Wayne Allen Root’s new campaign video

It’s a little long, but interesting.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Hat tip TPW.

Vitter makes up for wickedness

From The Times Picayune:

Vitter earmarked federal money for creationist group

WASHINGTON — Sen. David Vitter, R-La., earmarked $100,000 in a spending bill for a Louisiana Christian group that has challenged the teaching of Darwinian evolution in the public school system and to which he has political ties.

The money is included in the labor, health and education financing bill for fiscal 2008 and specifies payment to the Louisiana Family Forum “to develop a plan to promote better science education.”

I guess this is to make up for the earmarks he left on the inner thighs of one Ms. Wendy Cortez, New Orleans prostitute. Ms. Cortez was one of the many who responded to Larry Flynt’s call for dirt on public officials.

In a libertarian world this wouldn’t matter because libertarians don’t care about consensual adult sex. Libertarians wouldn’t take your hard earned money by force to fund shit with which you don’t agree while making laws against things you may responsibly enjoy. But, since lawmakers like Vitter have determined that we must live in their world of Republican “family values,” I think it is only fair to crucify them when they practice blatant hypocrisy.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Perhaps Sen. Vitter should have studied Matthew instead of Genesis.

Brown Supporters Arrested

Four supporters of Ed and Elaine Brown have been arrested on various federal charges pertaining to help provided to the Browns since their convictions, and at least one of them is looking at a possible 125 years in prison.

Among those arrested include an LFV MySpace “friend”, Cirino “Reno” Gonzalez (pictured at left), as well as Jason Gerhard (arrested while at boot camp, and at whose home authorities found a pipe bomb), Daniel Riley (the man who was walking the Browns’ dog and was confronted by the feds a few months back), and Bob Wolffe (the supporter who left the scene of an accident while driving the Browns’ vehicle).

According to the Concord Monitor, a local Plainfield, NH newspaper, Reno is the most well-known of the four men among Brown supporters:

Gonzalez, a former military contractor, was the public face of the Browns’ home for several months this summer when he lived at the house and posted frequent updates on their status online. Gonzalez appeared in online photos and videos, many of which showed him armed. He also posted long, rambling accounts of goings-on at the house and his evolving political views.

He was charged with conspiracy, accessory after the fact, and one count of carrying and possessing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.

The indictment alleges that he purchased the .50-caliber rifle in April. In a blog post a few days later, Gonzalez bragged about owning the gun.

“I get sad knowing not everyone has one,” he wrote on his MySpace page. “Then I think about everyone . . . that is not even close to being ready.”

Gonzalez’s hearing was brief. He pleaded not guilty and will remain in federal custody. A judge in Texas already ruled that Gonzalez should remain held until trial. According to Magistrate B. Janice Ellington’s ruling, Gonzalez is “both a flight risk and a danger to the community.”

“The defendant resisted attempts by the Marshal to arrest him at a residence where numerous firearms, including assault weapons, were present,” the ruling said. “During the arrest, defendant attempted to gain access to those weapons.”

Gonzalez’s father, Jose Gonzalez, said in an interview that it was not surprising that his son appeared to resist arrest, because he was sleeping and startled when marshals arrived about noon last Wednesday.

According to the Alice Echo-News Journal and a blog post made by Gonzalez’s friend Donna Van Meter, Gonzalez’s custody hearing in Texas included rumors of a possible escape plot and an outburst by Jose Gonzalez, who was escorted from the courtroom.

Reno’s trial is scheduled for November.

I had an online conversation with Reno not long ago, and he had agreed to an interview exclusive to LFV. Unfortunately, due to other more pressing personal concerns, as well as waiting to see how his planned trip to Iraq with Cindy Sheehan would proceed, I never got around to doing that interview before he was arrested. However, he seemed to have moved away from supporting the Browns, and toward engaging in anti-war activities, which of course was my point of interest.

