Independent poised to be on ballot to replace Ted Kennedy…

Independent Libertarian Joe Kennedy is poised to be on ballot to replace the late Senator Ted Kennedy. Kennedy, a member of the Libertarian Party, is running as an independent because Massachusetts state law makes it cheaper to run as an independent versus a party-backed candidate.

Kennedy says on his website, “Our original goal was 13,500 signatures / 10,200 validated signatures. Not only did we exceed both goals but we BLEW THEM AWAY… I want to thank everyone for their efforts and urge you more than ever to spread the word.”

Candidates needed to get 10,000 signatures to qualify. The primary election for the race is December 8, 2009 with the general election on January 19, 2010.

SOURCE:

http://joekennedyforsenate.com/

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elespeif/senatorincongressma.htm

Palin For President, as a Libertarian?

Palin For President, as a Libertarian? It is the topic of a column by Phil Manger on NolanChart.com.

The last part of first paragraph sums-up the article, “we libertarians — at long last — may have found in former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin a Presidential candidate who is both acceptable and electable.”

Manger’s arguments of Palin include: She resonates with Middle Americans, She is libertarian on the issues that matter most, People pay attention to what she says, Palin is a true "Teflon candidate", Ron Paul is not available.

He sees a few faults in Palin including: She's a little too close to the neocons, I'm not sure of her views on civil liberties, Palin may not want to be President.

Manger wraps-up saying Sarah Palin’s husband Todd being a member a former member of the Alaskan Independence Party could be favorable for a Libertarian run.

SOURCE:

http://www.nolanchart.com/article6905.html

Talk to the docket…

Talk to the docket is the word from a New Jersey judge. According to NJ.com, Superior Court Judge Theodore Bozonelis will not immediately hear the suit from independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett and Libertarian candidate Kenneth Kaplan.

They sued the state arguing the way the State of New Jersey places candidate’s names on the ballot is unconstitutional.

Currently, only “major” political parties can get top billing. Second tier parties get second billing, being placed physically lower than top parties on ballots. The Judge said he needs to see proof ballot positing effects votes. Also according to NJ.com, “(The Judge needed to consider) if the lawsuit is one a court should even consider.”

SOURCE: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/nj_judge_refused_to_hear_ballo.html

What’s more important? $3 billion or $350 million….

What’s more important? $3 billion or $350 million? According to a post from Eric Schansbert’s blog posted on the Indiana Libertarian Party’s website, the answer according to the Federal government is $350 million.

Schansbert, a two time Congressional candidate, argues the Cash For Clunkers program was a failure. The program cost the Federal Government $3 billion, but it only saved $350 million in gas money.

SOURCE:

http://lpin.org/node/764

Two more Libertarian’s for 2010…

Two more Libertarian’s for 2010… in Maryland.

Two libertarian candidates that lost congressional races in 2008 will give it another shot.

In the First District, Dr. Richard Davis was nominated as the Libertarian candidate for Congress; he ran in 2008. The libertarians describe Davis as a dentist with a “mild manner and firm grasp of the issues”. Davis received 2% of the vote in 2008.

Lorenzo Gaztañaga will be running in the Second Congressional district. The Cuba-born American became a citizen in 1973. Gaztañaga picked-up 3% of the vote in 2008 and was described as being in, “a security business… (and is) active in his church.”

Maryland Libertarians ran a candidate in every congressional race in 2008 except one. No candidate garnered more than 3% of the vote.

The Maryland Lib’s also nominated two people to run for the House of Delegates; Justin Kinsey in District 5B, and Brandon Brooks in District 11.

SOURCE:

http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/maryland-lp-nominates-four-candidates

Libertarians taking three swings at Obama care…

Libertarians taking three swings at Obama care… in separate news releases and blogs.

In a news release, Libertarian National Committee Chairman William Redpath said, "There is no question our health care system is broken and in need of serious reform. Americans deserve health care that is affordable, effective and universally available. However, President Obama’s $1 trillion government takeover of hospitals and doctor’s offices is not the answer.” The news release ended saying, “It is no coincidence that America’s health care system, once the best in the world, has become more unaffordable and ineffective as government has seeped further and further into it.”

The two blog posts from the Libertarian Communication head Donny Ferguson blogs about “the cost of free health care”. He mentions in one blog post, "The 10-year cost of reform could approach $2 trillion if the projections are made from the date that proposals are fully implemented.”

