantees or beneficial regulations, consumers are forced to pay more for lesser products."

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/Stephanie-Slade/2013/08/14/how-republicans-can-meld-libertarianism-and-populism
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Lindsey Graham challenged by libertarian Republicans

Lindsey Graham’s Libertarian Challengers | The American Conservative - W. James Antle III:

"Ever since Strom Thurmond shuffled off to an Edgefield retirement home over a decade ago, Lindsey Graham has represented South Carolina — and served as John McCain’s junior partner — in the Senate.

"Like McCain, Graham has been bipartisan in his deal-making and support for war-making.... South Carolina is home to eight military bases and two military colleges. More than a fifth of voters in the state’s 2012 Republican presidential primary served in the armed forces....

"So it is remarkable that two of Graham’s three challengers in next year’s Republican primary seem prepared to take the senator’s hawkishness head-on. State Sen. Lee Bright, a lawmaker from Greer, endorsed Ron Paul for president....

"Bright is joined by Charleston businesswoman Nancy Mace. When Graham suggested that Rand Paul was soft on national defense, Mace ... argued that instead of endorsing 'President Obama’s intrusive arm of big brother regarding the collection of data and phone records,' we might instead revisit Graham’s policies of foreign aid and intervention....

"Bright went a step further. 'I think the federal government is a lot more dangerous to our liberties and our freedoms than some radical Islamist coming in,' he told a conservative website, saying that vigilance was required but Graham has 'got more faith and trust in the federal government than I do' regarding national surveillance."

Read more: http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/lindsey-grahams-libertarian-challenge/
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Judge upholds Libertarian challenge to Colorado recall ballot

Judge rules for Libertarians, putting new wrinkle in recall against Morse, Giron - Megan Schrader, Colorado Springs Gazette"

August 13, 2013 - "A shockwave reverberated through both side[s] in the recall elections of two southern Colorado Democratic senators after a judge's ruling likely eliminates mail-in ballots for the looming Sept. 10 elections.

"Judge Robert McGahey considered a lawsuit brought by the Libertarian Party saying they were wrongfully denied the ability to get a candidate into recall elections for Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, and Sen. Angela Giron, D-Pueblo.

"McGahey - in a decision that stunned many on Monday evening - ruled that potential candidates should have had until 15 days prior to the election to turn in enough signatures to get their names on the ballot. It's a part of the constitution that applies only to recall elections and is seldom used....

"That provision of the constitution is in direct conflict with legislation overhauling the state's election process that became law this summer. The new law gave potential candidates 10 days after the governor set the date of the recall election to turn the signatures in and get their name[s] on the ballot."

Read more: http://gazette.com/judge-rules-for-libertarians-putting-new-wrinkle-in-recall-against-morse-giron/article/1504763
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First Libertarian candidate files for 2014 Kansas governor's race

Bonner Springs woman becomes first libertarian candidate to file for 2014 Kansas governor's race - Associated Press:

August 8, 2013 - "TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A Bonner Springs woman has become the first Libertarian Party candidate to file for the 2014 Kansas governor's race.

"Tresa McAlhaney announced Wednesday that she has filed the necessary paperwork to establish her campaign. She and running mate Grant Nelson are the first team to go public about seeking to oust Republican Governor Sam Brownback next year.

"Libertarians are hoping to achieve 5 percent of the total vote in the governor's race, a threshold that would elevate the party's status equal to Republicans and Democrats."

Read more: http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/political/bonner-springs-woman-becomes-first-candidate-to-file-for-kansas-governors-race
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The 'conservative movement' an obsolete model

PJ Lifestyle » No to Corporate Neoconservatism, No to Paleo-Libertarian Anarchism, Yes to Augustinian Realism - Dave Swindle, PJ Media:

August 9, 2013 - "Here’s the problem: on foreign policy today’s 'Conservative movement' is an obsolete model. And more importantly, a misnomer ... the 'Conservative Movement' is more accurately understood as a tool of the Anti-Communist movement. Defeating the Soviet Union is what animated William F. Buckley, Jr. and Ronald Reagan. The building of the Conservative Movement was just a means to that end.

"The philosophy of Fusionism was developed by ex-Communist Frank Meyer in the pages of National Review in the 1950s. The goal: get national defense conservatives, business conservatives, traditionalist conservatives, libertarian conservatives, and religious conservatives to unite around the common threat of Communism.

