We’ve had enough of your people’s stupid opinions, so instead of an open thread, this month we are doing a closed thread. Yeah, that’s right, how do you like them apples? NO comments allowed. Go ahead and try. See the comment box? No? Well, get used to it, because the more stupid, inane, and downright ridiculous comments we see from you slackers the more often this will happen. Improve the quality of your comments, or you’ll be seeing the comment box go away on more and more posts.For now, we’ll still graciously allow you plebeians to leave your wretched comments on last month’s thread, but do try to make them better than the dross you have been smearing on our comment sections lately, or you may well soon lose that privilege as well. Yeah, that’s right, I said privilege. We better start seeing some more gratitude from you people or your porridge rations will start being reduced.
PS:
Just kidding! Of course it’s an open thread. We (IPR) appreciate all the comments, even the ones we don’t appreciate so much individually, so fire away!
A fascinating historical analysis of Leftist electoral politics in the USA in the 1920s, the Labor Party, the Communist Party ultraleftism that wrecked the Labor Party. And the growth of the Robert LaFollette presidential campaign.
http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=8597
Independent Voter News wrote an article about my campaign and the decision to only accept alternative currencies.
http://ivn.us/the-political-alternative/2013/04/28/bitcoin-presents-new-questions-about-campaign-finance-laws/
This just in: Howard Phillips passes away:
http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/howard-j-phillips-principled-defender-of-freedom-dies-at-72/
Updates from the LPNH convention:
There was very little new business; however, among the highlights (and lowlights) of the convention:
The word “resident” in the bylaws was changed to “inhabitant” thus the wording in the bylaws is now consistent with the wording in the NH Constitution. The wording still needs changed in the Party Constitution, though that will take 2 more conventions to get that change made.
The LPNH joined the Ballot Access Fairness Coalition, a group formed by me in February for the purposes of lobbying NH legislators to make NH ballot access laws fair and equal for all candidates in accordance with Part 1 Article 11 of the NH Constitution.
Now, the low-lights: when it was time for nominations for State Committee, no one who was eligible wanted to run. The Treasurer and Secretary were not present, and both had made it known that they were not wishing to run for re-election. Ultimately, Rich Tomasso was re-elected Chair, Howard Wilson was re-elected Vice Chair and Max Abramson was elected Secretary; the Vice Chair alternate, Treasurer positions went unfilled. A special convention will be called for the purposes of electing new officers.
New stuff on Robby Wells:
PRESS RELEASE
Charlotte, NC
Contact: [email protected]
2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, ROBBY WELLS LISTED AS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013 FOR THE TEA PARTY IN ATHENS, GA.
Robby Wells, the 2016 Independent Presidential Candidate will address the Tea Party in Athens, GA at 12:00 noon (EST) as the keynote speaker. The event will take place at 1425 Newton Bridge Road, Athens, GA 30607.
Mr. Wells will be discussing his platform, “The Game Plan” which is a step by step, common sense approach for restoring our Republic. The Presidential Candidate will also speak regarding his program, “Vets for Kids,” the Boston Marathon bombing, and Bowe Bergdahl, an American POW being held in Afghanistan by Taliban forces since 2009.
“We are not the Left Wing or the Right Wing. We are the Bird that sits in the middle, and we are going to pull both wings to us in order for this eagle to soar to Washington come 2016. It is time for us to lay aside our differences, and begin working together in order to see a great Restoration.” – Robby Wells
Mr. Wells will be available for interviews upon request. Please contact campaign manager, Barbie Dunn for all media inquiries.
Website: http://www.robbywells2016.com / e-mail: [email protected]
The sickness of government:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/clay-nikiforuk/sexism-at-us-border_b_3112638.html
“I Was Detained and Interrogated at the Border for Carrying Condoms”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmE-fh6oqJ4
@141-2
The information is still there, but moved off the front page, which makes it less user friendly.
I’m reposting this gem of a video just in case anyone clicking on this thread missed it the last time I posted it.
This song could be a theme song for the Libertarian Party.
Tim Hawkins: The Government Can
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N37IWeQFwqs
@147 Nazi punk – fuck off!
