Sanford suspends 2020 presidential campaign

Mark Sanford suspends 2020 presidential campaign - CNNPolitics:

November 12, 2019 - "Mark Sanford, the former South Carolina governor and congressman who two months ago launched a longshot primary challenge to President Donald Trump, suspended his candidacy Tuesday.

"'I am suspending my race for the Presidency because impeachment has made my goal of making the debt, deficit and spending issue a part of this presidential debate impossible right now,' Sanford said in a statement. 'From day one, I was fully aware of how hard it would be to elevate these issues with a sitting president of my own party ignoring them. Impeachment noise has moved what was hard to herculean as nearly everything in Republican Party politics is currently viewed through the prism of impeachment.'

"Sanford -- who emerged as a vocal Republican critic of the President before losing his congressional seat in a GOP primary contest last year -- made the announcement during a press conference at the New Hampshire statehouse....

"Sanford was one of three Republicans running to unseat Trump; former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld remain in the race. Unlike his rivals, however, Sanford focused his primary bid not on Trump's conduct in office but on his sharp policy turns from traditional conservative values, including a skyrocketing national debt on his watch. But Sanford's message failed to resonate with Republican and Independent voters looking for an alternative to Trump. On a cross-country road trip to promote his candidacy last month, Sanford drew only sparse crowds of curious onlookers, or none at all.

"Sanford and his fellow Republican challengers have also faced institutional roadblocks, with a number of state Republican parties deciding to forego their presidential primaries as a show of support for Trump. In one of those states, South Carolina, former Republican Rep. Bob Inglis has sued the state Republican Party to reinstate the presidential primary; that lawsuit is awaiting a decision."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/12/politics/mark-sanford-2020-bid/index.html
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Mark Sanford enters GOP primary race

Mark Sanford 2020: Former Congressman Says Running Against Trump - Bloomberg - Hailey Waller:

September 8, 2019 - "Mark Sanford said he’s running for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination against President Donald Trump.... Sanford joins former Massachusetts Governor William Weld and syndicated talk show host and former one-term Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh in challenging Trump at a time some states are poised to cancel their Republican primaries altogether.

"The former U.S. representative from South Carolina made the announcement on “Fox News Sunday,” calling for 'an earnest and real conversation on debt and deficits and government spending'....

"Sanford, 59, finished his second term as South Carolina governor under a cloud after the revelation of an extramarital affair -- something Trump has reminded him of at campaign rallies and in Twitter messages. Sanford disappeared for days in 2009, supposedly to hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail, but was instead in Argentina with a girlfriend....

"Asked how his clouded personal history might affect his primary bid, Sanford said he’s atoned for his past actions. 'In contrast to the president, where he says there’s not a single thing that he regrets or apologizes for, I profoundly apologized for that,' he said.... Asked whether his bid to take the Republican nomination from Trump is personal, given the president’s comments about him, Sanford said, “It’s not personal, but it’s indicative of the way the president makes too many things personal'....

“'The world of Trump is personal loyalty,' Sanford said. 'I believe as the Republican party our loyalty should be to ideas and ideals.'

"Trump’s popularity among Republican voters remains high in polls, typically between 80% and 90%. His challengers argue that if presented with a choice, at least some GOP supporters would back away. Trump has termed his challengers the 'Three Stooges' and said of Sanford: 'One is "Mr. Appalachian Trail" who was actually in Argentina for bad reasons.'

"Republican leaders in Sanford’s home state voted on Saturday to skip a presidential primary in 2020, CNN reported. That would allow Trump to capture all of the state’s delegates without competition. Other states, including Nevada, Arizona and Kansas, are considering similar actions."

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-08/sanford-says-he-s-running-for-2020-gop-nomination-against-trump

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'Cone of silence' creates Amash campaign buzz

Justin Amash Has Been Coy About a Presidential Bid, Leaving Never Trumpers Searching for Clues - Sam Brodey, The Daily Beast:

August 31, 2019 - "Rep. Justin Amash’s political future has been the subject of intense fascination and interest in Republican circles these days. After his call to impeach Trump and his subsequent exit from the GOP, the libertarian congressman from Michigan has attracted tons of buzz over a possible run for president as a third-party candidate.

"Amash’s plans remain opaque. Publicly, he insists he’s running for re-election to his House seat until he says otherwise. Privately, he’s told supporters the same thing. And while those people believe Amash is actively considering a presidential bid, his political inner circle is so tight-knit about the possibility that allies have little idea what the congressman is actually planning.

"That cone of silence has fueled speculation that Amash will join former Govs. Bill Weld and former Rep. Joe Walsh in formally challenging President Trump. And it has supercharged outside efforts to get him in the race. Several officials in the Libertarian Party, which would be the most logical vehicle for an Amash presidential run, told The Daily Beast they have been reaching out to the congressman’s camp to indicate that he’d have strong support among the activists who decide the party’s presidential nomination.