The other blog post calls the accounting for nationalized enron-like. The blog post says, “ditching the estimates prepared by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office and replacing them with the nunbers prepared by the politically-appointed White House Office of Management and Budget…” are similar to accounting techniques the Ken Lay and Enron used to cook the books and fool investors.

SOURCE:

http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/lnc-chairman-statement-in-response-to-president-obamas-ama-address

http://www.lp.org/blogs/donny-ferguson/government-takeover-of-health-care-to-cost-1-trillion-over-9-years-for-just-one

http://www.lp.org/blogs/donny-ferguson/somewhere-ken-lay-is-smiling-report-likely-shows-obama-healthcare-takeover-unaf

Libertarians want you to help Iran protestors in one easy way…

Libertarians want you to help Iran protestors in one easy way… change your Twitter time to Tehran time. In a tweet sent out by “@LPNational” it said “Help hide protestors: change your Twitter location to Tehran, to time +3:30 GMT, to confuse Iranian security forces.”

Iranians are commutating with each other via Twitter in post election protests.

SOURCE:

http://www.twitter.com/LPNational

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVfx9nWcGKwoXsxpAQZFJhNwGVsAD98RVV7G0

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25647184-2703,00.html

Go libertarian for office...

Go libertarian for office... in Indiana.

The Indiana Libertarians are tweeting out a link asking people to run for office. The link goes to a form where people can explain “What office would you like to run for and why?”

The form also asks basic contact information and which issues are the most important to the prospective candidates.

SOURCE:

http://www.lpin.org/run-for-office

http://twitter.com/lpin

Pot goes to the top...

Pot goes to the top... of the Rhode Island Governor’s Desk.

Libertarian Director of Communications Donny Ferguson blogs about the Rhode Island Senate and House passing what he wrote the law that would allow “compassion centers" to sell medical marijuana.

Governor Donald Carcieri vetoed a similar bill last year. But the vote passing both house of the legislature by huge margins, “(it) suggest a veto will be overrridden this year by the required three-fifths majorities,” bloged Ferguson.

If it becomes law, Rhode Islands would be the third state in the country to approve medical marijuana. The state would be the first east coast state to pass such a bill.

SOURCE:

http://www.lp.org/blogs/donny-ferguson/ri-senate-passes-compassion-bill-allowing-medical-cannabis-for-the-critically-i

Green Party, Libertarians, and Constitution Party team-up...

Green Party, Libertarians, and Constitution Party team-up... The Green Party sent out a news release saying the three major third parties are teaming-up to file a federal lawsuit to challenge discriminatory provisions and enforcement of ballot access laws.

The news release says, "The Green Party of Pennsylvania is party to a lawsuit that was filed recently by the Center for Competitive Democracy."

The lawsuit challenges rules that force candidates to pay litigation costs and fees to private parties who challenge their nomination petitions. The release says, "these fees have amounted to more $80,000 for the crime of doing no more than trying to run for public office."

The news release pointed to 2006 Green Party Senatorial candidate Carl Romanelli. The release says Romanelli submitted more than 100,000 signatures to get on the ballot, “The Democratic Party challenged the signatures, and after a 7-week battle, chipped away at the Green Party signatures with technicality after technicality.” Romanelli was off the ballot and fined $80,000 in court costs. "You shouldn't have to risk house and home to run for office in Pennsylvania," said Hillary Kane, Chair of the Green Party of Pennsylvania. The release continued, “similar scenario left Independent candidate Ralph Nader… with more than $80,000 in fees from their 2004 Presidential run.”

SOURCE:

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-state.php?ID=220

http://www.gpofpa.org

http://www.gp.cofm

She deserves a fair shake...

She deserves a fair shake... says the National Libertarian Party. Shortly after President Obama announced the nomination of federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, the Libertarian Party said she deserves a fair shake.

But, that fair shake will include some hard questions from Libertarians. Libertarian National Committee Chairman William Redpath described Sotomayor as, “an activist for his personal cuses over a rational interpreter of law.”

The Libertarians call into question Sotomayor’s ruling in the Ricci v. DeStafano case. That is the case where the New Haven, Conn. fire department was sued over racial discrimination claims. White Firefighters sued after a promotion exam should have led to the promotion of the firefighters due to better performance than black firefighters. The city threw out the results of the exam, Sotomayor agreed with the city.