Interesting scene from a 1996 movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1vwjFhF4dA
The LPO director elections were tabulated and reported last night.
The new LPO board which will be taking office May 4th is:
Jeff Weston, Wes Wagner , Bruce Alexander Knight, Jim Karlock, Lars Hedbor , H. Joe Tabor, Kyle Markley, Mark Vetanen and Sharon Durbin
Kudos to Mike Gravel!
No one’s mentioned Democrat-cum-Libertarian Mike Gravel running a UFO Truth Commission next week (see: http://www.parapolitical.com/2013/04/ufo-circus-returns-to-national-press-club/)? Didn’t he have enough going on with his 9/11 Truth Commission? What a sad man he’s become.
@138-140 Has its own thread now.
@141 I liked their old design better.
The Green Party releases it’s new website design:
http://gp.org/index.php
It really sucks IMHO.
DWP @ 139: Welcome to Joe Silvestri’s huge overreaction.
@133 “…intolerable interference of the National Party in the affairs of a State Party attempting to use its resources to influence the outcome of 2013 Libertarian Party of Nevada State Convention…”
wtf???
NS @ 133: Wow, talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Thanks for posting the link.
That’s a textbook example of yellow journalism, and it does not belong on an LP website. While Brett Pojunis and Geoff Neale made a minor (and apparently, accidental) transgression, that article is a full-on propaganda assault.
Oh well, at least they’re not pretending to be objective.
I’m glad someone appreciated the joke. This thread needed one.
@135 LOL…Second person?
@128 You appear to have had a bit lost in transmission, since that 2013 date on reloading was observed to change to a 2012 date. There is no new news here, sorry.
WTF??
More Nevada shenanigans: http://lpnevada.org/articles.html/_/lpn/lpnevada-2013-convention-postponed-r58
This is good:
http://ronpaulinstitute.org/
GP @ 123,
“You aren’t seriously proposing that anyone would believe one of Ron Paul’s ghostwriters, are you? Especially when John Lofton — I do not agree with his politics, but it was a fine interview — interviewed Ron Paul on TheAmericanView, and extracted the admission from Paul’s own mouth?”
Well, you’re making the same error you’re accusing others of — assuming that since something comes “from Ron Paul,” whether ghost-written or directly, that it represents what Paul actually believes.
My guess is that the only thing Paul really believes is that people should write checks to the order of Ron Paul.
You aren’t seriously proposing that anyone would believe one of Ron Paul’s ghostwriters, are you?
Try addressing what he actually wrote.
@125 You can join the LP before you are 18, and if you also want to waste time trying to reform the Republican Party which will never be reformed in a pro-liberty direction, that would not keep you from joining the LP either. By the way, Ron Paul has quit the Republican Party again and the RLC endorses a lot of non-libertarian Republicans.
@127 ” I personally see “joining” a party as a limitation at times of pursuing critiquing any given party.” Not at all. You are free to criticize the LP if you join, and many members do. Joining the LP merely means signing a statement that you oppose the initiation of force to achieve political goals. It does not preclude you from criticizing the LP or joining any other organization. Nor is there any age requirement.
Some readers may be interested to note that Johnson 2012 is now issuing additional and in some ways different FEC filings, going back at this time to the 2011 filings.
@125
If you haven’t “joined” the LP or the RP so far then how about you take another year examining the value of joining either. I personally see “joining” a party as a limitation at times of pursuing critiquing any given party. Unless you have some intent to run for a political office there is no particular rush to join a party in any formal sense.
“Krzysztof Lesiak // Apr 22, 2013 at 12:23 am
In March 2014 I turn 18. Why should I join the Libertarian Party, as opposed to following the liberty movement route in the Republican Party, like what RP supporters are doing with groups like the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC)?”
How about you do both?
In March 2014 I turn 18. Why should I join the Libertarian Party, as opposed to following the liberty movement route in the Republican Party, like what RP supporters are doing with groups like the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC)?
This is also another interesting essay on The North Star. here the author is promoting the model of the Vermont Progressive Party for the Left to gain electoral successes. My complaint is that the VPP has essentially become like the Working Families Party – never threaten the Democrats, never run against them, vote for them.
