Libertarian Senate candidate at 7% in CO poll

Libertarian Gaylon Kent excited about running for Colorado Senate seat Lynn Bartels, Denver Post:

"Lost in the slew of polls released last week about Colorado’s U.S. Senate race is one ranking that showed libertarian and humorist Gaylon Kent of Steamboat Springs received 7 percent of the vote.

"That’s not enough to win, but if the race between Democrat Mark Udall and Republican Cory Gardner is as close as all the polls suggest, every vote will count.

"The poll that included Kent was conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Other polls have not included him....

"Kent, 48, who drives an armored truck for Brinks, said liberty will be the focus of his campaign.

"'Liberty is what made this country great, and liberty will make us great again,' Kent said. 'Liberty is the solution to every problem this nation faces. Government exists to provide for the liberty of its citizens and liberty is the solution to every problem this nation faces.'"

Read more: http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2014/04/29/libertarian-gaylon-kent-senate/107776/'via Blog this'

Online gambling ban bill opposed by libertarian coalition

Libertarian groups slam online gambling ban | TheHill - Kate Tummarello:

April 28, 2014 - "A coalition of libertarian groups have said a new bill to ban online gambling would pave the path for more government control over the Internet.

"The bill 'is an inappropriate and unnecessary use of federal powers that infringes on the rights of individuals and states,' a coalition of ten libertarian groups said in a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on Monday.

"The bill to ban most online gambling for money was introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) earlier this year. It would reverse a 2011 Justice Department ruling that reintepreted the Wire Act to allow online gambling.

"Since that ruling, states have moved forward with efforts to legalize and regulate online gambling within their borders. Currently, Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey allow online gambling, and a handful of other states — including California — are looking to do the same....

"The letter from libertarian groups — including FreedomWorks, the Competitive Enterprise Institute and R Street — called the bill from Graham and Chaffetz 'a broad overreach by the federal government over matters traditionally reserved for the states.'

"A ban will push the inevitable online gambling to the black market 'where crime can flourish with little oversight and consumers have little to no protection from predatory behavior,' the letter said."

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/technology/204580-libertarian-groups-slam-online-gambling-ban
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Libertarian city councillor stresses co-operation, gradualism

St. Peter city councilmember talks Libertarian message » Local News » The Free Press, Mankato, MN - Anthony Ratnaraj:

April 26, 2014 - "St. Peter City Councilman Roger Parras spoke about the importance of cooperating with other elected officials to grow the Libertarian Party of Minnesota at its state convention in Maple Grove Saturday.

"Parras, one of two elected Libertarians in the state, was given a slot at the state convention to speak about how Libertarians can get elected.

"'If you have the intentions of just saying "no" across the board, your odds of getting elected are pretty low,' Parras said.

He said most people aren’t comfortable with 'too drastic' changes, but they’re okay with a 'slow change' in government....

"He said he’s using logic in issues like armored vehicles for the police, a roundabout for improved safety, and regulating e-cigarettes to make other members think about the cost and benefit of their actions.

"He was against what he called the 'militarization' of the police force. He asked questions like, 'Why do we need this [armored vehicle]?' Or, 'Is it necessary?' '

"'Unless it’s the city budget, they don’t see it as, you know, city money or tax money,' Parras said."
"
Elizabeth Dahl, a Libertarian candidate running for the Crystal City Council, said she agrees with Parras that Libertarians need to work with other officials. 'Decide what you think is the most important fight to fight now. And then, slowly work your city government to the point where they’re accepting more and more Libertarian ideas,' Dahl said."

Read more: http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/x2117355031/St-Peter-city-councilmember-talks-Libertarian-message
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Why Charles Murray supports guaranteed income

Libertarian Charles Murray: The welfare state has denuded our civic culture | Making Sen$e | PBS NewsHour:

April 10, 2010 - "Switzerland is considering a ballot referendum on an unconditional income of 30,000 Francs for all Swiss citizens.... But ... guaranteed basic income ... has plenty of American proponents.... Perhaps most outspoken among them is libertarian economist Charles Murray, who argues that a guaranteed income administered by the government would take the government out of people’s lives, and consequently, restore the fabric of American culture.... The following transcript of Paul Solman’s extended conversation with Murray about the guaranteed income has been edited and condensed for length and clarity....

