Thomas Hill For Congress (NC-8)

My Personal Response To The Cabarrus GOP Chair

2010-11-01T17:24:00.001-07:00

[I posted this on his Facebook page...]

If defending the 10th amendment goes against common sense, so be it. If local educators can't keep their own kids from viewing porn at school without the Federal Government, we are doomed.

Justin, you know where I stand and you deliberately misrepresented me and my position. I have taken the high road and played fair. You have not and you should be ashamed! This deception not only affects me, but it harms my family as well. I don't care what you say about me but I will fight to protect my good family name.

So out in front of God, your friends and who ever else in paying attention...

Don't you ever use fraud and deception against me ever again!

That is your final warning!

My Rebuttal To The Johnson Campaign Smear

2010-10-31T16:31:00.000-07:00

[Below is a my rebuttal to the Johnson campaign misinformation published by We The People of Cabarrus County. Following the 16th and final question, I have inserted a personal plea I wanted them to include. They chose not to. I sincerely appreciate what they did choose to share with their membership.]

Hello Fellow Patriots,

In an effort to be fair and balanced, kind of like Fox News, we have been contacted by Mr. Thomas B. Hill the Libertarian candidate who is opposing Mr. Harold Johnson the Repbulican candidate for the seat currently held by Democrat Larry Kissell. He has asked that we help to set straight some possible misinformation that is circulating on the internet.

Again I want everyone to understand that this information is being shared with you in order to help you have the most current and up to date information we are able to obtain. We are simply asking you to very seriously consider all of the facts and make up your own mind as to which of the candidates would best represent your position and interests when they go to Washington, DC as your elected official.

In no way are We The People NC or We The People – PAC endorsing either of these candidates. We The People NC and We The People – PAC both agree that it’s time for a change in representation in the 8th District and hope that you will vote for one of these Constitutionally minded Conservative candidates to replace Mr. Larry Kissell.

We The People NC and We The People – PAC would like to thank both candidates for sharing their time and thoughts with us and allowing us to pass along to you our valued members this information.

Thank each of you for your time, support and efforts in helping us to make a difference in the direction our country is headed.

Sincerely,

Ronnie Long – President

We The People NC and We The People - PAC

Below is the information we received from Mr. Hill.

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR U.S. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES

1. Should the United States Constitution be amended to include the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman?
Harold Johnson: Yes Thomas Hill: No

The Federal government has no authority what so ever in regards to marriage. The tenth amendment makes this very clear. Homosexuals are not a threat to traditional marriage. Infidelity and a divorce rate of over 50% presents the biggest threat. If society expects the government to cure our social ills, we are doomed. Our faith community has transferred too much of it's mission to government agencies and legislators. What has that gotten us?

2. Should federal law extend health and other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees?
Harold Johnson: No Thomas Hill: Yes

Any benefit or privilege given to any federal employees should be available to all employees. We should be treated as individuals. Special privileges for none, equal rights for all. If you don't believe same sex partners should have these privileges, then you don't deserve them either. Married couples have been given special privileges for years. Why should the law apply different for some over others?

3. Should the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act be amended to place further restrictions on the establishment and expansion of gambling by Indian Tribes in the United States?
Harold Johnson: No Thomas Hill: Yes

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act should be repealed. The tribes should have the sovereign authority to govern their own lands. The federal government has no constitutional authority to ban gambling of any sort.

4. Should internet gambling be prohibited?
Harold Johnson: Yes Thomas Hill: No

Again, the tenth amendment is clear; the federal government has no authority to ban gambling of any sort. Unfortunately, Harold Johnson has less respect for the constitution than I do.

5. Should the federal government continue to provide funding for abstinence until marriage sexual education programs?
Harold Johnson: Yes Thomas Hill: No

The federal government has no authority to interfere in education. Remember, Ronald Reagan ran on a platform of eliminating the NEA. Again, Harold Johnson supports violating the constitution to appeal to social conservatives.

6. Should software to filter pornography be required on computers in public schools and libraries that receive federal funds?
Harold Johnson: Yes Thomas Hill: No

My last answer fits this question perfectly. I am against children looking at porn on school computers; I just can't find the constitutional authority to get the feds involved in local matters.

7. Should all Americans be required to carry health insurance?
Harold Johnson: No Thomas Hill: No

8. Should federal taxpayer dollars be used to pay for abortions?
Harold Johnson: No Thomas Hill: No

9. Should Congress strengthen conscience protections for doctors, nurses, health care providers, pharmacists, insurance groups, and employers who do not want to participate in or fund abortion procedures or to dispense abortifacient drugs?
Harold Johnson: Yes Thomas Hill: No

The federal government has no authority in health care matters. The tenth amendment makes this clear. It is amazing how much Harold Johnson is willing to violate the constitution just to win the support of social conservatives.

10. Should references to God be removed from government property?
Harold Johnson: No Thomas Hill: No

11. Should human embryos be used for research purposes?
Harold Johnson: No Thomas Hill: Undecided

12. Should a person’s religious beliefs influence the decisions they make while serving in public office?
Harold Johnson: Yes Thomas Hill: Yes

13. Should the authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate the broadcast of indecent and obscene media content be extended to cable and satellite television? Harold Johnson: Yes Thomas Hill: No

The FCC is overtly unlawful and unconstitutional. I want to abolish the FCC.

14. Should the federal tax code be simplified with a flat tax or a national sales tax?
Harold Johnson: Yes Thomas Hill: No

The income tax should be repealed and replaced with nothing. Harold Johnson wants you to fund unconstitutional programs. Don't fall for his tomfoolery.

15. Should federal agencies and other entities that receive funds from the federal government be required to substantiate the need of all programs and services that receive those funds?
Harold Johnson: Yes Thomas Hill: Yes

16. Should the $1,000 per child tax credit for families be allowed to expire at the end of 2010, as scheduled?
Harold Johnson: No Thomas Hill: Yes

The child tax credit gives special privileges to classes of people. It is unlawful and unconstitutional. I will not promise to violate the constitution to win votes. Harold Johnson does.

It has come to my attention that several Harold Johnson supporters have been circulating a survey I filled out. The problem is they only released the yes or no responses. They intentionally left out my comments which explained my answers. Each of my answers dealt with the 10th amendment and the constitutional authority given to Congress. They also failed to include who commissioned and published the survey.

It is unfortunate that the Johnson campaign is so desperate for votes that they will use deception and fraud to smear a fellow candidate. It is my hope that the members of WTP will see through this deception and punish the Johnson campaign this Tuesday.

I have worked along side WTP, sharing space at the Harrisburg July 4th event, the Cabarrus County Fair and Midland Magic. I have paid my dues in the trenches, defending individual freedom and responsibility for the past 10 years.

I have taken the high road during this campaign, treating Harold Johnson with respect. It is shameful he has allowed his supporters to use fraud and deception to smear an honest man.

I hope you do not endorse and reward such tactics this Tuesday.

Smear Tatics By The Johnson Campaign

2010-10-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

[This is my response from a smear e-mail circulated by the Johnson campaign to gain support from the Cabarrus chapter of We The People. Their president, Ronnie Long has promised to publish my response to the smear...]

It has come to my attention that several Harold Johnson supporters have been circulating a survey I filled out. The problem is they only released the yes or no responses. They intentionally left out my comments which explained my answers. Each of my answers dealt with the 10th amendment and the constitutional authority given to Congress. They also failed to include who commissioned and published the survey.

It is unfortunate that the Johnson campaign is so desperate for votes that they will use deception and fraud to smear a fellow candidate. It is my hope that the members of WTP will see through this deception and punish the Johnson campaign this Tuesday.

I have worked along side WTP, sharing space at the Harrisburg July 4th event, the Cabarrus County Fair and Midland Magic. I have paid my dues in the trenches, defending individual freedom and responsibility for the past 10 years.

I have taken the high road during this campaign, treating Harold Johnson with respect. It is shameful he has allowed his supporters to use fraud and deception to smear an honest man.

I hope you do not endorse and reward such tactics this Tuesday.

Libertarian Thomas Hill On Jobs

2010-10-10T13:27:00.001-07:00

The Fed's Bad Year

2010-10-10T09:56:00.001-07:00

October 9, 2010

It was bound to happen eventually. After printing trillions of dollars out of thin air, the Fed's printing presses finally “broke.”

In a press release last week, the Federal Reserve announced the delay of the new $100 bill after they discovered an error in the printing process.

While it isn't going to slow them down for long, it's just another item on a list of things that have gone wrong for the Federal Reserve over the past year.

Two years ago, most Americans knew little - to absolutely nothing - about the Federal Reserve, and that's the way the Fed liked it. However, times have changed.

And it's all because of you.

When we embarked on the challenge to Audit the Fed, no one, least of all the folks at the Federal Reserve, could have predicted how far it would go.

For over 30 years, Congressman Paul has attempted to open up the Federal Reserve and shed sunlight on its books. Never before had his bill made it out of committee, let alone received a roll call vote in both houses of Congress.

Even though the final audit included in the Dodd/Frank bill was more of a fig leaf to cover up Fed-loving congressmen than a real gain for liberty or transparency, it shows just how frightened the Fed and its enablers are becoming of a citizen outrage.

Thanks to your efforts, the Federal Reserve is now a household name and most people now recognize its actions as a cause of the recession rather than a solution, and its actions are frequently scrutinized in the media. No longer can the Federal Reserve go about its daily business without people asking questions.

Because of you, 80% of Americans are now in favor of a full audit of the Federal Reserve.

It wasn't easy for the Fed to water down the audit. It took everything they had, including hiring a powerful and well connected ex-Enron lobbyist and circulating letters signed by so-called “renowned economists” who made it sound as if we would bring on the apocalypse itself if the Fed were subjected to an audit.

Even the Obama administration was forced to come out in opposition to the audit to help the Fed save face.

Due to the immense pressure from grassroots activists, Ben Bernanke was reconfirmed with the lowest vote of any Fed Chairman.

Together, we were able to put senators and representatives on the record as being either for or against transparency at our nation's central bank.

With your continued support, Campaign for Liberty will put federal candidates on the record for sound money and auditing the Federal Reserve with our Federal Candidate Survey Program.

You can see how your candidates answered the Federal Candidate Survey by visiting your state page on our website.

