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July 29, 2005

LP Weekly Update - 7/29/05

Dear Friend,

You may have caught our press releases for the week. The first addressed the House's renewal of the PATRIOT Act. Congressmen voted to permanently renew all but two provisions, and those two provisions would "expire" after 10 years. The second release was a message directly aimed at the Bush administration which, this week, began discussing plans to possibly begin troop withdrawal from Iraq a year from now. The plan, or lack thereof, is clearly unacceptable. The troop withdrawal should begin immediately as the new Iraqi government has expressed their desire for withdrawal and are making gains in training their own defense forces.

In San Diego, Libertarian mayoral candidate Richard Rider placed fifth, drawing a disappointing 1.6% of the vote. Regardless of the results, Mr. Rider should be commended for the media attention that he received and his participation in the debates that took place within that race.

On other matters, we're still making progress on our drive to gain 5,000 members. We have dropped our self-imposed deadline of July 31. It's obvious we won't hit the goal, but we refuse to give up on bringing new and lapsed members to the LP. If you haven't officially joined the Libertarian Party or need to renew your membership, do so today (Click Here). Additionally, please encourage your friends and associates to join or renew. Feel free to visit our "tell-a-friend" page to make this happen.

Be sure to check in throughout the week at LP.org to stay informed and stay active within the Libertarian community.

Best Regards,

Shane Cory
Director of Communications
National Libertarian Party

[Blog Note: If you are not a subscriber to our e-mail list, you can do so by clicking here. This update will be sent to you each week and is e-mailed before appearing on the blog. The poll results are only included within the e-mail.]

Posted by Shane Cory at 05:47 PM | Comments (94)

July 28, 2005

Enough of the Talk, Start the Withdrawal

Recent reports show that the Bush administration is finally giving thought to an exit from Iraq. A top American general has said that his "hope" is that the withdrawal will begin sometime next spring. That just does not cut it. It is past time to start the withdrawal and to give the Iraqi people a chance to rebuild their country - on their own.

Take a minute to read our press release issued on the matter and provide your thoughts below.

Posted by Shane Cory at 02:22 PM | Comments (102)

July 27, 2005

Membership Drive Update

As you may have noticed, we removed our self-imposed deadline to gain 5,000 new members. We've made good progress and gave it a great effort, however due to events beyond our control we had to cut back on outreach and prospecting which was all part of the plan.

As of today, we have generated over 1700 new members or renewals. With that said, we're not giving up. We'll extend the program and the drive until we reach our goal of 5,000.

If you have not renewed or join, please do so by clicking here.

In other news, stay tuned for an update later this week on the t-shirt designs submitted by readers of the blog. We've had some great submissions which will give us a good start on putting together a simple Cafe Press store in the coming week or two. Once the designs are uploaded, I'll provide the link.

Posted by Shane Cory at 12:38 PM | Comments (61)

July 25, 2005

Freedom isn't free - and neither are votes

By Stephen Gordon

ThirdPartyWatch just posted some interesting information pertaining to the expenditure-to-vote ratio during the last presidential election:

Nader: $4,563,877 spent-463,653 votes ($9.84)
Badnarik: $1,073,940 spent-397,265 votes ($2.70)
Peroutka: $728,221 spent-144,498 votes ($5.04)
Cobb: $385,707 spent-119,859 votes ($3.21)

My knee jerk analysis is that we either had the most efficient of campaigns or the cheapest of contributors. From a campaign perspective, it can be viewed either way. Overall, it appears that we may have had the best overall approach - thanks to your generosity and hard work.

A bit more depth provides that we have worked ballot access issues out a bit better and did not have the same problems Nader shared. Interesting anecdotal information provides that Nader once personally called former LP Chair Geoffrey Neale for advice on ballot access, according to Neale.

Our office space was significantly nicer than Nader's was and our rent had to be considerably less -- but the Badnarik campaign was based in Austin, TX, as opposed to Washington, DC. Nader had a decided advantage with respect to the mainstream press due to his location, as I observed while attending his press conferences. Several reporters I queried who had not covered Badnarik indicated that they would have appeared for similar press conferences by the Libertarian candidate if the location was more convenient. While press coverage suffered, Austin provided a better location for lower cost labor for shipping, administration, telecommunications, and other significant campaign activities. Transportation costs probably were slightly higher than DC (we generally had to use connecting flights - mostly American Airlines connecting through Dallas) but the more significant (but less tangible) cost was for the additional time involved.

While I have not checked FEC reports to see what Nader paid his staff, the level of professionalism between the Cobb, Nader and Badnarik staffs seemed about the same. We all had out attributes and shortcomings. The Peroutka staff seemed less experienced and made some mistakes less seasoned folks would have, but they recovered quickly and one might expect to see a better performance from the Constitution Party next election cycle. They were all formidable players.

Sorry, but I digressed. To return to the issue immediately at hand, the LP clearly needs more money in order to change the political climate in America today. We all have our hot topics. Some of us are primarily concerned about civil liberties or eminent domain, while others are more motivated by gun control issues (victim disarmament), taxation, medical marijuana, ballot access or even administrative costs.