Most interesting in the affidavits released by the feds in these cases is that Danny Riley, hailed as a hero by Brown supporters for refusing to tell the feds anything about activities at the Browns’ home, seems to have been doing the exact opposite of what he led others to believe. In fact, it appears he told the feds quite a few things about what was going on at the Brown house, including the location of weapons, and may have been the federal informant referenced after these arrests (Riley was arrested as well, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not an informant). Brown supporters, not surprisingly, are more than a little upset about this allegation, but still unsure whether to believe the feds at all. Here is an excerpt of a blog written by Reno’s friend Donna Van Meter, with regard to the allegations about Danny Riley:

i ask myself how can they do this, it is all false charge, and why did Danny tell the Marshals where the supplies on the Browns property is located? what also gets me is that in court the marshal said that there was an informant on the property that was working for them.

HOW DARE YOU STAB PEOPLE IN THE BACK whomever you are……

danny i really hope it wasnt you but they are pointing fingers at you. i really hope it wasnt you. but if the Marshal says it i know it isnt automatically true, the whole testamony was false where it concerned Reno, lets hope they are wrong about you too, cause in the beginning i got that feeling you were a traitor to ed and elaine, but i thought damn maybe i was being too judgemental, dont like second guessing my gut feelings, and i have had too, in pertaining to your honesty danny.

i feel numb and sick.

The affidavits and indictments supporting the arrests can be seen as follows:

Bob Wolffe:
Investigator’s Affidavit
http://www.cheatingfrenzy.com/wolffe1a.pdf
Indictment
http://www.cheatingfrenzy.com/wolffe3.pdf

Reno Gonzalez:
Investigator’s Affidavit
http://www.cheatingfrenzy.com/gonzalez1a.pdf
Indictment
http://www.cheatingfrenzy.com/gonzalez3.pdf

Danny Riley:
Investigator’s Affidavit
http://www.cheatingfrenzy.com/riley1a.pdf
Indictment
http://www.cheatingfrenzy.com/riley4.pdf

Jason Gerhard:
Indictment
http://www.cheatingfrenzy.com/gerhard1.pdf

Special Announcement October 8th

I will be announcing something BIG…maybe not big to you but it’s big for me and LFV will have it exclusively.

P.S. If you aren’t aware, I’m a co-host on Todd Andrew Barnett’s Liberty Cap Talk Live on Nowlive.com on Wednesdays at 1pm EST.

Todd has had some really good guests on his past shows when he was on Blog Talk Radio but moved to Nowlive.com due to a situation beyond his control. Anyways, tune-in!

Governor of Connecticut Gets Owned

Apparently, on September 13th, the Governor of Connecticut made a public statement condemning Chesapeake Energy for choosing not to sell some natural gas that it could not make money on. In response, the CEO of Chesapeake sent him and all of Connecticut’s congressional representatives a letter explaining all the ways in which Governor Rell was wrong. It is not only an excellent piece of writing, but very informative with regard to an industry that most Americans thoroughly misunderstand. The entire letter is available here (PDF). I encourage everybody to read through it, which shouldn’t be a problem as it is quite entertaining.

Here is my favorite part:

After demonstrating that external speculators were the cause of bizarre swings in oil & gas prices:

If it is true that large speculators have influenced trends in oil and natural gas prices, who are these speculators that have driven oil prices to record levels that are punishing U.S. oil consumers and natural gas prices that are causing the U.S. natural gas industry to sell their product below oil price equivalency levels? From what we have read, these speculators are primarily hedge funds and, significant to this discussion, many are Connecticut-based hedge funds, most notably last year, Greenwich-based Amaranth Advisors. Over the past week, we have examined your campaign contribution records and it is evident that you have received donations from principals and employees of many hedge funds, some of which may have been involved in causing oil prices to be higher than they should be and natural gas prices to be lower than they should be.

Now, it’s no surprise that a politician would favor his sugar daddies over what’s right – especially when the group in the right is unpopular – but to publicly make factually incorrect accusations is a whole other level of stupid.

