LP candidate for governor arrested in Minnesota

Minneapolis Park Police apologize for detaining Libertarian candidate - TwinCities.com - Associated Press:

May 30, 2014 - "Minneapolis Park Police have apologized for detaining and citing a Libertarian gubernatorial candidate who had gone to Lake Calhoun to gather petition signatures to get on the ballot.

"An officer accused Chris Holbrook of violating an ordinance against using park land for commercial purposes. A video posted on his campaign website shows him being handcuffed and placed in the back of a Park Police squad car Thursday afternoon.

"Park Police Chief Jason Ohotto apologized to Holbrook on Thursday night, saying the arresting officer erred and misapplied the ordinance.... The citation has been dismissed....

"The Libertarians have until June 3 to gather 2,000 signatures to get their candidates on the ballot for this fall's elections. The party said in a statement that the police action shut down the actions of four volunteers, costing it about 600 signatures."

Read more: http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25867717/minneapolis-park-police-apologize-detaining-libertarian-candidate
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BC teens sue for right to buy medical treatment

Marni Soupcoff: The lawsuit that could revolutionize Canadian health care as we know it | National Post: 

May 29, 2014 - "Four British Columbians who suffered real physical harm while waiting for access to health care will be in court in September, along with Vancouver’s Cambie Surgical Centre, arguing for all Canadians’ right to make their own healthcare choices. That includes paying out of pocket or through private insurance for an MRI or other crucial test or surgery if the government can’t make it available when it’s needed.

"Three of the plaintiffs in the case are teenagers whose young lives already have been negatively shaped by the ban on accessing private care. They include Walid Waitkus, a 16-year-old with progressive spine deformity, who was paralyzed after a 27-month wait for care; and 18-year-old Chris Chiavatti, who suffered permanent damage while waiting for treatment of his knee injury. Another plaintiff, 37-year-old Mandy Martens, saw her colon cancer spread while she languished on a waitlist. Two other British Columbians were originally part of the action, but they died waiting for the case to go to trial....

"These aren’t people asking for 'U.S.-style' care. They are patients asking for the healthcare choice that is available to residents of every other democracy in the world except Canada: the option to pay for needed treatment to end or reduce their own suffering if the government can’t end or reduce it for them....

"[T]he Canadian Constitution Foundation ... is supporting the constitutional challenge."

Read more: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/05/29/marni-soupcoff-the-lawsuit-that-could-revolutionize-canadian-health-care-as-we-know-it/
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Rhode Island shouldn't pay bankrupt firm's loan, says state LP

Don't repay 38 Studios loan, says Rhode Island Libertarian Party | Polygon - Samit Sarkar:

May 27, 2014 - "The Libertarian Party of Rhode Island doesn't believe the state is obligated to repay the loan that it gave to bankrupt game developer 38 Studios; instead, Rhode Island should refuse to pay, the organization said yesterday.

"'So-called 'moral obligation' bonds are neither moral, nor a legitimate financial obligation,' said Mike Rollins, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Rhode Island, in a statement yesterday. 'All such bonds deliberately bypass the official procedures for voter approval of government expenditures'....

"38 Studios received a $75 million loan from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. in 2010. When the studio declared bankruptcy in mid-2012, it left Rhode Island taxpayers on the hook for the state-backed loan, to the tune of about $89 million. The state sued 38 Studios, along with a number of associated individuals and entities, in November 2012 for fraud, negligence and civil conspiracy....

"'What they are is a major fraud upon the voters,' said state Libertarian Party chair Rollins, speaking of moral obligation bonds. 'Rhode Island can strike a major national blow against such deliberate fraud by totally refusing to ever pay for it!'"

Read more: http://www.polygon.com/2014/5/27/5754700/dont-repay-38-studios-loan-says-rhode-island-libertarian-party
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Chatham, Ontario Libertarian wants choice in education

Libertarians aim for full slate; McLarty candidate | Chatham This Week - Don Robinet, QMI Agency:

May 26, 2014 - "Doug McLarty, the candidate for the Libertarian Party of Ontario in the June 12 election, knows his party has already made a breakthrough even if it never wins a seat.....

"'We're trying to get our name out there,” said McLarty of the Libertarian Party. The message the party wants to put out there can be summed up in two words – less government.

"McLarty said it's important for government to fund services such as education and healthcare, but he said he would like to see more effective spending with the frills cut out and lower taxes that would let people choose to do what they want to do with their own money.

"While he doesn't refer to it as a voucher program, McLarty said the Libertarian Party would like to see an education system in which the tax dollars follow the student. He said if the parents want to send their kids to a public school, then the money would go there, but if they want to send their child to a private faith-based school, such as Chatham Christian, or private secular school, such as a Montessori, then the tax dollars would follow them, giving parents more of a say in where and how their children are educated....

"McLarty said the Libertarian Party believes the most vulnerable members of society need to be protected, but those who are able to work should work. He said the party believes in funding universal healthcare, but there should be allowances for private healthcare provider if they have the means."