But, Sotomayor’s rulings thrown. “It is troubling that Obama, who won the highest elected office in the world without racial preferences, would nominate someone who openly admits the government should racially discriminate against its own citizens to serve the needs of political correctness,” said in the statement Redpath.

It continued, “Libertarians believe… Public employers should treat all citizens of all colors, races and ethnicities with equal respect and value and Sotomayor’s radical rulings are a jarring departure from that principle.”

SOURCE:

http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/libertarians-blast-sotomayor-pick

Libertarian’s going mainstream?

Libertarian’s going mainstream?... A post on the National Libertarian Party website says the Fox News Channel is considering the debut of a libertarian leaning show called “Freedom Watch”.

The post written by Libertarian National Committee Director of Outreach Austin Petersen says the show would, “Finally.. (reflect) the attitudes and opinions of people like you and I who care about personal and economic liberties.”

Judge Andrew Napolitano’s show “Freedom Watch”, according to the post, is a possible filler for an open programming slot – there’s no word in the post where the time slot would be.

Peterson is asking Libertarians to petition Fox News to add the show.

SOURCE:

http://www.lp.org/blogs/donny-ferguson/put-a-libertarian-tv-show-on-the-fox-news-channel

California is starting the revolution...

California is starting the revolution... that's according to 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential Candidate Wayne Allyn Root.

He writes on his website that, "Whatever revolution that starts in California, always spreads to the nation." Root argues that in a state as liberal as California when voters says no to tax and spend the state is now, “at the epicenter of a seismic tax revolution.”

California voters said yes to banning increases in salaries for elected officials if the states are running a deficit.

The voters said no a new rainy day fund, new ways for education funding, borrowing money from future lottery money, more money for children’s services and changing funding for mental health services.

SOURCE:

http://www.rootforamerica.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry090520-153430

http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/

Texas now getting ready for indys...

Texas now getting ready for indys... thanks to Texas House Bill 1193.  On Tuesday the bill was placed on the placed on Local, Consent, and Res. Calendar.  The bill, which passed committee about one month ago, now is rolling along.

The bill is good for both major and minor parties.  The bill keeps the most rules in place, but the big change is allowing filing for Presidential Candidates up until one day after a party's convention.

This was a big concern in the 2008 election.  The old rules said a candidate had to file 70 days before the general election.  With conventions moving later on the calendar a number of parties were in the danger zone of not qualifying for the Texas ballot (and all of those electoral votes).

There was even a lawsuit involving Bob Barr (Lib).

SOURCES:

Representative Kelly Hancock - http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist91/hancock.php

Representative John E. Davis - http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist129/davis.php

Representative Dan Flynn - http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist2/flynn.php

Texas House - http://www.legis.state.tx.us/billlookup/Actions.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB1193&Sort=A

DallasNews.com "Libertarian Bob Barr sues to have McCain, Obama cast off Texas' ballot" - http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/DN-barr_19pol.ART.State.Edition1.268aa61.html

West Virgina a place for indys...

West Virgina a place for indys... The Libertarian party and bloggers are praising West Virgina Governor Joe Manchin for making it easier for third parties to make it onto the West Virgina ballots.

The Governor signed a bill to make the filing date later and demand fewer signatures to get on the ballot.

SOURCES:
http://www.lp.org/blogs/donny-ferguson/lp-lobbying-pays-off-wv-gov-signs-ballot-access-reform
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/bill_status/Bills_history.cfm?input=2981&year=2009&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill

Libertarian's say they're growing...

Libertarian's say they're growing...  Donny Ferguson the Director of Communications for the national Libertarian Party today blogged about good news for the LP.  He says Libertarian membership is growing - an oddity for just after a Presidental election.  

Ferguson wrote, "membership totals... topped themselves three of the last four months."  So, why is this happening?  Are disenchanted Republicans joining the LP or is it the people in the middle ground (the independents) are looking for a non-Republican option to stop the spending from Democrats?  Or is it something else?

But probably the mosting interesting of the entire blog was buried at the end.  He wrote, "While major political direct mail fundraising agencies here in D.C. report a 15% drop in response rates compared to last year, the Libertarian Party has seen a 17.5% INCREASE in direct mail response."

ANALYSIS: Some people are motivated... but what will they do NEXT?  Just a few people can make a big difference.

http://www.lp.org/blogs/donny-ferguson/lp-progress-report-membership-growing-fundraising-beating-trends