From George Phillies:
We have a tax day rally in Massachusetts this April 15.
Gary Johnson is speaking at the Worcester Rally. I gather he was also invited to the Boston Rally, which is Republican oriented and has some different speakers.
He will be introduced by Carla Howell, who is apparently traveling to some events with him.
I inquired of an LNC member, whose I shall not name, who answered that the LNC is generally aware that Howell is campaigning with Johnson.
Gee. Once again, the LNC would appear to be subsidizing a campaign pre-nomination, just as they were caught doing in 2002. However, *this* time they appear to have been caught pre-nomination.
Facebook.
I was there, and Knapp convinced him to do that rather than pulling a Christine Smith type angry denunciation of the Barr-Root ticket from the stage.
Of course, Knapp now says he should not have gotten Kubby to endorse the ticket.
As for me I wish we had made more of an effort to get Kubby on as VP. I was having a hard time giving the Kubby choroplast signs away, so I put some up by the walls and I think some were thrown out. Chuck Moulton counseled me to put one under every seat and I should have listened. When people finally wanted them we could not get them to them fast enough. Lesson learned.
We also should have been better organized to let everyone know that it was important to stick around and vote for VP rather than taking off.
I also wish we could have been organized enough to get everyone white cowboy hats to match the Barr supporters’ black ones. I suggested that to a bunch of people but it never reached the people who could have made it happen, and they were there.
I tend to agree, but that possibility is not being taken seriously by the people making the decision. They have already planned the 2016 convention to be at roughly the same time in the cycle as this year’s, and as of the last time I checked had selected an exact location and dates that later fell through. There was then a poll listing three cities, all for those same dates. I don’t know whether it has been resolved, but my take is that they are not seriously willing to even consider Sept 2015.
34 jt, yes, but isn’t it more satisfying to just make wild accusations and wait and see if they stick? 😉
Where was this Phillies comment made? Was it made in personal correspondence or was it published somewhere before IPR?
If it was published somewhere and Howell wasn’t contacted about it, then it’s an example of bad reporting. Any good reporter would ask Howell if she was in fact campaigning with Johnson, and then include her response in the report. In addition, a good reporter doesn’t write things like “it appears” that X has been caught in the act.
@32 Walt, give credit from where it is due. This is IPR reporting, not Phillies reporting.
I am bringing out LfA as I type, and this story was not covered by me in LfA. It was not interesting enough to be worth the space.
Also, I hardly had to dig for the news I had on this event, as a fair part of it was spontaneously emailed to me by my sources and the Worcester event will be a pleasant afternoon walk from where I live.
@26 I agree that Labor Day ’15 or a bit earlier — many people have children starting school a bit earlier, or close thereto–would make a lot of sense.
Hopefully she will actually do the latter, and the matter will not extend as an issue.
Actually introducing someone and two people who happen to be speaking at the same rally are two different things.
This is incredibly stupid. Two people speaking at the same rally does not mean they are campaigning together. Shame on GP for trying to sell this crap.
MS@27,
“Kubby may have saved the LP that day, but was it postponing the inevitable?”
Kinda reminds me of the climax of “Saving Private Ryan” when Tom Hanks’s character tells Ryan “earn this” … if Ryan had gone home, set up a protection racket in his town, and drank himself to death.
@26:
“If more people had remained and voted for Kubby in ’08 for Veep, who knows if WAR would even still be active within the LP.”
You can say that again. Kubby may have saved the LP that day, but was it postponing the inevitable?
As for this situation, I think the prudent answer is more information is needed.
paulie – Nope, Labor Day GJ would still be on “naive” mode thinking the Rs would give him a fair shake. Yes the LP has 4 or 5 POTUS candidates who could have equalled or topped Barr/Root. We have a nice field IMO and I truly do appreciate them putting themselves forward. I just hope now they stick around and continue to be active within the LP for years to come, even after they lose next month. (You know, remain a positive force for the LP, not negative toublemakers, if the latter it’s best if they do move on!)
The thing about Johnson being the nom is we as LP members can say with a straight face and look anyone in the eye and say he is qualified to be POTUS. I sincerely believe he is more qualified than Obama and Romney. I hope even his detractors will admit he would be a better POTUS than Obama or Romney.
Let’s be perfectly honest, Ron Paul would be best for the LP (over $60M and thousands of boots on the ground is a terrible thing to wa$te). I just don’t think he’s coming, so GJ is it and I for one plan to work hard as possible to make ’12 the best year ever for the LP.
You talk to and know more Ls nationally than I do, wish you would float the Labor Day Weekend 2015 for that POTUS cycle. Having 14 months to work is better than 6. Knowing the nom for 14 months out can mean much more money and volunteers over the period and possible many new members. It’s a thought anyway.