Paul Solman: What’s the case for a minimum income?
Charles Murray: From a libertarian’s point of view, we’re going to be spending a lot of money on income transfers, no matter what.
Paul Solman: Why?
Charles Murray: The society is too rich to stand aside and say, “We aren’t going to do anything for people in need.” I understand that; I accept that; I sympathize with it.
    "What I want is a grand compromise between the left and the right. We on the right say, 'We will give you huge government, in terms of the amount of money we spend. You give us small government, in terms of the ability of government to mess around with people’s lives.'
    "So you have a system whereby every month, a check goes into an electronic bank account for everybody over the age of 21, which they can use as they see fit. They can get together with other people and then combine their resources. But they live their own lives. We put their lives back in their hands"

Read more: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/libertarian-charles-murray-the-welfare-state-has-denuded-our-civic-culture/
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Guaranteed Income as a Replacement for the Welfare State, by Charles Murray

Shedding some light on the libertarian surge

Shedding some light on the libertarian surge - Sean Parr, Renew America:

April 10, 2014 - "David Boaz's Politico article, "The Libertarian Surge," commented on the uptick in recent years of libertarianism or, rather, of what libertarians are often associated with espousing (an important distinction, this, as one can incidentally support many libertarian positions without actually being a libertarian). The author defined libertarianism as 'the political philosophy that says limited government is the best kind of government.' Sadly, this definition of his is wanting. I mean, how limited a government constitutes 'limited government'? This could mean that libertarians are for whatever half-hearted, bipartisan, bait-and-switch budget compromise that is laughingly said to shrink the State – its size, scope, or expenditures.

"Here's more like it.

"Libertarianism holds to the non-aggression principle (NAP): it is illicit for any individual (or group of individuals) to initiate, or threaten to initiate, aggression against the person or legitimately held property of any other individual (or group of individuals)....

"The principal reason that libertarians defend the right to keep and bear arms is that they are staunch supporters of property rights. As a matter of fact, in many ways libertarianism boils down to property rights. The NAP is simply incoherent if one cannot know what belongs to whom. In this respect, libertarianism holds to the notion of self-ownership – that an individual has a better claim to his own body than any other person whom might wish to aggressively claim title to, or exercise control over, it. Also, the notions of Lockean homesteading which, as Stephan Kinsella noted, concerns 'the first use or possession of [a] thing' and transfers of contract allow us to discern in a dispute to whom a given thing belongs."

Read more: http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/parr/140410
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See also: ''The Non-Aggression Principle", by George J. Dance

Rand Paul courting wealthy libertarians for possible 2016 run

Rand Paul and Wealthy Libertarians Connect as He Weighs Running - NYTimes.com - Nicholas Confessore:

April 24, 2014 - "As he has risen in prominence as a Republican presidential contender, Mr. Paul is avidly courting a small but influential cluster of wealthy libertarians.... A tight-knit tribe of philanthropists and entrepreneurs, they have exerted enormous intellectual influence on conservative policy. But they have historically spent more on nonprofit groups and endowing college economics departments than they have on backing candidates."

"Now Mr. Paul is seeking to nudge them into the comparatively messier world of presidential campaigning.

"He has recruited libertarian-leaning financiers and money managers from across the country, including Kenneth M. Garschina, founder of a $5.4 billion New York hedge fund and a contributor to The Review of Austrian Economics, and Donald G. Smith, an investor and board member of the Cato Institute, a libertarian research organization based in Washington. Mr. Paul’s nascent finance team includes Joe Lonsdale, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who helped start an organization [the Seasteading Institute] dedicated to building new sovereign cities on floating ocean platforms.

"In January, Mr. Paul was the star attraction at a fund-raiser for the Goldwater Institute, a libertarian foundation and legal watchdog based in Phoenix.... In February, at the Club for Growth meeting, held at the Breakers resort in Florida, Mr. Paul pitched a roomful of small-government true believers on the importance of reducing prison sentences for drug offenses."

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/25/us/politics/paul-and-wealthy-libertarians-connect-as-he-weighs-running.html?hpw&rref=politics
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Cato Institute urges courts to recognize same-sex marriage

Liberals and libertarians join forces to defend gay marriage rights | MSNBC - Adam Serwer:

April 15, 2014 - "The liberal Constitutional Accountability Center and the libertarian Cato Institute don’t agree on much.... Where the two organizations stand on common ground: Same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional.....

