Free Republic

In its recent look back on the first ten years of the century, Time Magazine proclaimed the period to be "the decade from hell." The editors made their case based on what they saw as the signature events of the last ten years, notably the ravages of terrorism, failed wars, and a global financial crisis. Taken together, these factors produced an era that Time is convinced will be remembered as one of the low points in our history. As the media hates to dwell on the negative, the commentary was rife with notes of optimism about pending recovery. It could...

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul's son has officially entered the GOP Senate primary in Kentucky. Rand Paul's campaign manager turned in the candidacy papers and a $500 check to the secretary of state's office on Wednesday afternoon.

I was a Ron Paul supporter in the 2008 campaign for the presidency, and I made no apologies about it. Ron Paul was the candidate at the time that supported a smaller government, individual liberties and the Constitution closer than any other candidate. By far, he was the small government candidate. Others, especially conservatives, would often say that they support many of Paul’s positions, but… Either his voice was too “high and whiny”, or they viewed his position on America’s foreign policy to be “wacko” and “crazy”. The going phrase at the time, and still today, is that Ron Paul...

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A former governor who is attracting attention from backers of Ron Paul’s presidential campaign is headed to New Hampshire. Republican Gary Johnson, who served as New Mexico’s governor from 1995 to 2003, will speak at a forum Jan. 23 organized by the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire.

How much more evil does Islam have to visit upon the West before the West finally decides to decently fight back? How many more attempted massacres of 289 innocents, like Christmas Day over Detroit? How many more successful massacres like Bali (10/12/02), Madrid (3/11/04), London (7/7/05), Mumbai (7/11/06), Mumbai (11/26/08), and New York (9/11/01)? Does anyone seriously doubt that the Muslims are fanatically determined -- at the very least -- to set off simultaneous suitcase nuclear bombs in Washington DC and New York City? The likelihood here is they will succeed! The West ought to hate Islam. We ought to...

Last week on Christmas Eve, after many backroom deals were made, the Senate passed the healthcare reform bill with a strictly partisan vote. I was pleased that my colleagues in the GOP are on the right side of this bill. Although this vote was a major step in healthcare reform becoming reality, they still have to reconcile the Senate bill with the House-passed version in conference committee. This could prove even more difficult and costly than the Senate vote. There was a little bit of controversy surrounding one particular Senator who was initially against the bill, but then, coincidentally, a...

No one in the freedom movement today disputes that the Federal Reserve is the source of many of our economic woes. Where disagreement arises is in defining the precise nature of the Fed and the source of its capacity to create the harm it does. Many who support gold money and free enterprise claim that the Federal Reserve is a "private corporation" run by capitalist mega-financiers. This I believe to be mistaken. The Federal Reserve, in my opinion, should not be classified as a private corporation. It should be termed a government-run fascist cartel. There are several important reasons for...

A pro-life conservative women's political action committee that promotes what it calls "biblical values" has endorsed Bowling Green eye doctor Rand Paul for U.S. Senate. A pro-life conservative women's political action committee that promotes what it calls "biblical values" has endorsed Bowling Green eye doctor Rand Paul for U.S. Senate. In a statement released Wednesday, Concerned Women for America called Paul a "strong man of faith and of conviction." Paul is seeking the GOP nomination for the seat held by fellow Republican Jim Bunning, who is retiring. Beverly LaHaye, founder and chairman of the Concerned Women PAC, cited Paul's financial...

The atrocities just keep coming from Muslims. No outrage or horror is too much for them. They never let up. Yesterday's Northwest Airlines flight #253 from Amsterdam to Detroit is just the latest. But keep checking the headlines, folks -- tomorrow it could easily be something new and worse. In the latest incident, 278 passengers could have been spectacularly slaughtered in mid-flight near Detroit. Fortunately, the jihadi failed. This time. But the lack of a ghastly bloodbath over the American heartland -- courtesy of the followers of Islam -- wasn't for lack of intent or desire. Give them credit: Muslims...

The same grassroots energy that propelled Ron Paul from a little-known Congressman to a force in the presidential primaries now seems to be transferring to his son in his Senate run in Kentucky. Public Policy Polling's (D) latest survey shows him easily ahead of Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who was recruited by the national party after Sen. Jim Bunning (R) was pressured not to seek re-election. Republican Primary Election Matchup Paul 44 Grayson 25 Und 32

“What seems to be a GOP victory at first may well become another liberal victory in the long term. Unless Parker Griffith (formerly D-AL, now R-AL) starts voting like a true fiscal conservative, Alabama could be stuck with another entrenched Big-Government Republican Congressman.” “Welcome to the party, Parker. Here’s an electronic copy of the Constitution. Read it well, as you will have to continue to dodge us if you continue to disregard it.”