Read more: http://www.chathamthisweek.com/2014/05/26/libertarians-aim-for-full-slate-mclarty-is-local-candidate
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Barr finishes 2nd; in July runoff for nomination

Barr, Loudermilk pull away in crowded field - Marietta Daily Journal, Haisten Willis:

May 21, 2014 - "Bob Barr and Barry Loudermilk outlasted four other candidates and head to a July 22 runoff for the 11th Congressional District.

"Barr, a former U.S. Rep., and Loudermilk, a former Georgia state senator (R-Cassville), edged out four others to make the second round.

"The winner of the runoff is expected to take the seat given there are no Democratic candidates.

"Barr took 26 percent of the statewide vote, while Loudermilk took 37 percent.

"Barr said his record and name recognition got him this far.

"'We were able to keep the attention focused on the important issues, the substance of what’s going on in Washington and what needs to be done to correct those problems,' said Barr.... “I was up there and have experience to solve these things. I’ve been there and done it. That’s a message that really resonates with the people of the 11th District.'

"Earlier in the day, former Georgia Republican Party Chairman Chuck Clay predicted a runoff.... Clay said there’s a deep Libertarian streak in Republican primaries that could boost Barr, but also gave credit to Loudermilk."

Read more: http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/25140071/article-Barr--Loudermilk-pull-away-in-crowded-field

Ontario Libertarians run record 74 candidates

First opportunity to form a government: Ontario Libertarian Party :: Wire Service Media:

May 25, 2014 - "For the first time ever the Ontario Libertarian Party is in a position to form a majority government. On June 13, 2014 only 5 people in Ontario could lead a majority government, including Libertarian Party Leader, Allen Small....

"In an email message to members of the party across Ontario, Allen Small said:....

"'In 2007, the party ran 25 candidates, in 2011, it was 51 - and now in 2014 we are running 74. This represents a 45% increase in candidates compared to 2011. More importantly, we have people in every region of the province, from Thunder Bay to North Bay, to Cornwall, to Windsor down to Niagara Falls. We have covered the map! Our new members and the influx of donations is very heart-warming for me and the entire team.'

"The Libertarian Party is unique and different from the other political parties.

"One key difference is Libertarians believe the problems created by governments cannot be solved with yet more government. Libertarians would limit the size and scope of government, resulting in lower taxes, and more social and economic freedom....

"Libertarians believe that the provincial government monopolies of medical care, education, electrical generation and transmission and alcohol sales need to be reviewed and revised. Libertarians would open each of these to competition."
.
Read more: http://www.wireservice.ca/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=11924
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More problems with Thomas Piketty's thesis

The FT Claims Thomas Piketty's Numbers Don't Add Up, Piketty Calls The FT Ridiculous - Forbes - Tim Worstall:

May 25, 2014 - "This has rather put the cat amongst the pigeons: the Financial Times went through the data that Thomas Piketty used to prove that wealth is becoming ever more concentrated and found, at least so they claim, that the evidence isn’t actually there. There are some minor transcription errors, there’s also some questionable interpolations in the data sets. But the real killer is that the claimed concentration of wealth, the thing that Piketty insists is going to get ever worse, doesn’t actually seem to exist....

"Here’s the nub of the FT’s claim: '... once the FT cleaned up and simplified the data, the European numbers do not show any tendency towards rising wealth inequality after 1970. An independent specialist in measuring inequality shared the FT’s concerns'....

"This isn’t the only problem with the case that Piketty is making either. As I noted ... he is correct in stating that the wealth to GDP ratio is rising.... However, as the FT says we don’t seem to see any increase in the concentration of wealth over recent decades. But if wealth to GDP is rising, and wealth isn’t becoming ever more concentrated, well, where is that increased wealth?

"The answer, amusingly, coming from Emmanuel Saez, a regular Piketty collaborator ... the increased wealth is our pensions savings. And this is another terrible hole in Piketty’s argument. For it’s something that we would have expected to see from the first. The lifetime savings hypothesis almost insists that alongside rising lifespans (one of the two great demographic changes of the past 70 or so years, along with the declining fertility rate) that we would see an increase in pensions savings. And that’s exactly what Saez does find: pensions savings move from some trivial percentage of GDP to 150% of it....

"Piketty seems to have assumed that the rise in wealth was all going to the rich: whereas it really seems to have been going to pay for our own old ages."

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/05/25/the-ft-claims-thomas-pikettys-numbers-dont-add-up-piketty-calls-the-ft-ridiculous/
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Why a "libertarian" can win the GOP nomination

Why a libertarian can win the GOP nomination - David Harsanyi, The Federalist:

May 20, 2014 - "Commentary’s Seth Mandel poses a question: Should GOP presidential hopeful Rand Paul embrace the 'libertarian' label or not?...

"For starters, Republican voters aren’t exactly turned off by Paul’s politics.... According to a FreedomWorks poll, a quarter of Republicans already self-identify as 'libertarian' or 'lean libertarian.' A 2013 poll from the Public Religion Research Institute found that only 7 percent of voters could be considered 'consistent' libertarians, but another 15 percent could be said to sympathize with the broad tenets of the philosophy. That’s 22 percent of all Americans. And those who did identify with libertarian beliefs are more likely to vote for the GOP (43 percent) than the Democratic Party (5 percent), though half identify with neither....

