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/
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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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