Fortunately, you don't have to worry about your hard-earned money going into some big administrative pot - unlike the way the government allocates your Social Security dollars.

Your earmarked donation may be quickly made by clicking this HELP THE LP LINK and indicating in the "Instructions or Comments" line where you would like your money to be spent.

As the cliche goes, freedom isn't free - but your dollar can go a long way in the promotion of whichever liberty you find most important.

Posted by Shane Cory at 04:13 PM | Comments (149)

July 24, 2005

Civil Liberties Update

By Stephen Gordon

Rape and Torture

The ACLU indicated that a court order was filed requiring the government to reprocess and redact 144 detainee abuse photographs, as well as four related videos, taken by Sergeant Joseph Darby at the Abu Ghraib prison. Allegations have been made that some of the photographs contain evidence of the rape of a male minor being held in the facility. The government was to comply by June 30, but had succeeded in delaying the process until today.

Now it appears that the government has stalled the process again. According to the Center for Constitutional Rights, the federal government has once again delayed the release of these additional photographs and video in an attempt to forever block the release of this vital information. According to the release, the government is now requesting an exemption from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to withhold law enforcement-related information in order to protect the physical safety of individuals.

The government claim of protecting the safety of rape and torture victims seems a bit Orwellian, at best.

Invasion of Privacy

The House of Representatives voted to renew the USA Patriot Act by a vote of 257-171, mostly along party lines. This bill now moves to the Senate, where some alternate versions are already under debate.

Some pertinent quotes supporting the expansion of federal powers to invade the privacy of law-abiding citizens include:

President George W. Bush: "The Patriot Act is a key part of our efforts to combat terrorism and protect the American people, and the Congress needs to send me a bill soon that renews the act without weakening our ability to fight terror."

Congressman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI): "Passage of the ... act is vital to maintaining the post-9/11 law enforcement and intelligence reforms that have reduced America's vulnerability to terrorist attack."

To give credit where it is due, opposing commentary exists:

(former) Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA): "Certain sections of the law extend far beyond the mission of protecting Americans from terrorism and violate ordinary citizens' constitutional rights, especially the right to privacy."

Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH): "Today, the House of Representatives is turning back the clock on over 200 years of progress in the protection of civil liberties in this nation. The PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill threatens the civil liberties of every citizen of this nation, and is a full frontal assault on the Bill of Rights and our Constitution. Like every other Member of Congress I take an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America, to vote for this bill would violate this sacred oath. This bill violates the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to our Constitution."

The Ongoing Cover-up

Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX): "Supporters of the Patriot Act argue that its provisions have not been abused since its passage in 2001. In essence, Justice Department officials are claiming, 'Trust us-- we're the government and we say the Patriot Act does not threaten civil liberties.' But this argument misses the point. Government assurances simply are not good enough in a free society. The overwhelming burden always must be placed on government to justify any new encroachment on our liberty. Now that the emotions of September 11th have cooled, the American people are less willing to blindly accept terrorism as an excuse for expanding federal surveillance powers."

Paul is clearly onto something here. On July 18, it was reported that the FBI is maintaining "thousands of pages of records in its files relating to the monitoring of civil rights, environmental and similar advocacy groups." According to the article:

"A memo from Sept. 4, 2003, about Internet sites that were promoting protests at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York was addressed to counterterrorism units in Boston, Los Angeles and New York."

Considering the incredible internet traffic the Badnarik campaign drew, and the fact that our protests were considered among the most extreme of those held in NYC during the RNC Coronation - the Libertarian Party may well have been the target of such unconstitutional investigations. According to the Weekly Standard article, "The other protesters, you see, are dissenting from the official RNC line, but the LPers have taken things a step further, dissenting from the 'complacent attitudes' of ordinary protesters."

During the G-8 Summit in Savannah, GA, I was in the front line of a march protesting the war in Iraq. In addition to the gunboats and armed helicopters (with presumably loaded machine guns pointed at me), there thousands of federal, state and local law enforcement and military personnel lining the streets as we marched. Often seen among the various uniformed and armed groups were people in civilian clothing shooting video and taking still photographs. One wonders how many of them were federal agents?

The ACLU and other organizations have sued for release of documents pertaining to the collection of information about their activities and members. I'm personally offended about what they may have collected (video footage, in the very least) about me.

Toward this end, George Phillies and the LPHQ have submitted FOIA requests to the FBI in order to determine what information the FBI has collected about the Libertarian Party, the LNC, state party affiliates, former LNC chairs, and recent LP presidential campaigns. They clearly deserve your support in this endeavor.

Posted by Shane Cory at 01:20 PM | Comments (111)

July 20, 2005

Background on Judge John Roberts

Here's a bit of information to help you draw your own conclusions regarding President Bush's Supreme Court pick, Judge John G. Roberts, Jr.