"Last year, the groups teamed up to file legal briefs in the challenges to California’s ban on same-sex marriage and the Defense of Marriage Act, which barred federal recognition of same-sex marriages performed in states where such couples are allowed to marry. Since [then], federal courts across the country have been striking down same-sex marriage bans based on the legal reasoning in those rulings. The liberal Constitutional Accountability Center and the libertarian Cato Institute are joining forces again, seeking to urge federal courts to recognize a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. They’ve filed a brief together in the Utah and Oklahoma same-sex marriage cases, and plan to do so in other pending same-sex marriage cases. "

"Both groups are in complete agreement about bans on same-sex marriage, which they write violate the 14th Amendment’s 'guarantee of the "equal protection of the laws" [which] is sweeping and universal'."

Read more: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/cato-cac-divided-groups-defend-gay-marriage-rights
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LP candidate wants SC to be next state to legalize marijuana

Libertarian gubernational candidate Steve French is left of the Dems, right of the GOP | Features | Charleston City Paper - Paul Bowers:

April 23, 2014 - "For social liberals in South Carolina, the state Democratic Party can be kind of a letdown. Entrenched in red territory, its current nominee for governor, Vincent Sheheen, won't even come out in favor of marriage equality.

"Enter gubernatorial candidate Steve French, a pro-choice, pro-marriage-equality candidate who adamantly believes South Carolina should be the next state to legalize recreational marijuana use. If you want a social liberal in the Governor's Mansion next year, here's your guy.

"French is the Libertarian Party candidate, though, so he also holds some aggressively conservative views on fiscal matters. He likes school vouchers, for example, and he wants to replace income and corporate taxes with an across-the-board 7 percent sales tax with no tax breaks or incentives....

"'We have Republicans that talk about smaller government, but they'll kick your door in because you're playing a poker game,' French says. 'We've got the Democratic Party that talks about individual liberty, but then they want to unload all these taxes on us at the same time.'"

Read more: http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/libertarian-gubernational-candidate-steve-french-is-left-of-the-dems-right-of-the-gop/Content?oid=4907921
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Stopping the environment's worst enemy

The Pollution Solution: Stopping the environment's worst enemy - Mary Ruwart, Libertarian Party :

"Who's the greatest polluter of all? The oil companies? The chemical companies? The nuclear power plants? If you guessed 'none of the above,' you'd be correct. Our government, at the federal, state, and local levels, is the single greatest polluter in the land. In addition, our government doesn't even clean up its own garbage! In 1988, for example, the EPA demanded that the Departments of Energy and Defense clean up 17 of their weapons plants which were leaking radioactive and toxic chemicals -- enough contamination to cost $100 billion in clean-up costs over 50 years! The EPA was simply ignored. No bureaucrats went to jail or were sued for damages. Government departments have sovereign immunity.

"In 1984, a Utah court ruled that the U.S. military was negligent in its nuclear testing, causing serious health problems (e.g. death) for the people exposed to radioactive fallout. The Court of Appeals dismissed the claims of the victims, because government employees have sovereign immunity....

"By turning to government for environmental protection, we've placed the fox in charge of the hen house -- and a very large hen house it is! Governments, both federal and local, control over 40% of our country's land mass. Unfortunately, government's stewardship over our land is gradually destroying it."

Read more: https://www.lp.org/issues/environment
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Texas LP nominates full slate for statewide offices

Libertarians field long slate of November candidates including Houston woman for governor - John W. Gonzalez, Houston Chronicle:

April 18,2014 - "They'll advocate legalization of drugs and call for the free movement of people and goods across the Mexican border. They are the Libertarian Party of Texas.

 "The party's candidates for federal, state and local offices have been selected, and each hopeful will offer their own ideas to maintain individual rights and reduce government.... Libertarians will field contenders for all of Texas' top offices including U.S. senator, congressional seats and statewide offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and others

"Because some of its candidates garnered more than 2 percent of the vote in recent statewide elections, the party was assured of spots on the fall ballot. As a 'minor' party under state election law, Libertarians and the Green Party aren't required to conduct primary elections; instead they have conventions where delegates select candidates.... The party's state convention in Temple, which earlier this month drew 220 delegates, was twice the size of its 2012 gathering....

"One of the party's main goals is unchanged: influencing policy discussions, even without capturing offices through big-dollar campaigns."

"'We run on a shoestring. The Libertarian Party is not a party of wealthy people. Our bank account, locally, is just a couple of thousand (dollars),' [Party Chair Gil] Robinson said. "

Read more: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Libertarians-field-long-slate-of-November-5414111.php

The Jewish roots of Randy Barnett's libertarianism

‘These Ideas Haunt You’: At Conference, Scholars Link Lawyering With Jewishness - Yair Rosenberg, Tablet:

April 10, 2014 - "Randy Barnett, a professor of legal theory at Georgetown and director of its Center for the Constitution, is known for many things, but being Jewish is not one of them. He has been called a 'rock star' in the libertarian world, and in 2012, the New York Times dubbed him the “godfather” of the constitutional challenge to President Obama’s health care reform....