If the candidates in your area haven't yet filled out our survey, call their campaign today and ask them to return Campaign for Liberty's Federal Candidate Survey.

The liberty movement looked the Federal Reserve in the eye, and for a change, we made it blink.

We've given the Federal Reserve a rough time over the past year. Let's keep up the pressure!

In Liberty,

John Tate

President

P.S. Campaign for Liberty will continue to put politicians and candidates on the record about sound money and Audit the Fed, but we can only do so with your continued generosity.

Unlike the Federal Reserve and its broken printing presses, we can't magically print money out of thin air. Your contribution of just $10 will go a long way toward helping us keep pushing for sound money and transparency at the Fed.

My News 14 Interview

2010-10-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Economic Attack on China

2010-10-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Economic Attack on China -LewRockwell.com Blog

Biting the hand the buys our debt. How stupid can our overlords possibly be? This is another economic war we can not win. Fast track to the bottom of the toilet bowl....

Kick The TARP Lovers Out!

2010-10-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

Libertarians challenge 89 TARP-supporting incumbents in Congress

WASHINGTON - This November, Libertarian Party candidates are challenging 89 incumbent members of Congress who voted for the TARP bailouts in 2008. View the list here.

The list includes 27 Republicans and 62 Democrats.

LP Chair Mark Hinkle commented, "Few acts of Congress have evoked as much fear, ire, disgust, and disapproval from Americans as the 2008 TARP banker bailouts, passed with bipartisan support in Congress, and signed into law by Republican President George W. Bush."

Hinkle continued, "Bailer-in-chief John McCain, who famously suspended his 2008 losing Republican presidential campaign to rush back to Washington DC to vote for TARP, tops our list. He'll face Libertarian Party co-founder David Nolan in November."

[Note and correction: An earlier emailed version of this release incorrectly stated the number of Libertarians at 97.]

According to Congressional Quarterly, twelve of these TARP incumbents are in close re-election battles (classified in the "tossup" or "leans" category). The Libertarian Party hopes to help kick them out of office. "They tried to justify TARP by claiming our economy was going off a cliff. Let's push their teetering careers off a cliff," said LP Executive Director Wes Benedict.

The twelve most vulnerable TARP incumbents in races with Libertarians:

Harry Mitchell (D-AZ, District 5)
Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ, District 8)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA, Senator)
Dan Lungren (R-CA, District 3)
Kendrick Meek (D-FL, incumbent Rep. running for Senate)
Bill Foster (D-IL, District 14)
Brad Ellsworth (D-IN, incumbent Rep. running for Senate)
Joe Donnelly (D-IN, District 2)
Roy Blunt (R-MO, incumbent Rep. running for Senate)
Ike Skelton (D-MO, District 4)
Joe Sestak (D-PA, incumbent Rep. running for Senate)
Chet Edwards (D-TX, District 17)

CQ Senate ratings
CQ House ratings

Benedict continued, "The Tea Party revolt is one potentially positive reaction to TARP. But any Tea Partier who votes for a TARP-supporting Republican is a plain old hypocrite, just as bad as the incumbent he or she is pushing back into office. Every Tea Partier should take a pledge to vote against ALL incumbents who voted for TARP, period.

"Liberals should also vote against TARP incumbents. Hundreds of billions for Wall Street bankers and their stockholders and bondholders is not what Democrats are supposed to stand for. Any liberal-leaning voter who votes for a TARP-supporting Democrat, when a Libertarian alternative is available, sends a callous message to the middle class and poor: Thanks for your taxes! Get another job if you can find one -- we want even more of your money to pass up to the Wall Street fat cats!

"Fortunately, these voters have a better option: Libertarian candidates who would have proudly voted against TARP, and who will consistently vote against other foolish, unconstitutional, taxpayer-abusing measures.

"After the TARP bailouts passed, Republicans repeatedly tried to defend their support, sometimes saying that they hadn't done a good enough job explaining it to the American people. Now the recent pandering Republican 'Pledge to America' says 'End TARP once and for all.' Which is it, Republicans? Was it a bad sales pitch, or are you trying to pretend that you never supported it? I suspect that the Republicans don't know what to think. That's a problem with many ignorant and spineless members of Congress today.

"Some incumbents have tried to make the excuse that they voted for TARP because President Bush and Secretary Paulson scared them, or because drops in the stock market made them worry. Such worthless excuses are beneath the dignity of their office. Voters should not let TARP-supporters make excuses for themselves.

"Last year, William A. Niskanen of the Cato Institute wrote this article describing five instances in which the members of Congress caved in to executive-branch hysteria, leading to disastrous consequences. (TARP is #4 chronologically.) Each time, the members of Congress failed to uphold their crucial responsibility to view all executive requests with care and skepticism.

"If all it takes is for a president to shout 'The sky is falling!' to get Congress to pass whatever he wants, then we might as well make the president a king, and give him all the power.

"In addition to the huge transfer of wealth from taxpayers to bankers, TARP created tremendous moral hazard by sending this loud message to bankers: 'Your goal is to get big, because then you can claim you're too big to fail, and you can get Congressmen to force taxpayers to bail you out for whatever stupid or self-serving decisions you make.'

"It's hard to think of another government program that did more to reward stupidity and punish prudence.

"TARP is both a short-term and long-term failure. We would be better off today if Congress had done nothing."

The Libertarian Party has 21 candidates for U.S. Senate and 170 candidates for U.S. House in the upcoming November 2010 elections.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets and civil liberties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

Campaign Media Update

2010-09-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

My interview with News 14 will air tomorrow (Friday) night at 6:00 pm and again on Sunday at 11:00 am.

My segment on WSOC/WAXN TV will air the weekend before the election.

I will be recording a segment with News Channel 36 tomorrow afternoon. It will air about 3 weeks before the election.

I will also give an update when these segments are available on-line.

Spider Webs For The Rich & Mighty

2010-09-29T13:30:00.001-07:00

"Laws: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider
webs for the rich and mighty, steel chains for the poor and weak,
fishing nets in the hands of the government." - Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Shockingly Pro War

2010-09-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release
Thursday, September 2, 2010

Libertarians: Obama is shockingly pro-war

WASHINGTON - Following President Obama's "end of our combat mission" speech, Libertarian Party chairman Mark Hinkle released this statement:

"President Obama needs to stop lying. In his speech, he repeated the ridiculous and false claim that the U.S. combat mission is over in Iraq. He seems to think that if he keeps talking about the war in a nice way, then the war isn't really happening.

"Unfortunately, even though President Obama is the one person on Earth with the authority to withdraw the U.S. military from Iraq, he has chosen instead to keep over 50,000 troops there, risking their lives, and bleeding American taxpayers.

"The Republicans in Congress are just as bad. They have consistently failed to own up to the terrible financial impact of these wars, all the while claiming that they want to cut government. They want to nit-pick Obama's past statements about the war, but in fact they should be showering him with praise for doing exactly what they want.

"This war has been a shameful failure from the beginning. But even if the U.S. military could impose a sustainable modern democracy on Iraq, it would in no way be worth the hundreds of billions of dollars, and thousands of American lives, lost in the process. The Bush-Obama War in Iraq has done nothing to safeguard the rights of Americans -- on the contrary, it has probably made Americans less safe, and certainly poorer.

"The purpose of the U.S. armed forces is to defend the territory of the United States, not to re-engineer foreign societies.

"Contrary to his rhetoric before being elected, the president has proven himself to be shockingly pro-war. In addition to sustaining the American war presence in Iraq, he has greatly escalated the War in Afghanistan. Just like his predecessor, Obama believes that government force is the answer to everything."

The Libertarian Party platform states under "3.3 International Affairs": "American foreign policy should seek an America at peace with the world. Our foreign policy should emphasize defense against attack from abroad and enhance the likelihood of peace by avoiding foreign entanglements. We would end the current U.S. government policy of foreign intervention, including military and economic aid."

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 202-333-0008 end_of_the_skype_highlighting ext. 222.

Honest And Peaceful Acts Are Not Criminal

2010-09-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

“People should never be prosecuted for what they own, for what they think, for what they eat, drink, or smoke, or for what they believe. They should be prosecuted only for the physical harm they do to others. We need to jail violent criminals, not peaceful drug users.”

Adrian Galysh

As a Libertarian, I believe the individual has sole dominion of their minds, bodies and souls. So far as one's actions do not violate the rights of other individuals, one should be free to engage in honest and peaceful acts, without the threat of violence and coercion.

Government is best left to families and the individual.

Quiz Across America

2010-08-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

I just ordered my first batch of LP Quiz Door Hangers. The LP wants to distribute 200,000 of these hangers this election cycle. You can help me purchase more for my campaign or you can buy them directly at LP.org

New Campaign Event

2010-07-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have accepted an invitation to attend the NC Latino Coalition Delegate Assembly next month. The event is Sunday, August 15th at 3:30 pm at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Durham. The church is located at 810 West Chapel Hill Street, Durham, NC 27701.

I look forward to sharing the message of self government with my Latino brothers and sisters.

They Get One Right

2010-06-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

Libertarians pleased by ruling on gun rights

WASHINGTON - Following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on gun control in the McDonald v. Chicago case, Libertarian National Committee Chairman Mark Hinkle issued the following statement today:

"We are very pleased that the Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Amendment protects individuals from state governments wishing to violate their right to own handguns.

"Libertarians have always firmly supported the individual right of self-defense.

"Now there is some hope that Chicago's horrible violent crime problem can be reduced by law-abiding citizens who will now be able to deter and resist criminals. More guns = less crime.

"It is disturbing that four justices voted to uphold Chicago's gun ban. Their position is an attempt to pursue a policy goal from the bench, not to apply the Constitution -- and to make matters worse, it is a policy goal that would be very harmful to the people of Chicago, and potentially to everyone in America.

"This ruling follows the District of Columbia v. Heller ruling, which overturned D.C.'s ban on handguns. That case was originally brought by Dick Heller, Libertarian Party member and treasurer of the D.C. Libertarian Party.

"We hope that this ruling will lead to further court decisions that reduce the government's ability to infringe on gun rights with burdensome restrictions and red tape.