Ayn Rand’s influence on the business world

The New York Times had an excellent piece up there on the 15th.

One of the most influential business books ever written is a 1,200-page novel published 50 years ago, on Oct. 12, 1957. It is still drawing readers; it ranks 388th on Amazon.com’s best-seller list. (“Winning,” by John F. Welch Jr., at a breezy 384 pages, is No. 1,431.)

The book is “Atlas Shrugged,” Ayn Rand’s glorification of the right of individuals to live entirely for their own interest.

For years, Rand’s message was attacked by intellectuals whom her circle labeled “do-gooders,” who argued that individuals should also work in the service of others. Her book was dismissed as an homage to greed. Gore Vidal described its philosophy as “nearly perfect in its immorality.”

But the book attracted a coterie of fans, some of them top corporate executives, who dared not speak of its impact except in private. When they read the book, often as college students, they now say, it gave form and substance to their inchoate thoughts, showing there is no conflict between private ambition and public benefit.

Even though she’s not exactly one of my favorite libertarian authors, it’s still good to see that our ideas affect the world we live in.

A Ron Paul – Mike Gravel ticket?

Here are some interesting thoughts from Frank Gonzalez who speculates on the possibility of the two maverick candidates forming a Republican/Democrat fusion ticket for president in 2008. For those who don’t know him, Frank is a true libertarian who ran for Congress in 2006 as a Democrat against Lincoln Diaz-Balart.

“The iPhone Hacker” on Video

In case the video doesn’t populate on this site for you — it doesn’t for me — it can be viewed on my site as well, by clicking here.

Should all libertarians address every possible grievance against the state?

Over the past few months, I have been dismayed by the words of a few otherwise sound libertarians who have gotten very nasty about Lew Rockwell’s general lack of coverage of the contentions by various influential figures in the 9/11 Truth movement. I’m not interested in continuing a personal argument with this individual, so I won’t name names, however the particular person who spurred me to write this note called Lew Rockwell and Justin Raimondo “moral cowards” for failing to discuss the alleged inaccuracies/inconsistencies in the official government explanation of the events of 11 September 2001.

Now, I am not interested in having a discussion on the merits of various attempts at 9/11 revisionism. I remain unconvinced that the destruction of the WTC buildings involved controlled demolitions. Now, if I were one day confronted with really convincing evidence of such, I wouldn’t be shocked. So far, though, like I said, I am just unconvinced. I am willing to bet that both Lew Rockwell and Justin Raimondo would be more than happy to accept this possibility if sufficient evidence were available to convince them. However, I don’t see how a disagreement on a point of fact like this should result in accusations of some sort of moral failing.

As everyone reading this doubtlessly knows, the libertarian movement is frequently stereotyped as attracting “loony” types to its fold. I’ve met some very sane people who strongly believe that 9/11 was an inside job, or that at least some portion of the official story is a knowing deception. I would not, therefore, classify all 9/11 truthers as loony. However, there are many, many people who do summarily classify 9/11 truthers as kooky and dismiss them out of hand. For this reason, I am concerned by the folks who attempt to make 9/11 Truth espousal into some sort of article of faith for any “true blue” libertarian. Even if it were the case that a longtime libertarian stalwart like Lew Rockwell was inclined to believe the major claims of the 9/11 Truth movement, it is not at all clear to me that he would have any moral duty to promote this issue. Purely as a matter of strategy, I can see how it would be a wise decision to avoid any speculation on the particular theories out there on how or why the government story is wrong.

First, there are many, many despicable things that government representatives and documents freely and proudly claim as the result of government action. To pursue something that is arguably impossible to prove one way or the other is to start a fight that can’t be won. More importantly, it would surely turn away many potential ears that might otherwise be willing to hear the truth about the knowable evil deeds of government writ large in its foreign policy, quasi-fascist economic policies, and draconian social regulation. Again, purely as a matter of strategy, it seems perfectly reasonable for a libertarian open to or even sympathetic to 9/11 Truth claims to shy away from public discussion of the same as a distraction.