Official bio from the CADC:

- Judge Roberts was confirmed by the Senate to a judgeship on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on May 8, 2003, and sworn in on June 2 by Chief Justice Rehnquist. Judge Roberts graduated from Harvard College in 1976, and received his law degree in 1979 from Harvard Law School. Following graduation from law school, he served as law clerk for Judge Henry J. Friendly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the following year to then-Associate Justice Rehnquist of the Supreme Court of the United States. Judge Roberts served as Special Assistant to United States Attorney General William French Smith from 1981 to 1982 and Associate Counsel to President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1986. He then joined Hogan & Hartson where he developed a civil litigation practice, with an emphasis on appellate matters. From 1989 to 1993 he served as Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States. He returned to Hogan & Hartson in 1993. At the time of his confirmation, Judge Roberts was the senior partner in charge of Hogan & Hartson's appellate practice. He is a member of the American Law Institute and the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.

- 2003 Financial Disclosure Report

- President Bush and Judge Roberts attended Harvard University at the same time. Bush graduated from Harvard Business School in 1975 while Roberts graduated Harvard College in 1976

- Served only two years as a judge at the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Before being appointed by George W. Bush, Roberts worked for Hogan and Hartson as a senior partner drawing in a salary in excess of $1 million per year.

- As deputy solicitor general, Roberts filed a discretionary amicus brief (friend of the court brief) in support of Operation Rescue, a group that blocked access to abortion clinics on a regular basis.

- During his brief time as a federal judge, Roberts wrote the appellate brief that supported the arrest of a 12 year-old girl for eating French fries on the Washington subway (Hedgepeth v. WMATA)

. . . more to come.

Posted by Shane Cory at 10:36 AM | Comments (137)

July 18, 2005

Gotta T-Shirt Design?

We'll be putting together a Cafe Press store in the coming weeks and want to leave it up to you to put together the graphics and slogans to use for the products.

Here is a link to product specs and image templates:

http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/sell/images/help_templates

We're not going to vote on submissions, essentially if you put together a good product, we'll make it available on the store.

If you're not a graphic guru but have some good ideas, please add them below.

When you have something to offer, please e-mail it to cpress@lp.org and include the image file along with the original source file if a .psd or .ai (PC Format).

In advance, I would like to thank all of you for the assistance.

[Note: We're looking for t-shirt designs as well as coffee mugs, etc. Basically everything that Cafe Press has to offer.]

Posted by Shane Cory at 11:36 AM | Comments (68)

July 17, 2005

Time's Matt Cooper Addresses "Rovegate" on MTP

On Sunday morning's Meet the Press, Tim Russert had an exclusive interview with Time Magazine's Matt Cooper regarding the ongoing scandal with Karl Rove disclosing the identity of a CIA official.

The discussion began with the following:

Russert: For the record, the first time you learned that Joe Wilson's wife worked for the CIA was from Karl Rove?

Cooper: That's correct.

Regardless of all of the spin coming from the DNC and the RNC on this topic, the above admission by Time's Matt Cooper makes it clear. At least Karl Rove leaked the identity of a CIA operative.

It has been interesting to follow the spin. First the RNC came out saying that Rove "never said her name" but they failed to mention that Rove said "Joe Wilson's wife." While Rove may have never pronounced the words "Valerie Plame" he did identify her without question.

It is also important to note that Karl Rove was fired from George H.W. Bush's 1992 re-election campaign for leaking information to none other than Robert Novak.

When Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove possibly violates the law, either with or without malicious intent, he should be held accountable.

Some have criticized me for addressing this topic which I find very interesting. Much of the criticism has come in the form of defending the Bush administration. Others have stated that it's not something that the LP should address.

Here's my response: This is the topic of the moment. We can choose to remain silent when the current presidential administration appears to not only violate the public trust but may have also violated the law. We can standby and watch while the Bush administration is implicated in a clear abuse of power. We can always play the part of a spectator by choosing not to speak up or get involved in the political arena. That's the easiest thing to do.

However, we are obligated to do otherwise. Among other things, it is our duty to educate the public on the corruption of the two leading political parties in this nation. This is done by pointing out their flaws, confronting their lies, and in the end and given the opportunity, correcting their mistakes.

If we are unwilling to do that, then we are unwilling to succeed.

Posted by Shane Cory at 12:13 PM | Comments (41)

July 15, 2005

LP Weekly Update - 07/15/05

Dear Friend,

Things are heating up again on Capitol Hill. In the coming week, pay attention to the legislative moves concerning the PATRIOT Act. As we predicted, action on the House and Senate versions is happening concurrently, possibly to confuse the issue and stifle debate and awareness of the public. The Senate version expands the act while the House version removes one provision but makes others permanent. Both are unacceptable. We'll keep you informed on the issue so be ready to fire off e-mails and letters when the time comes.

Our Iraq Exit Strategy is continuing to gain momentum. Over 1,300 Americans have signed onto the plan. It's important to note that this has been done without the LP spending a nickel in promotion. The plan has generated its own media and is gaining vast interest on the Internet. On Wednesday, our National Chair Michael Dixon appeared on the Alan Colmes show to discuss the strategy. He did a fantastic job outlining a clear plan and the need for our troops to be removed from harm's way. Kudos to Chairman Dixon for a great job on the interview and special thanks to Alan Colmes for addressing the topic.