PS – I know it “irks” some my always writing as if the ’12 nom is a done deal. Well I pay attention to LP straw polls and unless something major happens over the next 4 weeks, it is a done deal. No need to pull punches. I do hope if Ron Paul isn’t involved that the Ticket will be balanced. Everyone needs to stay through the Veep balloting this year. It does matter ! Even with a done deal in the P race.
If more people had remained and voted for Kubby in ’08 for Veep, who knows if WAR would even still be active within the LP. Every convention vote matters. Be there when it counts.
Got Jobs? Johnson, Romney, Obama – http://garyjohnsongrassrootsblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/charles-lupton-created-nice-job-growth.html
PS — I stand corrected. I see reading the other threads here that it would NOT be a scandal at all, it would just be an opportunity for someone to apologize to me for how I got confused to to bash me for not being a team player and “protecting the quarterback” when he made one bad play out of 4,000 really great ones . . . .
I sat next to Mark Hinkle in Santa Fe when Gary Johnson held a press conference there to announce his leaving the RP to re-join the LP (I believe it was Mark who mentioned that Gary’s 1990’s LP registration records had been located in the national office).
I sure saw NOTHING wrong with that. What a terrific opportunity to gain media exposure.
Mark and Gary BOTH made it clear there was no endorsement by the chair of the LNC for Gary, or any other candidate seeking the nomination.
I’d expect our national officers and executives to attend and support and gain media exposure from such events whenever they occur, by any candidate who can generate that.
(However, I would not expect any member of the LNC or staff to show up and then declare there’s no way the Libertarian can win, and to stop Obamacare there’s no choice other than a Republican or Green Party candidate or something though . . .)
Now if THAT had happened there would be a scandal here.
Joe
@GP 21: “LNC mouthpiece Macia”
Are you kidding me?
You’re grasping at imaginary straws here.
I remember the days when I had lots of respect for George. Now he seems to be running around kicking over rocks looking for scandal anywhere he can. His newsletter went from being an informative source of libertarian news to being a scandal rag. I expect to see it at the supermarket checkout line with the rest of scandal rags.
“your source said that he was wrong.”
LNC mouthpiece Macia is as usual off the rails.
It is my opinion that the LNC member in question was less right than he though since I have spoken to LNC members who did not know what was said about Howell.
I tend to agree, but do you think Johnson was ready to jump ship in Sept ’11? I think we could have nominated a decent candidate then, but you might disagree.
Thanks Red for getting it changed !
@16 I’m of the opinion that the LP, GP and CP should nominate from Labor Day weekend to Dec. of 2011 (the previous year before the election). That would have equalled a different nom. this time than what will be in the LP, but a TP needs much more time to be more competitive in all areas of a POTUS campaign. IMO of course.
The puppet Obama’s “budget” script so boring VP Biden dozes off during speech: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/videobeta/2c1207a4-10d8-457a-93cc-b1662a77fbff/News/Raw-Video-VP-appears-to-doze-during-speech?track=orl-mark-embed-news-video-biden-dozes-off
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Had this in a file, thought I’d share to keep our Anard friends a lil’ happier during the Holiday Season – – –
Remember, Remember, Don’t Vote in November by Tom Knapp: http://c4ss.org/content/4075
YEP – http://www.lpstuff.com/shop/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=500
Johnson/Howell 2012?
This is terrible reporting. Completely non-factual. Do you print everything Phillies says when he says oh I heard it from someone who thinks XYZ.
This post should just be deleted. It is wrongly accuses Johnson and Howell and your source said that he was wrong.
Yet another reason to get the LP nomination out of the way earlier so spring rallies, etc. can feature “the Libertarian candidate” and not
“one seeking the LP candidate.”
T-Rex, I simply used the title that George sent in his email except I added the last names for clarity. But you are right, I do think the title should be changed.
If I recall correctly, Bill Still was at the LP VA state convention. I also believe there was a Carl Person speaker there speaking on behalf of him. Both of the Johnson co-state campaign managers and the mid-atlantic regional for the Johnson campaign were there too.
Howell spoke at the luncheon. And didn’t campaign for any candidates. Just because she was there and presidential campaign staff were there too doesn’t mean she was campaigning for them.
Afterwards, I asked Howell if she’d be available to speak at LP NOVA’s tax day fundraiser, and she indicated that she was already going to be in MA for a rally there.
Do you have any other evidence that she’s actively campaigning for Johnson?
DEVO nailed the problem in 1978:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e_43fmVml8
Party officials and candidates happen to appear and maybe even speak at the same event?
So, what. That should be happening all the time. There should be many important LP figures at as many events as possible.
Seems we have some water in a teapot here.
Why is this listed, especially with this headline? Phillies even admits it may be incorrect.
