Free Republic

As the printing presses for the bailouts run at full speed, those in power are no longer even pretending that the new giveaways will fix our problems. Now that we are used to rewarding failure with taxpayer-funded bailouts, we are being told that this is “just a start,” more funds will inevitably be needed for more industries, and that things would be much worse had we done nothing. The updated total bailout commitments add up to over $8 trillion now. This translates into a monetary base increase of 75 percent over the last two months. This money does not come...

Madame Speaker, many Americans are hoping the new administration will solve the economic problems we face.  That’s not likely to happen, because the economic advisors to the new President have no more understanding of how to get us out of this mess than previous administrations and Congresses understood how the crisis was brought about in the first place. Except for a rare few, Members of Congress are unaware of Austrian Free Market economics.  For the last 80 years, the legislative, judiciary and executive branches of our government have been totally influenced by Keynesian economics.  If they had had any...

We've seen a lot of social conservatives upset over today's intemperate attack by Kathleen Parker (Note: she was unnecessarily contemptuous, but her point that "the Republican Party -- and conservatism with it -- eventually will die out unless religion is returned to the privacy of one's heart where it belongs" is worth serious consideration).Well, I am a libertarian, so let's talk about the Kathleen Parker of the social conservative crowd: Mike Huckabee.This week, Huckabee called libertarians the "real threat" to the Republican Party... In a chapter titled "Faux-Cons: Worse than Liberalism," Huckabee identifies what he calls the "real threat" to...

On one extreme, we have the idea that the Constitution is a written document that can only be altered by a deliberately time-consuming process of amendment. On the other extreme, we have the idea that the Constitution means whatever a group of judges says it means. The Constitution itself belongs to the first group -- it declares that it can only be changed through the amendment process. But ever since Roe v. Wade in 1973, we have watched as, first the U.S. Supreme Court, and now state supreme courts in Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut, make new law by judicial decree,...

Billionaire Facebook investor's anti-immigrant heresy By Owen Thomas, 11:20 AM on Fri Nov 14 2008, 4,806 views Insiders at Clarium Capital, the $5.3 billion hedge fund run by Facebook investor Peter Thiel, are buzzing about their boss's $1 million donation to NumbersUSA, an anti-immigrant group. The donation is an open secret within Clarium, and it has enraged several staff members who joined Clarium because they believed Thiel shared their libertarian ideals. When I asked Thiel if he'd made the donation, an underling passed on a nondenial saying the company didn't comment on "gossip and heresy." A typo — he meant...

Do you love the smell of libertarianism in the morning? If so, today is a good day for you. Ron Paul Last week we solicited your questions for Congressman Ron Paul. There was such a big response (more than 400 comments) that we have split Paul’s answers into two batches, the first of which is posted below. Thanks to Paul for his answers and all of you for your good questions.

It's no secret that the Bush years have severely strained and perhaps broken the conservative-libertarian political coalition. Most libertarians were deeply disappointed by the Bush Administration's vast expansion of government spending and regulation, claims of virtually unlimited wartime executive power, and other departures from limited government principles. As a result, many libertarian intellectuals (and to a lesser extent, libertarian voters), actually supported Barack Obama this year, despite his being a very statist liberal. Republican nominee John McCain had opposed some of Bush's excesses, including rejecting Bush's stance on torture and being one of the very few GOP senators to vote...

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from the campaign of a young man named Bob Conley. He is running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Lindsey Graham. I was very much impressed by his many conservative positions and his obvious dedication to our ailing Constitution, which has been under attack these last eight years. This fellow, I thought, must have the faith of a mustard seed to try to take on Lindsey Graham and his $3.5 million campaign war chest, contributed by Washington lobbyists and special interest groups. If he is willing to do this, he at least...

This has the latest voting video some just produced and at times some not yet shown. http://afreeamerican.com/

Mock the Vote by David Heleniak Jesse Ventura, when he’s not talking about 9-11, makes a lot of sense. Describing the two party system to Larry King, he said: “[W]hat you have today is like walking into the grocery store and you go to the soft drink department, and there is only Pepsi and Coke. Those are the two you get to choose from. There is no Mountain Dew, no Root Beer, no Orange. They’re both Colas; one is slightly sweeter than the other, depending on which side of the aisle you are on.” In an interview with Newsmax, he...