Of note is the increased activity we've seen on the LP Blog. If you haven't visited it yet, take the time join the discussion [Shane's Note: You're obviously already here so please ignore the carry-over from the e-mail]. Unlike the RNC blog that was launched yesterday, we don't require any pledges to volunteer, disclosure of personal information or even registration.

On other matters, we're making progress on our drive to gain 5,000 members but we still need your help. If you haven't officially joined the Libertarian Party or need to renew your membership, do so today (Click Here). Additionally, please encourage your friends and associates to join or renew. Feel free to visit our "tell-a-friend" page to make this happen.

Be sure to check in throughout the week at LP.org to stay informed and stay active within the Libertarian community.

Yours in Freedom,

Joe Seehusen
Executive Director
National Libertarian Party

[Shane's Note #2: If you are not a subscriber to our e-mail list, you can do so by clicking here. This update will be sent to you each week and is e-mailed before appearing on the blog.]

Posted by Shane Cory at 02:53 PM | Comments (139)

Setting Some Policy for the Blog and Other Issues

While we have a very open blog and appreciate all of the comments and activity, we will need to tighten things in a fair and reasonable manner.

First: No personal attacks. Calling someone a "nutjob" is not acceptable. Please don't allow yourself to get so heated that you have to resort to name calling or disclosing personal information about an individual to intimidate or drive them away from the blog. Comments attacking other posters, members of the party, the LNC, staff, etc., will be deleted.

Second: Absolutely no threats of any kind. This has only happened once since the blog was launched and that individual was banned. Threats of violence, disclosure, lawsuits, etc. are unacceptable. If you have a legitimate problem, give us a call but do not threaten.

Third: No organizing against the Libertarian Party. While dissent is accepted, expected, and in the case of the libertarian movement, desired. Putting forth efforts to "bring down" the Party is not something that we are obligated to host and members of the party are not obligated to pay for. If you have big enough issues with the LP then there are several avenues of recourse at your disposal, however this blog is not one of them.

Fourth: This one is out of our control but thanks to restrictions on political parties we cannot allow direct solicitation for local candidates. While you are free to discuss campaigns and inform the public through this blog, law does not allow for solicitations.

Note that the rules above are simply a soft policy to set for the time being. I would encourage all of you to get together and come up with a hard policy that can be linked within the templates of the blog. You can send proposals directly to me (see the contact page).

There has also been several requests for a forum. I agree that we need one. However, first we need the money for a second dedicated server (if you want to help us with that, click the contribute button and be sure to note that you would like the money applied to LP forum. The cost is $300 per month for a good server). We also need a good share of moderators who will protect us from spam and "disruptors" along with following similar guidelines to the blog. If you want to volunteer, send an e-mail to info@lp.org with the subject line "moderator".

Note that we're open to suggestions regarding forum software, the server is pre-installed with Invisionboard.

Personally, let me say that this blog belongs to the members of the LP and we have no intent of censoring rational debate. If you want to see true censorship in action, check out the RNC blog that was launched yesterday. If you can get a thought on that blog that does not toe the party line then you should win a prize.

Your activity on this site has helped us create and meet new members and has added a level of debate that should be commended. At the last LNC meeting in Dallas I gave a short presentation to the board and due to the lack of time available I was able to address only a few points. My first topic was to express my personal appreciation for the posters on this blog and their high level of rational and reasoned debate.

Thanks for everything, guys.

Best,

Shane Cory
Director of Communications

Posted by Shane Cory at 12:09 PM | Comments (64)

A Message from Michael Badnarik

Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated

I would like to thank everyone for their expressions of support during my recent hospital visit. I never expected to stay overnight, and I certainly didn't anticipate the widespread concern about my health. I'm sorry for any unnecessary worry I may have caused.

First, I want to respond to a question that several people posed once they heard I was under a doctor's care. They wanted to know if this would put an end to any campaign plans I might have had for 2006. These people clearly do not know me as well as they should. Lest there be any doubt, my PRIMARY reason for getting out of the hospital was so I could jump into the next campaign season with both feet. I can't die now. I still have too much to do in the fight for Liberty. Although I am not at liberty to leak my plans for 2006, that announcement will probably be made in the very near future. There are strategic reasons for us to keep things under wraps just a little longer. I promise that I am not prolonging the secret in an attempt to keep everyone in suspense. It is far more frustrating to know and not be able to say, than it is to be wondering what the answers are. I will announce it from the rooftops the moment I can.

Just so everyone knows, I suffered my first heart attack in December of 1999. That was a HUGE shock to everyone (especially me) because I have always been very healthy, otherwise. I have never smoked, never taken drugs, and I gave up alcohol and caffeine several years ago. Unfortunately heart disease is hereditary, and my family history has several instances of problems. Since then I have worked moderately to keep my cholesterol low, and have stayed away from too much fast food.