"Those who know Amash say he may be waiting on two things before making a decision: a clearer sense of Libertarian Party support, and a clearer statement of plans from another rumored Trump challenger: his former House colleague Mark Sanford. The South Carolina Republican, who served as governor and a member of  Congress before losing his seat last cycle, has not yet officially launched a bid but is considered likely to challenge Trump in the GOP primary.

"The Daily Beast spoke with six people who either know Amash personally or have worked with him, three of whom requested anonymity to speak candidly about what his plans may be. One of them said that the congressman is almost certainly waiting to see if Sanford will run, and that he would not run himself if his old friend were to get in the race....

"Unlike other Trump challengers, Amash would not be competing against him in a primary. The damage he could inflict, instead, would come in a general election contest, where a conservative alternative to the sitting president could, potentially, pull away some Republican votes in key states. But there is a sense that he will need to announce soon in order to make a bid count — most likely by the end of the year.

"In the meantime, Amash is clearly benefiting from the aura of mystery around his current plans, ... Liz Mair, a GOP strategist and Trump critic with libertarian views ... told The Daily Beast. 'No one knows what Amash is doing. People like a mystery.'”

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/justin-amash-has-been-coy-about-a-presidential-bid-leaving-never-trumpers-searching-for-clues
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Amash wants Sanford to primary Trump

Trump critic Justin Amash welcomes potential Sanford presidential run | News | foxcarolina.com - Haley Byrd, CNN:

July 17, 2019 - "South Carolina Republican Mark Sanford already has one supporter in Congress for his potential long-shot bid to challenge President Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary: newly independent Michigan Rep. Justin Amash.

"Amash, who left the Republican Party in early July and has repeatedly declined to rule out a presidential bid of his own, told CNN that Sanford 'would be a great candidate.' 'I know Mark. He's thoughtful, he's humble, he's learned from his mistakes and grown, and I think we really need a person like that in the White House," Amash said....

"Amash again brushed off questions about his own presidential ambitions, saying he was focused on providing independent representation for his constituents in Congress. He did rule out the possibility of running in the GOP primary as Sanford's running mate....

"A Sanford run would be quixotic. Once a rising star in the party, he resigned as chairman of the Republican Governors Association in 2009 amid a scandal over his infidelity.... He was subsequently elected to Congress, where he'd served before becoming governor, but lost his primary in 2018.

"If he runs, Sanford would face a Republican Party increasingly unified behind Trump. An overwhelming 90% of Republicans approve of the President, according to Gallup polling last month. But Sanford could present an alternative for a subset of conservatives who are uncomfortable with supporting Trump and have sought a standard bearer in the 2020 race.

"In 2016, Trump faced pushback from conservative Republicans loosely aligned under the umbrella of 'Never Trump' all the way into the general election. But the likelihood of strong resistance to his nomination from within in 2020 has dwindled....  Reluctance to publicly split with Trump is increasingly a primary motivation among elected Republicans....

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who ran as the vice presidential candidate on the Libertarian Party ticket in 2016, is already running against Trump in the GOP primary, but he has failed to gain traction. Sanford's conservative credentials on issues like abortion and government spending could appeal to religious anti-Trump voters who haven't been energized by Weld's moderate record on social issues.

"In the long run, a Sanford primary challenge, even if it fails as expected, may build a base of supporters who could ultimately rally behind a third-party candidate in the general election -- potentially Amash, now that he's left the Republican Party."

Read more: https://www.foxcarolina.com/news/politics/trump-critic-justin-amash-welcomes-potential-sanford-presidential-run/article_9acaa314-aa12-5c96-aa09-60d7382dae61.html

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Mark Sanford thinking about primarying Trump

Mark Sanford, Old Trump Foe, May Enter Republican Presidential Primary – Reason.com:

July 16, 2019 - "President Trump may have another primary challenger in the 2020 election. In an interview with The Post and Courier, former South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford said that he planned to spend the next month deciding whether or not he would enter the upcoming presidential Republican primary.

"Sometimes in life you've got to say what you've got to say, whether there's an audience or not for that message," he said in the interview....

"Sanford, who largely advocated for limited government during his time in Congress, has criticized Trump several times in the past for lacking a firm grasp on the Constitution, wanting to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and even his "shithole" countries comment.

"Sanford lost his Republican primary in 2018. His loss was believed to be an early indicator of the weakness of anti-Trump Republicans in the face of a newer, more Trumpian party.

"So far, Trump's only primary opponent is former Massachusetts governor and Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate Bill Weld. Upon making the announcement, Weld referred to himself as a 'Reagan Republican.' He has since criticized Trump for not being economically conservative.