"Republicans and Democrats both deserve blame for violating gun rights. While Republicans often position themselves as Second Amendment defenders, it is worth noting major examples to the contrary:

"Republican 2008 presidential nominee John McCain received an F- rating from Gun Owners of America;

"Republican president George W. Bush supported a program called Project Safe Neighborhoods that sought to toughen and federalize prosecution of gun control laws;

"When he was running for Massachusetts Governor in 2002, Republican Mitt Romney said, 'We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them; I won't chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety.';

"In 1991, former Republican President Ronald Reagan announced his support for the Brady federal gun control bill."

The Libertarian candidate for New York Governor, Warren Redlich, has commented that the ruling will affect New York gun control laws. On June 28 Redlich wrote, "This landmark ruling will require New York State to take immediate action to amend its gun laws so they do not violate the constitution. It is a striking victory for gun owners and for anyone who believes in the fundamental rights the constitution provides."

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

July 4th In Harrisburg

2010-06-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

Come by the Harrisburg July 4th Festival this weekend. I will be campaigning both days of the event.

For more info, please visit http://www.harrisburgjuly4th.com/

Nullification Confuses Zombies

2010-06-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Our [In]Justice Department Has No Honor

2010-06-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Statement of Congressman Ron Paul

United States House of Representatives

Statement on H. Res. 1422

June 24, 2010

Madam Speaker, the House of Representatives recently considered H.RES. 1422, honoring the 140th anniversary of the Department of Justice. I voted against this resolution because of the Justice Department's history of violating individual rights.

It is the Justice Department that leads the ongoing violations of the Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments in the name of the "war on drugs." It is Justice Department agents who perform warrantless wiretap, and "sneak-and-peak" searches under the misnamed PATRIOT Act. It is the Justice Department that prosecutes American citizens for violating unconstitutional federal regulations even in cases where no reasonable person could have known their actions violated federal law.

Some like to pretend that the Justice Department's assault on liberties is a modern phenomenon, or that abuses of liberties are only carried out by one political party. However, history shows that the unconstitutional usurpations of power and abuse of rights goes back at least almost a hundred years to the "Progressive" era and that Justice Departments of both parties have disregarded the Constitution and violated individual liberties.

During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson's Justice Department imprisoned people who dared to speak out against the war. Following the war, the progressive assault on the First Amendment continued with the infamous "Palmer raids," named for Wilson's Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. Just as President Wilson's policies of foreign interventionism and domestic welfare served as a model for future presidents, Attorney General Palmer's assaults on civil liberties served as a model for future attorney generals of both parties. Think of Robert Kennedy authorizing the wiretapping of Martin Luther King, Jr, John Mitchell's role in the abuses of civil liberties by Nixon Administration, Ed Meese's assault on the First Amendment with his "pornography commission," Janet Reno's role in the murder of innocent men, women and children at Waco, and the steady erosion of our rights over the past decade. In addition, it is the attorney general and the Justice Department that defend and justify violations of constitutional liberties by the president and the other federal bureaucracies.

Many civil libertarians were hopeful the new administration would be more sympathetic to civil liberties than was the prior administration. But the current administration has disregarded campaign promises to restore respect for civil liberates and has continued, and in many cases expanded, the anti-freedom policies of its predecessors. For instance, the current administration is supporting renewal of the policies of warrantless wiretapping, and other PATRIOT Act provisions. The administration, despite promising to be more open and transparent, is also continuing to use the claim of "state secrets" to shield potentially embarrassing information from Americans. According to the New York Times, the current administration is even outdoing its predecessors in the prosecution of government whistleblowers. It is little wonder that the head of the American Civil Liberties Union recently said he is disgusted with the administration's record on civil liberties.

Of course, Madam Speaker, Congress bears ultimate responsibility for the Justice Department's actions, as it is Congress that passes the unconstitutional laws the Justice Department enforces. Congress also fails to perform effective oversight of the Justice Department. Instead of honoring the Justice Department, Congress should begin to repeal unconstitutional laws and start exercising congressional oversight of executive branch agencies that menace our freedoms.

Libertarians Mark Anniversary Of Kelo Decision

2010-06-24T18:31:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON - Tomorrow, June 23, marks the fifth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Kelo v. New London decision. Today the Libertarian Party published the following open letter:

We, the state chairs of the Libertarian Party, and members of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC), wish to call attention to the fifth anniversary of the wrongful Kelo v. New London decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Susette Kelo and her co-plaintiffs simply wanted to be left in peace in their homes, but the New London Development Corp. wanted their land for its own development purposes, and convinced the City of New London to condemn their property for its benefit.

By rendering its decision against Susette Kelo and her co-plaintiffs, the court gutted an important private property protection of the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court decided that it is acceptable for government entities to condemn and seize private property, even when the purpose is to offer that property to another private owner for economic development.

The Supreme Court's decision expanded the government's unjust power of eminent domain.

Even more shamefully, the proposed development never materialized. The Institute for Justice recently noted that 'The very land where Susette Kelo's home once stood remains barren -- home to nothing but feral cats, seagulls and weeds.'

Eminent domain is bad enough when it is used to expand government roads and schools, but the practice of forcibly taking a person's land to give to a company for things like shopping malls is utterly wrong.

The Libertarian Party has always showed strong support for private property rights. Our platform states that 'we oppose all government interference with private property, such as confiscation, nationalization, and eminent domain.'

Last year, Susette Kelo commented that 'even though over 40 states have passed legislation offering some protection to home and business owners, don't think your property is safe, because it is not.' The Castle Coalition, which works to protect property owners from eminent domain abuse, has given only five states an A or A- rating for eminent domain reform in the wake of the Kelo decision. Many states have passed reforms that sound strong at first, but contain major loopholes or other bad provisions. Republicans and Democrats like to posture as eminent domain reformers while they carve out exceptions for special interests.

We call on the Supreme Court to reverse the Kelo ruling in a future case, and we call on all 50 states to adopt laws or constitutional amendments to eliminate this practice.

(signed)

Mark Bodenhausen, Alabama
Scott Kohlhaas, Alaska
Michael Kielsky, Arizona
Rodger Paxton, Arkansas
Kevin Takenaga, California
David Williams, Colorado
Rich Lion, Connecticut
James W. Rash, Delaware
J.J. McCurry, Florida
Daniel Adams, Georgia
Roger Taylor, Hawaii
Rob Oates, Idaho
Lupe Diaz, Illinois
Sam Goldstein, Indiana
Ed Wright, Iowa
Andrew Gray, Kansas
Ken Moellman, Kentucky
T. Lee Horne III, Louisiana
Shawn Levasseur, Maine
Robert Johnston, Maryland
David Blau, Massachusetts
Emily Salvette, Michigan
Bob Odden, Minnesota
Danny Bedwell, Mississippi
Cisse Spragins, Missouri
Mike Fellows, Montana
Gene Siadek, Nebraska
Jo Silvestri, Nevada
Rich Tomasso, New Hampshire
Jay Edgar, New Jersey
Jay Vandersloot, New Mexico
Mark Axinn, New York
Barbara Howe, North Carolina
Richard Ames, North Dakota
Kevin Knedler, Ohio and LNC Representative
Angelia O'Dell, Oklahoma
Jeff Weston, Oregon
Mik Robertson, Pennsylvania
David Bibeault, Rhode Island
Michael Carmany, South Carolina
Tony Ryan, South Dakota
John Sebastian, Tennessee
Patrick Dixon, Texas
W. Andy McCullough, Utah
Jeremy Ryan, Vermont
Wilbur (Bill) Wood, Virginia
Rachel Hawkridge, Washington and LNC Representative
Kyle Hartz, Washington D.C.
Tad Britch, West Virginia
Ben Olson, Wisconsin
Don Wills, Wyoming
Mark Hinkle, LNC Chair
Mark Rutherford, LNC Vice Chair
Alicia Mattson, LNC Secretary
James Oaksun, LNC Treasurer
David Nolan, LNC Representative
William Redpath, LNC Representative
Wayne Allyn Root, LNC Representative
Mary Ruwart, LNC Representative
Doug Craig, LNC Representative
Stewart Flood, LNC Representative
Daniel Wiener, LNC Representative
Rebecca Sink-Burris, LNC Representative
Norman Olsen, LNC Representative
Dr. James W. Lark, III, LNC Representative
Daniel Karlan, LNC Representative
Dianna Visek, LNC Representative

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

More Consequences Of Nation Building

2010-06-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

From the Campaign For Liberty...

"The warlords who are paid with American money, the investigators said, are undermining the legitimate Afghan government that Americans soldiers and Marines are struggling to build, and will most likely threaten the government long after the Americans and NATO leave.

The source of the taxpayer money is a $2.1 billion contract called Host Nation Trucking, which pays for the movement of food and supplies to some 200 American bases across this arid, mountainous country, which in many places has no paved roads."

For the rest of the article, please visit http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=36375

Coalition Against War Spending Is Growing

2010-06-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

I am happy to play a part in this project.....

For Immediate Release: Friday, June 4, 2010
Contact: David Swanson david@davidswanson.org
Online: http://caws.us

100 Congressional Candidates and National Organizations Oppose War Spending No Matter What Lipstick Is Applied to It

Seventy-six congressional candidates and 24 national organizations are opposing any more funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, no matter what unrelated measures are packaged into the same bill, and no matter whether the bill appears likely to pass or not. This position contrasts strongly with that of most incumbent congress members who "oppose" and "criticize" the wars. The new Coalition Against War Spending is inviting more candidates, including all incumbents, and national organizations to join. The 76 candidates who have already signed on are from 27 different states, and include 28 Greens, 21 Libertarians, 20 Democrats, 4 Independents, 1 Republican, 1 Socialist, and 1 Peace and Freedom Party member (and more may be added to the website by the time you read this). Sixty-six are candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, and 10 for the Senate.

The U.S. Senate passed $33.5 billion to escalate the war in Afghanistan last Thursday, and the House is likely to take up the same bill in some form following this week's recess.

Members of the Coalition Against War Spending do not all agree with each other on many topics, including their reasons for opposing war spending. But they all back this short statement:

"The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost Americans over $1 trillion in direct costs, and over $3 trillion altogether. At a time when our national debt exceeds $13 trillion, we can no longer afford these wars. It's time for Congress to reject any funding except to bring all our troops safely home."