Monday morning I began working on my laptop and experienced some minor pressure in my chest. Whenever I layed down, the problem went away. After walking around a few minutes, the pressure would return. Naturally I spent much of the day with my feet up taking it easy. When my flight attendant girlfriend returned from her trip, she insisted that I go to the hospital. I thought she was over reacting, however my blood test indicated that I did, indeed, have a small heart attack Monday morning. The doctor performed an angiogram early Tuesday morning, inserting a catheter into my femoral artery to inspect for damage. The good news: there is no damage to the heart muscle and there are no blockages near the heart. The bad news is that there are a few partial blockages downstream from the heart that could cause problems in the future. Fortunately, I will be able to rectify the problem with medication and a change in diet. Ergo, the Democrats and Republicans are the only ones who have to worry - because I remain passionately dedicated to changing the course of American politics. And SOON!

For the next few days I will relax at home and confine my activities to catching up on eMail and other Internet activity. My class should be available on DVD sometime next week, and there are a few remaining tasks to finish that will move us closer to a formal announcement. I have every intention of attending Porkfest 2005 as scheduled, and I hope that everyone registers to take one of my Constitution classes while I am in New Hampshire. We have invited members of the New Hampshire state legislature to attend my class for free when I present it in Concord. To the best of my knowledge, none of the representative have taken advantage of that offer, but there is still time.

Thanks again to everyone for their well-wishes. Rest assured that as long as I am capable of taking a breath, I will be doing everything I can to lead the Libertarian Party to victory, and to reestablish Constitutional limitations on our government.

Lighting the fires of Liberty, one heart at a time!

Posted by Shane Cory at 11:17 AM | Comments (13)

July 13, 2005

Media Alert - Alan Colmes Radio Show

Libertarian Party National Chair Michael Dixon will be appearing on the Alan Colmes Radio Show tonight, July 13th, at 10 p.m. Eastern to discuss the Libertarian Party Exit Strategy for Iraq.

To listen in please see the details below:

Sirius Channel 143
XM Channel 167

Online: http://www.alan.com

For stations in your area see: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,130069,00.html

After listening, feel free to provide feedback below.

Posted by Shane Cory at 04:11 PM | Comments (170)

Michael Badnarik in Excellent Spirits after Being Hospitalized for Observation

Below is an official announcement from the Badnarik campaign regarding recent news of Michael Badnarik's hospitialization. We wish Mr. Badnarik the best and are happy to hear of his improving condition and high spirits. He is a patriot serving all Americans and we wish him the best in his recovery.

---------------------------------------

Mountain View, CA, July 12, 2005 -- Libertarian political consultant and 2004 Badnarik for President California Campaign Coordinator, Allen Hacker, announced today that Michael Badnarik had been hospitalized on the afternoon of Monday, July 11, 2005 in Texas for treatment and observation of a minor cardiac event. Hacker stated that Badnarik was in good spirits on arrival at the hospital and remained his usual mildly gruff self as staff pushed him through the routine examinations that follow such events.

According to Hacker, Badnarik never collapsed or lost consciousness. "He was a bit tired in the morning and when he exerted himself he experienced moderate chest pains and, later on, increased fatigue. He was driven to the hospital by family."

After all the usual diagnostic tests had been run and he had entered a 24-hour observation phase, Badnarik stated that he was feeling just fine and looking forward to getting back to his life's work of "Lighting the fires of Liberty, one heart at a time!"

Hacker did not disclose the hospital's location, but stated that all patients with this type of event are automatically put into the Intensive Care Unit and usually may not receive non-family visitors or casual phone calls. "The idea is for him to be in a neutral environment for the duration of the observation period, and to get some rest."

Hacker also said, "Michael wants everyone to know he's fine and has too much to do to stop now. He says he hasn't got time to die!"

Hacker said he became involved in the situation as a result of work he is currently doing with Badnarik concerning possible future campaign options, and had already been in frequent telephone contact with Mr. Badnarik over the past several days. Asked whether Mr. Badnarik would be running for office again this year, Hacker opted to defer that question to Mr. Badnarik, saying, "I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on that at this time. For now, I just want to let all of Mike's friends and supporters know that he is fine and they can expect him back into the fray before week's end.""

Should Badnarik's state of health continue to improve at its current rate, a conference call will be conducted on Friday morning for members of the media who wish to hear from Michael directly and perhaps ask him a question or two. Members of the media who wish to become involved in the tele-press conference should contact Allen Hacker at allen@badnarik.org or by telephone at 650-465-7387.

Posted by Shane Cory at 12:20 PM | Comments (19)

Can Purism and Pragmatism Co-exist?

By Stephen Gordon

Can purism and pragmatism co-exist within the Libertarian Party? The question has been debated time and time again.

To begin, it is my belief that one can be simultaneously principled and practical. Contrary to some arguments, being practical does not necessarily involve "selling out." Likewise, being a "purist" does not automatically involve unwillingness to engage in real world politics. It seems that perhaps we are asking the wrong question.

Recent debate over the Iraq Exit Strategy has delivered to us the latest salvos in this never ending rhetorical war. However, I'd like to suggest that a phoenix may rise from the ashes of this particular battleground - a better understanding of ourselves, so we may better utilize our energies by fighting the real enemy.

After lengthy conversations on how best to define various factions within the LP, a friend suggested something to me in an e-mail. He stated that the conflicting sides in this internal conflict are between those who are ideologically driven and those who are politically driven. I believe he may be onto something important.