Earlier today the US Senate passed a sweeping new law of mind-numbing complexity and bureaucracy which dictates a vast government take-over of the medical industry, and which is likely to devastate virtually the entire health care sector. All these new government schemes, scams, mandates, and dictates just about gaurantee that health care costs will skyrocket, health care quality will plummet, and people will die like flys. Together with the recent, various, industry-wide "bail-outs," and economic "stimuluses" of the past two years, Big Brother has really hammered us in at least three different ways. It would have been far, far better...

In the rush to pass the so-called “healthcare reform bill,” U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) stamped his feet and held his breath until he extracted his presents from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. One such gift exempts Nebraska from paying the $45 million dollar increase in Medicaid imbursement costs. Nelson was the 60th Democrat to get his stocking stuffed. Smart parents know not to give in to petulant children trying these shenanigans. If we gave kids everything they demanded, our family budget would be as busted as last year’s toy under the couch. You know, the one with batteries that...

Last week the House overwhelmingly approved a measure to put a new round of sanctions on Iran. If this measure passes the Senate, the United States could no longer do business with anyone who sold refined petroleum products to Iran or helped them develop their ability to refine their own petroleum. The sad thing is that many of my colleagues voted for this measure because they felt it would deflect a military engagement with Iran. I would put the question to them, how would Congress react if another government threatened our critical trading partners in this way? Would we not...

2010 Voter Guide | U.S. Congressional Candidate Survey 1 | Tax Increase/Cap and Trade — will tax energy consumption to combat “global warming.” 2 | “Hate Crimes” legislation — allows 2 identical crimes to be prosecuted differently if one victim is homosexual, a cross dresser or transsexual. 3 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 (ENDA) — gives homosexual and transsexual individuals protected class status in the workplace. 4 | REPEAL of Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — the repeal of the only federal law that prevents homosexual “marriage” from becoming legal across the country 5 | Government Health Care —...

Liberty Republicans need to think about strategies to counteract the cooptation of the revived liberty movement that Rockefeller or Progressive Republicans will attempt. The Tea Party movement’s explosion shows that liberty Republicanism can succeed. As well, the failure of Rockefeller Republicanism under the Bush administration might keep big government Republicans from success, especially when we liberty Republicans refuse to cooperate with them. Because the Tea Party movement is composed of many fine and well meaning but inexperienced activists, it is susceptible to the same tactics that coopted the libertarian movement in 1980. If a Progressive Republican calls himself a “libertarian”...

I don't think Barack Obama has a clue when it comes to dealing with nuclear North Korea or almost-nuclear Iran. I think the chances of him successfully dealing with them -- and significantly diminishing their considerable threat against Western Civilization -- is virtually nil. These guys are going to be terrorizing us for a long time to come, unfortunately. The President really needs to ask himself: Why would a criminal state -- or Communist or Muslim tyranny -- ever "unclench their fist?" That's all they've got! That's how they live and thrive! That deadly fist is who and what they...

People often mistake being named Time’s “Person of the Year” as an honor, but that men as sinister as Adolph Hitler, Josef Stalin and Rudy Giuliani have all been given the title suggests otherwise. According to Time, the award is primarily a recognition of influence and by that measure the 2009 selection of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke makes sense. Explains Time, the Fed is “an independent government agency that conducts monetary policy, which means it sets short-term interest rates - which means it has immense influence over inflation, unemployment, the strength of the dollar and the strength of your...

confess. I am a racist of the most nefarious caste. Indeed, a garden variety racist, I am not; I have not wasted my time with the intolerance of other races; I never understood the point of advocating industrial racism at a governmental level; I do not believe my race is necessarily superior to another. No, sir, my racism breaches the boundaries of decency. I am a racist of the most malefic sort. I disagree with almost the entirety of Barack Obama's performance so far as president. I am white, Barack Obama is black, I disagree, and that, according to the...

Last week, in the name of protecting the little guy from Wall Street, the House passed HR 4173 to increase the little guy’s false sense of security in the financial system. This mammoth piece of legislation would massively increase government regulation and oversight in the banking industry under the misguided reasoning that more government could have stopped faulty lending practices, when in actuality it caused them. This bill would also greatly increase the powers of the Federal Reserve, which too many in Congress still see as savior rather than perpetrator in this mess. One silver lining is that the amendment...