I might vote for such a VPP candaite, but I am completely against any sort of liason with the Democrats, it only gives them more legitimacy — see we aren’t so reactionary, the Leftists work with in our org.
http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=8518
@120 You aren’t seriously proposing that anyone would believe one of Ron Paul’s ghostwriters, are you? Especially when John Lofton — I do not agree with his politics, but it was a fine interview — interviewed Ron Paul on TheAmericanView, and extracted the admission from Paul’s own mouth?
This is a pretty interesting discussion that is going at The North Star, a nonaligned Marxist blog, in which the liberals are calling for the Left to support “gun control”, and the more radical Left is opposed to gun control because they don’t want to see the capitalist state being the only ones with access to firearms.
I think it would surprise many people who read IPR, and often blather about how “socialists” and “Marxists” are trying to take away firearms from US citizens, when in fact the opposite is true. It is the liberals/”progressives” who support gun control, not the Left, per se.
http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=8486
Unbanning Milnes makes about as much sense as…
…well…
…ummm…
…can’t think of anything that makes as little sense as unbanning him. I’m sure it would increase the number of comments, but when — if ever — do his comments actually make sense?
Milnes: NO!!!
It appears that Phillies did not follow the link at http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/135452.html
Commenting around here has been down lately. I would like to give my support for the unbanning of Robert Milnes to foster new discussion.
Ballot Fusion Creates Controversy in NYC Mayoral Race
While candidates outside the two major parties are usually labeled irrelevant at best and spoilers at worst in most states, alternative parties harness great influence in New York, power that is almost entirely due to the unique process known as ‘ballot fusion.’ Ballot Fusion allows candidates to simultaneously appear as nominees of multiple parties.
This system has lifted organizations like the Independence, Working Families, and Conservative parties from obscurity into relevance, but the accompanying controversy has been intense….
http://ivn.us/2013/04/17/ballot-fusion-creates-controversy-in-nyc-mayoral-race/
@116 If the listener speaks Spanish, advertise in Spanish on Spanish radio and TV. If the listener speaks ebonics, and you have a medium that lets you reach that listener in ebonics, then why not. If the listener understands biblical references and you can make your point while using them and thereby earn your listener’s attention and respect so that they will listen to your message, then use it.
What’s wrong with making your listeners comfortable with the way you deliver your message. Let them sit down if they wish, use a medium that they enjoy watching and listening to, use a language they understand, use words that fall within their personal lexicons, use cultural references they are familiar with … Yes, make your listeners comfortable. It’s not the same as selling out on the message you want to deliver.
confortble??? hell no just speak the truth, comfortable or not
@114 Yes, there are large groups of Americans of various backgrounds ready for the libertarian message, if packaged properly to reach the type of “ears” they listen with.
We have to package the libertarian message in ways that are comfortable for the listener to hear.
110 BR, re: the whole “render” business has been updated in Ebonics…goes something like…do what ya gotta do. Deal with the Man (mammon) as feels appropriate, but keep your intentions as pure as you can. Your “soul” is God’s domain. Always remember that.
Or something.
reflect the views of Gary North and/or Tom Woods
Reflect some of the views? Yes. Reflect all of the views? No.
Go listen to his interview
I’ve already produced many quotes from Ron Paul that are fodder for Libertarians to disagree with.
If you guys have more, I’m all ears.
@107 Oh, bullbleep. Go listen to his interview with John Lofton. He is fairly close to being a Christian Dominionist in the ballpark of Gary North, a man who is at least honest about his beliefs.
@106,
“smear-by-association”
Are you suggesting that a curriculum directed by Gary North, and a class taught by Gary North and Tom Woods and based on a book by Tom Woods, won’t reflect the views of Gary North and/or Tom Woods?
It seems to me that the reasonable presumption is the opposite one.
@105 Yes, charlatans can find whatever they want in the Bible, especially those who fail to realize that the New Testament replaced the Old. Being an opportunistic preacher is a good way to fleece a flock for a good living, if one is so inclined to deceive.
So, you can find fundamentalists who twist the bible to tell them exactly when the Earth will end, for example, even though the bible also says that you should not believe anyone who tells you that the bible or god has revealed when the Earth will end.