"Barnett’s ... center-right libertarian philosophy ... is largely at odds with the prevailing liberal outlook of most American Jews.... Yet for the Chicago native and former prosecutor, these positions are a natural outgrowth of his Jewish upbringing.

"Barnett’s father, a strongly identified Jewish atheist, took the lesson of the Holocaust to be that individual rights needed to be protected against the tyranny of the majority, which could easily turn against despised groups like the Jews. For him and his son, the liberties guaranteed by the Constitution made the United States a 'promised land' for Jews, who were protected by its curtailment of state power.

"Today, Barnett sees his libertarian advocacy ... as an effort to 'preserve the form of government that made the U.S. a haven for me and for my family,' especially 'as the world is now shrinking for Jews' with the rise of global anti-Semitism. What we have in America, he cautioned ... 'is not to be taken for granted'.”

Read more: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/169161/jewish-lawyers-on-jewish-law

Background on the standoff in Nevada (video)

Bundy supporters rally and kick federal agents off public land | The Libertarian Republic - Faith Braverman:

April 10, 2014 - "Cliven Bundy in Nevada is at war with the federal government for not abiding by their laws. Now, people are flocking to the 600,000-acre spot called Gold Butte, where federal [Bureau of Land Management (BLM)] agents are currently seizing Bundy’s cows for grazing 'illegally'.

"There’s been little media coverage of this astounding act of patriotism. Supporters include neighbors, friends, and even some militia groups from other states. Bundy’s plight has rallied those who value liberty and freedom, and the video below reveals their frustration with the federal government’s involvement in Bundy’s case....

"The government is continuing to round up Bundy’s cows, and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval is not pleased.

"'No cow justifies the atmosphere of intimidation which currently exists nor the limitation of constitutional rights that are sacred to all Nevadans,' Sandoval said in a Tuesday statement. 'The BLM needs to reconsider its approach to this matter and act accordingly'....

"[April 9], the federal agents appeared to step up its game, and tasered Bundy Ranch supporters, as well as throwing a woman with cancer to the ground. So far, the increased force has only rallied Bundy’s supporters more, and thus far the agents have turned tail when met with these very vocal protestors."

Read more: http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/bundy-supporters-rally-kick-federal-agents-public-land/
'via Blog this'

NC Libertarians hold primary for U.S. Senate seat

NC Libertarians hold unusual primary for US Senate - fayobserver.com: Election:

April 15, 2014 - "North Carolina Libertarians are in the unusual position of getting to pick from two of their own in the May primary for the U.S. Senate race.

"Former Senate candidate Sean Haugh of Durham and previous Republican congressional candidate Tim D'Annunzio of Raeford each filed for the Libertarian Party nomination. It marks just the second time in its short history that the party committed to minimal government intervention and personal freedom had a primary - the other primary came in 2000 in the race for governor.

"Libertarian primaries have been few because only one member filed for elected office or the state party sometimes wasn't recognized as an official state party because their top candidates previously failed to reach minimum thresholds of support. D'Annunzio and Haugh planned to participate in three forums before the primary, party spokesman Brian Irving said."

Read more: http://www.fayobserver.com/news/election/article_e974d5a2-fbdd-5f93-b7cb-abf89837b77e.html

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Google a major donor to George Mason's free-market law center

Google, once disdainful of lobbying, now a master of Washington influence - The Washington Post - Tom Hamburger & Matea Gold:

April 12, 2014 - "In May 2012, the law school at George Mason University hosted a forum billed as a 'vibrant discussion' about Internet search competition ... in large part the work of Google, which maneuvered behind the scenes with GMU’s Law & Economics Center to put on the event. At the time, the company was under FTC investigation over concerns about the dominance of its famed search engine.... On the day of the conference, leading technology and legal experts forcefully rejected the need for the government to take action against Google, making their arguments before some of the very regulators who would help determine its fate.

"The company helped put on two similar conferences at GMU around the time of the 18-month investigation, part of a broad strategy to shape the external debate around the probe, which found that Google’s search practices did not merit legal action....