Science Fraud and the Wisdom of Karl R. Popper In the debate on global warming, and the wholesale fraud regarding climate, the wisdom of Karl Popper is sorely missing. It was Popper who defined what is science, and what is not Science. Popper was held in high regard by most of the Science Establishment in the later half of the 20 th Century, including the most revered Albert Einstein. To learn more about true science and phony science click here

Professor Hamilton's equivocation of "prostate surgery treatments" to male birth control has, at this point in her article, relegated her to the bowels of abject ignorance, and her philippic starving for authenticity and factualness. Generally, when a male has "prostate surgery treatment," his prostate is removed because it is cancerous. This generally leaves him sterile, but so does the barring of funding for the surgery, as Professor Hamilton suggests, since generally all men left to die of prostate cancer become sterile after death, the ultimate birth control measure. This is an interesting parallel, nonetheless, since untreated ovarian cancer in women...

Earlier today in Oslo, Norway, President Barack Obama finally, formally accepted his Nobel Prize for "peace." But where are the internationally-acclaimed prizes for "liberty" and "justice"? These are far worthier goals -- far loftier ideals. Politically speaking, and in other ways too, what the world needs above all else -- today and always -- is individual liberty and universal justice! If the Nobel Committee is going to embrace questionable, unworthy goals and dubious, lowly ideals, why not sink all the way down to giving out renowned awards for international "security," or even multinational "stability"? Clearly there are times when peace...

If anyone still doubted that this administration’s foreign policy would bring any kind of change, this week’s debate on Afghanistan should remove all doubt. The President’s stated justifications for sending more troops to Afghanistan and escalating war amount to little more than recycling all the false reasons we began the conflict. It is so discouraging to see this coming from our new leadership, when the people were hoping for peace. New polls show that 49 percent of the people favor minding our own business on the world stage, up from 30 percent in 2002. Perpetual war is not solving anything....

This talk was originally delivered to a Campaign of Liberty chapter on December 3, 2009. Video will be available shortly. Today President Obama will tour Allentown, Pennsylvania, in my home congressional district as part of a "Main Street Tour" to show his concern for economic plight of the masses. Many of the people I have spoken with while campaigning innately realize that government is at fault — or at least complain a lot about how the government should "fix" the economy. Unfortunately, many do not have enough of a grasp of economics to understand exactly how the government is ruining...

The health care reform bill that passed the House of Representatives, as well as the language in the Senate’s health care reform bill, have generated an unhealthy and contentious debate regarding the limited versus unlimited powers of the federal government. This is a debate about the soul of the United States. The heart and soul of the Constitution and this country’s founding principles are threefold:

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (November 29th Washington Post) does not want us to know any of the details of the Fed's secret operations. This position is not surprising and has been typical of all central bank chairmen. Bernanke's stated goal in his editorial is "To design a system of financial oversight..." that will "provide a robust framework for preventing future crises." During its 96 years of existence, the Federal Reserve has played havoc with our economy and brought great suffering to millions through unemployment and price escalation. In addition, it has achieved what only a central bank can: a...

Three cheers for the Swiss! As everyone knows, or should know, Islam is at war with the West. Yesterday, via a nationwide referendum banning Muslim minarets in Switzerland, the West finally somewhat fought back. Although this building prohibition is technically an attack on freedom, and only really constitutes a symbolic counter-attack on the evil ideology of Islam, it's still a beautiful thing to see! The ultimate tactic -- in this "clash of civilizations" and cultures -- is to intellectually refute the philosophy of Islam. The secondary tactic is to successfully morally condemn it. The tertiary tactic is to openly hate...

The U.S. Preventive Task Force caused quite a stir recently when they revised their recommendations on the frequency and age for women to get mammograms. Many have speculated on the timing for this government-funded report, with the Senate vote on health care looming, and cost estimates being watched closely. Just the hint that the government would risk women’s health to cut costs is causing outrage on both sides of the aisle. Even the administration is alarmed at its own panel’s recommendation. One official, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius told women to ignore the new guidelines, keep...

Can Barack Obama turn around an economy that is incarcerated within throes of his policies? Can he reverse the double digit unemployment he created? The answer depends on whether or not a President and his cabinet, which less than ten percent, have any real private-sector employment experience. Less than ten percent of Obama’s 432 member cabinet have ever created, operated, fired, hired, dealt with cyclical economies, filed corporate taxes, or had to deal with the oppressive governmental red tape–that these very bureaucrats create–while operating a business.

