Yet Verney still fails and refuses to recognize that Barr has absolutely no authority to replace Root with Ron Paul, or anyone else. By the way, where’s Osama bin Laden? We can see a quarter on the sidewalk from space, but we can’t find a strange-looking human giant?
Dear Friend,
Before I move forward with an important report for today, I would like to recognize and remember the 2,819 men and women who lost their lives seven years ago. As a result of the attacks of September 11th, Americans came together, setting aside differences in order mourn our shared losses and assist our neighbors in need.
May we never forget . . .
In times of crisis, strength in leadership requires boldness of character, clear direction and firm resolve. As we witnessed after the attacks of September 11th, President George W. Bush showed incredible leadership as he stood atop a fire truck amidst the rubble of the twin towers to rally America.
While the quality of leadership is rare enough, principled leaders are few and far between. Those who do appear to posses the traits necessary to lead, for reasons only known to themselves, frequently choose not to stand on principle.
Yesterday, our vice presidential candidate, Wayne Allyn Root, offered to step aside to allow Congressman Ron Paul an opportunity to serve on the presidential ticket of the Libertarian Party and move the agenda of Liberty forward.
On the surface, a simple offer was extended. In fact it was principled leadership at its finest.
Wayne Allyn Root showed his deep commitment to the principles of our cause. Without hesitation or regard to the effort, time and personal funds he has committed to the issues of freedom, smaller government, less taxes and the Libertarian ticket, Wayne offered to step aside to allow another leader to step up.
I could not be more proud of his actions and selflessness.
As America is hurling towards crisis on many fronts, we need principled leaders like Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root. We have no time to waste on anything other than spreading the message of smaller government, less taxes, and more personal freedom issues across this nation.
That brings me to my next point.
Today our campaign is being criticized by a few people for my decision to not attend a press conference sponsored by Ron Paul’s political action committee. I thought I would take a minute to explain to you why I made that decision.
It became evident to me after meeting with Ron Paul’s staff that this media event was not about promoting the liberty agenda; it was about promoting a man. That’s not what we’re in this for.
After rumors were spread in advance of the news conference that Bob Barr was dropping from the race – just to hype the event – I became even more hesitant to attend. Those tactics were unacceptable and when asked about it, Ron Paul’s staff simply smiled and said it would attract the press.
When I was provided a copy of Ron Paul’s prepared remarks just hours before the start of the planned news conference it became clear to me that the message Ron Paul intended to deliver was essentially to scatter the votes for the liberty agenda to the four winds.
His remarks not only encouraged anyone listening to support any one of four candidates, he also applauded ‘non-voters’. To me encouraging people not to vote is not principled leadership for the Liberty agenda.
I made the decision that attending that news conference was not consistent with Bob Barr’s principled leadership for the Liberty agenda.
Once I informed Ron Paul’s staff of my decision I was rudely informed that my decision would have permanent ramifications, I was personally threatened and Bob Barr was politically threatened. That’s a far cry from principled leadership.
One thing that did occur as a result of yesterday’s events is a clear separation of certain factions. Up until now, we have been dealing with two groups, those who want to advance the issues of liberty and those who have been drawn into a cult of personality.
There are those who support a specific politician and then there are those who support the liberty agenda regardless of standard-bearer.
Bob Barr, Wayne Allyn Root and the Libertarian Party stand for the issues of personal freedom and responsible government. As they have proven, both Bob and Wayne are willing to lead or follow for the advancement of our issues.
Now is their time to lead.
As we move into the final 50 days of the campaign we are in place to make a strong impact on the future of our country.
At the end of the day, the number of votes cast in support of the Liberty agenda in the General Election will influence the national political agenda of the next four years.
If we do our jobs, work hard and give us much as possible until Election Day, our voices will be heard and our agenda of smaller government, lower taxes, more personal freedom and government accountability will be on the table for years to come.
I appreciate your commitment and dedication.
Sincerely,
Russ signature
Russell Verney
Campaign Manager
Last Free Voice 
Dear Russ,
I just sent a donation to Chuck Baldwin.