Why the Republicans Must Lose Nothing short of defeat will put the GOP back on its limited government track I grew up in a particularly conservative part of the already conservative state of Indiana. I voted for Bob Dole in 1996 and George Bush in 2000, generally because—though I'm not a conservative (I'm a libertarian)—I'd always thought the GOP was the party of limited government. By 2002, I was less sure of that. And by 2004, I was so fed up with the party that I did what I thought I'd never do—vote for an unabashed leftist for president. Since...

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who has been an opponent of the government's bailout plan, spoke Friday with CNN's Kiran Chetry on "American Morning." The Texas Republican says the bailout's infusion of government money will lead to inflation, that our current monetary system is coming to end, and the market, not politicians, can best solve the economic crisis.Kiran Chetry: The last time you were with us you explained why you were against the government's bailout plan, why you were voting against it, and you didn't believe focusing on buying these troubled assets was the smart thing to do. Since then, they've...

Ron Paul: Washington’s True Maverick Talks Bailouts, the United States Constitution and Re-Making the US Dollar By Allison Kugel, Senior Editor - October 15, 2008 Ron Paul Often called the most honest man in Washington, Ron Paul, the unsinkable Congressman from Texas’s fourteenth district, has positioned himself as resident watchdog for the United States Constitution. Ron Paul holds a point of view that, although echoing the wording of our nation’s founding fathers, rings downright alien to the United States government of today. We are now living in a nation where Federal social and economic programs are our government, where our...

“My government is my worst enemy. I’m going to fight them with any means at hand.” This was former revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers back in his old Weather Underground days, right? Imagine what Sarah Palin is going to do with this incendiary quote as she tears into Barack Obama this week. Only one problem. The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for Palin, that’s the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd, belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year....

It constantly amazes me that the Obama/Biden ticket do not get hammered hard by the GOP, and Republicans in general for their political leanings, especially when we need to call Obama out on his liberal and darn right socialist ideology, in light of his official website's call for a protest in Gov. Palin's event in Dallas today. Sen. Obama's message, and Sen. Biden's at times, is full of terms referring to his progressive, community organizing, taxing the rich and upper middle class, fair, equality, etc., only stopping short of using socialist terminology such as proletariat, bourgeoisie, and revolution. Note that...

Ron Paul’s Party Daniel McCarthy While twitchy cops and party hacks congregated in St. Paul for the Republican Convention, 12,000 Ron Paul supporters assembled for the Rally for the Republic in Minneapolis. The counter-convention featured a dozen speakers—from libertarian luminaries Bill Kauffman and Lew Rockwell to ex-governors Jesse Ventura and Gary Johnson—plus musical acts Sara Evans and Aimee Allen (the freedom movement’s answer to Avril Levigne, with more talent and less tolerance for the Bilderberg Group). Barry Goldwater Jr. introduced Paul’s keynote. John McCain’s big tent across the river brought together hawks of all persuasions, from Joe Lieberman to Sarah...

Remembering the Past. 1945 Sep 1, Americans received word of Japan’s formal surrender that ended World War II. Because of the time difference, it was Sept. 2 in Tokyo Bay, where the ceremony took place. (AP, 9/1/97) 1945 Sep 2, The Japanese surrender delegation boarded the USS Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay to formally sign documents of surrender, ending World War II. (WSJ, 8/31/95, p.A-10)(AP, 9/2/97)(HN, 9/2/98)

The silent majority of Americans ‘loves' our great nation and respect it We live in times that it is not politically correct to express the fact that the United States of America and its people gave our parents and grandparents the 'gift of freedom' and the opportunity to exploit the 'streets of gold.'

The Islington Council, by trying to force a civil marriage registrar to participate in homosexual domestic partnership ceremonies, perpetrated a "violation" of her dignity and "created an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment." In unexpectedly strong language, the Central London Employment Tribunal has ruled that Lillian Ladele, a Christian civil marriage registrar, cannot be forced to act contrary to her conscience in conducting homosexual domestic partnership ceremonies. The panel ruled, "Islington Council rightly considered the importance of the right of the gay community not to be discriminated against but did not consider the right of Miss Ladele as a...

I own a startup staffing service here in the St. Louis metro area. Wednesday a kid came in to apply for assignment with us, and he brings a woman with him. It turns out she is his "work coach". What this means is that every time he goes looking for a job, she's with him, injecting herself into the proceedings, talking about him like he isn't there, using terms like "high-functioning" as if the guy were retarded. The poor bastard would do much better on his own. Has anybody else encountered anything like this?