Please see a true conservative combating the nihilistic Barbara Boxer. The California Republicans must endorse him. To see video follow the linkAlso go to previous post on Devore vs Fiorina.

I was pleased last week when we won a vote in the Financial Services Committee to include language from the Audit the Fed bill HR1207 in the upcoming financial regulatory reform bill. As it stands now, if HR 3996 passes, because of this action, the Federal Reserve’s entire balance sheet will be opened up to a GAO audit. We will at last have a chance to find out what happened to the trillions of dollars the Fed has been giving out. Finally, the blanket restrictions on GAO audits of the Fed that have existed since 1978 will be removed. All...

Just the thought of sitting atop of several million degrees of molten something or other caused me to start sweating like Dan Quayle at a spelling bee. While stumbling around in a diaphoresis stupor, I pondered: if the earth is millions and millions of degrees, how hot is the sun?

International environmental radicals are in a highly agitated state because of the delay; before the delay, they smelled blood. Diane McFadzien, Climate Officer, Climate Witness Program [sic], said, “At APEC, there was far too much talk about delay. In Copenhagen, governments need to create a legally binding framework with an amended Kyoto Protocol and a new Copenhagen Protocol. Legally binding is the only thing that will do if we want to see real action to save the planet.” [Emphasis added.]

Last Saturday many concerned Americans watched in horror as the House passed the healthcare reform bill. If this bill makes it through the Senate, it would massively overhaul the way healthcare is delivered in this country. Today, obviously, we don’t have a perfect system, but this legislation takes all the mistakes we are making with healthcare and makes them worse. Most of what is wrong with healthcare stems from decades of government intervention and the resulting unintended consequences. But the government’s prescription for the ills caused by intervention is always more intervention. We see this not only in healthcare policy,...

Nancy Pelosi's health care reform bill passed by a margin of 210-205. A razor-thin victory (or was it?), thanks, no less, to her political-genius. The political cost of her bill: a potential sweeping of the 2010 and 2012 elections by the GOP, and another nail in the coffin of Barack Obama's constitutional usurping Hope and Change agenda.

It’s still early to be thinking about 2010 elections, but the Republican Liberty Caucus National Board has approved several endorsements for 2010 already. Liberty fans across the country will be pleased to note that the RLC endorsed Rand Paul in his bid to become U.S. Senator in Kentucky, and Peter Schiff in his bid to represent Connecticut in the Senate. The RLC has also endorsed Jason Shepherd for State Representative in Georgia, Shane Schoeller (Incumbent) for State Representative in Missouri, and Bill Hunt for Orange County Sheriff in California. Our endorsements process has just begun, so please stay tuned for...

California Republican Execs have a chance to redeem themselves ... After two serious fumbles: 1. Teresa Hernandez for Congressional District 32, May 2009, and 2. David Harmer for Congressional District 10, November 2009. How can they shed their Keystone Cops image? Answer: Follow the Jim deMint lead and support Chuck DeVore to replace senator Boxer. Do not support Carly Fiorina, she is the poster girl of affirmative action. The Board at Hewlett Packard (mostly heirs of Wm. Hewlett and David Packard) soon discovered she was unsuitable, because rather than build on HP strengths, she sought to expand via acquisition, mostly...

These are partial results for Libertarians who were candidates in the November 3, 2009 elections. We will post more results as we learn them. In Georgia: Karen Richardson was re-elected to the John's Creek City Council. Chris Neill, running for Mayor of Marietta, got 14%. Richard Segal, running for City Council in Douglasville, got 41%. Jeffrey Sexton, running for City Council in Leesburg, got 22%. Kellie Weeks, running for School Board in Gainesville, got 32%. Dr. Thomas Smoot, running for School Board in Valdosta, got 24%. In Iowa: Roger Fritz was elected Mayor of Roland. Nick Taiber got 46% running...

A Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed candidate for House of Delegates in Virginia was endorsed by The Washington Post last week. Eric Brescia, who is running in a longtime Democrat stronghold in Arlington, Virginia, impressed The Post. Brescia, who is young, articulate, and has strong libertarian leanings, has run a campaign that may well fit his far-left district during an economic crisis due in part to overspending: his campaign emphasized policies that are socially tolerant and fiscally conservative. The Post said, “[Brescia] is exactly what the Republicans need in Northern Virginia: an independent-minded thinker who has fresh and specific ideas for how...