Thanks,
Jason Gatties
Libertarian Candidate
Lake Michigan College Board of Trustees
I actually LOL’d after I read that, Jason. 🙂
Just hope he puts my $20 to good use.
I may donate to the Nader & McKinney as well…who knows.
Since Charles Jay won’t be on my ballot in Michigan, I’m most likely going to vote for Baldwin, although I do disagree with him on several issues.
I do like GE’s reasons for supporting Nader though. I may join him.
Mike Munger in NC and other worthy LP candidates nationwide need donations.
Leadership is not a photo-op. This is so shallow.
It was about promoting a common agenda for third parties and against the Republicrats. That agenda is a subset of the liberty agenda.
If you can’t see that he created unity behind a set of libertarian goals, you are without remedy.
Due to pettiness and silly behind-the-scenes calculations you blew an opportunity for your candidate to appear very publicly with Ron Paul, the person who is at the center of today’s liberty movement.
To characterize showboating in front of a traumatized nation “leadership” is an even worse blunder in judgment than having Barr fail to show at Paul’s press conference. Praising a sitting and wildly-unpopular president of a different party is also strategically stupid.
Barr should fire Verney immediately. That’s the only way to cleanse some of the taint of this week.
I’ve donated to Munger in the past and plan to do so again just before the elections (as well as Scotty Boman). I’m running for office myself, but I understand the importance of Munger, Boman & others doing well in November.
They are on a much bigger stage than the one I’m standing on and I’m so proud of their efforts.
Remember how I encouraged folks to donate to “The Monks In Tibet” or however you put it, instead of seeking donations for myself? Well, in the lead up to the election, stealing an idea from my good friend Steve Newton, I will probably encourage people to donate to Munger, Boman & others instead of donating to my campaign. I’ve been able to raise more money than I know what to do with at this time. I need votes, others need donations.
Dear Russ,
You owe me a new laptop.
This manure you just spewed here ruined the old one, especailly after your boy Barr stepped in after the fact.
Look: We need to hold the LNC reps we elected accountable. All it takes is two people, one to make a motion and another to second it, to bring removal of Barr/Root to a vote. That, at least, will show that the Barr/Root does NOT represent all of the LP. And anyone who votes against removal can be thrown out in 2010.
The Barr camp’s attempt at damage control is only making the situation worse. I find it VERY hard to believe that the Paul Camp was rude and insulting to them.
Let’s hope that the members of the LNC can do what is right. Some folks may need to grow a pair.
Barr’s offer of the VP slot to Paul was not an offer to “fire” Root and replace him with Paul. It was, rather, based on the condition that Root would withdrawal. That would leave the position vacant. Then all that is necessary is a majority on the LNC to support Paul. Perhaps Barr, looking at the membership of the LNC, believes that there would be such a majority.
_If_ Paul accepted and Root refused to withdrawal or, Root withdrew and the LNC insisted on someone other than Paul as a replacement, then Barr’s “offer” would have to be withdrawn.
Personally, I think Barr should have offered at Paul/Barr ticket rather than a Barr/Paul. It would require the same procedure and would be no more likely to actually happen.
This statement from Russ Verney is fine by me, because Russ Verney is not a Libertarian. I’m the last guy to go all purist; I’m just stating a fact — Verney is a solid anti-establishment political activist, but his career grew out of the Perot movement, not the LP. (I’m guessing he’s probably joined the LP now, but it’s not his background.) The problem is having someone who does not understand libertarian concerns running a national Libertarian campaign to begin with.
….After rumors were spread in advance of the news conference that Bob Barr was dropping from the race – just to hype the event – I became even more hesitant to attend. Those tactics were unacceptable and when asked about it, Ron Paul’s staff simply smiled and said it would attract the press….
I’ll stand up and call BULLSHIT on that one. A couple of blog posts on Reason from some damn anon doesn’t count. Russ Verney and his cohorts have accomplished exactly what they were seeking:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091003463.html?hpid=topnews
Shane Cory and Alicia Mattson’s dream has just come true and we are left holding the bag.
bill,
I would be less supportive of Paul at the top of the ticket, UNLESS we got a better explanation of NewsletterGate. I’m a forgiving sort, but questions remain. VP gets less scrutiny in my book.