Recent debate over the exit strategy helped to define the line between the ideologues and those who wish to engage in politics. Lew Rockwell (whom I regard highly) perhaps summed up the ideological side best with, "Is it asking too much that the LP be part of the radical opposition, rather than aspire to be part of the inner circle of power?"

The short answer is "yes - it is too much to ask."

While the article was written about the LP Exit Strategy, I'd like to move beyond that specific issue to illustrate something more important that Rockwell revealed - that he, and many others, do not "get it" with respect to the proper role of the Libertarian Party.

To begin, the LP already is a radical organization, as viewed by most of the world. We also actively engage in activities to become part of the inner circle, as clearly directed in our bylaws:
"… moving public policy in a libertarian direction by building a political party that elects Libertarians to public office; chartering affiliate parties throughout the United States and promoting their growth and activities; nominating candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States, and supporting Party and affiliate party candidates for political office; and, entering into public information activities."

The last time I checked, POTUS was still considered a powerful position. We are a political party, which means we must effectively engage in real world politics. Rockwell criticized us for having a "beltway mentality" - a point which Thomas Knapp effectively rebutted with,

"Newsflash: That is how America works now. On any given issue, the self-designated intellectual elites fight an ongoing internal war 'inside the Beltway,' attempting to capture the ears -- and minds -- of a few hundred 'movers and shakers' in government and media."

Even George Phillies, who maintains strong arguments for moving the national headquarters from the DC area, acknowledges that a press office would be required inside the beltway. The reason is obvious - the proximity to the circles of power is important when attempting to influence public opinion.

Rockwell then added, "What we need is not libertarianism with a plan."

It seems that we have been drifting aimlessly for far too many years precisely because we did not have a plan. Every time some sort of plan is introduced, ideologues of one variety or another attack it. As a case-in-point, even the recent LP press release critical of GOP meister-puppeteer Karl Rove is drawing fire on the LP blog.

Party organization requires a plan in order to be effective. Political campaigns crash and burn without proper planning. A comprehensive political strategy is, in effect, a plan. I prefer the rudder of a plan in order to someday actually reach the safe harbor of Liberty.

The Libertarian Party is beginning to engage in real politics in the real world. Like any person or organization which makes bold moves, it will make mistakes and will have failures. With experience comes wisdom - and the missteps should become fewer over time. Additionally, there will be some disagreement with anything the LP does. As libertarians, we don't march in lockstep.

I've got a request for my more ideological friends: Please give the LP the breathing room required to actually engage in the political arena. If you agree with a particular issue, feel free to jump on board. On the issues where you disagree, please don't impede the progress of the party. We will never reach total agreement on any issue - but we cannot continue to let this prevent us from engaging in politics. In most cases of disagreement, we will likely be closely aligned allies in whatever the issue may be - even if we disagree with each other on some nuances. Wouldn't it be preferable for us to fight a common enemy as allies -- as opposed to the current practice of fighting amongst ourselves while the enemy continues to gain ground?

Rockwell and many others do have a very important point to make. It is common for those in power to begin to abuse it. To my friends involved in the business of pragmatic politics, my message is that it is crucial for you to always maintain the ideals which separate the LP from other political parties. Once these important principles are disregarded, we become no better than our political opposition.

There is nothing wrong with being an ideologue - I consider myself one. However, in a conflict between ideology and politics - as a political party, the LP must act in a principled but political manner.

There is clearly room for both ideologues and political players within the libertarian movement. However, for movement to actually move, it is imperative that we work together instead of in opposition to one another.

Posted by Shane Cory at 10:19 AM | Comments (191)

July 12, 2005

Karl Rove Scandal Heats Up

We've just released a press release calling for President Bush to follow through on his promise to fire any White House employee who may have been responsible for the Valerie Plame leak.

Here's an excerpt:

A longstanding Bush administration scandal came to a head last week when it was revealed that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove disclosed the identity of an undercover CIA employee, Valerie Plame, to a Time reporter. Opponents of the Bush administration claim that Mrs. Plame's occupation was leaked in retaliation after her husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson, spoke out against claims made by President Bush in his 2003 State of the Union speech.

. . .

Commenting on the matter, Libertarian Party National Executive Director Joe Seehusen stated, "When the scandal first came to light, President Bush said that if any White House employee was responsible for the leak, they would be fired. We know now that Karl 'the Architect' Rove was a source of the leak. It's time for Bush to follow through with his promise by firing his deputy chief of staff."

While it is now clear that at least Rove is responsible for the Plame leak, Bush needs to "stay the course" and follow through on his promise.

Posted by Shane Cory at 12:43 PM | Comments (53)

July 11, 2005

The Best Recruiting Sergeant for al-Qaeda?

Time Magazine recently published an article by Daniel Benjamin which began with thoughts by a British ambassador stating that George W. Bush was the "best recruiting sergeant for al-Qaeda."