"In its Randian incarnation —  a highly watered-down version — libertarianism syncs up quite well with growing sentiments of many grassroots conservatives on an array of fronts.  It’s a comfortable anti-establishment position that offers a measure of ideological consistency often missing in politics. But it’s worth remembering that libertarianism isn’t inherently offensive to secular and independent voters, either. When government fails, people grow cynical about the state, and libertarian instincts kick in."

Read more: http://thefederalist.com/2014/05/20/why-a-libertarian-can-win-the-gop-nomination/

Tim Moen is new LP of Canada leader

Libertarian candidate named party leader | Fort McMurray Today - Vincent McDermott:

May 22, 2014 - "Tim Moen wants to lead the Libertarian Party of Canada out of the fringes.

"The party’s first Fort McMurray-Athabasca’s candidate was elected leader on May 18 at the party’s Ottawa [convention], succeeding outgoing leader Katrina Chowne on a mandate of promoting his party’s message of non-interference to Canadians.

"'My sense is there is a lot of Canadians, especially youth, who are hungry for ... something different from what the other parties offer. I hope to keep that momentum going,' said Moen. 'I’ve already been talking with numerous folks and a lot of them are young people who say their futures look a little bleak through the eyes of the other parties.'

"Moen, a Fort McMurray firefighter and freelance videographer, has called Fort McMurray home for 14 years. Last September, Moen earned media attention when he spoke out against Neil Young’s comparisons of the oilsands to Hiroshima.

"When he first announced his election platform in March, he earned even more media attention when he stated, 'I want gay married couples to be able to protect their marijuana plants with guns.' Moen says the statement was his way of giving Canadians an example of what libertarianism represents.

"The comments went viral online. Moen was featured on several American and Canadian news outlets, including CNN, Huffington Post and Fox News. He was also lampooned by CBC’s This Hour has 22 Minutes."

Read more: http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/2014/05/22/local-libertarian-candidate-tim-moen-named-party-leader
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Canadian Civil Liberties Assn. sues over government data collection

Privacy law focus of legal action | Halifax Chronicle Herald - Paul McLeod, Ottawa Bureau:

May 21, 2014 - "The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is going to court to argue Canada’s privacy laws are unconstitutional.

"The group maintains that the large-scale secret disclosure of customer data by telecoms violates Canadians’ rights to life, liberty and security.

"The legal challenge calls for the Ontario Superior Court to throw out several sections of Canada’s digital privacy law, the Personal Information and Protection of Electronic Documents Act [which]. 'allows government agencies access to personal information in the custody of private corporations on a massive scale,” the court application reads.

"'Personal information may be obtained without the knowledge or consent of the concerned individual and … in many cases the individual will not be advised that disclosure was made nor have any right to such disclosure'....

"New information has shown that these transactions happen thousands of times every day. Law enforcement requested data 1.2 million times from just nine companies in 2011.

"Documents tabled in Parliament showed that a warrant is not obtained in the large majority of cases."

Read more: http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1209103-privacy-law-focus-of-legal-action 
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Oakville, Ontario, Libertarian offering different perspective

Oakville Libertarian candidate David Clement offering 'different kind of perspective' - Julia Le, Oakville Beaver - Halton Today:

"David Clement, the Oakville Libertarian candidate in the upcoming June 12 provincial election, is disenchanted by what has become of Ontario's political system.

"The 24-year-old Oakville native says the province's economic and social problems stem from the government simply standing in the way.

"'Jobs, health care, education and energy are far too important to be left solely in the hands of the government,' said the White Oaks Secondary School graduate, who works as a research assistant to the Canadian Research Chair in International Human Rights.

"He said he's running to offer residents a different kind of perspective on what the effective role of government can be.

"'In my opinion, if you look at all three big political parties, all three of them are far too involved in the lives of Ontario residents and so I'm looking to limit that involvement and remove government from the areas and aspects of life where it's not necessarily needed.'"

Read more: http://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/4526522-oakville-libertarian-candidate-david-clement-offering-different-kind-of-perspective-/
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Libertarian on ballot for Kansas governor

TOPEKA, Kan.: Libertarian Umbehr files for Kansas governor | National Politics | The State - John Milburn, Associated Press:

May 20, 2014 - "Libertarian Keen Umbehr put his name on the November ballot for Kansas governor on Tuesday, declaring that residents want a government that is fair for all people all the time.

"The 55-year-old Alma attorney filed the paperwork and paid a $500 fee at the secretary of state's office. Umbehr said taxes and protecting the civil liberties of all residents, not just special interests, would be themes during the race....

"Umbehr says taxes and civil liberties are first on his agenda.... He said if elected he would seek to eliminate the state income and sales taxes and replace them with a 5.7 percent tax on consumption of goods and services. Umbehr said the cuts that eliminated income taxes for certain classes of businesses, including his own, in 2012 were unfair.

"'They did it for 191,000, they can do it for the other 1.3 million wage earners," he said.