"The center is among the academic programs at universities such as Harvard and Stanford that have benefited from Google’s largesse. For the past several years, the free-market-oriented law center has received an annual donation from the company, a grant that totaled $350,000 last year, according to the school."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-google-is-transforming-power-and-politicsgoogle-once-disdainful-of-lobbying-now-a-master-of-washington-influence/2014/04/12/51648b92-b4d3-11e3-8cb6-284052554d74_story.html
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33% of Americans think charities would use tax money better than government

76 Percent Say Charities Would Have Spent Their Tax Dollars As Well or Better than Government - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Emily Ekins:

April 15, 2013 - "The latest Reason-Rupe poll finds that only 17 percent of Americans think their tax dollars improved society more than had they given that same amount of money to charity or invested it in private businesses. A third say their tax money improved society less than had private charities or businesses spent it, while 4 in 10 say it really makes no difference. In sum, over 70 percent of Americans say private charities or businesses would spend their tax dollars as well as or better than government....

"Part of the reason so few Americans think their tax bill improved society more than had they given that money to charity or private business, is that they believe government wastes 50 percent believe government wastes 50 percent of its tax revenue....

"Those with higher levels of education and income were considerably more likely to say charities would improve society more with their tax dollars than government. For instance, those with college degrees (44 percent) were nearly twice as likely as those with high school diplomas (25 percent) to say charities would have better spent the amount they paid in taxes in 2013.

"Younger people are also more likely than older people to say private charities would have improved society more with their tax money: for instance, 40 percent of 18-24 year olds say [government] improved society less compared to 22 percent of seniors (over age 65)."

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2014/04/15/76-percent-say-charities-would-have-spe2
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Guardian and Post win Pulitzer for NSA revelations

Guardian and Washington Post win Pulitzer prize for NSA revelations | Media | The Guardian - Ed Pilkington:

April 14, 2014 - "The Guardian and the Washington Post have been awarded the highest accolade in US journalism, winning the Pulitzer prize for public service for their groundbreaking articles on the National Security Agency’s surveillance activities based on the leaks of Edward Snowden.

"The award, announced in New York on Monday, comes 10 months after the Guardian published the first report based on the leaks from Snowden, revealing the agency’s bulk collection of US citizens’ phone records....

"The Pulitzer committee praised the Guardian for its 'revelation of widespread secret surveillance by the National Security Agency, helping through aggressive reporting to spark a debate about the relationship between the government and the public over issues of security and privacy'.

"Snowden, in a statement, said: 'Today's decision is a vindication for everyone who believes that the public has a role in government. We owe it to the efforts of the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation, including the forced destruction of journalistic materials, the inappropriate use of terrorism laws, and so many other means of pressure to get them to stop what the world now recognises was work of vital public importance'."

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/apr/14/guardian-washington-post-pulitzer-nsa-revelations
'via Blog this'

Texas Libertarians choose Kathie Glass for 2014 Governor's race

Libertarians pick Glass - Alex Wukman, FME News Service, Killeen Daily Herald: 

April 13, 2014 - "Kathie Glass claimed the Libertarian Party of Texas’ gubernatorial nomination Saturday night at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center. Glass’ victory came after a first ballot tie with Robert Bell forced the election into an immediate runoff.

"During her nomination speech Glass, a Houston attorney who previously ran for governor on the Libertarian ticket in 2010, promised she would continue building the party and increasing its visibility.

"'Four years ago, when you honored me with the nomination, I promised that I would give you the most professional and well-funded campaign this party had ever seen,' Glass said. 'If you honor me with the nomination again, I’ll top what we did in 2010.'

"Glass also told the 219 delegates in attendance that she would remain true to the principles of the Libertarian Party and continue to challenge federal authority.

 "'We live in a surveillance state,' Glass said. 'That’s certainly going to grow into a police state.'"

Read more: http://kdhnews.com/news/politics/libertarians-pick-glass/article_5f26a912-c2c1-11e3-bbe9-001a4bcf6878.html

NPR interviews Matt Kibbe of FreedomWorks

A Libertarian With Roots In Rock Music : NPR - Weekend edition, Sunday:

March 30, 2014 - "RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: We're going to hear now how a prominent libertarian found his political voice.... Matt Kibbe was just 13 when he fell under the spell of a certain rock band.

MATT KIBBE: Well, I was listening to a lot of Led Zeppelin, but it was the band Rush really got me starting to read and pay attention to ideas.

MARTIN: On the Rush album, 2112, the band sings of a futuristic society, in which thought and expression are controlled by a top-down autocracy.... Now, many years later, you could say Matt Kibbe has turned those early teenage notions into a career. He's the head of FreedomWorks, the grassroots organization that helped launch the Tea Party. His latest book is called Don't Hurt People and Don't Take Their Stuff: A Libertarian Manifesto.