Recently Congress sent the latest Farm Bill to the president. The bill features brand new federal programs, expansion of existing subsidies, more food stamps and more foreign food aid. This bill hits the taxpayer hard, while at the same time ensuring food prices will remain elevated. The president vetoed the bill, citing concerns over its costs and subsidies for the wealthy in a time of high food prices and record farm income. Nevertheless, this over-reaching, government-expanding Farm Bill will soon be law.

Huckleberry hates freedom May 29th, 2008, 4:20 pm · posted by Steven Greenhut Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee always set my teeth on edge, from his hokey folksy manner to his love of big government to his shameless use of his religion for political gain. But now I understand exactly why I found the Huckster to be so offensive (and it’s hard to stand out on that score given the overall quality of presidential candidates this year). Here, hat tip to AndrewSullivan.com, is a quotation from Huckleberry on Huffington Post regarding libertarianism: “The greatest threat to classic Republicanism is...

When Dennis Rader was first arrested as the suspect in the BTK murders, the media heard complaints about Rader’s role as the compliance officer in Park City. But none perhaps has been so shocking as the story told by a former Park City resident. The woman says she lived in fear. Park City was a nice place for Misty King and her two children to live until something simple happened. She and her husband divorced and then she says something strange happened. Dennis Rader came knocking at her door. “He said, ‘I read in the paper that your divorce was...

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney jokes about the reasons he got out of the race. One of his targets: Al Gore. See #5. #7. There wasn't room in the campaign for two Christian leaders. #5. I'd rather get fat, grow a beard and try for the nobel prize. #3. Once my wife Anne realized I couldn't win, my fundraising dried up. #2. I took a bad fall at a campaign rally and broke my hair.

A REVOLUTION TO TAKE BACK THE US CONGRESS by Nelson Lee Walker of tenurecorrupts.com I am proposing that we create a popular, bloodless, political revolution in our country. I believe that it is very necessary, very possible, and very doable. The object of this revolution is the destruction of the professional political class which currently dominates and corrupts the US Congress. I am convinced, as are many, many voters, that the bulk of our country’s political problems arises out of this ‘permanent’ Congressional political class, and their devotion to party power and to the financial special interests keeping them in...

Bob Barr "very serious" about running as Libertarian By: SGT News | Submitted on: 04/03/08 SOUTHERN ARIZONA (SGT NEWS) - Former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr will likely announce this weekend that he intends to run for the presidency under the Libertarian Party ticket, and plans to mimic the small government and Constitutional principles that Republican Ron Paul focused on earlier in the campaign season. “Ron Paul tapped into a great deal of that dissatisfaction and that awareness. Unfortunately, working through the Republican party structure, it became impossible for him to really move forward with his movement,” Barr said of Paul....

Politicians take people's money with a promise to fulfill desires that supposedly can't be attained any other way. Prostitutes do the same, though by reputation, they are more reliable in delivering. It's not surprising for people in the same line of work to gravitate toward one another, as Eliot Spitzer and a woman named Kristen reportedly did in a Washington hotel room. I understand why Spitzer's alleged hiring of a call girl was stupid, selfish, reckless, immoral and a betrayal of his family. What I don't understand is why it was illegal. It's not as though sex is otherwise divorced...

For any of you who may have known Kenneth Roger Gregg, who was prominent for some years in libertarian intellectual circles: I received word from Ken's wife, Debbie Gregg, that Ken passed away in his sleep early this morning. Pam Maltzman

Thank you for your interest in the Constitution Party! We welcome you to the growing list of Americans who are seeking a political home and one that will return our country to a Constitutional Republic that our founding fathers would recognize. As the date of the Constitution Party National Convention (April 23-26 in Kansas City, Missouri) approaches, several prominent Americans have expressed an openness to considering the possibility of seeking the Constitution Party Presidential nomination. Among those are former United States Senator Bob Smith; former Alabama Chief Justice, Roy Moore; the 2004 Vice-Presidential Nominee of the Constitution Party, Chuck Baldwin;...

FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY: It's Time to Come Home Posted February 10th, 2008 by xntryk1 ----- Original Message ----- From: Libertarian Party Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008 8:08 PM Subject: It's Time to Come Home February 9, 2008 FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY: Dear friend, Late Friday evening, Ron Paul sent out a message to his many supporters stating that he had a "nearly zero" chance of winning the Republican nomination in a brokered convention. Dr. Paul also stated loud and clear that "there will be no third party run." Many of our own members, maybe even you, have been enthusiastic...