Read more: http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/20/3455840/libertarian-to-file-for-kansas.html
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GOP establishment targets Justin Amash

Establishment takes on die-hard tea partier - Anna Palmer & Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com:

May 8, 2014 - "The establishment scored huge victories in primary races Tuesday. Their next potential target: Rep. Justin Amash.

"Business groups, executives in Michigan and even some of his fellow home state Republicans are abandoning the hard-line tea party conservative, famous in Washington for voting “no” on bills as wide ranging as the debt ceiling to defense funding....

"The primary race is in the beginning stages of what could be an epic throwdown in August between the business community, usually reluctant to play in a Republican primary, and big conservative outsiders, including the Koch brothers and the Club for Growth, who are dumping money into Amash’s campaign.

"It is just one example of the many battles playing out in Republican races all across the country, where an emboldened establishment wing has accused movement conservatives of straying too far from the party’s pro-business roots — and winning....

"Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said Amash isn’t a 'serious member of Congress,' and added ... 'this is a guy willing to work with San Francisco Democrats to protect bait fish, and at the same time he’s Al Qaeda’s best friend in the Congress'....

”'I opposed Nunes’ water bill on constitutional grounds, and his comments are unbecoming of a representative,' Amash said."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/establishment-tea-partier-106476.html
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Are Catholic libertarians heretics?

Catholics Divided on Libertarianism as ‘Heresy’ | TheBlaze.com - Fred Lucas:

May 9, 2014 - "Is libertarianism 'heresy'? That question prompted a theological and political debate among writers for three major Catholic publications....

"A recently published Catholic argument for libertarianism showed a 'complete lack of human solidarity,' wrote Michael Sean Winters, author of the 2008 book, Left at the Alter. 'Callous and cold and, just so, not very Christian let alone Catholic'....

"The specific piece Winters was so angry about was written by Joe Hargrave, an adjunct professor of political science at Rio Salado Community College in Tempe, Arizona, in the magazine Crisis.

 "'Among the poorest areas of the United States one will find high rates of crime, drug abuse, educational failure, sexual deviance, illegitimacy, and so on,' Hargrave wrote.

"This is not to say that people in these areas ought to be written off, but it is to say that no employer is obliged to subsidize their moral failings – and neither are we, the frugal, well-behaved wage-earners to whom Leo XIII refers.... This is not just about the moral failings of the poor, as libertarians do not want to pay for the birth control pills of middle class college students or provide massive bailouts and subsidies for major banks and businesses either'....

"Hargrave’s piece was itself a response to a Catholic blogger that insisted libertarianism was absolute heresy.

"'Catholics influenced by libertarian ideology (aka heresy) need to .. instead of ransacking Catholic teaching for the subsidiarity bits that happen to comport with libertarian heresy, instead embrace the fullness of Catholic teaching, including the Church’s teaching on solidarity, the common good, and the legitimate role of the state,' wrote Mark Shea, a writer for the Catholic publication Patheos."

Read more: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/05/09/catholics-divided-on-libertarianism-as-heresy/
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Twisting libertarianism

Twisting Libertarianism | National Review Online: - Kevin D. Williamson:

Michael Lind either misunderstands it or is intellectually dishonest.

May 15, 2014 - "If you would like to see everything that is wrong, shallow, and dishonest about our contemporary political discourse in one neat package, read Michael Lind’s recent drive-by defamation of Bryan Caplan, 'Libertarians’ scary new star'....

"Mr. Lind’s piece contains no analysis.... [I]t is mostly a half-organized swarm of insults out of which emerges the occasional tendentious misstatement of Professor Caplan’s views and those of the libertarian thinkers with whom he is sometimes associated. Mr. Lind begins by bemoaning our alleged national descent into plutocracy and writes: 'Some on the libertarian right have responded to this research by welcoming our new plutocratic overlords. Among these is Bryan Caplan.'

"Professor Caplan, author of The Myth of the Rational Voter, is a trenchant critic of electoral decision-making. Voters, he argues, suffer from specific, predictable biases — anti-market bias, anti-foreign bias, make-work bias, and pessimistic bias — that cause them to hold, and act on, untrue beliefs about the way the world works.... He characterizes the typical American voter as a moderate national socialist who strongly supports state intervention in many areas, and remarks, 'Given public opinion, the policies of First World democracies are surprisingly libertarian.'

"There is a great deal of agreement among the poor, the middle class, and the rich on most political issues, but the rich are significantly more libertarian ... not only on economic issues but also on social issues. The poor are 'much more anti-gay,' Professor Caplan writes. 'They’re much less opposed to restricting free speech to fight terrorism.' On the relatively few issues on which there is strong disagreement between the poor and the rich, the preferences of the rich have tended to prevail, and that pleases Professor Caplan, because that means that more libertarian policies are put into place than public opinion would suggest. 'To avoid misinterpretation,' he writes, 'this does not mean that American democracy has a strong tendency to supply the policies that most materially benefit the rich. It doesn’t.'