However, the bible in the New Testament has a limited number of sins against god and advises that we should leave the punishment to god – fairly anarchistic. The bible also says, regarding taxation, to pay to the government (Ceasar) what belongs to the government – implying that actually nothing belongs to the government.
Yes, read correctly the bible has some good libertarian messages, and we need someone to spread these messages to those who listen better when there are references to biblical teachings they are familiar with.
No one would expect to reach you that way, George, and it will take a differenct approach to reach those whose heads are outside of their bibles.
The Ron Paul Curriculum doesn’t seem like a bad idea. But Gary North as curriculum director seems tainted by past published books where he advocated theocracy, leading some to think this curriculum could be another theocratic indoctrination program. It will be quite disappointing if Ron Paul’s education initiative becomes a platform for fundamentalism and ignorance.
I also don’t understand why they would go with a subscription model, although apparently K-6 will be free of charge.
I think that the Ron Paul Curriculum is a great idea, and I hope that it leads to a mass exodus out of the government fool system.
This is yet another example of how Ron Paul is one of the greatest pro-liberty activists ever.
Ron Paul is not a Christian Fundamentalist
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/135452.html
The Guardian article is simply smear-by-association — and the associations are usually indirect.
If the article’s insinuations were true, we would be treated to damning quotes from http://www.ronpaulcurriculum.com/.
Where are they?
I looked for some in Is Your Curriculum Christian?, and didn’t see any.
The Bible is telling them to be Libertarian? For example, the sections about executing adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals, children who curse their parents, folks who wear cotton-wool mixed sweaters, and evil of evil, people who sew their lawns with mixed grass seeds (that one is very specific). Or of course, the people who are not practicing old testament marriage, which tells you to keep your wives and concubines (“handmaidens ” is a weak translation) under the same roof? (The Republicans had a candidate who did this, the former Mayor of New York who housed his wife and mistress in Gracie Mansion.)
So … what’s wrong with showing bible thumpers that the bible is basically telling them to be libertarian?
@102 …
What’s wrong with this?
” … Asked in 2007 by radio host John Lofton, “would you agree that biblically speaking it is not the role of the civil government at any level, federal, state or local, to house or feed or clothe or educate anybody?” Paul replied, “That would be my personal belief.” He went on to criticize the left, with whom “I work at times … on some issues of civil liberties and foreign policy”, who “don’t see for a minute what they do with economic policy and welfare policy is the false use of force, at a government level, to try to achieve certain goals”. The notion that government is inherently coercive – including through public education – lies at the heart of Paul’s views on issues ranging from civil rights to gun control. …”
As I have been saying for years
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/12/christian-fundamentalism-ron-paul-homeschooling
…George Phillies
George Phillies writes:
LP.ORG headlines
What do you not see?
Apr 11
Libertarian Chris Jenner wins college board election in Illinois, hopes to slash millions in spending TAX AND SPEND
Apr 9
Tax Message to Politicians and Pundits: “It’s the High Government Spending, Stupid!” TAX AND SPEND
Apr 8
Kansas Libertarians Ogle and Coen garner impressive vote totals in city elections ELECTION
Apr 8
Malterer for city council seeks cuts in business permitting, property taxes TAX AND SPEND
Apr 3
Vote now to express your view: Is proposing a NEW tax ever justified? TAX AND SPEND
Mar 30
Register today for LSLA conference May 17-19 in Aurora, ColoradoEVENT
Mar 28
Republicans and Democrats vote for new Internet tax TAX AND SPEND
Mar 25
Filing taxes with a song in your heart TAX AND SPEND
Mar 5
Sequester latest Big Government manipulation, says Howell in Press TV TAX AND SPEND
Feb 27
Libertarian Ed Tidwell bested incumbent in Texas city council race ELECTION
Foreign policy? Civil liberties? Any issues where the Republicans are totally on the wrong side?
Nick #99
Very informative video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80hqLC-nCEY
Just a little news tip, Carl Person will be interviewed by Reddit on April 21st at 2pm.