There has been a lot of talk in Washington recently about senior citizens, mostly about how various healthcare reform models would help or hurt them. But there is another critical issue that has quietly devastated seniors financially over the last few decades. It concerns how the cost of living is calculated. How does the administration justify not giving a cost of living increase to Social Security recipients this year? According to the official Consumer Price Index calculation, life has gotten cheaper for the first time in decades. If the government can show statistically that the cost of living has gone...

With most Americans outraged over the behavior of the Federal Reserve and the part it has played in the bailouts of huge institutions in the financial and automotive industries, Ron Paul introduced H.R. 1207, which would have required a full audit of the Federal Reserve and its activities, which crosses international lines. According to Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, the House Financial Service Committee’s panel on domestic monetary policy, Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., essentially stripped the bill of just about everything that would have required transparency, and pretty much is now worthless as to its original purpose of letting the American...

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (R) is setting up a new political group to potentially set up a run for the White House. The former two-term governor, known for his libertarian leanings, is setting up a new 527 group, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, over which he'll preside as an "honorary chairman." The move raises the specter that Johnson might wage a bid for the GOP -- or Libertarian Party -- nomination for president in 2012. Candidates often set up groups, more frequently Political Action Committees (PACs) to raise money for or support other candidates. Johnson said...

There are two distinct methods the Democrats have used to write unconstitutional laws. The first is through malice. This method has been employed since FDR by the continuous chipping away with the uncontested usurping of the document by a political sect that harbors a stalwart disdain and insolent disposition regarding the Constitution, its limited constraints on the federal government, and by proxy, the Founding Fathers.

Last week a new bill was introduced in the Senate to audit the Federal Reserve. Some backers of my bill HR1207 and the existing Senate companion bill S.604 were a little miffed at this, but depending on how you think about it, this new legislation poses no great threat to our efforts. With the economy in shambles, people are looking for answers - not just because of lost savings on Wall Street, but because of lost houses on Main Street. Because of the many problems we face, the Federal Reserve and its powers over the economy have come under scrutiny....

The Economist has a thoughtful interview with Reihan. His thoughts on Paul: My suspicion is that non-interventionism is going to enjoy a rebirth among conservatives. As memories of 9/11 fade and casualties continue to mount, a desire for an independent foreign policy with an inward focus—I won't call it isolationism—will reassert itself. Though I'm a firm believer in a more forward-leaning foreign policy (my instincts are more McCain than Paul), this is a good and healthy debate to have. So in that sense, Mr Paul is good for the party. I worry, however, that the Paul movement represents a turn...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says health care is a right; President Obama says health care is a right; the 2008 Democratic National Platform says health care is a right. Republicans say that health care is not a right. Right? Former Republican Senate majority leaders Bill "bought and paid for by the AMA" Frist and Bob "bought and paid for by Big Pharma" Dole support health care reform, but the Republicans in Congress, who have to answer to the voters, are balking. As much as I deplore with every fiber of my being every facet of the federal government’s intrusion into...

Democrat Steve Shannon gets caught not knowing what the Virginia Attorney General's Office actually does, and not only does he consistently evade the question, his staffers harass and try to assault anyone who documents his reactions to questions from reporters who ask him about his evasive non-answers. Clearly, Steve Shannon doesn't understand the office he's running for and his campaign will stop at nothing to try to hide his troubling lack of competence about the job he's asking voters to elect him to.

With a faltering economy, multiple wars, and the approaching demise of the dollar’s reserve status, there are more than enough problems to keep politicians in Washington working day and night. In between handing out cash for clunkers and nationalizing healthcare, the administration is busy sending more troops overseas, escalating existing wars, and seeking out excuses to start new wars. Congress is working on “urgent” legislation to address crises like healthcare reform and climate change. The reforms are so very urgent that legislation must pass swiftly with no time to read the bills even though the new laws wouldn’t take effect...

If you don’t believe that the Republican party leadership works in concert with the Democrat party leadership to protect the financial interests of unscrupulous big business, as distinguished from honorable businessmen, then you need to brush up on your history starting with the trusts and monopolies of the late 1800’s early 1900’s. If you do this and follow the path forward you will stumble upon the very actions of Congress which have resulted in today’s lack of competition in the purchase of health insurance policies. I will spare you the colorful historical details and hit the highlights for brevity’s sake...