"But there is no avoiding misinterpretation when the opposite side is committed to misinterpreting you. Professor Caplan celebrates the advance of gay rights, pushback against the surveillance state, and, regrettably ... abortion rights, among other items on the progressive social agenda. Mr. Lind sees only a champion of plutocracy — because that is all he is inclined to see."

Read more: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/378004/twisting-libertarianism-kevin-d-williamson
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Bob Barr leading in GOP House primary in Georgia

Bring Bulldog Bob Barr Back to Washington: We Endorse Barr for Congress in GA-11 | ConservativeHQ.com:

May 16, 2014 - "Few people can say that the establishment of both political parties colluded to run them out of Congress.... Bob Barr can proudly claim that distinction.

"In 2002, Democrats in Georgia, aided by the Republican establishment, redrew district lines eliminating Congressman Barr’s congressional seat.... Democrats had a vendetta against Barr while establishment Republicans saw his unwillingness to toe the Party line as a large thorn in their side.

"Today, ... Barr is the leading candidate in a congressional primary next week in Georgia.  If he wins the primary and the possible run-off, Bob 'The Bulldog' Barr will be reclaiming his seat in the House of Representatives – a probability feared by the DC establishment of both political parties....

"While Barr has been criticized for voting for the Patriot Act by libertarians, few know that his vote came with a hard-fought provision to sunset the act – Bob has testified repeatedly to oppose the reauthorization of the intrusive set of laws.

"Another example of his refusal with go with the status quo is the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which ... was proposed and passed at a time when social conservatives were gaining ground on an ill-conceived constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.... DOMA was an end run around what would have been a historic mistake."

Read more: http://www.conservativehq.com/article/17261-bring-bulldog-bob-barr-back-washington-we-endorse-barr-congress-ga-11
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Harvard survey finds youth moving in libertarian direction

Harvard survey reveals libertarian streak among youth | TheHill - Casey Given:

May 15, 2014 - "Last week, Harvard University's Institute of Politics released its 25th “Survey of Young Americans Attitudes toward Politics and Public Service,” providing valuable insight into the political mindset of the millennial generation. Conducted biannually since 2000, the poll traces 18- to 29-year olds’ dispositions on various hot-button issues of the day, with a sample size of 3,000 in the fall and 2,000 in the spring. While no survey is an absolute authority on the fluctuating opinions of a society as diverse as the U.S., Harvard’s last two seem to signal that young Americans’ attitudes are moving in a more libertarian direction, seeking fiscal discipline and social tolerance from their policymakers.

"First and foremost, Harvard’s latest polls points to strong disapproval of the Obama administration among millennials. A mere 47 percent approved of the president’s job performance as of April, down 11 percent from his high of 58 percent in November 2009. Furthermore, a majority disapproved of how the president has handled all eight policy categories they were asked about....

"As for policies the youth would support, the April survey unsurprisingly points to a wide array of opinions on a number of contentious issues.... Fortunately, not every proposal points to a stark divide among the youth. A number of the surveys’ policy prescriptions emphasizing fiscal discipline and social tolerance received majorities of support, revealing a libertarian theme."

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/206120-harvard-survey-reveals-libertarian-streak-among-youth
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NC Libertarian polling at 11% in close Senate race

PPP: Hagan, Tillis a Toss-up, With Third-Party Spoiler - Chapelboro.com - Danny Hooley:

May 13, 2014 - "A new poll conducted by Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling finds that, overall, voters aren’t too happy with either of North Carolina’s candidates for U.S. Senate.

"As a result, a surprising number of voters are leaning Libertarian.

"Here’s Director of Public Policy Polling Tom Jensen:

"'Our first general-election poll finds Kay Hagan leading Thom Tillis 38-to-36,' says Jensen. 'And the Libertarian candidate, Sean Haugh, is getting 11 percent. And that’s a pretty unusually high level of support for a third-party candidate.'

"Jensen points out that Hagan, the Democratic incumbent, has a 38 percent approval rating, while 49 percent of voters disapprove....'And Tillis doesn’t do any better,' says Jensen. 'Thirty percent of voters see him favorably; 46 percent, unfavorably.'"

Read more: http://chapelboro.com/news/election/ppp-hagan-tillis-toss-third-party-spoiler/
'via Blog this'

Nipissing, Ontario, gets first-ever Libertarian candidate

Nipissing Libertarian candidate announced | North Bay Nugget: 

May 8, 2014 - "A convenience store manager will carry the banner for the Ontario Libertarian Party for Nipissing in the June 12 provincial election.

"Derek Elliott is the first-ever Ontario Libertarian Party candidate for Nipissing.

"'I take great honour in being the Ontario Libertarian Party’s candidate in this great, historic riding,' he said in a release. 'I look forward to being able to present the message of less government, lower taxes, and more freedom to the people of Nipissing. Government has proven over and over that they can not and should not be trusted with our hard-earned dollars. The Ontario Libertarian Party, behind our Leader Allen Small, is ready to put choice back in the hands of the people of Nipissing and Ontario.'

"Elliott has been a resident of North Bay for 16 years and helps manage a local convenience store where he has put knowledge gained at Canadore College into practice for more than years, the release said."