*I think Bob Barr would have to run the substitution of Ron Paul for Wayne Root, by the Libertarian National Committee to get its approval. But based on the LNC’s prior invitation to Paul, I think the LNC would approve the substitution.
*I don’t have a problem with the Barr campaign’s strategy regarding the Paul news conference. Perhaps in hindsight Barr could have appeared at the first news conference to express his support of the four points discussed, but then politely state his disagreement with Paul over what voters should do. Barr could have then elaborated further at his own news conference.
*I think Barr’s letter inviting Paul to run with him was very respectful to both Paul and Wayne Root.
*I also disagree with Verney about not voting — it’s an option I encourage people to consider to further the liberty movement — but I can understand why Verney would take that approach.
Russ–Go back to the Republican party who sent you here.
George Bush showed leadership on 911? ARE YOU CRAZY??? The man should be in jail.
Everything else you’ve said is a complete crock of ***t.
Often I find what Jill Stone writes on these pages to be very good, but she’s simply wrong about George W. Bush. He should not be in jail. He should have been impeached and convicted of high treason and executed by firing squad. In a decent society, he would be dead.
Bush did not show incredible leadership on September the 11th of 2001, as Verney pretends, and he was not standing on a fire truck amidst the rubble on that day. He was pretending to read a book to some grade school students, and doing nothing while Rome burned – not even playing the fiddle competently.
The event Ron Paul put together to promote a liberty oriented agenda was a great thing, and free publicity. What kind of stinking thinking is it to pour cold water all over free publicity and tell Ron Paul’s supporters to away? If anyone was rude, it was the Barr team.
Barr and Verney and their ilk are not suitable to lead a free people. They are anti-liberty scum bags. If they were each to stop breathing today the world would be a better place tomorrow.
Hey Russ, you forgot a very important sentence in your statement: “I am still working for the Republican party”.
Could I ask Verney another series of questions here, please? What about the 4,155 soldiers dead in Iraq? What about the 10,000 soldiers with life altering wounds in this misbegotten “war on terror” actually a war on freedom here and abroad? What about the 961 US and coalition military dead in Afghanistan since 2001? What about the tens to hundreds of thousands of dead and injured civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan? Is Verney going to honor their lives, and their loss?
There are thousands more Americans dead in the war started by this “leader” Bush than by the criminals who hijacked those planes. The war on terror is an unjust war, and one we can ill afford to fight. Bush should not be extolled as virtuous, he should be condemned as traitorous.
Actually, Verney comes from the Democratic Party (of New Hampshire).
I neglected to mention above that I disagree with Verney’s statement on Bush and leadership too.
That said, I think the Barr campaign has been pretty successful compared to past Libertarian presidential campaigns, if for no other reason than earned media coverage and getting the “libertarian” meme out in front of as many eyeballs as possible.
Mr. Woolsey,
Is it in fact then true that replacing the VP would be the responsibility of the LNC? I’ve been trying to find out from somebody who knows the by-laws just what the procedure would be, or even if there is a procedure.
“Support me, and I’ll make you VP.” Just who does Barr think Ron Paul is? Wayne Allen Root?
““Support me, and I’ll make you VP.” Just who does Barr think Ron Paul is? Wayne Allen Root?””
ROFL
Russ Varney wrote: “President George W. Bush showed incredible leadership as he stood atop a fire truck amidst the rubble of the twin towers to rally America.”
Anybody who cares about the payload of this press release — about the internal workings of the freedom movement — will be dumbstruck by the inclusion of this preamble about George Bush’s “leadership” in response to 9/11.
Does anybody have an org chart of the Barr campaign? Where is Steve Gordon? Isn’t there anybody there who can help them avoid blunders like this?
Steve Gordon is still counting his money from the Viguerie sale.
It gets worse:
http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2008/09/the-libertarian-party-speaks-out-against-third-party-unity/
Davis needs to STFU, NOW!
jre thanks for the WAPO article, but I am not familiar with the the dream you mention in “Shane Cory and Alicia Mattson’s dream has just come true “. Please fill me in.