"There is also speculation that Rep. Justin Amash (I–Mich.) could join the race. Amash has very recently left the Republican Party, as well as his congressional committees. Whether he chooses to run as a Republican, Libertarian, or independent, it's possible that his entry into the race could disrupt both Trump and the eventual Democratic nominee's 2020 dreams."

Read more: https://reason.com/2019/07/16/mark-sanford-old-trump-foe-may-enter-republican-presidential-primary/?utm_medium=email
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LP POTUS field makes me want to vote NOTA

by George J. Dance

2020 will be a leap year, and like all leap years will witness a new installment of the biggest, longest, most-watched media event of them all. No, not the Summer Olympics; those run for only a few weeks. I'm talking about the U.S. presidential election, which runs from January right through to the inauguration finale a year later.

The Republican and Democratic races for the 2020 nomination are already getting plenty of attention; as usual, the Libertarian race is not. This year, though, that is probably a very good thing, considering the choice of candidates offered so far.

Apparent frontrunner Adam Kokesh is a founder of Iraqi Veterans against the War, who has run for the Senate (and lost) as a Ron Paul Republican. The only Libertarian Party activism I know him for is his disrupton of the LP's 2008 campaign kickoff. He has also conducted a libertarian podcast, on one show of which he advocated killing police (hence my nickname for him, "Kop-Killer Kokesh"). His platform is to abolish the U.S. government by Executive Order, and then resign.

Then comes Arvin Vohra, former LP vice-chairman. Originally a pragmatic millennial politician-in-training, he became radicalized after the 2016 Johnson campaign, and began taking extreme positions - some of which, like writing that age of consent laws should be abolished, and calling school board shootings a "good idea," led to attempts to censure him and remove him from office. In the end, LP voters did remove him at the last convention - following which he promptly declared as a POTUS candidate.

Then there is John McAfee, an eccentric (if he's still rich) who plans to campaign "from exile". Plus a bunch of people I know nothing about; this is getting too long, so I'll just give a link. And as always there is Vermin Supreme, the ex-Democrat who campaigns with a boot on his head, and whose signature campaign plank is to give every American a pony.

In short, the real LP candidate hasn't surfaced yet; all we have are possibilities.  Four well-qualified possibilities are:

Mark Sanford, former governor of South Carolina. Sanford has never lost a general election, but was defeated as congressman by a Trump-endorsed candidate in the 2018 GOP primary, so he has no seat to lose. He has always focused on the national debt crisis, which I think will be big news again by 2020 (now that the Democratic-leaning media can blame it on Trump).

William Weld, former governor of Massachusetts. While he ran for the LP as Johnson's running mate, Weld is a divisive figure in the party. Besides, he has rejoined the Republicans to primary Trump. Weld is staking everything on New Hampshire: if he does well there, his campaign could catch fire (at least with the Dem-leaning media), and make him a star; in which case he would be the most prominent candidate we could get. But many members count his reregistering Republican, after declaring that he was in the LP for life, as a betrayal and sell-out, making him more hated than ever by a large faction.

Lincoln Chafee, former governor of Rhode Island. Chafee is a wild card - he registered Libertarian just this month - who isn't telling anyone his plans as yet.

Justin Amash, congressman from Michigan. Amash is the most libertarian guy in the House, today's Ron Paul, and I would prefer that he stay there. However, since he accused Trump of "impeachable" conduct, he too has a Trump-endorsed primary challenger, who is leading him by double digits. If Amash loses the primary, there is no way he could win his seat as an independent (or Libertarian), as Michigan has straight-ticket voting. Meanwhile, there is a sizable movement within the LP to draft him for the Libertarian nomination, including a facebook page I recently joined:

Three of those four (Weld excepted) could have the nomination for the asking. Alas, none of the four is presently a live option: none is even running for the job. Given today's live options - the current field of declared candidates - the only one worth voting for is None of the Above: which, fortunately, will be on the ballot at the LP's 2020 presidential convention.

Amash primary challenger up by 16 in early poll

Report: Michigan poll shows Justin Amash trailing primary challenger by 16 - Allahpundit, Hot Air:

June 12, 2019 - "Nothing would better encapsulate the GOP’s political turn over this past decade than watching the most hardcore small-government Republican in Congress get obliterated in a primary because he’s worried that the president committed a crime....

Independent PPC polling finds @justinamash down 49%-33% to @RepJimLower in MI-3 GOP primary.
— MIRSnews.com (@MIRSnews) June 11, 2019

"I can’t find the crosstabs and the MIRS website is paywalled but Daily Kos says the sample was of 335 likely GOP primary voters, which is smallish. Notably, the poll didn’t include a third candidate who’s running. That’s Amash’s best hope for a victory — draw more pro-Trump, anti-Amash candidates into the race, hope that the majority of Republican voters splinter among them, and win the nomination with a plurality.