SIGNED BY CANDIDATES AND ORGANIZATIONS:

Candidates for U.S. House of Representatives:
Ken Adler, AR-01, Batesville, Green | Statement
Nick Coons, AZ-05, Tempe/Scottsdale, Libertarian | Statement
Rebecca Schneider, AZ-06, Phoenix, Democrat
Richard Grayson, AZ-06, Apache Junction, Green | Statement
Carol Wolman, CA-01, northwest corner, Green
Clint Curtis CA-04, northeast corner, Democrat | Statement
Ben Emery CA-04, Nevada City, Green
Jeremy Cloward, CA-10, Pleasant Hill, Green | Statement
Mark Williams, CA-12, San Carlos, Libertarian
Mary V. Larkin, CA-17, Monterey, Libertarian | Statement
Les Marsden, CA-19, Yosemite/Mariposa, Democrat | Statement
Randall Weissbuch, CA-26, Arcadia, Libertarian
Richard R. Castaldo, CA-30, Peace and Freedom Party
Marcy Winograd, CA-36, Los Angeles, Democrat | Video
William Hedrick, CA-44, Riverside/San Clemente, Democrat
Ken Arnold, CA-46, Orange and L.A., Democrat | Statement
Mike Paster, CA-49, Fallbrook, Libertarian
Tracy Emblem, CA-50, San Diego, Democrat | Statement
Michael Benoit, CA-52, San Diego, Libertarian
Lisa Ann Green, CA-53, Venice, Green
Gary Swing, CO-01, Denver, Green | Statement
Jerell Klaver, CO-05, Manitou Springs, Libertarian | Statement
G. Scott Deshefy, CT-02, New London, Green
Doug Tudor, FL-12, Riverview et al, Democrat
Marleine Bastien, FL-17, North Miami, Democrat
Regina Thomas, GA-12, Savannah, Democrat
Matt Reichel, IL-05, Chicago, Green
Bill Scheurer, IL-08, Lindenhurst, Green / Independent
Rodger Jennings, IL-12, Alton, Green
Doug Marks, IL-14, Carpentersville, Libertarian | Statement
Sheldon Schafer, IL-18, Peoria, Green
John Wayne Cunningham, IN-08, Terre Haute, Libertarian | Statement
James E. "Jim" Holbert, KY-05, London, Democrat | Statement
Philip Dunkelbarger, MA-09, Westwood, Independent | Statement
Peter White, MA-10, Cape Cod, Independent
Charlie Shick, MI-03, Wyoming, Green
Anna Janek, MI-09, West Bloomfield, Republican
Diana Longrie, MN-04, Democrat | Statement
Michael Cavlan, MN-05, Minneapolis, Independent Progressive | Statement
Kevin Craig, MO-07, Springfield, Libertarian
William OBrien, MO-09, Mexico, Libertarian | Statement
Thomas Hill, NC-08, Fayetteville, Libertarian
Lon Cecil, NC-12, High Point, Libertarian
Anthony Gronowicz, NY-07, New York City, Green
Jonathan Tasini, NY-15, New York City, Democrat | Statement | Video
Emin Eddie Egriu, NY-28, Buffalo, Democrat
Chris Henry, OR-01, Portland, Green
Michael Meo, OR-03, Portland, Green | Statement
Ebert G. Beeman, PA-03, Lake Erie, Libertarian | Statement
Vernon Etzel, PA-05, Oil City, Libertarian
Ed Bortz, PA-14, Pittsburgh, Green | Statement
Jake Towne, PA-15, Nazareth, Independent | Statement
David Segal, RI-01, Democrat
Robert A. Dobbs, SC-01, Myrtle Beach, Green | Statement
Eric Schechter, TN-05, Nashville, Democrat
Christopher J. Claytor, TX-03, Plano, Libertarian | Statement
Steve Susman, TX-22, Houston, Libertarian | Statement
Martin Nitschke, TX-23, El Paso to San Antonio, Libertarian | Statement
John Jay Myers, TX-32, Dallas, Libertarian | Statement
Claudia Wright, UT-02, Salt Lake City, Democrat
Gail Parker, VA-01, Green
Ron Fisher, VA-08, Arlington, Independent Green/Progressive
David Gillis, VA-11, Green
Larry Kalb, WA-02, northwest corner, Democrat
Diana McGinness, WA-02, Bellingham, Democrat | Statement
Roy Olson, WA-09, Olympia, Green | Statement

Candidates for U.S. Senate:
Duane Roberts, CA, Green | Statement
Gail K Lightfoot, CA, Libertarian | Statement
John Finger, CO, Libertarian | Statement
Bob Kinsey, CO, Green | Statement
Richard A. Weir, NC, Green | Statement
Cecile Lawrence, NY, Green
Dan La Botz, OH, Socialist | Statement
Rick Staggenborg, OR, Green
Mel Packer, PA, Green | Statement
Ben Masel, WI, Democrat (2012)

Organizations:
Backbone Campaign
Campaign Corner: A Home for Progressive Populist Candidates | Statement
CODE PINK: Women for Peace
Consumers for Peace
The Democratic Activist
Democrats.com
End US Wars
Global Exchange
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Global Peace
Green Change | Statement
Jobs for Afghans | Statement
Justice Through Music
Liberty Tree
Military Families Speak Out
Peace Majority Report
Progressive Democrats of America
Progressive Push
Proposition One Campaign
Rethink Afghanistan
Velvet Revolution
Veterans For Peace
Voters For Peace
War Criminals Watch
WarIsACrime.org

READ ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS FROM SIGNERS.

WATCH VIDEOS FROM SIGNERS.

NB: The candidates and organizations listed here are not endorsing each other, and many strongly disagree with each other on many issues. But all fully support the statement at the top.

ADD YOUR NAME AS A CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE OR A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION.

Antiwar.com's Week In Review (June 4th)

2010-06-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

Antiwar.com's Week in Review | June 4, 2010

Israel, Gaza

On Sunday night, Antiwar.com covered news of Israel’s deadly raid on the Gaza aid flotilla hours before the MSM. By Monday, Jason Ditz refuted claims of self-defense by Israeli soldiers, adding that – whether it carried metal sticks or not – the Mavi Marmara was "violating no international laws in trying to deliver medicine and food to civilian victims of an Israeli blockade. Israel, on the other hand, was most assuredly violating international law in attacking an unarmed aid ship on the open sea."

If indeed these facts check out, according to Philip Giraldi, "then Tel Aviv is guilty of piracy, kidnapping, and murder, while the armed attack on a Turkish flagged vessel might be construed as inviting a military response from NATO."

While Obama has said little, members of Congress have since come out in favor of Israel, and Vice President Joe Biden stated that Israel "had a right to know." Filing from Israel exclusively for Antiwar.com, Ran HaCohen found the local outrage conspicuously absent. "How can you turn millions of fairly educated citizens into silent lambs, or worse, into supporters of their own state’s terrorism?" HaCohen looked for answers in the press.

Ultimately, if "the only way we can make the Israelis feel ‘secure’ is by allowing them to engage in international piracy on the high seas," said Justin Raimondo, "then perhaps this is the sort of high-maintenance relationship we can no longer afford."

For more on the Gaza aid raid:

Terrorism: Cause and Effect

If the government does anything well, fomenting fear is high on the list. The Bush rhetoric of "terrorism 24/7" – inherited with open arms by Obama – has done a great deal to keep people afraid, but has it done anything to keep them safe?

In "Terrorism – Cause and Effect," Jack Smith argued that U.S. intervention abroad is often the cause of terrorist action, not the solution to it. He discussed five major policy decisions made in the last "65 years that turned public opinion in the Middle East against the United States and largely generated the conditions that led to the creation of al-Qaeda, jihadist warriors, and suicide bombers."

If the U.S. is more interested in perpetuating war than in defeating terrorism, perhaps Washington is the real enemy worth fearing.

Milestones Not Worth Celebrating

This week we officially passed the $1 trillion dollar mark for the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only does the U.S. lead the world in "defense" spending – a whopping 800 percent more than runner-up Russia – but we account for 44.32 percent of the total global tab.

And no sooner could AP tally the 1,000th U.S. military death in Afghanistan than Pentagon officials dismissed exit strategy timetables, saying that our eight-and-a-half-year long war could continue "way beyond July 2011."

Amid a devastating economic recession and despite warnings from the Congressional Budget Office that across-the-board cuts will need to be made, it seems that no amount of blood or money can deter the War Party.

Antiwar Radio

Antiwar Radio is expanding! As of June 7^th, Liberty Radio Network will carry Scott’s show Monday through Friday from 12–3 p.m. ET. It will also continue to air on KAOS Radio 95.9 FM in Austin, KPFK Pacifica Radio 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, 98.7 FM in Santa Barbara, KUCR 88.3 FM in Riverside, and of course on Antiwar.com.

This week’s guests included:

Winslow T. Wheeler, director of the Straus Military Reform Project, questioned Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ halfhearted fight against Pentagon waste and wondered why our always increasing Pentagon budget paradoxically results in the worst-equipped military in a generation.
Flynt Leverett, former senior director for Middle East Affairs at the National Security Council, discussed WMD myths and Iran’s nuclear program with guest host Gareth Porter. "Iran is a critically important country … and at this point, given the relative decline in American standing and influence and the relative increase in Iranian standing and influence, [we’d] argue that the United States …can’t achieve its own objectives" without improving relations.
Thomas Woods, co-editor of We Who Dared to Say No to War, reviewed the propaganda behind U.S. foreign policy and the slaughter of Iraqis. "If this government is run by liars and thieves and killers and I don’t trust a word they say on anything else, then I’m not giving them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their monopoly on the use of military force. I’m just not going to do it ,and I don’t believe that that’s anti-American."

Listen to all of this week’s guests here, and don’t forget you can chat with other listeners during the show at the Stress Blog.

We Make It Easy to Support Peace

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Also, bookmark this link and use it when you buy books and other merchandise on Amazon.com. Questions? Contact Angela at akeaton@antiwar.com or call 323-512-7095.

Meet Our New Communications Director

In an effort to raise awareness in the press and reach more people with the message of peace, Antiwar.com has hired Communications Director Wendy Honett. Honett formerly served as the publicity director at the Independent Institute and holds a bachelor of arts degree in both political science and mass communications from the University of California at Berkeley. She will be working closely with Antiwar.com Founder and Managing Editor Eric Garris, Executive Director Alexia Gilmore, and Development Director Angela Keaton to implement several strategic initiatives for Antiwar.com.