Benjamin continued in his piece by somewhat laying blame for the London bombings on Bush and his invasion of Iraq:

Britain has been on al-Qaeda's target list since the group's earliest days in the 1990s; the country's appointment with terror was ensured. But now, because of the invasion of Iraq, it faces a longer and bloodier confrontation with radical Islam, as does the U.S. America has shown itself to be good at hunting terrorists. Unfortunately, by occupying Iraq, it has become even better at creating them.

Open for discussion is this: Has the so-called "War on Terror" created more terrorists or has it been a legitimate offensive campaign to protect America?

Posted by Shane Cory at 12:09 PM | Comments (97)

July 07, 2005

LP Weekly Update

Dear Friend,

Hopefully each of you were able to take time out to spend with families and friends to celebrate our nation's Independence Day. This past week was an exciting one as we released our exit strategy for Iraq late Thursday afternoon. The response thus far has been outstanding with nearly 1,000 people signing on to show their support for the plan. I would encourage you to browse through the positive comments in order to get a feel for the general public's view of the strategy.

Here are a few comments that standout:

In the last year and a half I have become more and more enthused with and genuinely impressed by the Libertarian party's policies and practices. I hope our leaders will take this strategy into consideration. - Michael Muenich from West LaFayette, IN

I commend the Libertarian Party for taking this very mainstream approach. These are among the many actions that will make the LP more accessible to those who have only known one way of thinking during their whole lives. Please keep reaching out and enlightening newcomers that they too share libertarian views to the extent that they defend individual liberty and sovereignty over body, income and property. What could be more fundamental!
- Frank J. Gonzalez from Miami, FL

An excellent solution to this vexing problem showing the power that comes from honor as shown by the "Party Of Principle" of which I am proud and honored to be a member.
- Garret T. DeJong from Windsor, CT

Two separate comments from a military family struck me personally:

My dad and my brother are in Iraq together and it's very hard to live everyday of my life knowing that they are over in a very dangerous place when I think they shouldn't. I think the U.S. government is all about what they want. And all they want is money and oil, to me anyway. They want what they want, not what the people want. Lydia Mulligan from Nashua, NH

I am now serving in Iraq and I'm still waiting for the people of Iraq to want the United States soldiers and Marines to be there. We are not there for the people of Iraq but for the corporations of the U.S. I am still waiting for the people of the United States to see what were really there for.
- Keith Mulligan from Nashua, NH

If you have not read or signed the plan, you may do so by going to www.lp.org/plan.

On other matters, we're making good progress on our drive to gain 5,000 members but we still need your help. If you haven't officially joined the Libertarian Party or need to renew your membership, do so today (Click Here). Additionally, please encourage your friends and associates to join or renew. Feel free to visit our "tell-a-friend" page to make this happen.

Be sure to check in throughout the week at LP.org to stay informed and stay active within the Libertarian community.

Yours in Freedom,

Joe Seehusen
Executive Director
National Libertarian Party

Posted by Shane Cory at 02:12 PM | Comments (90)

July 06, 2005

LP Chair Michael Dixon on the Road Ahead

I would first like to thank all of your for your participation on the LP blog and for all of the reasoned comments that have been posted. I am glad to see that the new web site, and the blog, have been embraced by such a large number of our followers. The blog, along with the polls are intended to make lp.org a daily stop for everyone in the world who is concerned about furthering freedom and liberty.

As you have seen, our exit strategy for Iraq is now gaining momentum across the Internet and catching the eye of individuals who may have never even heard of the Libertarian Party. Additionally, the commonsense approach taken within the exit strategy will continue to gain support across the political spectrum.

As some of you have pointed out, the plan itself is not perfect. In fact, it is not a verbatim recitation of the platform either. It is a real world (and real time) response to very real problems being faced every day by far too many American families. Our mission calls us to move public policy, by electing Libertarians. To move policy and to elect individuals we must speak to America offering solutions which are new and different, while also being true to our principles. I am sure that the LNC will address concerns about this plan and its ultimate orthodoxy. However, until that time, I urge all of you to join in the effort of changing America by reaching out to your neighbors with a bold new message. We can exit this war in a reasoned and rational manner; offering hope to our men and women in uniform, and their families.

Do not be mistaken, this strategy is the first of many new initiatives which the LP will offer to America. We have work in process to address the so-called "War on Terror" which will propose an array of diplomatic efforts with the intent to bring all of our troops home to their families. We will be showing a way to quell the violence and hate that has grown overseas as a result of the actions taken by the Bush administration and the Republican Congress.

We are also working on domestic issues such as the Supreme Court ruling regarding eminent domain, and the unnecessary intrusion of the Federal Government into the private medical decisions of individuals and their families.

I ask you to join me in focusing efforts on positively promoting the Libertarian Party while continuing your vocal opposition towards the actions of the Republican and Democrat politicians who actively work to diminish freedom within our great nation.

In Liberty,

Michael Dixon
Chairman
Libertarian National Committee

Posted by Shane Cory at 02:59 PM | Comments (137)

Software Errors with the LP Blog

We've had several complaints regarding comments posting late or not posting at all. As it turns out a recent automated server updated is not compatible with MoveableType, a widely used blogging program (which we obviously use).