"Although, given the state of the party, it’s possible that anti-Amash GOPers would cross over and vote Democratic in the general election just to spite him. Of course, it’s possible that pro-Amash GOPers will do the same thing in annoyance if someone unseats him in the primary. Remember, the last time Trump targeted a small-government Republican critic for political destruction, that seat ended up in Democratic hands — In South Carolina. Before that he had plenty of unhappy things to say about anti-Trumper Jeff Flake, who chose not to run again rather than be crushed in his own primary. That seat also ended up going Democratic in what’s normally a red state.

"Trump might be willing to see Amash’s seat turn blue as the price of expelling him, though. Per Politico, he sounds pretty excited about revenge here.

Trump and his top advisers have discussed the prospect of backing a primary challenge to the Michigan lawmaker — a highly unusual move for a president against a member of his own party.... Trump has raised the primary challenge idea with Vice President Mike Pence and North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows, a close Trump ally who co-founded the conservative House Freedom Caucus with Amash. Trump has also addressed the subject with Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, a former Michigan GOP leader who remains influential in the state....

"I don’t think this is strategic on Trump’s part, I think this is just who he is. If you cross him and it’s within his power to ruin you, even if it means the other party is likely to benefit from it, he’ll do it....

"Amash is a worrisome third-party challenger for Trump potentially because he’s an unusually bold spokesman for the two camps that typically make up the base of support for Libertarian Party candidates. One is libertarians themselves; to them, Amash’s ideological credentials are impeccable. The other is righties of various stripes who crave a Republican who’ll confront Trump unapologetically. Amash distinguished himself spectacularly in that regard with his impeachment stance. Both libertarians and anti-Trump GOPers should be more eager to vote for him for their own reasons in 2020, I suspect, than they were to back Gary Johnson and Bill Weld in 2016. Amash would still end up in single digits but each extra percentage point matters. Especially in Michigan."

Read more: https://hotair.com/archives/2019/06/12/report-michigan-poll-shows-justin-amash-trailing-primary-challenger-16/
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The loneliest Republican in Congress

Justin Amash is the loneliest Republican in Congress - CNNPolitics - Haley Boyd:

March 10, 2019 - "For most Republicans, life in the House minority is a big change. But for Rep. Justin Amash ... 'It's just a different set of people doing the wrong thing,' the Michigan Republican said in an interview with CNN.

"Amash came to Congress with the Tea Party wave in 2010, and although Republicans controlled the House for the entirety of his congressional career until a few months ago, Amash has long been the odd man out. His firm libertarian stances on foreign policy, surveillance and federal spending put him in an awkward position with many in his own party. And 2 years into Donald Trump's presidency, Amash appears lonelier than ever. His closest allies – conservatives who routinely sparred with the GOP establishment in the past – have coalesced behind Trump....

"The divide was clearer than ever during a February oversight hearing with former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. While most Republicans on the panel stuck to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan's strategy of attacking Cohen's character and playing defense for the President, Amash asked sharp questions designed to draw out information....

"Jordan and Amash were both founding members of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of hardline conservatives who preached a focus on cutting government spending and opening up congressional procedure, and clashed with party leaders over it. The three dozen members played a key role in former House Speaker John Boehner's resignation in 2015, and the caucus was instrumental in shaping the House-led GOP effort to repeal Obamacare, which became a centerpiece of Trump's first-year agenda....

"'From the time [President Trump] was elected, I was urging them to remain independent and to be willing to push back against the President where they thought he was wrong,' said Amash. 'They've decided to stick with the President time and again, even where they disagree with him privately'.... Amash was the sole member of the caucus to vote against Trump's use of emergency powers to seize funds for his long-desired wall along the southern border, even though the Freedom Caucus was known for lambasting President Barack Obama's executive maneuvering to get around Congress....

"It hasn't helped that Amash has lost key allies like Raul Labrador, the Idaho lawmaker who left Congress last year to run unsuccessfully for governor of his state, and Mark Sanford, who lost his South Carolina primary to a more Trump-friendly opponent in 2018. Yet Amash reiterated his Freedom Caucus colleagues remain some of his closest friends in Congress.... And members who differ with Amash's stance say he still brings a helpful perspective....

"Amash has the rhetorical style of someone who really enjoys arguing for the sake of arguing but also benefits from fiercely believing what he says. He also has a wry sense of humor.

"Soon after inauguration day in early 2017, Trump signed a travel ban targeting six majority Muslim countries. Amash — whose mother is a Syrian immigrant and whose father came to America as a Palestinian refugee in 1956 — opposed the executive order.... At the height of the outcry, Amash excused his lateness to a Freedom Caucus meeting one night with a joke.... 'Hey guys. Sorry I'm late,' he said. 'The travel ban got me held up at the airport — they're screening all the Syrians.'"