Read more: http://www.nugget.ca/2014/05/08/ontario-libertarian-candidate-in-nipissing-announced
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Libertarian candidate for governor arrested in Florida

Libertarian gov. candidate Adrian Wyllie arrested in 'unconstitutional' Real ID standoff | Tampa Bay Times:

May 9, 2014 - "Safety Harbor - In a nearly three year long battle against Real ID, Adrian Wyllie, Libertarian candidate for governor of Florida, has been arrested in Safety Harbor giving him legal standing to fight the constitutionality of the legislation in court.

"Wyllie, began his battle in May of 2011 by publicly surrendering his driver's license in protest of the Real ID Act of 2005.... He was finally cited for driving without a license in July of 2011 and was seen in court for the $116 traffic violation. At that time, the most senior judge on the 6th district, 3 prosecutors and a courtroom full of media were witness to Mr. Wyllie's arguments of the unconstitutionality of the Real ID Act as well as Supreme Court precedent on citizens right to travel as well as surrendering a right for a privilege. In the end, Mr. Wyllie was unsuccessful in that small battle but has continued to maintain his civil disobedience to gain legal standing by way of jury....

"Today, after 3 years of driving unlicensed throughout the state of Florida without incident, Adrian Wyllie has been arrested outside the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. He was an invited guest to the 14th Anniversary Luncheon of the Intercultural Advocacy Institute, keynoted by State Senator Jack Latvala."

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/libertarian-gov-candidate-adrian-wyllie-arrested-in-unconstitutional-real/2179101
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Six flaws in Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century

Six Ways Thomas Piketty's 'Capital' Isn't Holding Up to Scrutiny - Kyle Smith, Forbes:

May 1, 2014 - "Dubbed the 'rock-star economist,' France's Thomas Piketty has topped the Amazon.com  bestseller list with the surprise blockbuster book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, which argues that because the return on capital must be greater than overall growth, the rich are destined to hog an ever-increasing proportion of the economic pie.

"Piketty's research, his eloquence (he quotes Jane Austen and Honore de Balzac) and his call for wealth taxes plus a confiscatory marginal income tax rate (80 percent) have Keynesian liberal economists swooning. Their leader, Paul Krugman, boasts that 'the right seems unable to mount any kind of substantive counterattack to Mr. Piketty’s thesis. Instead, the response has been all about name-calling.'

"Krugman is misinformed. Piketty's book is being shredded. Here’s a brief rundown of some of the flaws in Capital in the Twenty-First Century” that have already been exposed."

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kylesmith/2014/05/01/six-ways-thomas-pikettys-capital-isnt-holding-up-to-scrutiny/
'via Blog this'

Poll links "frequent" gamers to libertarian beliefs

Poll links “frequent” US gamers to libertarian political stances | Ars Technica - Sam Machkovech:

May 8, 2014 - "The June issue of Libertarian-leaning magazine Reason ... includes one of the most pointed political surveys about self-proclaimed gamers’ political leanings in recent memory. According to two Reason-Rupe polls conducted in December 2013 and April 2014, gamers are more likely to fall in line with libertarian beliefs, even if they don’t identify as libertarians.

"The random-call phone poll focused on the 16 percent of its 2,014 American respondents who self-identified as 'frequent' gamers. When asked to identify their political affiliation, the gamers were more likely to call themselves independent (55 percent) versus non-gamers (41 percent), while fewer called themselves Republican (15 percent of gamers versus 26 percent of non-gamers). Both populations were relatively even about identifying as Democrat.... In addition, the gamers were much more likely to describe themselves as liberal than non-gamers (32 vs. 21 percent), and less likely to describe themselves as conservative (17 vs. 33 percent).

"Unsurprisingly, 82 percent of gamers favored being allowed to play violent games compared to just 54 percent of non-gamers. Gamers were also more likely to support the use of Bitcoin and of 3D-printed guns, and they favored laws legalizing marijuana. In every question about whether government should intervene in specific activities or products, gamers were opposed to the idea more frequently than non-gamers by a margin of at least 13 percent.

"'We were most surprised by the idea that gamers, even though they identify as liberal and progressive regardless of their age group, were against government regulations of what people could do with their own bodies and their own lives,' story co-author Scott Shackford told Ars. 'Also, if gamers didn’t know what something was, like Bitcoin, they were more inclined to say that the government should allow it, whereas for non-gamers, if they didn’t know what something was, they were inclined to say the government should regulate it.'"

Read more: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/05/poll-links-frequent-us-gamers-to-libertarian-political-stances/
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Sean Haugh wins Libertarian Senate primary in NC

NC Libertarians hold Senate primary election, Haugh wins - Charlotte Libertarian news | Examiner.com - Matthew Reece:

May 6, 2014 - "On May 6, the Libertarian Party of North Carolina held a primary election in a US Senate race. It was the second statewide Libertarian primary in North Carolina history.

"There were two candidates on the primary ballot: Sean Haugh, a pizza delivery man from Durham, and Tim D'Annunzio, a businessman from Raeford.