Except where a self-avowed libertarian varies from the plumb line of liberty to advocate some government program, I don’t see how a person’s focus or lack of focus on a particular issue can even be referred to as a moral issue at all. Surely all libertarians worth their salt recognize that subjective valuations–preferences–rightly determine how each individual can and should allocate his resources, including his speeches, his essays, and his own website.

(By the way, this is my first post in this forum. If you want to know more about who the heck I am, please see http://profatusveritas.com and http://citizenclark.com.)

Super Atom Kim!

Aaron Russo’s Memorial Service

I was trying to post something about Aaron Russo’s memorial service here the other day, but the site was down at the time. I ended up posting my personal observations and reflections about his memorial service here and posted a few pictures here.

Barry Hess on Aaron Russo’s Death

_{Barry e-mailed this to me and asked me to post it}

 Aaron Russo will be Sorely Missed

By Barry Hess

America lost another soldier today. He fought for individual freedom on the front lines in the war between Good and Evil.

When I got the call, I sat frozen for a long time remembering all the times he and I had argued, laughed and plotted together to restore America to her long lost glory. I couldn’t help but smile because I truly loved the man and the memories we shared. The good stuff overwhelmed any of the less than fond memories.

I lost my friend, “Babes”, you lost, Aaron Russo, a man who believed in America and who was willing to step out front to protect her. It was clear to me that though he had achieved incontrovertible success in the commercial movie industry with such hits as “The Rose”, “Trading Places”, “Wise Guys” and many others, along with his forwarding the careers of, Led Zepplin, Bette Midler and The Manhatten Transfer, still he said his greatest achievement, by far, was his independent film, “America: Freedom to Fascism”.

He did the commercial stuff for money, he did “Freedom to Fascism” for America—and all out of his own pocket. He loved America.

Some years ago, when he told me he felt compelled to put his fingerprints on the Income Tax Honesty movement with what I called, “another tax protestor movie”, I did all that I could to discourage him. I really believed he could better spend his time. Wow, was I ever wrong! It only took one look at the first cut to set me straight. That’s when I saw how powerful it was to finally add the Hollywood touch to the social disease they call the Income Tax.

The effects of his finished product have been astounding, and this is only just beginning…

One of my favorite memories of Aaron was when he , Steve Gordon and I were sitting in a Denny’s in Kansas City. It was well after midnight on a day that offered no time to eat on the campaign trail. We were doing a little role-playing for the next day’s event to roust support for his bid to be the Libertarian nominee for President. I was playing Aaron, and getting into talking about the warmonger’s “Free Speech Zones”. I stood up and blurted out, “We want ALL of our Freedoms—ALL OF THE TIME!”.

He stopped and got a real Hollywood twinkle in his eye and said that was it! He loved the phrase and wouldn’t stop talking about it. I am grateful for that moment and I wish I could express how it pleased me to give him that tiny piece of inspiration.

My family’s heart and prayers go out to Heidi, Max and Sam. I’ll always remember my friend, “Babes”—he was a good man who was willing to do the right thing. We will miss him dearly.

Now it falls to you and I to continue the fight to protect the only legacy of any value that we might leave the next generation—their birthright of individual freedom.

I’ve attached my favorite video of him on the campaign trail. The Fox (Faux) News interviewer was trying to minimize him…did she?

If you knew him, or of him, and his work send along a note to his family at his address: AaronRusso@MSN.com.

LFV blogger Jason Gatties running for St. Joseph (MI) City Council

From Jason Gatties blog:

This website was being developed for my 2008 plans, but sometimes plans change quickly. I had flirted with the idea of running for St.Joseph City Council earlier this year, but I decided to make a bid for Pokagon Tribal Council instead. I failed to win that election, but I did better than I had thought and learned from the experience. So I began to prepare for 2008 but then I saw a unique opportunity unfold.