"Half of the room was amused by the quip. The other half — not so much. It was memorable enough that a lawmaker who also attended the meeting still recalled the episode more than two years later."

Read more:  https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/10/politics/amash-trump-house-republicans-lonely/index.html

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Sanford warns of debt crisis in farewell address

Rep. Mark Sanford Cautions of ‘Hitler-like’ Figure in Parting Address - Emily Kopp, Roll Call:

December 27, 2018 - "Outgoing Republican Rep. Mark Sanford cautioned his constituents on the rise of a 'Hitler-like character' in a parting address on Wednesday. Though a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, the South Carolinian clarified he was not likening the leader of the Republican Party to Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler. But he warned the 'forces at play' in contemporary politics 'could lead to a future Hitler-like character if we don’t watch out.'

"'Washington cannot continue to do business as it now does and have our republic survive,' Sanford said in reference to the national debt. 'As open political systems become cumbersome and inefficient, inevitably a strong man comes along and offers easy promises. He says that he can take care of it for us. People desperate for a change accept his offer. They have to give up a few freedoms in the equation to get more security,” Sanford said.....

"The impending government shutdown prevented Sanford from delivering the address on the House floor last week, but the departing congressman and former governor posted the speech to Facebook.

"State Rep. Katie Arrington ousted Sanford in a primary battle earlier this year where support for Trump was a decisive fault line.... Trump endorsed Arrington on Election Day, slamming Sanford [and] mocked Sanford’s subsequent defeat at a private meeting with Congressional Republicans....

"In his parting speech, Sanford described the difference between Trump's politics and his own deeply conservative views as the 'soothing promises of populism' versus the 'real math' of budget austerity. Sanford said his career had been defined by the issue of national debt.

''More than anything, these last 25 years have been about trying in some small way to affect the trajectory of government spending,' he said.

"Sanford delivered a dramatic prediction about the future of the economy, arguing that government [deficit] spending could lead to inflation, which would erode 'our way of life.' 'I believe that we are marching our way toward the most predictable financial and economic crisis in the history of our republic,' he said. 'If we don’t change course soon, markets will do it for us.'

"Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., a fellow member of the Freedom Caucus, would 'carry the flag forward in this eternal battle,' he said.

"Sanford’s challenger Arrington lost to Democrat Joe Cunningham in the November general election."

Read more: https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/rep-mark-sanford-cautions-hitler-like-figure-parting-address
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Third libertarian Republican elected to U.S. House

Libertarian Republicans excelled in the midterm elections - Jack Hunter, Washington Examiner:

November 7, 2018 - "On Tuesday night, Democrats took the House and Republicans kept the Senate. Expect to hear opinions and analysis of what this might mean for President Trump and the 2020 election in the weeks and months to come. But how did the small but enduring libertarian faction within the Republican Party do?...

"The most high-profile libertarian Republican in Congress, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, was not up for re-election. The next-most high-profile libertarian Republicans in Congress, Reps. Justin Amash of Michigan and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, both won re-election by double-digits.

"Amash, who represents a purple district, has been openly critical of Trump, and his independent streak appeared to pay off for him Tuesday. Massie represents a deep-red district, hasn’t hesitated to criticize the president, yet simultaneously has been more sympathetic. Massie predictably defeated his Democratic opponent in a blowout.

"Republican novice Denver Riggleman won his race for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. 'Riggleman, a newcomer to politics, ran a positive campaign based on libertarian ideas,' reported National Review's Jibran Khan. But Khan also noted what the libertarian-leaning Riggleman was not: 'His victory, which came on the heels of Corey Stewart’s failed run for the Senate, should be a message for the Virginia GOP'....

"The soundly defeated Corey Stewart represented not only some of the worst aspects of today’s Right in his racist appeal, however intentional or unintentional those appeals were, but his competitive GOP primary opponent Virginia House member Nick Freitas was a libertarian Republican....  Even if he wouldn’t have beaten Democrat Tim Kaine, it is easy to see the libertarian Freitas having significantly more appeal to a larger swath of voters than Stewart. Hopefully this is a lesson Virginia Republicans remember.

"A similar message was sent in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, where Republican Katie Arrington was defeated by Democrat Joe Cunningham. Arrington defeated incumbent Rep. Mark Sanford in the Republican primary by touting her pro-Trump credentials.... [A] Democrat hadn’t won [there] in 40 years.... Arrington’s defeat shows that there are limits to merely hanging your hat on Trump, even in red South Carolina. It goes without saying that the libertarian Sanford would have had far more appeal.

"Another libertarian victory of sorts actually came from the Democratic side, where Colorado’s Jared Polis became the first openly gay governor. Polis is the sole Democratic member of the House Liberty Caucus founded by Justin Amash.... This is not to say that the new Democratic governor will always act along liberty lines, but the one Democrat arguably most sympathetic to libertarian ideas and issues got a big win Tuesday.