MHW
Jeff @20:
Either the Presidential or VP slot can become vacant is they die, resign, or become disqualified, or if the LNC by 3/4 vote suspends them.
If the Presidential slot becomes vacant, the VP moves into that slot.
If the VP slot becomes vacant, or both become vacant, the LNC can, by 2/3 vote, name a new VP nominee and P nominee if necessary.
That’s in the Bylaws, Article 12, Sections 3 and 5.
Click to access bylaws-2008.pdf
BTW, I seem to recall Bush running away on 9/11–first to Barksdale AFB, then SAC in Omaha, then almost to NORAD.
Some leadership!
Meanwhile, a CO ANG commander ignored his orders and put up a lone A-10 for patrol that day–the only other plane I saw that day was the VC-25 NEACP.
And Space Command was a sitting duck that day. Nearest response 60 miles away on a standdown order at Buckley AFB.
If that had been hit that day, the damage to the defense infrastructure would have been absolutely devastating, far more than what the WTC and Pentagon did.
So they move NORAD out of the mountain and into a building right next to the still-undefended Space Command.
Some leadership!
Anybody got a shovel to deal with Verney’s pile of manure here?
Jason Gatties is right: we need a national grassroots movement to funnel donations to our best performing Libertarian candidates in State and local elections.
My preferences are Michael Munger and Chris Cole in NC, both of whom are polling at 6% and pulling down 10-11% of the male vote;
Scotty Boman in MI who is otherwise going to have to shut down a promising campaign for lack of funds;
Allen Buckley who is consistently making news in Georgia;
Eric Schansberg in Indiana’s 9th District;
Tom Knapp in MO
Lilliam Simmons in Texas,
and yes I’ll donate again to Jason….
Why the hell are we leaving something as important as national fundraising for OUR candidates up to the inept and uncaring LNC?
Why do we not take the important question on Verney:
Who is paying him?
The Barr campaign has not paid him since early June through to the end of July.
It wasn’t that they lacked money. Doug Bandow is getting $10,000 a month. Shane Cory was paid $18,000 in July, not counting expenses separately reimbursed. That’s an annual rate of $216,000 per year, less if payments covered several months.
I received your email today. I’m quite grateful for you helping me to decide who to vote for in November’s election. Prior to receiving the email, I was going to vote for Bob Barr. Although I didn’t particularly care for him as a candidate, the Libertarian Party most closely reflects my values. I was more than willing to give Mr. Barr the benefit of the doubt for not attending the press conference in person. Thanks to your email, I realize now that character does matter, and I will be casting my vote for Chuck Baldwin. Once again, Mr. Verney, thank you for showing me the way. Maybe my party, the Libertarian Party, will find a better candidate in 2012, assuming our country still holds elections.
Steve, I note with enthusiasm that the Boston Tea Party has endorsed quite a few of the candidates you name. The endorsement comes with at least one press release, and it has helped at least one candidate with a donation. Feel free to inquire if any of your favorite candidates would like the BTP endorsement. Endorsements can be made by the state party affiliates, or the national committee.
i considered chuck baldwin, but ended up throwing my full support by nader.
i think nader has grown. he seems to have a clear picture what is wrong with the country and will work to fix those problems. the ron paul conference really made nader shine. he doesn’t seem to embrace an idealogy but rather work as an independent pragmatist. he is definitely a complement to the ron paul campaign on the core issues and can grow that with his own base support.
the down-side to baldwin is that he too strongly supports the anti-gay and pro-life position. he comes off as a religious nut rather than as a statesmen.
i think the jesse ventura has really helped the independent brand. cindy sheehan also has helped the brand. i think nader is showing an evolution to solidify that brand. i think the independent brand is in a position to coop the revolution brand and grow it.
i think is an example of a the decline of the “libertarian” brand and the gain of the “independent” brand. and bob barr is doing the most damage to the “libertarian” brand.
on that line of thought, i think ralph nader is finally awake. aimee allen needs to write a nader song.