There are 3 city council spots open for this November’s General Election. 3 incumbent city commissioners filed and would appear on the ballot. The top 2 would receive a 4 year term, while the 3rd place finisher would receive a 2 year term. Commissioner Chad Mandarino, who’s name will still appear on the November ballot, has stepped down from the Council and has asked St.Joseph voters to not vote for him. So, that leaves 2 names on the ballot and 3 positions open and I’m asking St.Joseph citizens to WRITE-IN my name, Jason Gatties. I’m going to file the proper paperwork this week to become an official write-in candidate for St.Joseph City Council.

With less than 2 months before the General Election, I’m going to spend much time on the campaign trail, trying to convince the voters why a vote for me would be a step in the right direction for this city. This website will be updated on a regular basis. I’m sure I’m still a long shot as I’m sure I will not be the only write-in candidate. However, miracles do happen and it is my hope that I can convince enough people to vote for me so I can secure a 3rd place finish and my dream of becoming a public servant will become a reality.

In the coming days, you will get to check out the issues I feel are important to our great city. You will also get info on how you can help us out as well as info on how to place a write-in vote for me. If you love freedom and liberty, I am you best choice.

It will be an honor to serve the citizen’s of St.Joseph, I simply ask for an opportunity to prove that limited government can work. This November, I ask for your WRITE-IN vote, it could be the best decision you could ever make. I will represent YOUR INTERESTS, not those of big government.

Jason’s campaign site will go live this afternoon.

Somebody Slap Mike Huckabee

During the only entertaining part of the Republican debate on Wednesday, Mike Huckabee went for the idiot vote while arguing with Ron Paul about Iraq:

We’ve got a responsibility to the honor of this country and to the honor of every man and woman who has served in Iraq and ever served in our military to not leave them with anything less than the honor that they deserve.

How is it honoring our soldiers to get them killed in a mistaken war? I used to think Huckabee was a good person, just misguided – but now I realize he’s every bit as bad as Rudy Giuliani.

Illinois US Senator Supports Medical Marijuana

When I saw that Dick Durbin was in favor of medicinal marijuana I about fell over in my chair.

Dick Durbin said Thursday federal law should be changed to allow for the use of medical marijuana when prescribed by a physician.

“Why would we exclude the chemical in marijuana simply because some people abuse it for recreational purposes, or whatever?” he asked. “That makes no sense at all.”

In 2004, Durbin introduced and was the unsuccessful sponsor of a measure intended to allow federal juries to be told when a defendant facing federal marijuana charges was in compliance with state medical-marijuana laws. Critics said it would have led to juries refusing to convict in federal cases involving medical marijuana. Durbin said at the Capitol Hill breakfast that medical problems such as glaucoma may be dealt with by a chemical in marijuana that brings about immediate relief.

“I just can’t turn my back on it and say, ‘Well, because it says marijuana on the label, we shouldn’t use it,’” he said. “If the doctor believes it’s right for a person, then I think it should be prescribed – legally.”

I think this is a good step forward for the medical marijuana movement to have Dick Durbin on their side. Hopefully, he will keep his word this time and not renege like he did about the Real ID Act, which he originally opposed. Now maybe someday marijuana will be decriminalized and our jails will be filled with violent criminals, not non-violent pot smokers.

Why is the State of Nevada searching for Steve Fossett?

Normally “risk-taking” comes with the assumption that one will have to deal with the full consequences of the risk, unless you’re a bureaucrat.

So when an adventurer disappears by himself flying over empty desert, his family and volunteers are certainly welcome to look for him, and I applaud their doing so. But it’s absurd that tax money is used in the effort. When you climb an inaccessible mountain or fly out in the desert, you’re taking a risk of being trapped, injured, or killed, and money taken from others by force shouldn’t be used to bail you out.