"The biggest losses for libertarian Republicans were the defeat of Rep. Dave Brat in Virginia’s 7th District, and Eric Brakey, with a failed Senate challenge to Maine’s incumbent Angus King, an independent who overwhelming votes with Democrats. Brat, also a member of the House Liberty Caucus, made waves when he defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in 2014 — and his loss Tuesday was razor-thin. Brakey, a popular two-term Maine state senator, is only 30 years old, a thorough libertarian Republican in the mold of Rand Paul, and hopefully this won’t be the last we hear from him.

"Overall, Tuesday showed ... that libertarian Republicanism not only endures, but prevails, and could be the brand best positioned for future GOP victories."

Read more: https://gdspoliticalanimal.blogspot.com/2018/11/third-libertarian-republican-elected-to.html
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How Liberty Republicans can thrive in Trump era

Don’t Write Off the Libertarian Republicans | The American Conservative - Kevin Boyd:

June 19, 2018 - "Last Tuesday’s elections were a mixed bag for Tea Party legislators, or what we might call libertarian Republicans. The bad news was Corey Stewart’s defeat of Nick Freitas in the Virginia Senate primary and Katie Arrington’s defeat of Congressman Mark Sanford in South Carolina. However, the GOP’s libertarian wing picked up wins by Eric Brakey, who prevailed for the Senate nomination in Maine, and Lee Bright, who qualified for a U.S. House runoff in South Carolina.

"Still, questions have been raised about whether or not libertarians are even welcome in a Republican Party controlled by President Donald Trump.... The Trump administration has championed policies that libertarians generally despise, such as increased tariffs, immigration restrictions, spending hikes, and preserving the current entitlements system....

"The GOP under Trump is certainly not a party that values limited government. Then again, the GOP has rarely ever seemed to value limited government, at least when it’s in power. But is all lost for libertarians? A closer look at the both the Freitas and Sanford losses reveals the answer is not a simple one.

"In Virginia, Stewart picked up 44.9 percent of the vote to Freitas’s 43.1 percent, or a little more than a 5,000-vote difference. Stewart ... had the highest name ID in the race. Freitas, on the other hand, ... was a relatively unknown state house member before the campaign, and he spent only $355,749 compared to Stewart’s $680,505 ... this doesn’t seem like a catastrophic loss for libertarians. Indeed, Freitas nearly pulled it off despite his lower name recognition....

"As for South Carolina, ... Arrington made her support for President Trump a major focus of her campaign and contrasted it to Sanford’s criticisms of Trump. But a deeper look at the race tells a different story. The fact is that Arrington worked hard on the campaign trail while Sanford took his reelection for granted. The result was predictable, regardless of any Trump factor....

"Still, it’s worth asking what lessons libertarians can learn to survive and thrive in the Trump era. The biggest one comes from Daniel McCarthy, who notes that libertarianism was a success in the GOP when it was anti-establishment.... Rand Paul, Congressman Thomas Massie, Congressman Justin Amash ... are flourishing because they’ve maintained their anti-establishment credentials ... despite the fact that they have opposed and even criticized Trump at times.

"Amash, who was targeted by Trump allies for a primary challenge, wound up running unopposed. Although he faces a tough general election battle, he is still favored to be reelected. Massie is all but certain to return to Congress.

"Contrast their fates with another libertarian leaner and Trump critic, Senator Jeff Flake. Flake was forced to retire after it became clear he would be defeated in the primary.... Flake was a strong proponent of free trade and railed against pork barrel spending in the House of Representatives. He was not afraid to challenge his own party on those issues. But since being elected to the Senate in 2012, Flake had also become a consistent ally of the Republican establishment....

"Libertarians can survive in the Trump era. After all, Trump’s destruction of the old GOP has given them space to operate. But libertarian Republicans must not forget their anti-establishment roots and they cannot take their election races for granted."

Read more: http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/dont-write-off-the-libertarian-republicans/
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Mark Sanford loses primary to Trump pick

Mark Sanford Is a Libertarian Republican Who Took on Trump. He Just Lost His Primary. - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Eric Boehm:

June 12, 2018 - "A primary challenger backed by President Donald Trump successfully unseated incumbent Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) tonight just hours after Trump took to Twitter to attack Sanford for — of all things — the congressman's marital infidelities. First-term state Rep. Katie Arrington (R-Dorchester) defeated Sanford, earning more than 51 percent of the vote to Sanford's 46 percent....

"In an interview with Politico last weekend, Sanford suggested that a loss in his re-election bid could cause other Republicans to think twice before speaking out against the Trump administration.... 'I think it's entirely appropriate to say "I agree" when I agree and "I disagree" when I disagree,' Sanford told Politico's Alex Isenstadt. 'That's the American way. That's what our entire political system is based on, ... the fact that we can have dissent'....