"Over the course of decades this ideological movement grew until it elected politicians, took over the Republican party, elected Ronald Reagan as president, and then successfully implemented the needed strategies to defeat the Soviet Union, freeing the millions of people enslaved within it. Reagan spoke publicly of his debt to Meyer and how he implemented the strategy. But without the unifying threat of the Soviet Union the coalition came apart in 1992. The Chris Christie vs Rand Paul fight of a generation prior was George H.W. Bush vs Ross Perot. The result of that split in the coalition was 8 years of Bill Clinton and a Conservative Movement adrift without a purpose anymore.

"Nowadays the three legs of the conservative stool squabble over which is the most important – foreign policy, economics, or social issues. There is no longer a consensus on who the enemy is or how to defeat them."

Read more: http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2013/08/09/no-to-corporate-neoconservatism-no-to-paleo-libertarian-anarchism-yes-to-augustinian-realism/
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Reformers attempt to curb NSA surveillance powers

In aftershock of leaks, reformers take a stab at NSA powers — MSNBC - Adam Serwer:

July 23, 2013 - "For the first time since the Patriot Act was passed in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, legislators and civil liberties advocates are convinced that public opinion and political momentum is on their side in the debate over privacy and security.

"'I think reform is coming,' says Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California. 'It’ll take time to determine exactly what form it will take, but I think there is an inexorable move towards greater transparency of the FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] Court and greater restructuring of the surveillance programs.'

"The key priorities for reformers are narrowing the authority granted in section 215 of the Patriot Act, which allows the government to seize business records deemed 'relevant to a terrorism investigation — the same justification used in a leaked FISA court order authorizing the NSA [National Security Agency] to obtain millions of Americans’ phone records — and making the secret FISA court more transparent....

"Here is a rundown of some of the proposals, not all of which have been introduced as legislation:"

Read more: http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/07/23/in-aftershock-of-leaks-reformers-take-a-stab-at-nsa-powers/
'via Blog this'

See also: Obama and FISA, by George J. Dance

Colorado Libertarians sue after being kept off recall ballots

Colorado recall ballots go out as Libertarian Party tries to halt the process - Megan Schreder, Colorado Springs Gazette:

August 8, 2013 - "Colorado's Libertarian Party sued Secretary of State Scott Gessler for access to the recall ballots for Democratic senators John Morse of Colorado Springs and Angela Giron of Pueblo.

"According to the lawsuit, a Libertarian candidate in each district was denied access to the ballot because they missed the 10-day deadline in state statute to submit their petition to get on the ballot after the governor set an election day in July.

"The state Constitution allows candidates 15 days to file their petition to get on the ballot.

"'It is clear that this hasty rule by the Secretary of State conflicts with the Constitution, and we have filed suit to ensure that we have the full time granted by the people of Colorado,' said Libertarian Party State Chairman Jeff Orrok in a prepared statement. 'We oppose any attempt by the legislative or executive branches to deny our candidates, our members, and the voters of Districts 3 and 11 their fundamental rights and the ability to choose the best replacements for these overreaching senators."

Read more: http://gazette.com/colorado-recall-ballots-go-out-as-libertarian-party-tries-to-halt-the-process/article/1504622
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Costa Rican Libertarian Movement members charged with election fraud

Costa Rican Prosecutor’s Office charges Libertarian Movement members with fraud / News Briefs / More news / Costa Rica Newspaper, The Tico Times:

August 5, 2013 - "Costa Rica’s Chief Prosecutor Jorge Chavarría on Monday reported that he had filed fraud charges against three members of the Libertarian Movement Party (ML) for alleged fraud committed against the Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) during the 2010 presidential elections.

"The charges were issued for reporting false expenses totaling ₡240 million ($480,000), money that was apparently used to pay for 190 'training courses.'

"Charged are Libertarian training manager Carlos Solano, treasurer Ronaldo Alfaro and the party’s accountant, Roger Segura. Presidential candidate Otto Guevara is not on the list of persons under investigation, the chief prosecutor said.

"TSE officials said the accusations surfaced after 'extensive research on three political parties suspected of committing crimes involving ₡698 million (some $1.4 million) provided by the state for financing the electoral process.'"