Connect With Us!

You know about our Web site, of course, but are you following us on Twitter? Check out @Antiwarcom, @Antiwarnews, and @Antiwar2 for updates. Or friend Justin, Scott, and Angela on Facebook and drop by our causes page.

Thank You!

Thank you to our loyal readers for your words of encouragement during the fund drive and, of course, for your generous contributions. We made it to $70,000, and we at Antiwar.com send our utmost appreciation. For information on donating, please contact Development Director Angela Keaton at akeaton@antiwar.com.

War Is A Crime

2010-05-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

I am proud to have my name listed with my fellow peace candidates. Any funding should be used for the safe and noble withdrawal of our troops from these unconstitutional and immoral wars...

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Contact: David Swanson david@davidswanson.org
Online: http://warisacrime.org/caws

52 Congressional Candidates Oppose War Spending

Fifty-two congressional candidates and 18 activist organizations are opposing any more funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and inviting more candidates, incumbents, and organizations to join them. The 52 candidates, from 21 different states, include 19 Democrats, 16 Libertarians, 15 Greens, 2 Independents, and 0 Republicans (and more may be added to the website by the time you read this). Forty-six are candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, and six for the Senate.

They do not all agree with each other on many topics, including their reasons for opposing war spending. But they all back this short statement:

"The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost Americans over $1 trillion in direct costs, and over $3 trillion altogether. At a time when our national debt exceeds $13 trillion, we can no longer afford these wars. It's time for Congress to reject any funding except to bring all our troops safely home."

The Coalition Against War Spending ( http://warisacrime.org/caws ) has posted online a variety of divergent statements -- in text and video -- from signers elaborating on their reasons for opposing war spending. A wide ideological spectrum finds consensus around opposing more spending to continue or escalate the current wars. The coalition is inviting any congressional candidate, incumbent or challenger, and any national organization to join.

This announcement comes just as Congress is set to vote on whether to spend another $33.5 billion in an off-the-books "emergency" supplemental spending bill to escalate a war in Afghanistan that polls show a majority of Americans opposes.

One candidate who has joined the coalition is Tracy Emblem, a Democrat in California's 50th District (San Diego). Emblem said: "I support our troops. It's time to bring our troops home. The Iraq and Afghanistan 'wars' with thousands of civilian casualties have created more terrorists. Our brave troops have been killed and maimed and they are suffering from post traumatic stress. The military chemicals used are creating havoc on the environment and making our troops sick. Our priorities must change. We can no longer afford to blindly accept that these 'wars' are 'just' or 'necessary' when so many people are suffering the effects of prolonged wars. My neighbor, a Vietnam veteran, who loves and fought for our country has tied a yellow ribbon on his fence to bring our troops home. And I'm joining him. We must start a movement to bring our troops home now."

Another member of the Coalition Against War Spending is John Finger, a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate from Colorado. "Both of these wars are a waste of valuable life and resources," says Finger. "As a veteran, I'd be the first to stand up for a war which is worth fighting. But these wars are going nowhere: there's no mission, there's no measure of success, and we're sending our overburdened troops to die or be injured in wars which do not affect our own national security. It's time to bring our troops home now."

Some candidates suggest where they would prefer to spend $33.5 billion. Clint Curtis, a Democrat in California's 4th District, from which Green Party candidate Ben Emery has also signed on, is focused on jobs. "I would use the $33 billion to create new jobs," Curtis said. "This could be done by beginning to rebuild the roads and bridges that have fallen into disrepair after almost a decade of neglect. Education is in serious need of funding, as are many municipal services. Specifically to this district I would develop broad band throughout the district. Because the district is so vast (larger than Maryland) and mountainous, over 30% of the citizens can not access broadband."

Other candidates do not want $33.5 billion spent at all. Nick Coons, a Libertarian from Arizona's 5th District (Tempe / Scottsdale), said: "The funds being wasted overseas to 'promote democracy' should be given back to the taxpayers from which it was taken so they can use it as they see fit."

Roy Olson, a Green candidate from Washington's 9th District (Olympia) remarked: "I see our flag lowered to half-staff all too frequently. An economy based on perpetual war is hazardous to our health. I am the anti-war candidate and look forward to seeing our flag flying at the top of the flagpole."

Doug Marks, a Libertarian from Illinois' 14th District (Carpentersville) pushed for Congress to accept its responsibilities: "For far too long we have been bent on the Wilsonian path of 'making the world safe democracy'. This whole mentality is unconstitutional, financially devastating to our country, and destroys thousands of families annually. It is way past time to end these wars and bring our troops home. With this, we need to repeal the War Powers Act and force Congress to do the job they were elected to do: either formally declare war or bring all the troops home. After trillions of tax payer dollars and thousands of lives, who is any safer and how does this protect America?"

John Jay Myers, a Libertarian from Texas' 32nd District (Dallas) said simply: "There is nothing conservative about war."

Initial members of the Coalition Against War Spending (being added to at http://warisacrime.org/caws ) are:

Candidates for U.S. House of Representatives:
Nick Coons, AZ-05, Tempe/Scottsdale, Libertarian
Rebecca Schneider, AZ-06, Phoenix, Democrat
Carol Wolman, CA-01, northwest corner, Green
Clint Curtis, CA-04, northeast corner, Democrat
Ben Emery, CA-04, Nevada City, Green
Mark Williams, CA-12, San Carlos, Libertarian
Mary V. Larkin, CA-17, Monterey, Libertarian
Les Marsden, CA-19, Yosemite/Mariposa, Democrat
Randall Weissbuch, CA-26, Arcadia, Libertarian
Marcy Winograd, CA-36, Los Angeles, Democrat
William Hedrick, CA-44, Riverside/San Clemente, Democrat
Ken Arnold, CA-46, Orange and L.A., Democrat
Mike Paster, CA-49, Fallbrook, Libertarian
Tracy Emblem, CA-50, San Diego, Democrat
Michael Benoit, CA-52, San Diego, Libertarian
Gary Swing, CO-01, Denver, Green
G. Scott Deshefy, CT-02, New London, Green
Doug Tudor, FL-12, Riverview et al, Democrat
Marleine Bastien, FL-17, North Miami, Democrat
Regina Thomas, GA-12, Savannah, Democrat
Matt Reichel, IL-05, Chicago, Green
Bill Scheurer, IL-08, Lindenhurst, Green / Independent
Rodger Jennings, IL-12, Alton, Green
Doug Marks, IL-14, Carpentersville, Libertarian
Sheldon Schafer, IL-18, Peoria, Green
John Wayne Cunningham, IN-08, Terre Haute, Libertarian
James E. "Jim" Holbert, KY-05, London, Democrat
Peter White, MA-10, Cape Cod, Independent
Michael Cavlan, MN-05, Minneapolis, Independent Progressive
Kevin Craig, MO-07, Springfield, Libertarian
Thomas Hill, NC-08, Fayetteville, Libertarian
Lon Cecil, NC-12, High Point, Libertarian
Jonathan Tasini, NY-15, New York City, Democrat
Emin Eddie Egriu, NY-28, Buffalo, Democrat
Ebert G. Beeman, PA-03, Lake Erie, Libertarian
Vernon Etzel, PA-05, Oil City, Libertarian
Ed Bortz, PA-14, Pittsburgh, Green
David Segal, RI-01, Democrat
Eric Schechter, TN-05, Nashville, Democrat
Martin Nitschke, TX-23, El Paso to San Antonio, Libertarian
John Jay Myers, TX-32, Dallas, Libertarian
Claudia Wright, UT-02, Salt Lake City, Democrat
Ron Fisher, VA-08, Arlington, Independent Green/Progressive
Larry Kalb, WA-02, northwest corner, Democrat
Diana McGinness, WA-02, Bellingham, Democrat
Roy Olson, WA-09, Olympia, Green

Candidates for U.S. Senate:
Duane Roberts, CA, Green
John Finger, CO, Libertarian
Bob Kinsey, CO, Green
Cecile Lawrence, NY, Green
Mel Packer, PA, Green
Ben Masel, WI, Democrat (2012)

Organizations:
Backbone Campaign
CODE PINK: Women for Peace
Consumers for Peace
The Democratic Activist
Democrats.com
Global Exchange
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Jobs for Afghans
Justice Through Music
Liberty Tree
Peace Majority Report
Progressive Democrats of America
Progressive Push
Velvet Revolution
Veterans For Peace
Voters For Peace
War Criminals Watch
WarIsACrime.org

Radio Interview

2010-05-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

I will be a guest on the Keith Larson Show (WBT 1110 AM) this Friday morning at 11:05 am.

[UPDATE]

Due to breaking news and the racial justice act controversy, Keith Larson is going to reschedule my interview until next week...

Never Soft - Peddle The Truth

2010-05-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

"Never soft-peddle the truth. It’s seldom self-evident and almost never sells itself, because there’s less sales resistance to a glib and comforting lie."

L. Neil Smith

The Time Is Here!

2010-04-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

If you believe it is past time to audit the Federal Reserve, please click on the banner above to sign the petition. A copy will be sent to your US Senators.

Help expose the evils of the Federal Reserve.

Demand an audit today!

End The Mandate!

2010-04-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

I endorse the following bill, introduced by Ron Paul. The government has no authority to force citizens to buy health insurance.

Contact Larry Kissell and tell him to support HR 4995.

H.R. 4995 --- End The Mandate Act

Bring The Politicians Home...

2010-04-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Joint Resolution Against Celgard Tax Incentives

2010-04-18T19:43:00.001-07:00

The Libertarian Party of Cabarrus County joins the Cabarrus Campaign For Liberty in opposition to the proposed economic development grant to benefit Celgard, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Polypore
International, Inc.

The county commission will entertain a proposal to extend three 4 year grants of 85% of the ad valorem taxes and an upfront payment of $350,000 to offset land prices.*

In response to the proposed grant, LP Cabarrus Chair Thomas Hill said, "Free enterprise should succeed or fail based on it's own merits. Extending governmental privileges to certain companies at the expense of others reeks of corporate fascism."

When asked of the proper role of government in the economy, Hill explained, "Government should protect free enterprise from force and fraud instead of distorting the market with corporate welfare schemes. Reducing regulations and property tax rates will encourage businesses to invest in the county."