"Sanford's dissent to Trump's takeover of the GOP dates back nearly two years.... Sanford has accused Trump of fanning 'the flames of intolerance,' criticized Trump's use of the word 'shit-hole' to describe some third world countries, and most recently called the president's plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports 'an experiment with stupidity.' He's also criticized Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) for not taking a hard enough line against the Trump White House.

"Trump appears to have taken notice. As voters were heading to the polls Tuesday, the president took a shot at the incumbent congressman.

Mark Sanford has been very unhelpful to me in my campaign to MAGA. He is MIA and nothing but trouble. He is better off in Argentina. I fully endorse Katie Arrington for Congress in SC, a state I love. She is tough on crime and will continue our fight to lower taxes. VOTE Katie!

"Yes, that reference to Argentina is the thrice-wedded president (who may have had an affair with a porn star) accusing Sanford of being bad at marriage, apparently without a hint of irony....

"It's true that Sanford's six-day disappearance during July 2009 — when he was ... having an extramarital affair with an Argentine woman, María Belén Chapur — changed the course of his political career.... Prior to [L'Affaire] Argentine, Sanford was regarded as a possible White House contender. Following Ron Paul's 2008 dark horse presidential run, he and [former] governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson (along with, of course, Rand Paul) were often identified as the heirs apparent to the libertarian wing of the GOP....

"Will there be a third act for Sanford? One can hope. Whatever you may think of his personal foibles, he's been a consistently principled voice for liberty and limited government. He opposes bailouts, loves Atlas Shrugged, and disdains political tribalism. And in the age of Trump, a history of adultery is hardly political suicide anymore."

Read more: https://reason.com/blog/2018/06/12/anti-trump-republican-mark-sanford-loses
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US House votes to block civil forfeiture expansion

In Surprise Vote, House Passes Amendment to Restrict Asset Forfeiture - Zaid Jilani, The Intercept:

September 12, 2017 - "In a surprise move, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved an amendment to the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act that will roll back Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s expansion of asset forfeiture.

"Amendment No. 126 was sponsored by a bipartisan group of nine members, led by Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich. He was joined by Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna of California; Washington state’s Pramila Jayapal, ... and Hawaii’s Tulsi Gabbard.

"Civil asset forfeiture is a practice in which law enforcement can take assets from a person who is suspected of a crime, even without a charge or conviction. Sessions revived the Justice Department’s Equitable Sharing Program, which allowed state and local police agencies to take assets and then give them to the federal government — which would in turn give a chunk back to local police. This served as a way for these local agencies to skirt past state laws designed to limit asset forfeiture....

"Amash, the prime mover of the amendment, spoke forcefully in favor of the Obama-era rules.... 'Unfortunately these restrictions were revoked in June of this year. My amendment would restore them by prohibiting the use of funds to do adoptive forfeitures that were banned under the 2015 rules,' he explained.

"Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer reached across the aisle to voice support for Amash’s effort. 'Civil asset forfeiture without limits presents one of the strongest threats to our civil, property, and constitutional rights,' he said on the floor. 'It creates a perverse incentive to seek profits over justice.'

"The amendment passed with a voice vote, meaning it had overwhelming support.

"Republican Reps. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Raúl Labrador of Idaho, and Dana Rohrabacher of California joined in the effort, along with Democrat Earl Blumenauer of Oregon."

Read more: https://theintercept.com/2017/09/12/in-surprise-vote-house-passes-amendment-to-restrict-asset-forfeiture/
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The libertarian way to improve airports

A libertarian plan to improve our airports | Rare - Jillian Lane Wyant:

January 25, 2017 - "President Trump has promised to add a plan to improve American airports to his infrastructure proposal. Libertarian minded citizens are looking to Washington to both improve our airports by decentralizing control of airports, relying more on user fees and respecting travelers’ privacy rights....

"Americans have felt helpless as we’ve watched the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) physically and clumsily invade our personal privacy at the airport and the privacy of those around us. All while they continue to miss glaring red flags....

"Just last month, while in the Fort Lauderdale airport — two days before the terrorist attack on the airport, killing five people — the TSA stopped me due to the fact that the book in my purse was 'too thick and needed further inspection.' The man behind me in line laughed, as he overheard, and informed me he was carrying fireworks in his bag that the TSA had not detected. The self-righteous libertarian in me nearly imploded. This is not an isolated incident, this is a daily and possible deadly occurrence....

"Currently, libertarians are concerned with the amount that taxpayers are going be forced to foot the bill of when it comes to Trump’s infrastructure plan to rebuild America’s airports, roads, and bridges. The fiscally-conservative libertarian favors user-fees, as well as devolving the federal responsibilities over the airports and roads to local control.