Read more: http://www.ticotimes.net/More-news/News-Briefs/Costa-Rican-Prosecutor-s-Office-charges-Libertarian-Movement-members-with-fraud_Monday-August-05-2013
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Libertarian-leaning Bezos buys Washington Post

The politics of Jeff Bezos - Sean Sullivan, Washington Post:

August 7, 2013 - "The Washington Post will soon be coming under new ownership.... Jeffrey P. Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com will be taking the reins. Bezos, 49, has done most of his political talking with his checkbook, shelling out millions in support of gay marriage last year and thousands more over the years on behalf of mostly Democratic candidates. Those who know Bezos say he has libertarian leanings....

"Bezos’s most notable step into the political arena came in 2012, when he put a whopping $2.5 million into the campaign to defend gay marriage in the state of Washington. It was the largest donation of its kind, and came in response to to an appeal from a former Amazon employee, according to the Seattle Times. The former employee had asked Bezos to chip in less than a tenth of what he and his wife ended up giving....

"Early Amazon investor Nick Hanauer has described Bezos as a libertarian. And Bezos has donated to the nonprofit organization that publishes Reason.com, the Web site of the libertarian magazine with the same name. He also put $100,000 toward the defeat of a 2010 measure that would have imposed an income tax on top earners in the Evergreen State."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/08/07/the-politics-of-jeff-bezos/
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Pirate Cinema, Cryptonomicon win 2013 Prometheus Awards

2013 Prometheus Award Winners Announced - Libertarian Futurist Society (press release):

July 20, 2013 - "The Libertarian Futurist Society has announced the Prometheus Awards winners for Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame), to be presented Friday Aug. 30, 2013 at LoneStarCon3, the 71st Annual World Science Fiction Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

"Cory Doctorow won the award for Best Novel for Pirate Cinema (TOR Books). Doctorow also won the Best Novel award in 2009 for Little Brother. Doctorow explores themes of artistic freedom, Internet freedom and peaceful social change while shedding light on issues of copyright and government surveillance in Pirate Cinema, an optimistic young-adult novel about a young pirate filmmaker whose Internet activity threatens his family with government reprisals and who learns to fight back against outdated forms of control.

Cryptonomicon, a 1999 novel by Neal Stephenson, has won the 2013 Prometheus Hall of Fame award for Best Classic Fiction. Set during World War II and during the early 21st century, Stephenson's novel explores the implications for a free society in the development of computation and cryptography....

Also recognized as Best Novel finalists for the best pro-freedom novel of the past year are Arctic Rising, by Tobias Buckell (TOR Books); The Unincorporated Future, by Dani and Eytan Kollin (TOR Books); Darkship Renegades, by Sarah Hoyt (Baen Books); and Kill Decision, by Daniel Suarez (Dutton - Penguin)....

"Also recognized as Hall of Fame finalists: 'Sam Hall', by Poul Anderson (a short story, published 1953 in Astounding); Falling Free, by Lois McMaster Bujold (a novel, published 1988); '"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman', by Harlan Ellison (a short story, published 1965 in Galaxy); Courtship Rite, by Donald M. Kingsbury (a novel, published 1982); and 'As Easy as A.B.C.', by Rudyard Kipling (a short story, published in London Magazine in 1912).

"The Prometheus Award, sponsored by the Libertarian Futurist Society (LFS), was established in 1979, making it one of the most enduring awards after the Nebula and Hugo awards, and one of the oldest fan-based awards currently in SF."

Read more: http://lfs.org/releases/2013Winners.shtml 

U.S.A. is at a new ‘libertarian moment’

Nation has arrived at a new ‘libertarian moment,’ experts say - KansasCity.com - Dave Helling & Steve Kraske:

August 4, 2013 - "From issues such as same-sex marriage and legal marijuana to restrictions on government spying and U.S. intervention in foreign affairs, the nation is engaged in a new 'libertarian moment,' politicians and political scientists say.

"'The libertarian mindset — just leave me alone, get government out of my way, government shouldn’t tell me what I can or cannot do — that is definitely a larger and more active group than I’ve ever seen before,' said Missouri Sen. Brad Lager, a Republican from Savannah.

"Brink Lindsey, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, sees the same phenomenon.

"'The libertarian impulse is especially prominent right now, and getting attention,' he said."

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/04/4389524/the-nation-has-arrived-at-a-new.html
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Libertarian Party's Vera Kichanova wins municipal office in Russia

Vera Kichanova: Russia's Opposition Must Go Bold, Even In Starting Small - Richard Solash, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty:

July 20, 2013 - "Meet Vera Kichanova, a young woman whose hipster garb belies her maturity, and whose fresh complexion has become one of the faces of the new generation of political opposition in Russia.