Cabarrus Campaign For Liberty Coordinator Lloyd Morris believes the tax incentives should be taken off the table. "Celgard has already decided to locate here. The county already has the assets and quality of life that attracts business investment."

Morris also worries about treating all county businesses equally. "We should not offer Celgard anything we are not willing to share with every other business in this county. We should all be equal before the law."

The members of both organizations support and applaud the efforts of pro business advocates in the county. Our only objection is the tactic of using tax money and tax incentives to benefit certain corporations. We support free markets and the prosperity they provide.

In Liberty,

Thomas Hill
Chair, Libertarian Party of Cabarrus County

Lloyd Morris
Cabarrus Campaign For Liberty Coordinator

* taken from County Commission agenda for April 19th meeting. (pages 120, 121 and 122)

LPNC Census Resolution

2010-04-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

The Libertarian Party of NC passed the following resolution at it's annual convention this past weekend. I wholeheartedly endorse this resolution....

Whereas question 1 on the 2010 U.S. Census — number of persons living at the address — is the only question needed to serve the constitutionality-stated purposes of the census of apportioning federal, representation and direct taxes;

Whereas the LPNC supports limiting government having no more power than constitutionally stated, therefore;

The LPNC encourages all recipients of the 2010 U.S. Census to refuse to answer questions 2-10.

Adopted in Convention, April 11, 2010 Burlington, NC

What Is A Libertarian?

2010-04-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

Next Candidate Forum - April 15th

2010-04-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Cabarrus Conservative Coalition & We The People (Cabarrus) Candidate ForumRed Pig Restaurant, Carolina Mall, Concord
7:00pm

This will be the second time I have the privilege of addressing these fine folks. I certainly appreciate being included, especially since I have no primary opposition.

Charlotte Tax Day Tea Party

2010-04-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

I will be joining hundreds of fed up patriots tomorrow (April 15th) at the Charlotte Tax Day Tea Party. I look forward to promoting my campaign.

Be sure to stop by the Campaign For Liberty table. The C4L can't endorse candidates but I can certainly endorse them!

Charlotte Tax Day Tea Party: April 15, 2010 3pm-5pm at 600 E. Trade Street in Charlotte.

The Nature Of The State...

2010-03-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

"Civilized people do not require a state to keep other civilized people from violating their rights, rather uncivilized unsuccessful people need a state to be predatory on other people in order to mitigate the costs of their failures." ~Harry Felker

H/T to Rakkur Crowley

Goldman Sucks

2010-03-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

C4L - Liberty On The March

2010-03-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

[From C4L]

Congressman Ron Paul’s incredible straw poll victory at CPAC (with, I’ve been told, the most support of any straw poll victor in the Conference’s history) sent a clear message to the establishment that not only are we more energized and passionate than ever, but we are organized and ready to take our freedoms back. Across the country, Americans who are fed up with the federal government’s abuse of the Constitution are training to more efficiently take action, alerting their fellow countrymen to threats against freedom, passing out materials, contacting Congress, and running for office themselves.

And as more people become fed up with standing by while Washington, D.C. continues to trample on states’ rights, state legislators are fighting back as well.

First introduced by a Ron Paul supporter in Montana, legislation to nullify federal laws and regulations on guns and ammo manufactured in states and staying within state borders has spread all over the country.

The Montana bill was signed by the governor in April 2009, and Tennessee enacted such legislation a few months later.

In February 2010, Utah’s House and Senate passed SB 11, the Utah State-made Firearms Protection Act. And C4L has received word that SB 11 has been signed by Governor Gary Herbert and is now state law!

HB 1285, introduced in New Hampshire, takes Firearms Freedom legislation a step further by mandating criminal penalties for any official who tries to enforce nullified federal laws and regulations in defiance of HB 1285.

Further illustrating the renewed interest across the country in defending our liberties, Virginia C4L Executive Director Donna Holt and her team have started a Tenth Amendment Revolution in Virginia!

In addition to successfully championing the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act through passage in the Virginia House of Delegates with a bipartisan vote of 70–29 (and currently advocating for its passage in the Senate), VA C4L has been closely working with state legislators to pass legislation nullifying any federal health insurance mandate and shielding Virginians from paying any penalties for not purchasing federally-approved health care.

SB 417, the Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act, passed in February with wide bipartisan support, and Governor McDonnell is expected to sign the legislation soon. Meanwhile, newly-elected pro-liberty Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is reportedly chomping at the bit to litigate Virginia’s sovereign rights should Washington pass some form of ObamaCare.

In Arizona, HCR 2014, the Health Care Freedom Act, passed the Arizona Legislature in 2009 and will be on the November 2010 ballot.

On February 17, C4L Vice President of Programs Matt Hawes appeared before the Maryland State Senate Finance Committee to testify on behalf of SB 397, the Health Care Freedom Act of 2010.

As Matt told the Committee, “SB 397 will help contribute to this renewed national discussion over the proper role of government in our lives and, more directly, it may help keep the federal government from continuing to expand its unconstitutional health care agenda. It is not only within the power of the sovereign state of Maryland, but it is its duty to stand between its people and an overreaching federal government.”

These are just some of the states that have taken action to push back against an out of control federal government!

Despite the establishment's best effort to convince you that our movement will be easily contained, our work to spread the message is gaining more supporters every day.

A recent Rasmussen survey revealed that 59% of "likely voters" believe states should have the right to opt out of federal programs with which they don't agree. Such a number would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, but we still have our work cut out for us.

If you are not involved with your state or local C4L group, visit our website and see what is going on in your state today! And be sure to check out our Recent Member Posts section, where you can find out more about the great work your fellow C4L members are doing in their local areas.

Our fight to Audit the Fed has made the Federal Reserve a topic of everyday political conversation, and we put so much pressure on the Senate that, although they voted to reconfirm Ben Bernanke to another term as Fed chairman, he received the fewest votes in support of any Fed chairman in history.

These successes are only the beginning of what our movement can (and will) accomplish. Taking back our nation starts with reclaiming our own backyards, and our Founding Fathers would be proud to see states once again standing up for their sovereignty.

And they would also be proud of patriots like those in C4L who are carrying on the battle!

Campaign for Liberty can only fight on as many fronts as the continued support of our members allows, however. If you are able to at this time, please consider donating to C4L today. With every effort we make to spread the message, we are pushing back against those who seemingly have nothing better to do than try to interfere with our lives. We have the momentum and the message. Together, let’s finish this fight and take back our country! In Liberty,

John Tate President

Donate To Freedom

2010-03-03T14:02:00.001-08:00

A Federal Case...

2010-02-05T09:07:00.001-08:00

I am certainly looking forward to this event. A Federal Case is a workshop dedicated to finding out "what the Federal Reserve and the Federal Government are doing to rob you of your Health, Wealth and Freedom, and what you can do about it."

The event is on Saturday, February 27th in Raleigh. For more information, click on the link below...

http://afederalcase.info/Home.html

Hope to see you there...

Petition Drive Is Over....Success!

2010-02-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

I just received word from the Cabarrus County Board of Elections that the latest batch of signatures I turned in put me over the top.

Success!

I now have 211 certified signatures. I needed 200, so we are in the clear!

Thank you to everyone who has helped me reach this important goal. You have just saved me and the campaign $1,740 in filing fees.

For those interested in statistics, I turned in 326 raw signatures. 211 of those were verified. That rounds up for a 65% verification rate. Not too bad considering the majority of the signatures were gathered in front of the Cabarrus County Courthouse.

Great Meeting Tonight

2010-01-28T18:18:00.001-08:00

I had a wonderful time tonight at the GOOOH 8th District meeting in Concord. GOOOH stands for "Get Out Of Our House", a grassroots group trying to fire and retire those Congress Critters that continue to bankrupt our nation, fiscally and morally.

I look forward to helping these fine patriots as we reach out to the citizens living in the 8th District.

Libertarians Respond To The State Of The Union Address

2010-01-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

Libertarians respond to State of the Union address

WASHINGTON - Libertarian Party (LP) Chairman William Redpath issued the following statement today in response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address:

"Tonight's speech was a reminder that, for decades, the policies of Republicans and Democrats alike have failed. Libertarians are asking people to take matters into their own hands. Instead of just complaining, we're encouraging ordinary Americans to step up and run for Congress on the Libertarian Party ballot line.

"I can say exactly the same thing about President Obama's speech tonight that I said about George W. Bush's State of the Union speech in January 2008: 'Tonight's State of the Union address went much as expected. Instead of calling for a more limited role of the federal government in American society, the President laid out plans that would only increase the government's intervention into the realm of economics, health care, education and foreign policy.'

"I am weary of the President's unspoken premise that only government--indeed, only the federal government--can accomplish good in our society.

"President Obama seems to be totally blind to the concept that government can cause problems rather than solve them. His speech was filled with 'More': more handouts, more spending, more programs, more bailouts, more regulations. We Libertarians want less government, not more.

"Not to be outmatched by the Democrats, the Republican Party conveyed its lack of seriousness in addressing this nation's government spending problems by having Bob McDonnell, Virginia Governor for eleven (11) days, deliver its rebuttal to the President. If they were really serious about addressing the dire fiscal circumstances of this nation, they would have had Paul Ryan, a six-term congressman from Wisconsin, who has proposed the most serious plan of anyone in the two older parties to keep us from going off a fiscal cliff.

"Last week, Alan Auerbach, Professor of Economics and Law at UC Berkeley and US government fiscal policy expert, said that the Democratic and Republican parties are in a 'death embrace' with their government spending. The only political party that is rationally and forthrightly addressing the need to cut government spending and end our culture of ever expanding entitlements is the Libertarian Party.

"As Americans lose hope in Obama, we Libertarians are warning voters against running back to the Republicans who got us into such big messes in the first place. Republicans started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Republicans made the false intellectual case for bailing out banks and car companies. Republicans argued that deficits don't matter. Republicans gave us the giant Medicare expansion bill.

"The President's suggestion of a 'spending freeze' was especially ludicrous and insulting to the intelligence of Americans. The amounts involved are minuscule, and Congress won't accept them anyway. Will Obama sign the spending bills that ignore his 'freeze'? You bet he will. Instead, the President should demand across-the-board cuts in all areas, including entitlements.