George Phillies: “Marriage Is A Basic Civil Right”

George Phillies For President 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Uncle Sam has no business in your bedroom, your churches or your private lives. That’s the message of leading Libertarian Presidential candidate George Philles. “The George Bush Republican party disagrees: They’ve made it Uncle Sam’s business by passing the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).”

Phillies, 60, a college professor from Worcester, Massachusetts, is traveling the country, presenting the Libertarian message of peace, freedom, and prosperity for all citizens.

“The debate over gay marriage is a wonderful example of what’s wrong with Washington,” Phillies observed. “Down the street where I live are two churches. One church views gay marriage with horror. The other has been happily marrying gays for years. The Libertarian position is simple: Gay marriage is purely a personal and religious question, not a question for government to decide.“

Dr. Phillies believes the Defense of Marriage Act is deeply flawed. In 1967, the landmark Supreme Court case, Loving v Virginia found that the right to marry is a “basic civil of man.” “Loving v Virginia ended legal discrimination in marriage,” the Libertarian hopeful pointed out. “DOMA tries to bring legal discrimination back into marriage.”

Critics of DOMA say that the act violates the Constitution because it does not require states to recognize same-sex marriage contracts created in other states. The interstate validity of contracts is guaranteed by the Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit clause. Phillies agrees. “No wonder the Bush Republican Party now wants a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. …. When I am elected, I will ask Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. I will protect the right of States to license same-sex unions or not, as they will. But I will also hold states to the United States Constitution and require them to recognize legal unions created in other states, just as they have always done in the past.”

Uncle Sam has no business in your bedrooms, your religious ceremonies, or your private life. It is none of the government’s business which consenting adults marry each other, and which do not. Do you want your religion’s marriage practices protected from government interference? Only the Libertarian Party will protect the privacy of your bedroom and your conscience.

To support the George Phillies campaign, please visit http://phillies2008.org/donation.

Contact Information:

Carolyn Marbry,Press Director

pressdirector@phillies2008.org (510) 276-3216

http://phillies2008.org

Taxing smokers to death

According to the website stoptheFETincrease.com, state and federal cigarette taxes have been raised an astonishing 73 times since the year 2000, increasing the average price of cigarettes by 80% per pack.

On Wednesday, August 1^st, H.R. 3162 which included a $4.50 per carton federal cigarette excise increase was passed by the US House of Representatives by a vote of 225-204. On Thursday, August 2^nd, H.R. 976 which included a $6.10 per carton federal cigarette excise tax increase was passed by the US Senate by a vote of 68-31. Smokers know that cigarettes are already one of the most highly taxed products in the country today. In fact, since the year 2000, state and federal cigarette excise taxes have been increased more than 73 times – driving up the average price of cigarettes over 80%.

Everyone should pay their share of taxes, but a federal tax increase on cigarettes is an unfair burden on smokers – especially when these taxes fund a wide-range of expanding government programs that benefit everyone. And as cigarette sales decline it’s an unreliable source of revenue.

Singling out smokers for as much as a 156% increase in the federal cigarette excise tax is going too far – IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO TELL CONGRESS – ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

The argument which I find most convincing, but which that website doesn’t make, is that by excessively taxing those things which Congress believes to be wrong – such as cigarettes and alcohol – the government is effectively legislating morality.

You can sign a form letter on this issue, to be sent to your members of Congress, by visiting the website.

UPDATED: Paul 3rd in poll of previous Republican delegates

The numbers are in, and despite a bus of supporters arriving too late to vote, Ron Paul got 3rd among previous Texas GOP convention delegates.

41.1% Duncan Hunter (534 votes)
20.5% Fred Thompson (266 votes)
16.17% Ron Paul (217 votes)
6.4% Mike Huckabee (83 votes)
6% Rudy Giuliani (78 votes)
4.7% Mitt Romney (61 votes)
2.2% Ray McKinney (28 votes)
.77% John Cox (10 votes)
.62% John McCain (8 votes)
.46% Sam Brownback (6 votes)
.46% Tom Tancredo (6 votes)
.23% Hugh Cort (3 votes)