With the rise of John McCain, LP offers sympathy for the death of small-government values within the GOP Washington, D.C. - Following a solid McCain victory in the Super Tuesday primaries, the Libertarian Party has sent Republican headquarters a funeral wreath marking the death of limited-government values within the Republican Party. The wreath was hand-delivered to the D.C. offices of the Republican National Committee. "We simply felt the need to express our heartfelt sympathy for the Republican Party as they undergo this tough time within their party," says Libertarian Party National Media Coordinator Andrew Davis, who delivered the wreath. "Given...

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today University of Chicago professor Robert Pape has joined the Ron Paul 2008 campaign as a foreign policy advisor. Dr. Pape is the foremost expert on suicide terrorism and the founder of the Chicago Project on Suicide Terrorism. He is also the author of Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism and has published numerous articles on suicide terrorism and the use of air power in war. Regarding the campaign, Professor Pape said, “Ron Paul's campaign is making a lasting contribution to the security of the United States and its allies. Indeed, I often tell audiences...

Watch COLD Canvasers LIVE See how hard it is. See the dedication.

The Constitution guarantees Americans the right to be secure against all unreasonable seizures. My home state of Texas is unfortunately planning on some very unreasonable seizures of land with the monstrous Trans Texas Corridor highway project. The TTC plans call for a highway to cut through about 4,000 Texas miles, and with separate rail lines for passenger and freight, a multi-lane highway with separate truck lanes, utility and cable easements, this highway could be as wide as 1200 feet across. In the end this project would consume something like half a million acres of land in Texas . However, since...

ARLINGTON, Va. — According to newly released FEC reports, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has received more military donations than the other three remaining Republican candidates combined. "The latest numbers make it clear: the troops support Ron Paul," said Ron Paul campaign chairman Kent Snyder. "Dr. Paul has worked his entire career working for veterans, and has many awards and endorsements due to his dedication to their cause." A search of the FEC database by employer reveals that Dr. Paul has received 1160 donations from military donors, nearly triple that of John McCain, and more than McCain, Mitt Romney, and...

"There is far more realism in Paul’s analysis than can be found in those Republicans who believe that Washington’s policy of borrowing billions from China to pay for the occupation of a growing number of countries is desirable, much less sustainable."

I went to the Ron Paul rally tonight to get a sense of the candidate and the people who support him. The venue was the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver. The hall was packed, standing room only. I would estimate over 3,000. I didn't expect to find that many people on a Friday evening. (Event time was 6:00-7:30pm)The session was opened with a prayer then the usual string of self-congratulatory speeches by various campaign workers.Dr. Paul got up to speak and because the Rally coincided with his 51st wedding anniversary, he spent a few moments praising his wife and...

“We can achieve much more in peace than we can ever achieve in these needless, unconstitutional, undeclared wars.� “Don’t we know if we sacrifice security for liberty we lose both, that’s what is happening in this country today!�“If you look at every problem we’re facing today its because for the lack of rule of law and the constitution.�“We live way beyond our means, with a foreign policy we can’t afford and an entitlement system that we have encouraged.�“With politicians like these, who needs terrorists?�“NO! I’m saying that we should take our marching orders from our Constitution!�“…[the neo-cons] said we’d be...

Ron Paul, Republican congressman from Lake Jackson who is running a long-shot bid for president, has filed a bill in the House of Representatives to prevent the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor from receiving federal dollars. The TTC is a large transportation network championed by Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas Department of Transportation that would carve a wide swath out of central Texas to add highway lanes, rail lines and other infrastructure to major trade routes in the state. Paul, who represents District 14, has long opposed the concept. Among the goals of the TTC are improving trade between the U.S....

Study: Presidential Frontrunners Would Boost Federal Budget by Range of $7 Billion to $287 Billion Annually byDemian Brady, Natasha Altamirano, Peter J. SeppJan 29, 2008 (Alexandria, VA) -- Presidential contenders have been busy portraying their political differences from others inside and outside of their parties, but when it comes to fiscal policy, ideological labels don't necessarily apply. That's just one finding of a comprehensive study from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), which provides cost estimates -- based on hard data -- for more than 450 of the major candidates’ proposals that would affect the federal budget. "Our analyses hopefully...

Grassroots Growing In Mississippi For GOP's Ron Paul By AMBER CRAIG   Ron Paul supporters outside the Ron Paul Freedom Hall in Ocean Springs, Miss. Each Saturday they stand along the highway waving signs supporting the longshot Republican candidate. (Photo by Sara Frye)     OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. —  The Ron Paul Freedom Hall speaks louder than words.It pops up suddenly out along U.S. Highway 90. The building's red and blue stripes, blue and white round concrete steps, and American flags scattered across the front lawn, coupled with its location in a sparsely populated area of the highway, make it...