"Haugh is a longtime Libertarian Party activist who also ran for US Senate in 2002.... D'Annunzio is a former Republican who ran unsuccessfully for the 4th Congressional District in 2012 and the 8th Congressional District in 2010....

"With all precincts reporting, Haugh won the primary election by a margin of 1,215 votes (60.69 percent) to 787 votes (39.31 percent). Haugh moves on to face incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan as well as Republican Thom Tillis in November."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/nc-libertarians-hold-senate-primary-election-haugh-wins
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Ousted by PC's, candidate joins Libertarians

Johnson rejoins race - Thunder Bay News - Tbnewswatch.com - Jamie Smith:

May 5, 2014 - "Tamara Johnson is back as a candidate in Thunder Bay-Superior North.

"Johnson was ousted as a candidate for the Progressive Conservatives party in February after standing by controversial statements she made about First Nations businesses having unfair tax breaks that hurt other businesses in the area.

"Now as a Libertarian Party candidate, which she said reached out to her, she is standing by her statements. 'I think we have a severe unfairness happening in Ontario,' she said.

"Johnson said the party is virtually unknown but doesn't suppress speech and she agrees with the Libertarian message."

Read more: http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/337894/Tamara-Johnson-to-run-for-the-Libertarian-Party

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AIPAC lobbied to kill Paul's Stand with Israel Act

Rand Paul's Support for Israel | RealClearPolitics - Caroline Glick:

May 7, 2014 - "Last week, following the PLO’s unity deal with terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Paul introduced the Stand With Israel Act. If it had passed into law, Paul’s act would have required the US to cut off all funding to the Palestinian Authority.... Paul’s conditions for maintaining aid would have required the President to certify to Congress that the PA – run jointly by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the PLO – formally and publicly recognized Israel as a Jewish state; renounced terrorism; purged all individuals with terrorist ties from its security services; terminated all anti-American and anti-Israel incitement, publicly pledged not to engage in war with Israel; and honored previous agreements signed between the PLO and Israel....

"Paul’s bill was good for America.... Ending US financing of the PA would certainly be good for Israel. Indeed, just by sponsoring the bill Paul has helped Israel in two critical ways....

"The day after Paul introduced his bill, AIPAC [the American Israel Public Affairs Committee] came out against it ... a week after the Israeli government formally ended negotiations because the PA supports terror, AIPAC opposed ending US aid to the PA because, AIPAC claimed, it fights terror....

"Paul submitted his bill for unanimous consent in order to fast track it to a vote and into law. AIPAC convinced some senators to vote against Paul’s bill, and so killed it."

Read more: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/05/07/rand_pauls_support_for_israel_122548.html
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Also read: "Paul: Pelosi spiked Iran bill"

Bill to legalize medical marijuana introduced in Congress

Va. Rep. Griffith introduces federal ‘Legitimate Use of Medicinal Marijuana Act’ - Tom Jackman, Washington Post blog:

April 30, 2014 - "Virginia Rep. Morgan Griffith (R) this week introduced a bill in Congress that would remove the federal obstacle to prescribing and possessing medical marijuana in states where that is legal, such as Virginia. He said he knows this will be a long hard fight, 'but you’ve got to start somewhere.'

"Griffith’s bill is titled the 'Legitimate Use of Medicinal Marijuana Act,' and is only four pages. It moves marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II, in a grouping with not only cocaine and methamphetamine but Ritalin and Adderall, drugs prescribed legally for children. Removing marijuana from Schedule I takes it out of the 'no currently accepted medical use' category and allows research to be conducted more easily, and would allow doctors to prescribe it in states where medical marijuana is legal to possess, such as Virginia....

"'Isn’t it cruel,' Griffith said, 'to not allow real doctors, real drug companies and real pharmacists to use marijuana for legitimate medical reasons for real patients? We use all sorts of opioids under the same scenario that this bill would allow us to use marijuana.' He said the Virginia law 'is the right way to go, but the DEA [won't] let anyone use it legally. This eliminates that and allows you to move forward.'"

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/04/30/va-rep-griffith-introduces-federal-legitimate-use-of-medicinal-marijuana-act/
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Supreme Court denies Ohio Libertarians' ballot appeal

Supreme Court denies Libertarians' appeal to appear on Tuesday ballot | The Columbus Dispatch - Jack Torry:

May 5, 2014 - "The U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal today from the Libertarian Party of Ohio, ending the party’s efforts to field candidates for governor and attorney general on Tuesday’s primary ballot.

"Mark Brown, the Capital University law professor representing the Libertarians, said that before the end of the week he will ask the entire 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati for a rehearing as part of an effort to gain spots on the November ballot of gubernatorial candidate Charlie Earl and attorney general candidate Steven Linnabary....

"He added that in 2008, the federal courts added Libertarian candidates to the November election even though they did not run in a primary.