"While of course, the first thing that Congress should undertake to fix when dealing with the airports is fixing the overzealous and egregiously expensive screening administered by TSA.... Over the last eight years, we have heard time and time again that the TSA is not doing an exemplary job of screening passengers, yet they continue to employ over 44,000 security officers. The TSA’s sole job is to intercept items that could cause a security threat, yet ... anybody who has traveled in the past few months feels violated every time they pass through security as attacks on airports continue to occur.

"As for the funding of infrastructure improvements, the Cato Institute is promoting the libertarian idea of 'Privatizing U.S. Airports.' Robert W. Poole Jr. and Chris Edwards make the case for a reduction in 'federal intervention' and a push toward a 'greater reliance on the private sector to fund, own, and operate the nation’s infrastructure." These are consistent with libertarian ideas that promote safety and peace-of-mind for travelers alike. Libertarians would like to dismantle the high federal taxes imposed on air travel that is used to improve airports; and allow local airports to collect fees to improve infrastructure on their own.

"Libertarians need to look to the members of the House Transportation Committee like Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Mark Sanford (R-SC) who can guide the legislation in the direction of decentralization and to get the federal government out of the business of treating all Americans as if they are terrorists.... Liberty based ideas that promoted decentralization and a less invasive taxes and security checks could make air travel great again."

Read more: http://rare.us/rare-politics/rare-liberty/a-libertarian-plan-to-improve-our-airports/
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Rand Paul raises profile with eye on 2016

Kentucky's Rand Paul raises profile with eye on 2016 » Evansville Courier & Press - Thomas Beaumont:

May 10, 2013 - "Sen. Rand Paul ... is unabashedly clearing a path to seek the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, with a series of early voting state visits, a beefed-up political operation and a deliberate plan to appeal to mainstream voters and raise his national profile.

"Paul's presidential coming-out begins on Friday in early-voting Iowa.

"The senator is billed as the main speaker at the state Republican Party's annual spring fundraising event — called the Lincoln Day Dinner — in Cedar Rapids. He'll also address the Iowa Federation of Republican women and meet with Johnson County Republicans during the two-day trip.

"Ten days later, Paul is slated to deliver the keynote address at a similar event for the New Hampshire GOP — the Liberty Dinner — in that important early primary state. He'll cap May's busy travel schedule with a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California on May 31.

"The senator also has plans to attend a June 28 fundraiser for Republicans in South Carolina, another early-primary state in presidential nominating campaigns. Paul made his interest in the state known last week when, in a break with national Republicans, he supported scandal-scarred former Gov. Mark Sanford in an ultimately successful bid to return to the U.S. House."

Read more: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2013/may/10/kentuckys-rand-paul-raises-profile-with-eye-on/
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Ron and Rand Paul endorse Mark Sanford for Congress

Sen. Rand Paul endorses Mark Sanford for Congress - Catalina Camia, USA Today:

April 30, 2013 - "GOP congressional candidate Mark Sanford was formally endorsed Tuesday by Sen. Rand Paul, a Tea Party favorite whose support could help in the final days of the special election for South Carolina's 1st District seat. The senator's father, former Texas congressman Ron Paul, threw his support behind Sanford last week.

"'More than anything, Washington needs strong and consistent voices for fiscal responsibility and liberty,' the younger Paul said in a statement. 'Mark has proven during his time in office that watching out for taxpayers and holding the line on spending are his top priorities.'

"Sanford, a former South Carolina governor, faces Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a May 7 election for his old House seat. Once the favorite in the race, Sanford has had to deal with renewed attention on his 2009 extramarital affair and the loss of support from the House GOP campaign committee."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2013/04/30/mark-sanford-rand-paul-endorsement-congress/2123843/
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Ron Paul returns to SC after 4-day absence

Ron Paul returns to South Carolina after four-day absence - Mackenzie Weinger - POLITICO.com:

January 15, 2011 - "Ron Paul returned from a four-day absence from the trail Sunday with what his campaign dubbed a 'game-changing' endorsement: A local state senator ... Tom Davis, a well-known fiscal conservative who served as chief of staff under Gov. Mark Sanford before being elected to the legislature....

"Davis said he’d met with all of the major Republican contenders — he particularly called out Jon Huntsman as a 'fine man' — but his decision stemmed from Paul’s focus on the debt....

"'Dr. Paul is somebody that I’ve watched for the past 26 years and I’ve always admired the principled stands he’s taken in Congress,' Davis told the overflowing crowd at the rally here Sunday that was Paul’s only stop of the day.

"Paul, who gave [his] typical stump speech focused on economics and personal liberty, told the cheering crowd he had heard Davis was a 'very popular senator, and now I believe that.... I really appreciate his vote of confidence in giving me this wonderful endorsement.'”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71464.html#ixzz1jas4ljuW
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