"I asked him to talk more generally about America at this moment and whether he thinks our society already resembles the dystopia imagined by Rush."

Read more: http://www.npr.org/2014/03/30/296673083/a-libertarian-with-roots-in-rock-music
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The Libertarian Surge - Politico

The Libertarian Surge - David Boaz - POLITICO Magazine:

April 7, 2014: "Libertarianism — the political philosophy that says limited government is the best kind of government — is having its moment. Unfortunately, that’s mostly because government has been expanding in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks and the financial crisis. Somehow government failures lead to even more government.

"When the financial crisis hit in the fall of 2008, the politicians in Washington had one response: start printing money and bailing out big businesses. First it was Bear Stearns, then Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, then most of Wall Street. But voters had a different response. Polls showed widespread opposition to the bailouts. When Congress prepared to vote on President George W. Bush’s $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, Americans made their opinions known in no uncertain terms. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown reported, “Like my colleagues, my phones have been ringing off the hook. The sentiment from Ohioans about this proposal is universally negative'....

"Meanwhile, the government’s response to the financial crisis sent people looking for answers. Sales of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and Friedrich Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom soared. The Cato Institute’s pocket edition of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution even hit The Washington Post best-seller list.

"Libertarian ideas often cross left-right boundaries. Lots of libertarians were involved in the tea party and the opposition to the bailouts, the car company takeovers, the 2009 stimulus bill and the quasi-nationalization of health care. But libertarians were also involved in the movement for gay marriage. Indeed, John Podesta, a top adviser to Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and founder of the Center for American Progress, noted in 2011 that you probably had to have been a libertarian to have supported gay marriage 15 years earlier. Or take marijuana legalization, which is just now becoming a majority position: Libertarians have been leaders in the opposition to the drug war for many years."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/04/the-libertarian-surge-105446.html
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Rand Paul raises $1.6 million in first quarter of 2014

Rand Paul raises $1.6 million in first quarter of 2014 - Robert Costa, Post Politics, Washington Post:

"As he builds a grass-roots political operation in 50 states ahead of a potential 2016 presidential run, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is also courting longtime Republican Party benefactors, collecting funds for his political-action committee and his 2016 Senate campaign. In the first quarter of this year, those two groups collectively raised $1.6 million, according to sources familiar with Paul’s financial report.

"Paul’s haul includes $1.1 million for Rand Paul 2016, the freshman senator’s reelection campaign, and about $500,000 for Rand PAC, his political-action committee, which pays for Paul’s extensive political travel and supports like-minded Republicans. These figures are similar to Paul’s fundraising numbers from the fourth quarter of last year, when his Senate campaign raised more than $1 million....

"In the coming months, Paul will continue to raise money and make stops in early primary states as a dry run before potentially launching a presidential campaign next year, hosting fundraisers and seeking support. This weekend, he will be in New Hampshire, appearing a conservative summit, and he will be in Iowa in June for the state GOP convention.

"For the moment, Paul is consistently at or near the top in polling. A CNN/ORC International survey in March found that 16 percent of Republicans and independents who lean Republican were likely to support him, putting him at the front of the Republican field. Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.), the 2012 GOP vice-presidential nominee, was second, at 15 percent."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/04/07/rand-paul-raises-1-6-million-in-first-quarter-of-2014/

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Kentucky LP running most candidates in a decade

Libertarian Party backing most candidates in 10 years - Cindy Schroeder, Cincinnati Enquirer:

April 6, 2014 - "The Libertarian Party of Kentucky has 17 candidates running for public office in November’s election, including nine in Northern Kentucky, the most candidates that party’s had in a decade.

"Most of the Northern Kentucky Libertarians are seeking office in Boone County, where six filed a statement of candidacy to run by Tuesday’s deadline.

"Libertarianism holds that a person should be free to live as that person chooses, accepting responsibility for their own actions, without forcibly effecting the lives of others.

"'I would have liked to have seen more candidates statewide, but we had a good turnout in Northern Kentucky,' said Pendleton County resident Ken Moellman, state executive committee chair for the Libertarian Party of Kentucky. 'The leadership up here has done a great job (recruiting candidates).'"

Read more: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/northern-ky/2014/04/06/libertarian-kentucky-election-candidates-ken-moellman/7364823/
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Cryptex announces new Bitcoin debit card

Cryptex announces new Bitcoin debit card - Charlotte Libertarian news | Examiner.com - Matthew Reece:

April 8, 2014 -  "On April 7, Hong Kong-based company Cryptex announced that it is launching a new Bitcoin-compatible debit card that can be used at existing ATMs in 80 different countries, including 90 percent of the ATMs in the United States. This will make Bitcoin far easier to use by dramatically increasing the number of points of exchange around the world, making it simpler to convert Bitcoins into local currencies after receiving them.