This past week in Washington there has been much talk about the economy. It seems by their actions the leadership and the Fed is finally willing to admit we have a problem, and we need to do something about the economic mess we are in. This is a good thing. However, they are still not being honest about the root cause of our impending crisis and want to deal only with symptoms, not the disease. There are some positive aspects of the highly lauded economic stimulus package that has been negotiated. I am in favor of taxpayers getting some of...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Ron Paul 2008 Alaska presidential campaign invites Anchorage-area gun owners to a gun rights town hall meeting on Tuesday, January 29 at 7:00 p.m. The Q&A session will be held at the Ron Paul 2008 Alaska State Headquarters in Anchorage at 3339 Fairbanks St., near 34th and Old Seward, behind the Moose’s Tooth. "Congressman Paul is the leading advocate for gun owners and their rights in the presidential race,” said Paul Alaska state political director Craig Bergman. “He is the only presidential candidate truly fighting for the Second Amendment rights of Alaskans, and he will continue to...

Murray Sabrin is a professor of finance at Ramapo College in Mahwah and a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in New Jersey.TWO HUNDRED years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, a Republican physician from Texas was chosen by the voters in his district to head to Congress in a special election. Of course, 1976 was a presidential year, and incumbent President Gerald Ford was actively working to shore up support from the Republican Party to earn the party's nomination for a new term. So Ford called this freshman congressman into the Oval Office, congratulated him on his victory...

The Alabama Republican Assembly (ALRA) has announced its endorsement of Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul for President. The ALRA is an affiliate of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA), known as the Republican Wing of the Republican Party. Ronald Reagan once referred to the NFRA as "the conscience of the Republican Party." "We congratulate Ron Paul on winning the ALRA endorsement," said Elaine Little, Chairman of the Alabama Republican Assembly's endorsing convention. "It's evident that the overwhelming majority of delegates determined that Congressman Paul best represents the Republican platform and the conservative values of limited government and personal freedom."...

Recently I was honored with the opportunity of speaking to the California Federation of Republican Women on behalf of presidential candidate Ron Paul. Surely, I thought, these ladies would understand the one issue that is driving so many young people to the GOP, the one issue that gets the loudest cheers from the audience wherever Ron Paul speaks, the one issue that no other presidential candidate is discussing except for Ron Paul. No, I am not talking about Dr. Paul's call for an immediate withdrawal of our troops from the Middle East (I knew that these gentlewomen do not necessarily...

According to the msnbc polls for the Florida debate, Ron Paul won the debate with 42% of the vote. Mitt Romney came in second with 40%. Huckabee had 8%, McCain had 6% and Rudy came in last with 4%. I find it interesting that the media brushes Ron Paul support off as a joke. And immediately go to the next highest polling candidate. Ron Paul supporters continue to vote for him, so ignoring him isn't working.

Introduction America became the greatest, most prosperous nation in human history through low taxes, constitutionally limited government, personal freedom and a belief in sound money. We need to return to these principles so our economy can thrive again. When enacted, my plan will provide both short-term stimulus and lay the groundwork for long-term prosperity. Other candidates talk a lot about stimulus packages, but my record stands alone. I have fought for these measures for years as a member of Congress and will make them a top priority as president.Ron Paul, a 10-term Republican Congressman from Texas's 14th District, is currently...

News Ron Paul Draws Passionate Support BY CHARLIE SPIERINGREGISTER CORRESPONDENTJanuary 27- February 2, 2008 Issue | Posted 1/22/08 at 10:16 AM   WASHINGTON — Presidential candidate Ron Paul’s campaign continues to win a portion of the Republican vote in early primary states, signified by his second-place finish in Nevada Jan. 19. Although many consider his campaign a long shot, Ron Paul has built up a significant amount of enthusiastic supporters and raised substantial funds. He beat frontrunner Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in Nevada and Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson in Michigan. Numerous Catholics in America are among those that...

It has been over 6 years since the atrocities of September 11 were committed and there are still some very basic measures that need to be taken to bring the perpetrators to justice and make America safer. I have proposed legislation to help with these efforts and will continue to fight in Congress for the safety and security of the American people. My legislation entitled The Marque and Reprisal Act of 2007 (HR 3216) makes the surgical strike option available to the President in our mission to capture Bin Laden. Our military has been pursuing him without result for far...