Howell has only held her current position roughly 100 days. Perhaps IPR should double check their “facts” before running such stories ! Especially when the story comes from a known negative Ned’s files !! Ms Howell doesn’t need unfounded (false?) accusations hindering her effectiveness as a Party official !!!
The Romney Con – http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4vS9SF3vc-A
MittvMitt.com: The story of two men trapped in one body – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9njHHyRI7g&feature=player_embedded
Every Cent You Make (I’ll be taxing you) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRRsfCD1Bh0&feature=endscreen&NR=1
Does it Count ? – http://www.lpstuff.com/shop/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=492
Carla Howell spoke at the Virginia Convention and there was also some people speaking for Johnson while some people wore Ron Paul shirts. They arrived driving on roads paved with tar, that tar is the same tar that is used on roads that Kevin Bacon has driven on, which by the way if Obama had a Brother he’d look just like Kevin Bacon. I get this from an inside source. Happy Easter everyone!
The LNC member who believed that ‘the LNC is generally aware’ appears to have been in error.
I can (with more effort than I care to spend) come up with a list of party conventions that had LNC members and Presidential candidates both present. My own state convention had Vicki Kirkland appear, and we then ran our second Presidential debate of 2011.
I can echo Dr Lieberman’s comment. I have never heard or seen anything regarding any member of our staff campaigning with any of the candidates seeking our party’s nomination.
That said, I did hear, after the fact, about the event last fall where our former executive director spoke at an event (I believe it was in New York?) where I believe at least one presidential candidate also spoke.
Was that campaigning with a candidate? I do not believe it was, and I do not recall any accusations of bias from any of the people now accusing our current executive director of an inappropriate action.
Although Carla may be backing Johnson for other reasons.
Scott Lieberman said: “However – given that Ms. Howell lived in Massachusetts for a long time and is a well-known anti-tax activist in that state, it is not unreasonable for her to ‘introduce’ one of our Libertarian candidates for President at an anti-tax rally.”
Carla Howell certainly has a record for being an anti-tax activist, as she was the proponent of two ballot initiatives in Massachusetts to eliminate the state income tax as well as an initiative to reduce the state sales tax (she actually wanted to do one to completely eliminate the state sales tax but she found out that she couldn’t do that because the state sales tax revenue was supposedly earmarked to pay bond debt or something like that, so that’s why she did one to reduce it instead, but is Gary Johnson really an anti-tax activist? Gary Johnson doesn’t want to eliminate the federal income tax and replace it with nothing, he wants to replace the federal income tax with the Fair Tax which is supposed to be revenue neutral, as in it is supposed to bring in just as much “revenue” as the federal income tax does. I wouldn’t really label somebody who supports the so called “Fair Tax” as an anti-tax activist.
I’d be willing to bet that Carla Howell does not support the Fair Tax.
While Ms. Howell is an anti-tax activist in Massachusetts, she has had no association with the state Libertarian organization since 2006 or so. I’m sure our other Presidential candidates will be interested to know when staff members are available to speak at the same rally.
Also, I am continuing to receive contradictory reports as to who will be speaking where or when, so perhaps as speaking times and places keep changing this will cease to be an issue, two ships not meeting in the night.
“I inquired of an LNC member, whose I shall not name, who answered that the LNC is generally aware that Howell is campaigning with Johnson.
Dr. George Phillies”
*******************************
I had no clue that Ms. Howell was “campaigning with” with Gary Johnson.
Obviously, the Executive Director of the Libertarian Party can not “campaign with” a pre-nomination Presidential candidate.
However – given that Ms. Howell lived in Massachusetts for a long time and is a well-known anti-tax activist in that state, it is not unreasonable for her to “introduce” one of our Libertarian candidates for President at an anti-tax rally.
If someone can document other instances of Ms. Howell “campaigning with” Governor Johnson, I welcome them to document those instances. Then, they should send that evidence to their Regional Representative on the LNC so that that Representative can present them to the rest of the LNC. Or, they can e-mail that documentation to the LNC e-mail addresses that are listed on the LP web site.
Scott Lieberman Region 1 Alternate, LNC
I am seeing only indirect forwards as to who is speaking where. Originally Howell and Johnson were speaking at the Boston Rally. Then Johnson was going to be at the Worcester Rally. Then Howell was also going to be at the Worcester Rally, though perhaps only with short remarks. It keeps changing, so expect updates.
The Boston Rally is the more Republican, and according to one of my fellow state committee members will include a speaker who is opposed to freedom of or from religion. The Worcester Rally is the more Libertarian.
Might be bad form. I wonder if this warrants an FEC complaint…;-)
Third Party activists are not the only ones who appear to be easy marks for Gary Johnson types. The party hierarchy are easy marks as well.
Note the Constitution Party resolution asking Virgil Goode to run.