"Customers will order a Cryptex Card online and put Bitcoins on it, which is then shipped to the customer like any other credit or debit card. Once shipped to the customer, the card can be loaded online by sending Bitcoins to a Cryptex address assigned to the card. A specified amount of Bitcoins can then be converted into local currencies, which can be withdrawn from ATMs. The customer does not make direct currency exchanges via the card, but rather online through Cryptex."

"Cryptex Card is not the first such card; a similar card was released by Bitplastic last year. It charges $1.50 per ATM transaction with a daily limit of $200 and an annual limit of $3,500, which at current exchange rates is less than 0.5 Bitcoins per day and 8 Bitcoins per year. The card also costs 0.25 BTC (about $110 at current exchange rates). Cryptex has yet to reveal a fee or limit structure. There have also been dedicated bitcoin ATMs, but these require new infrastructure rather than relying on existing systems."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/cryptex-announces-new-bitcoin-debit-card
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Liberty.me 'digital city' opens for beta testing

Interview: Building a 'Digital City' for libertarians - National Libertarian news | Examiner.com - Garry Reed:

April 7, 2014 - "The much-anticipated libertarian mega site Liberty.me opened for beta testing by subscribers today.

"'We’ve built this digital city in six months,' Jeffrey Tucker told Libertarian News Examiner in an exclusive interview, 'which, given the incredible expanse of services and the scope of the project, is absolutely remarkable.'

"'This digital city' is a multi-platform online site called Liberty.me and Jeffrey Tucker, a 'libertarian movement veteran,' is CEO of Liberty.me, Executive Editor of Laissez-Faire, Distinguished Fellow of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), and Research Fellow at Acton Institute.

To find out more about the man and his digital city Libertarian News Examiner engaged Tucker in a short Q&A session."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/interview-building-a-digital-city-for-libertarians
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Colorado LP nominates record 41 candiates for 2014

Colorado Libertarians nominate 41 for 2014 | Colorado Statesman - Ernest Luning:

April 4, 2014 - "Colorado Libertarians nominated a record 41 candidates for state, federal and county offices last weekend at the party’s state convention in Golden and party officials predicted that a recent rise in its ranks — the number of registered Libertarians in the state more than doubled over the last two years — could mean the perennial third party emerges as a bona fide major party by the end of the decade.

"But an even better measure of the party’s growing political influence is the mainstream adoption of longstanding Libertarian policies, party officials said, pointing to legalized marijuana in Colorado and a steady move toward same-sex marriage nationwide.

"'OK, we’re not getting anybody elected, but look at our issues,' said former two-term New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who was the Libertarian nominee for president in 2012 and spoke at the Colorado convention on Saturday night."

Read more: http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/994758-colorado-libertarians-nominate-41-2014
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Public vs. private

Public parts | Freedom quest of Zork (the) Hun :

April 6, 2014 - "What exactly is private about a grocery store? It cannot exist without the public. The reason for its very existence is to serve the public. No private business can exist unless it serves the public. We know that private businesses serve the public because the public is willingly bringing money to them to exchange it for the goods and services they offer. There is nothing more ‘public’ than a private business doing business with the public.

"The only difference is that what the Communist Broadcasting Corporation calls ‘private’ are initiatives of people who are willing to bet their own money to provide a service that they believe the public wants while ‘public’ are the ones that for sure cannot survive without the coercive taxation power of the government.

"How did we get to a world where something that is in fact serving the interest of the public is called ‘private’ while something the members of the public would not want to pay for from their own pocket is called ‘public’? How did we get to this upside down world where nobody even seems to notice the irony and have serious discussions about the subject, with self-serving politicians parading under the banner of 'Public Interest'?"

Read more: http://zorkthehun.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/public-parts/
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Campaign beginning in GOP to stop Rand Paul - Time

GOP Hawks Worry Rand Paul Has Too Much Ron | TIME.com - Zeke J. Miller

March 31, 2014 - "Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is hard at work laying the groundwork for an almost certain presidential campaign in 2016, but as he broadens his support among libertarian and younger voters, there’s a budding countercampaign to take him down if he becomes a threat to actually win the nomination.