"Kichanova, a journalist for the liberal news website Slon, was elected as a municipal deputy in Moscow's Yuzhnoye Tushino district in March 2012. A member of Russia's tiny Libertarian Party, she had campaigned on a ticket of transparency and democratic principles.

"She concedes that her post is one that most Muscovites don't even know exists, but Russia observers and Kichanova alike say her election carries outsize importance. In a country where challenges to the establishment are routinely quashed and officials are usually installed, she says the opposition must be bold when it can – but must also focus on making small political inroads."

Read more: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-opposition-vera-kichanova/25051900.html
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Cato Institute breaks bipartisan mold

Libertarian Cato Institute Breaks Bipartisan Mold - Martin Austermuhle, Washington Diplomat:

July 30, 2013 - "As diverse as the United States is, its political system is unflinchingly bipartisan.... Voters who believe in the power of government to help solve social problems and seek to promote and protect diversity generally align themselves with the Democratic Party, while those who believe in a more limited role for government and a more traditional concept of American society side with the Republican Party.

"But what of voters who take a little from both? Maybe they believe in government austerity but also gay marriage, or perhaps they support immigration reform and drug legalization while opposing restrictions on guns and banks. Well, they're libertarians, and despite their failure to break open the bipartisan edifice, they are constantly knocking at its door.

"'"You might say libertarians are fiscally conservative and socially liberal,' explained Aaron Ross Powell, a research fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington, D.C....

"Since its founding in 1977, the Cato Institute — named after Cato's Letters, a series of 18th-century essays expounding the views of philosopher John Locke — has promoted libertarian ideals through research, publications and conferences. According to the group, the principles of 'individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace' underline its work."

Read more: http://www.washdiplomat.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9444:libertarian-cato-institute-breaks-bipartisan-mold&catid=1505&Itemid=428
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Senate 'wacko birds' speak at Young Americans for Liberty conference

Senate 'wacko birds' at home among the Ron Paul faithful - Chris Moody, Yahoo! News:

August 1, 2013 - "Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah, briefly fled across the Potomac Wednesday night to mingle with a crowd more appreciative of their brand of politics.

"Earlier this week, several hundred college-age libertarians gathered for the fifth annual Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) conference inside a ballroom at the Westin Hotel, located a safe seven miles from the Capitol building. YAL is the youth outreach group birthed from the womb of former Texas Rep. Ron Paul’s first run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, and it works with Paul’s other organization, the Campaign for Liberty, to continue advocating for his causes.

"The young Paulites at the Westin howled when Paul, Cruz and Lee strolled onto the stage.... 'We’re not accustomed to that kind of welcome in Washington,' Lee beamed over the whoops and hollers. 'There are people just a few miles from here who give us quite the opposite reception'....

"'It seems there may be a few wacko birds in the house,' Cruz said from his perch in the middle of the stage, a reference to a term coined by Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain that was not made with affection at the time."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/senate--wacko-birds--at-home-among-the-ron-paul-faithful--210259493.html

Libertarian-leaning super PAC raising big money

Libertarian-leaning super PAC raising big money | The Center for Public Integrity - Adam Wollner:

July 30, 2013 - "A super PAC quietly formed this spring by a prominent libertarian has rushed to a quick fundraising start thanks to a small network of wealthy, like-minded donors.

"Purple PAC, a super PAC led by former Federal Election Commission Chairman Brad Smith and Cato Institute founder Ed Crane, raised $575,000 from the time the group launched in early May through the end of June, new FEC filings show.

"Only four donors contributed, but they provided significant cash. The group received two $250,000 contributions — one from Richard Masson, a Kentucky horse breeder, and another from Pennsylvania-based options trader Jeffrey Yass, who also sits on the board of the Cato Institute.

"Washington, D.C., entrepreneur Philip Harvey donated an additional $50,000 to Purple PAC, while New York real estate developer Howard Rich chipped in $25,000, according to FEC records.

"Smith, who currently serves as the chairman of the anti-campaign finance regulation group Center for Competitive Politics, said Purple PAC plans to make independent expenditures promoting 'freedom-oriented' candidates who are fiscally conservative and socially moderate."

Read more: http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/07/30/13087/libertarian-leaning-super-pac-raising-big-money
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