For more information see:

http://www.sixapart.com/pronet/weblog/2005/07/cpanel_updates_.html

As soon as a patch exists we'll update the software. In the meantime we'll be working to rollback the drivers as recommended.

Posted by Shane Cory at 09:41 AM | Comments (17)

July 05, 2005

LP Exit Strategy Secondary Thread

Things were getting a bit crowded on our last entry so feel free to post your comments regarding the exit strategy here.

The LP plan is growing more positive momentum along with hundreds of signers/supporters each day.

Be sure to spread the word regarding the plan and promote the link at www.lp.org/plan.

Posted by Shane Cory at 09:47 AM | Comments (79)

July 01, 2005

LP Exit Strategy Hits the Blogosphere

By Stephen Gordon

Here are some interesting quotes about the LP Iraq Exit Strategy:

Reason Magazine editor Nick Gillespie noted: Whole thing, which echoes U.S. disengagement in Vietnam and is well worth reading despite your view on the invasion and occupation, here."

Rational Review News Digest editor Thomas Knapp wrote: "Even with those flaws, however, the LP is ahead of the curve. It is the only political party speaking for the majority of Americans who now realize that the war on Iraq was a bad idea and is a failed venture. I don't know if I can overcome my objections and sign on to the plan, but I applaud the LP for being the only party to take a mainstream approach to the problem -- and, moreover, for having stood on principle and waited for the mainstream to accept reality, instead of abandoning principle and reality to chase that mainstream."

In his new blog, Noninterventionist.com founder Gene Trosper stated: "I have to give props to the LP for coming out with a plan that outshines anything the Democrats or Republicans have proposed...which really amounts to nothing worthwhile. I encourage everyone to sign on to this plan. We can use this plan to pressure the Republicans and Democrats to begin withdrawing our troops as quickly as possible. It's time Iraq and all Middle Eastern nations start taking responsibility for their own problems."

Michael Van Milligan from Stolen Cheese wrote, "About time the LP gets on the ball and puts together some political strategy. This will be a great thing to have flying around the noses of the D's and R's come election time. We'll have a trump card that will probably only leave the others in an ad hominem cat fight."

Over at CoolParty, Jon Engstrom said, "That's why it's so important that the LP actually put this exit strategy out there for people who can't support the pro-war Republicans on this, nor the pro-war Democrats on this, as they both continue to play games and remain in power while more people die because of bad policy they refuse to even consider changing any time in the foreseeable future."

Danny Feemster of Liberty Now provided, "This exit strategy from the Libertarian party is excellent, and I am thrilled to see them release it."

Tim West noted over at Liberty for Sale, "THIS is what a political party should be doing. This is the first actual policy proposal I have seen that was real and not some goofy "chain yourself to the building" protest IN YEARS. Actually, I think it's the first genuine policy proposal to come from the actual party that's more than a press release I have ever seen. It feels like some people are starting to get the message. This is how politics is DONE in America. This is how you start building credibility with voters."

Tim West also wrote a letter which was posted over at AntiWar.com. Notable from the letter is: "This is the first policy proposal advanced by any political party in the U.S. that spells out in detail how to disengage ourselves without putting our troops in more harm, and as such it is worthy of discussion by Antiwar.com readers."

Perhaps as a result of West's letter, Justin Raimondo commented on this blog, "On the other hand, I am glad to see that the party is -- finally! -- beginning to see the importance of this issue, and is at least addressing it in a constructive way. Aside from all the "patriotic" window-dressing and self-congratulatory back-slapping -- which leaves out the fact that we have killed at least 100,000 Iraqis -- I have to give the withdrawal "plan" an "A" for effort, albeit only a C-plus for execution."

BTW, Justin, I'd just give the plan a "C" (my arguments here) but give the LP an "A-plus" for effort. He also suggested that the LP might endorse the "Homeward Bound" resolution co-sponsored by Ron Paul, Rep. Walter B. "French Fries" Jones, and two House Democrats. His latest article covers the topic, and his appeal is clearly worthy of consideration and debate. For the record, I am personally supportive of the resolution.

Interestingly (props to Technorati), both Bloggertarian and Jabley state the same thing, "It is thorough in its analysis and interpretation and—most importantly—contains a big dose of honesty. Is it perfect? No. Parts of the plan are, I belive, at odds with some Libertarian principles. However, its better than any plan I've seen from either Republicans or Democrats."

Rob D at That's Ridonkulous shows his support with, "Click on the image below or here to sign and show your support for the adoption a common sense exit strategy for Iraq." Others are jumping on board, such as Jake, the self-described Missouri Libertarian. Links or advertisements are found at sites like Radly Balko's the Agitator, the Libertarian Party of Colorado Blog, Unqualified Offerings, HipHop and Libertarianism, and James Landrith's Taking The Gloves Off.

Good job, fellow travelers, and thanks for the support. We need to continue to get the word out. Some graphics are available at Liberty for Sale and if others are developed, please let us know so we can provide the proper links and credits. Also, please send us links to blogs taking on this issue (pro or con) so we may provide proper credit and/or debate the issues.

Posted by Shane Cory at 06:27 PM | Comments (102)