"At the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) meeting in Las Vegas this weekend, ... Speaker after speaker, from former Florida governor Jeb Bush to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, laid into Paul’s more isolationist views on foreign policy. They never mentioned the lawmaker by name, but the message came across loud and clear....

"On the margins of the conference, where attendees heard from four potential 2016 candidates who advocated for a strong American foreign policy and support for Israel, five donors huddled with a reporter pledged to reach into their deep pockets to ensure Paul doesn’t win the GOP nomination.

"'The best thing that could happen is Ted Cruz and Rand Paul run and steal each other’s support,' says one of the donors, 'but if not, we’ll be ready to take Paul down.'"

Read more: http://time.com/43216/rand-paul-2016-rjc-sheldon-adelson/
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Marijuana activist runs for Philadelphia city council

Libertarian Party picks pot activist - Philly.com - Chris Brennan, Philadelphia Daily News:

April 3, 2014 - "Philadelphia's Libertarian Party this week selected a marijuana-legalization activist on federal probation as its candidate in the May 20 special election for an at-large City Council seat.

"The party filed a nomination certificate for Richard Tamaccio yesterday, according to the Philadelphia Board of Elections....

"Tamaccio, 34, who this week registered to vote as a Libertarian, said in an email that he 'will be attacking the Local 98 machine and running a grass-roots peoples campaign'....

"Tamaccio helped organize Smoke Down Prohibition rallies at the Independence National Historic Park. He was arrested on May 18 at the event and later admitted [to] smoking marijuana and then resisting arrest by a U.S. park ranger."

Read more: http://articles.philly.com/2014-04-03/news/48839003_1_federal-probation-probation-officer-libertarian-party
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Ohio Supreme Court rules to keep LP AG candidate off of ballot

Supreme Court rules to keep Libertarian candidate off of ballot | The Columbus Dispatch - Randy Ludlow:

April 3, 2014 - "The Ohio Supreme Court has upheld a ruling by Secretary of State Jon Husted keeping the Libertarian candidate for attorney general off the ballot.

"The court this morning released its unanimous opinion in which it denied the appeal of Steven Linnabary seeking to overturn Husted’s decision.

"Linnabary’s election petitions and those filed by the Libertarian party’s gubernatorial slate were disqualified by Husted because circulators who obtained signatures failed to disclose on the forms by whom they were paid.

"The justices ruled that Husted’s interpretation of state law was 'reasonable' in rejecting Linnabary’s argument that one of his circulators was an independent contractor, rather than an employee, and not required to list an employer.

"The court also found no substance to other issues raised by Linnabary, including claims his First Amendment rights were violated."

Read more: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/04/03/libertarian-candidate-supreme-court.html


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Libertarian registration up 10% in U.S. since 2012

The PJ Tatler » Libertarian Party Cheers Jump in Party Membership as Other Parties Dip - Bridget Johnson, PJ Media:

April 2, 2014 - "The Libertarian Party reported today that national party registration has increased by 11.4 percent since 2012 as registration for all other parties has decreased.

Richard Winger, the editor of Ballot Access News, which analyzes the attempts of minority parties to get on the ballot, studied the 30 states and the District of Columbia allowing voters to mark party affiliation with their registration.

Within these states, Winger found that there were 368,561 registered Libertarians in March 2014 compared to 330,811 in November 2012.

Libertarians got the most votes in a presidential election in 2012, with 1,275,951 ballots cast for former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson....

"The party said that the states with the largest percent increases were Idaho (161% increase), Wyoming (68% increase), Nebraska (55% increase), and Louisiana (33% increase).

Read more: http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2014/04/02/libertarian-party-cheers-jump-in-party-membership-as-other-parties-dip/

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LPD: Libertarian Police Department - New Yorker

L.P.D.: Libertarian Police Department: The New Yorker - Tom O'Donnell:

March 31, 2014 - "I was shooting heroin and reading The Fountainhead in the front seat of my privately owned police cruiser when a call came in. I put a quarter in the radio to activate it. It was the chief.

 "'Bad news, detective. We got a situation.'

"'What? Is the mayor trying to ban trans fats again?'

"'Worse. Somebody just stole 474 million dollars' worth of bitcoins.'

"The heroin needle practically fell out of my arm. “What kind of monster would do something like that? Bitcoins are the ultimate currency: virtual, anonymous, stateless. They represent true economic freedom, not subject to arbitrary manipulation by any government. Do we have any leads?'

"'Not yet. But mark my words: we’re going to figure out who did this and we’re going to take them down… provided someone pays us a fair market rate to do so.'"

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/shouts/2014/03/libertarian-police-department.html
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