"The President talked a lot about jobs. Unfortunately, the policies he supports are responsible for most of the unemployment we see today. High taxes, minimum wage laws, hiring regulations, firing regulations, mandatory unemployment benefits, and other government interference make it much more difficult for businesses to hire and keep employees. As expected, the President's prescription is to increase the dosage of this government poison.

"While our nation is declining dangerously right now, a turnaround could be straightforward and simple with steps like these: 1. Bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan; 2. Stop rewarding failed companies with bailouts; 3. Cut taxes and spending and let the free market work.

"Finally, on the matter of political rhetoric, I call upon the two older parties to stop spoon feeding politics to the American people as if we are a bunch of overgrown children. These are difficult times that call for more than rhetorical flourish or positioning a group of diverse people around a politician. Older party politicians need to be specific about their proposed policies, as Libertarians are.

"And, I know I'm probably just wasting electrons, but can't we go back to the days in which the President sent a copy of his speech to Congress and left it at that. The speech last night took 1/7000th of an entire year. I think the vast majority of the American people would agree that we have better ways to spend our time."

William Redpath has served as the Chairman of the Libertarian Party since 2006.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

Great News About My Petition Drive

2010-01-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

It has been brought to my attention that I can collect petition signatures from ANY registered voter in the 8th District. I re-read GS 163-107.1 and confirmed this for myself.

This will make this petition drive a lot easier to complete.

Please visit my campaign headquarters to find out how you can help my campaign $1,740 in filing fees!

Join Me In Atlanta

2010-01-08T17:33:00.000-08:00

Next weekend (Jan. 15 - 17), I will be attending the Campaign For Liberty Regional Conference in Atlanta. Mike Helms, libertarian Democrat challenger to Congressman Mel Watt in the 12th District, will be accompanying me to the conference. We both look forward to a weekend of campaign training and fellowship with some of the leading lights in the liberty movement.

It's not to late to sign up. Registration for the conference is a incredibly low $65. Ron Paul will be there. I am really looking forward to the Economic Liberty Forum with Lew Rockwell, Thomas Woods and Thomas DiLorenzo. That alone is worth the price of the entire weekend.

To find out more and sign up, visit the link below...

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/event/2010atlanta.php

Hope to see you there...

Give The Gift Of "Common Sense"

2009-12-31T15:28:00.001-08:00

Hill For US House Money Bomb Month

2009-12-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

To honor the birth of Thomas Paine and put some much needed dough in my campaign coffers, I have created a month long "money bomb". It ends on January 29th, Thomas Paine's birthday.

I have a Chip In page here, http://thomasbhill2010.chipin.com/us-house-2010-campaign

or,

you can go to my website and contribute from there. http://thomasbhill2010.com

I know the economy stinks and the holidays have drained some of your wallets. The timing could be better, but the filing period is during February. I have business cards and rack cards I have paid for myself. I am close to running out and I need to restock soon.

For those of you who are not in a position to donate money but can donate time, please visit the "Get Involved" page on my website. You can fill out a on-line form to let me know what you are willing to do.

Thanks for your consideration,

Thomas Hill
Libertarian Candidate, US House (NC - 8)

Principles Unto Death

2009-12-29T09:59:00.001-08:00

"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death."

Thomas Paine

Reassert Your Liberty, North Carolina

2009-12-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

For More Information Contact: Brian Irving, Press Secretary, (919) 538-4548

Mike Beitler Makes His New Year's Resolution.

GREENSBORO (Dec. 28) -- Mike Beitler didn't have much trouble coming up with his New Year's Resolutions. Ever since he announced he was seeking the Libertarian nomination for U.S. Senate, he knew he'd be spending most of the new year earning the confidence and the vote of his fellow North Carolinians.

"In 2010, I'll be devoting my time and energy convincing the people of North Carolina that it is time for them to reassert their liberty and to send a libertarian to represent them in the U.S. Senate.," Beitler said.

"So these – my New Year's Resolutions – represent my pledge and my promise to the people of North Carolina:

"First, I always vote in favor of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of North Carolina. Every issue. Every time. Every issue. No exceptions. No excuses.
"Second, I will continue to oppose any and all efforts by the federal government to act beyond its Constitutional authority.

"Third, I will introduce, sponsor, and support legislation to repeal laws and regulations that are outside the scope of the powers delegated by the people to the federal government.

"Fourth, I will only vote in favor of a bill that I have thoroughly read, considered and understood.

"Fifth, I will be accountable to voters. I will make public every vote I cast while in office."

"These may seem like radical concepts," Beitler said. "But the only seem radical because the Democrats and Republicans who've dominated our state's politics for so long have befuddled people into thinking that government was the solution to all their problems."

"It is not."

"The time has come to stop talking in terms of reducing the budgets of various government programs and agencies," Beitler said. "The time has come to abolish entire Federal programs and agencies. That's why I am running for U.S. Senate."

Dr. Mike Beitler (pronounced Bite-ler) is a keynote speaker and workshop leader sought after for his expertise in business, politics, and economics. His internet radio talk show "Free Markets"gives listeners insights from leading thinkers into today's business, economic and political issues. In a world of unrelenting free-market bashing by the media and outrageous government interventions, "Free Markets" offers a refreshing libertarian, free-market perspective.

Beitler he has been recognized as a leading business executive, business consultant, business professor and business author for 30 years. His book "Strategic Organizational Change" is required reading in MBA programs worldwide. "Rational Individualism: A Moral Argument for Limited Government and Capitalism" is widely acclaimed by libertarians and free-market advocates as the leading guide for today's political and economic issues.

-30-

MIKE BEITLER FOR U.S. SENATE
P.O. Box 38353
Greensboro NC 27438 USA
Phone & Fax: (336) 334-4534

Please Keep Michael Badnarik In Your Thoughts And Prayers

2009-12-22T11:11:00.001-08:00

[I just found this terrible news in my in box from Gary Franchi....]

Thomas,

I just received word that the President of the 2009 Continental Congress and 2004 Presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party, Michael Badnarik had a Heart Attack this morning and in an unconscious state. His condition is serious.

His Mother, Elaine, reported to me that Michael was in Madison, Wisconsin attending a hearing regarding a raw milk case. After the hearing he got in a car to go to lunch with friends, He then slumped over. His friends attempted CPR and contacted the paramedics. They attempted to revive him 3 times with no success. Upon the 4th attempt his heart was revived yet with erratic behavior.

He was taken by helicopter to Gunderson Lutheran Hospital CCU in Lacrosse, WI. Please do no call or visit the hospital, only family is allowed.

He has been fitted with a temporary pacemaker and a balloon pump to ease stress on his heart.

I have no further details at this time. Please watch your email box for an update.

Michael is a true asset and leader in our movement who works tirelessly and selflessly for freedom. Please pray for Michael at this time.

In Freedom,

Gary Franchi

Time to give the Fed some competition

2009-12-11T18:19:00.000-08:00

Time to give the Fed some competition

This bill would change the world for the better. That's why it hasn't a chance of passage.

He Must Be Describing America

2009-12-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

"It is not improbable that many or most of the worst of governments --- although established by force, and by a few, in the first place --- come, in time, to be supported by a majority. But if they do, this majority is composed, in large part, of the most ignorant, superstitious, timid, dependent, servile, and corrupt portions of the people; of those who have been over-awed by the power, intelligence, wealth, and arrogance; of those who have been deceived by the frauds; and of those who have been corrupted by the inducements, of the few who really constitute the government."

Lysander Spooner

No Treason Found Here...

2009-12-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

"What was true of our ancestors, is true of revolutionists in general. The monarchs and governments, from whom they choose to separate, attempt to stigmatize them as traitors. But they are not traitors in fact; in-much they betray, and break faith with, no one. Having pledged no faith, they break none. They are simply men, who, for reasons of their own --- whether good or bad, wise or unwise, is immaterial --- choose to exercise their natural right of dissolving their connexion with the governments under which they have lived. In doing this, they no more commit the crime of treason --- which necessarily implies treachery, deceit, breach of faith --- than a man commits treason when he chooses to leave a church, or any other voluntary association, with which he has been connected.

This principle was a true one in 1776. It is a true one now. It is the only one on which any rightful government can rest. It is the one on which the Constitution itself professes to rest. If it does not really rest on that basis, it has no right to exist; and it is the duty of every man to raise his hand against it."

Lysander Spooner

No Treason #1

A Mission Statement I Am Proud To Endorse

2009-12-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

Campaign For Liberty Statement of Principles...

"Americans inherit from our ancestors a glorious tradition of freedom and resistance to oppression. Our country has long been admired by the rest of the world for her great example of liberty and prosperity—a light shining in the darkness of tyranny.

But many Americans today are frustrated. The political choices they are offered give them no real choice at all. For all their talk of "change," neither major political party as presently constituted challenges the status quo in any serious way. Neither treats the Constitution* with anything but contempt. Neither offers any kind of change in monetary policy. Neither wants to make the reductions in government that our crushing debt burden demands. Neither talks about bringing American troops home not just from Iraq but from around the world. Our country is going bankrupt, and none of these sensible proposals are even on the table.

This destructive bipartisan consensus has suffocated American political life for many years. Anyone who tries to ask fundamental questions instead of cosmetic ones is ridiculed or ignored.

That is why the Campaign for Liberty was established: to highlight the neglected but common-sense principles we champion and reinsert them into the American political conversation.

The U.S. Constitution* is at the heart of what the Campaign for Liberty stands for, since the very least we can demand of our government is fidelity to its own governing document. Claims that our Constitution* was meant to be a "living document" that judges may interpret as they please are fraudulent, incompatible with republican government, and without foundation in the constitutional* text or the thinking of the Framers. Thomas Jefferson spoke of binding our rulers down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution*, and we are proud to follow in his distinguished lineage.

With our Founding Fathers, we also believe in a noninterventionist foreign policy. Inspired by the old Robert Taft wing of the Republican Party, we are convinced that the American people cannot remain free and prosperous with 700 military bases around the world, troops in 130 countries, and a steady diet of war propaganda. Our military overstretch is undermining our national defense and bankrupting our country.

We believe that the free market, reviled by people who do not understand it, is the most just and humane economic system and the greatest engine of prosperity the world has ever known.