"A three-judge panel of the 6th circuit last week unanimously upheld an earlier ruling by a federal judge that the candidacy petitions file by Earl and Linnabary were faulty. Secretary of State Jon Husted made the original decision to remove them from the statewide ballot. "

Read more: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/05/05/high-court-denies-libertarians-appeal.html
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Johnson wants to run for POTUS again in 2016

Libertarian Gary Johnson Trying for Another Third Party Run - Elliott Jager, Newsmax:

Johnson campaigning in 2010 - photo by Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons

April 28, 2014 - "Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who ran for president in 2012 with the Libertarian Party, said he would like to be a third party candidate in 2016, the National Journal reported.

"Johnson was elected in 1994 as a Republican in New Mexico and served two terms as governor. He participated in a Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' session last week. 'I hope to be able to run in 2016,' Johnson replied to a query....

"Among his policy pronouncements, Johnson said he favored eliminating guaranteed government student loans. Doing so would reduce college costs, he said. He is also for disbanding the Drug Enforcement Administration. 'A lot of prison guards, judges and lawyers' would also need 'to find something else to do' in a more libertarian America.

"He prefers being a Libertarian rather than Republican candidate. 'I would love running as a Libertarian because I would have the least amount of explaining to do.'

"Johnson garnered about 1.2 million votes in the 2012 presidential election or roughly 1 percent of the popular vote, the Journal reported."

Read more: http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Gary-Johnson-libertarian-2016-New-Mexico/2014/04/28/id/568028/ 
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Nader sees emerging left-right alliance in U.S.

Ralph Nader's America: Impeach Obama, decriminalize drugs, libertarians & progressives unite! | Power Players - Yahoo News - Jeff Zeleny, Jordyn Phelps, & Alexandra Dukakis:

April 29, 2014 - "What if Washington politics were no longer defined by partisan gridlock but instead by a cross-party alliance that forged solutions? The alliance would be unstoppable.

"That’s the premise of the new book Unstoppable: The emerging left-right alliance to dismantle the corporate state by longtime political activist and five-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who contends that such a left-right alliance is not just the stuff of imagination but is actually emerging.

"'On Capitol Hill, I'm seeing more and more in Congress, left and right,' Nader told The Fine Print. 'It was a vote in the House over a year ago over the NSA snooping, it almost broke through … so we're beginning to see formulations that once they click together, they're unstoppable'....

"Nader expects there is going to be a growth of left-right alliances in Congress, pointing to the war on drugs and bank regulatory efforts as areas of [possible] confluence. On the war on drugs, Nader said that the United States should entirely decriminalize and move to regulate all drugs in the same way alcohol and tobacco are regulated....

"But Nader qualified that the success of his envisioned left-right alliance is dependent on strong leaders. He said Sen. Rand Paul, son of Ron Paul, has the potential to be a leader for the alliance, but added that he thinks the Kentucky Republican has certain shortcomings as a leader."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/power-players-abc-news/ralph-naders-america-impeach-obama-decriminalize-drugs-libertarians-progressives-unite-110418813.html
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Wyllie makes it into Florida governor's debate

Libertarian Wyllie officially invited to Florida’s biggest gubernatorial debate - Tampa Bay Libertarian | Examiner.com - Brian Cole:

April 29, 2014 - "Libertarian Gubernatorial Candidate Adrian Wyllie scored a major victory on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 29, as he secured an official invitation to the state of Florida’s biggest gubernatorial debate. The event, hosted by Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association, and broadcast by WPBF 25 in West Palm Beach, Fla., will be televised throughout Florida on a network of 11 'major commercial broadcast organizations'. This gubernatorial debate will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Broward College located in Fort Lauderdale...."

"Wyllie voiced his appreciation, not only for the invitation to the debate, but also to his team of supporters and volunteers, all of whom worked tirelessly to help ensure he received the invitation.... The Wyllie Campaign team worked hard to ensure the political and financial pressure used to keep Libertarian Robert Sarvis out of Virginia's biggest gubernatorial debate in October 2013 would not be repeated....

"In addition to television coverage, WPBF's website and beforeyouvote.org. will broadcast the debate. Since Florida’s Gubernatorial Race is the most hotly contested in the nation, C-Span will re-broadcast the event, and WPBF 25 will also provide coverage of the debate on the network’s Spanish-language entertainment network."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/libertarian-wyllie-officially-invited-to-florida-s-biggest-gubernatorial-debate
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Appeals court won't reinstate Earl to Ohio primary ballot

Federal appeals court declines to order Libertarian Charlie Earl's name on primary ballot | Cleveland.com - Jeremy Pelzer, Northeast Ohio Media Group:

May 1, 2014 - "A federal appeals court panel on Thursday denied a request by Libertarian gubernatorial hopeful Charlie Earl to order his name on next week's primary ballot.

"Libertarian Party officials have appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to Mark Brown, the party's attorney.

"If Earl, a former Republican state representative, doesn’t make the May 6 Libertarian primary ballot, it would likely doom his chances to run in the general election this November.

"Secretary of State Jon Husted struck Earl’s name from the primary ballot in March on the grounds that petition signature collectors for him didn’t properly disclose that the party employed them.

"The Libertarians sued, claiming Husted’s decision violated constitutional guarantees of free speech and due process."

Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2014/05/federal_appeals_court_declines.html
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