We believe with Ludwig von Mises, Henry Hazlitt, and F.A. Hayek that central banking distorts economic decisionmaking and misleads entrepreneurs into making unsound investments. Hayek won the Nobel Prize for showing how central banks' interference with interest rates sets the stage for economic downturns. And the central bank's ability to create money out of thin air transfers wealth from the most vulnerable to those with political pull, since it is the latter who receive the new money before the price increases it brings in its wake have yet occurred. For economic and moral reasons, therefore, we join the great twentieth-century economists in opposing the Federal Reserve System, which has reduced the value of the dollar by 95 percent since it began in 1913.

We oppose the dehumanizing assumption that all issues that divide us must be settled at the federal level and forced on every American community, whether by activist judges, a power-hungry executive, or a meddling Congress. We believe in the humane alternative of local self-government, as called for in our Constitution*.

We oppose the transfer of American sovereignty to supranational organizations in which the American people possess no elected representatives. Such compromises of our country's independence run counter to the principles of the American Revolution, which was fought on behalf of self-government and local control. Most of these organizations have a terrible track record even on their own terms: how much poverty have the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund actually alleviated, for example? The peoples of the world can interact with each other just fine in the absence of bureaucratic intermediaries that undermine their sovereignty.

We believe that freedom is an indivisible whole, and that it includes not only economic liberty but civil liberties and privacy rights as well, all of which are historic rights that our civilization has cherished from time immemorial.

Our stances on other issues can be deduced from these general principles.

Our country is ailing. That is the bad news. The good news is that the remedy is so simple and attractive: a return to the principles our Founders taught us. Respect for the Constitution*, the rule of law, individual liberty, sound money, and a noninterventionist foreign policy constitute the foundation of the Campaign for Liberty."

*My respect for the US Constitution starts and ends with idea that it is intended to be a restraint on the Federal Government. It is not a binding contract on anyone unless they took an oath to uphold it or are otherwise employed by the Federal Government.

A Great Soul...

2009-10-20T13:27:00.001-07:00

"Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak, and that it is doing God's service when it is violating all His laws."
John Adams

Pity the Imperialists

2009-10-13T09:45:00.001-07:00

Pity the Imperialists

Shared via AddThis

The Afghan Disaster

2009-10-07T19:47:00.001-07:00

The Afghan Disaster

Written by Lew Rockwell for the Campaign For Liberty

Shared via AddThis

Dr. Abolish For U.S. Senate

2009-09-18T08:44:00.001-07:00

Contact: Brian Irving, Press Secretary, 919.538.4548

*MIKE BEITLER SEEKS LIBERTARIAN U.S. SENATE NOMINATION*

GREENSBORO (Sept. 17) – Dr. Michael Beitler announced today he’s seeking the Libertarian Party’s nomination for U.S. Senate in 2010.

“I want you to know, I am committed to abolishing Federal programs and agencies, not to creating new ones,” Beitler told supporters and news media gathered for the announcement at the PTI Airport Marriott Hotel.

“Big government is causing more problems than it is claiming to fix,” he said. “Federal Government’s spending is out of control. Total reported – and unreported – Federal Government debt has taken us to the point of no-return.”

“It’s time to stop the madness,” Beitler said. He said the time has come to stop talking in terms of reducing the budgets of various government programs and agencies.

“The time has come to abolish entire Federal programs and agencies,” Beitler said. Noting that Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) has become know as “Dr. No” in the U.S. House of Representatives, Beitler said he wants to be known as “Dr. Abolish” in the U.S. Senate.

Beitler is business practice professor in The Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. He’s authored three business books used in MBA programs and hosts the Internet radio show “Free Markets With Dr. Mike Beitler” on the VoiceAmerica Business Network.

Beitler also wrote a book about his libertarian philosophy, “Rational Individualism: A Moral Argument for Limited Government & Capitalism.”

The Libertarian Party, the third largest party in the United States, has been active in North Carolina since 1978.It has been the largest and most active third party in modern North Carolina history.

Libertarians have run candidates for President in all but one of the presidential election years since then. This occurred despite the fact that the state has the second most restricted ballot access restrictions in the nation.

In 2008, Mike Munger earned nearly three percent of the vote for governor, enabling the Libertarian Party to retain its spot on the ballot through 2012.

Kettle Black

2009-08-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

[Cross-posted from http://governthyself.blogspot.com]

Check out the link below for a blog post from Doug Bandow concerning the irony of arresting private citizens for counterfeiting. What does the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve do on a daily basis?

When is the Secret Service going to investigate the Fed?

Another example of "Rules for me and rules for Thee"....

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/index.php#24435

Real Libertarian Activism...

2009-08-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

My friend, Ernest Hancock educates a CNN talking head about gun rights. The rest of the liberty movement could learn a thing or two from Ernie!

Union County Tea Party

2009-08-19T13:17:00.001-07:00

I will be attending the Union County Tea Party on Saturday, September 12th in Monroe. The event takes place at the Old Union County Courthouse (500 N. Main St.).

The event is 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm.

2008 Libertarian candidate for Governor Dr. Michael Munger will be one of the featured speakers. I will be manning the LP outreach table.

Campbell University Libertarians

2009-08-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, August 25th, I will be attending the first meeting of the Campbell University Libertarians. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm in the Lundy-Fetterman Business School building.

Union County LP Meeting...

2009-08-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

I will be attending the initial Union County LP meeting on Monday, August 24th. The meeting starts at 6:30 pm at the Monroe Library (Huntley Room).

Best wishes to the newest county affiliate!

Equal Ownership Of Life

2009-07-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

"Libertarianism is the view that each man is the absolute owner of his life, to use and dispose of as he sees fit: that all man's social actions should be voluntary: and that respect for every other man's similar and equal ownership of life and, by extension, the property and fruits of that life, is the ethical basis of a humane and open society. In this view, the only — repeat, only — function of law or government is to provide the sort of self-defense against violence that an individual, if he were powerful enough, would provide for himself."

Karl Hess

Harrisburg July 4th Report

2009-07-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed the fellowship and fun the Harrisburg July 4th Festival afforded me. I saw some old friends and met some new ones. The weather was great, with a gentle breeze blowing much of the time. The humidity was bearable, which is unusual for this time of year.

The LP Cabarrus outreach efforts were well received. We also promoted the Campaign For Liberty and Young Americans For Liberty. We also gave out Republic Magazines and pocket Constitutions. The left-over Ron Paul 2008 DVD videos were popular as well. There were quite a few Ron Paul fans in attendance this weekend. There were also a lot of folks wanting information about the LP. There is r[evol]tion in the air, indeed.

The Cabarrus Democratic Party also had a booth. The GOP was nowhere to be found. I was thrilled with the number of disgusted Republicans that came by and picked up Libertarian literature. With the Ron Paul Republicans fighting on the inside and Libertarians chipping away on the outside, the neo-con GOP edifice of empire and corporatism is crumbling away.

May it's destruction be sure and swift!

My Official Announcement

2009-06-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

CONCORD (June 29th) Thomas Hill, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Cabarrus County, today announces his desire to be the Libertarian candidate for U.S. House, District 8. Mr. Hill is an at-large member of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina executive committee. He also serves as Region 8 Coordinator for the Campaign For Liberty.

Thomas Hill is a self employed electrician with 27 years experience, including 18 years working for his father’s electrical business. His experience in a small family business opened his eyes to the burdensome rules and regulations placed on small companies. Mr. Hill wants to bring small business common sense to Washington.

Issues at the fore front of Thomas Hill’s campaign include…

Dismantle the Empire, bring our troops home.

Abolish the Federal Reserve, allow competing currencies.

Repeal the Patriot Act, end the War on Civil Liberties.

Like Congressman Dr. Ron Paul, Thomas Hill believes in a policy of non-interventionism, sound money and an end to the War on Drugs. Thomas served as a precinct leader for Ron Paul’s 2008 Presidential Campaign. He would be honored to serve beside him in Congress.

Thomas Hill was born in Charlotte. He is 43 years old and single. He has lived in Cabarrus County since 1972. His past political experience include…

Aide De Camp, Mary Ruwart For President 2008; Precinct Leader, Ron Paul 2008; Past Chair, Libertarian Party of N.C.; Charter Member / Treasurer / Membership Secretary, Cabarrus LP; Candidate for Cabarrus County Commission 2002 & 2004; Candidate for Cabarrus County Board of Education 2006 & 2008; Candidate for N.C. Senate 36 2008 (GOP Primary)

For more information, visit http://thomasbhill2010.com.

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

Thomas Hill For Congress
10896 Pioneer Mill Road
Concord, N.C. 28025
Cell: 704-621-8621
Office: 704-455-9200
E-mail: thomasbhill@msn.com

A Motto I Can Endorse

2009-06-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

"I sincerely join... in abjuring all political connection with every foreign power; and though I cordially wish well to the progress of liberty in all nations, and would forever give it the weight of our countenance, yet they are not to be touched without contamination from their other bad principles. Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto."

Thomas Jefferson

Civil Liberties/War on Drugs

2009-06-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Governments, at every level, have failed to protect our civil liberties. Instead of defending the freedoms of the individual, our federal government has given us the Patriot Act, the War on Drugs, and other programs designed to curtail our civil liberties.

My campaign calls for the immediate end of the War on Drugs. My campaign declares a Drug Peace.

For more information concerning our civil liberties, please click here.

First Campaign Event...

2009-06-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

I will be campaigning at the 12th Annual Harrisburg July 4th Festival next weekend. I will be at the LP Cabarrus booth on Friday, July 3rd and Saturday, July 4th.

Come by and say hello and while you're at it, please sign the Campaign For Liberty HR 1207 "Audit The Fed" petition. We are trying to convince Congressman Larry Kissell to become a co-sponsor.

Foreign Policy...

2009-06-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

I believe the United States should follow the advice of our Founding Father's by seeking "Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none."

Our nation has over 700 military bases around the world. It is time to close these bases...

It is time to bring our troops home.

Let other nations pay for their own self defense. We can not sustain this global empire. We can not continue to police the world.

We should seek peace and trade with citizens of every nation.

I agree with Congressman Ron Paul when he said, "At the same time, we must not isolate ourselves. The generosity of the American people has been felt around the globe. Many have thanked God for it, in many languages. Let us have a strong America, conducting open trade, travel, communication, and diplomacy with other nations."