With Roger Stone now in charge of the Libertarian Party, we can expect quality candidates like Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Glenn Beck, Bernie Kerik, Tom Golisano, Carl Paladino, and Tom Stevens to appear as LP candidates for offices such as Mayor, Senator, Governor and President.
Unfortunately Bernard Kerik is indisposed at the moment. The “Libertarian” Party “of principle” should be ready to run him for something in 2016 or 2017.
In the meantime, let’s give our full support to Joe Lhota!
Joe Lhota And Kristin Davis: NYC’s 2013 Libertarian Party Ticket?
BY Celeste Katz
The Libertarian Party has endorsed Republican Joe Lhota for mayor — but it’s not clear if he wants their line.
By accepting the nomination, Lhota would end up on the ballot alongside former “Manhattan Madam” Kristin Davis, who did time at Rikers Island after pleading guilty to promoting prostitution in the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal.
Davis personally nominated Lhota at a party convention in Queens Tuesday night and is now running for comptroller instead of mayor.
It could be uncomfortable for Lhota — whose platform emphasizes crime control — to appear on petitions for the Libertarian line alongside Davis, who says she used to run a high-class, high-dollar call girl operation that supplied hookers to Spitzer and other famous figures. (Her Facebook page lists her occupation as “Former Ex-Madam at Former Felon.”)
But Lhota, a Republican with some Libertarian views, may have no choice.
Election law dictates that candidates cannot stop a party from circulating petitions in their name. They can only choose to accept or decline the line after the fact.
Between Rudy Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg, Republicans have controlled City Hall in Democrat-dominated New York since 1994 — but they didn’t get there without third-party help. The winner of the 2013 GOP primary will certainly look to carry another line in November.
Lhota said he played no role in Tuesday night’s nomination, which was largely engineered by Davis advisory trickster Roger Stone.
Much more at
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2013/04/joe-lhota-and-kristin-davis-nycs-2013-libertarian-party-ticket
GOP candidate Lhota: I’ll be a crime-fighting mayor
By CARL CAMPANILE
Last Updated: 5:43 AM, March 28, 2013
Posted: 1:54 AM, March 28, 2013
Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota yesterday unveiled his plan to fight crime, just days after Mayor Bloomberg slammed all the contenders for not developing such a a strategy.
The former MTA boss says he opposes an independent NYPD inspector general, supports stop-and-frisk, will maintain anti-terror programs and will add 1,000 more cops.
He added he’d encourage strong interactions between the NYPD and community leaders.
“I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my ideas with the mayor,” said Lhota, who suggested that police be redeployed to high- crime areas. “We are currently at inflection point with public safety. Murder continues to fall and is at an all-time low. At the same time, however, overall crime is increasing in the city.”
He said felonies were up 3.7 percent in 2012 and 5.2 percent over the last two years. He noted that felony assaults are up 13.6 percent since 2011.
Lhota said he’d continue the “20-year transformation” that started under Mayor Rudy Giuliani, under whom he was a deputy mayor.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/lhota_has_crime_plan_l1WsE5wpR44ULcQgob0FqN
LPNYC just nominated Lhota for mayor with the help of Roger Stone. Kristin Davis was quickly sidelined to run for comptroller.
Rudy Giuliani set to give Joe Lhota support in cash bash
Giuliani will be chatting up the crowd at a Staten Island catering hall.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/rudy-giuliani-set-give-joe-lhota-support-cash-bash-article-1.1311314
umm, this info came from the Green Paper website.
#2 I’m not a reporter for IPR. Just a casual observer.
(by the way The Green Paper website has 100% reporting now). Check it out.
Exactly the point! The pathetic IPR “reporters” had to ask you instead of looking it up themselves, and they STILL haven’t posted the story! Talk about inept!
Green Papers >>sorry.
@89
umm, this info came from the Green Paper website.
#2 I’m not a reporter for IPR. Just a casual observer.
(by the way The Green Paper website has 100% reporting now). Check it out.
Clearly, our spam filter has gone nuts. I don’t know how to fix it. Does anyone?
You could try firing the ubiquitous Jew and hiring a web-savvy Pakistani instead. I heard they work cheap!
paulie // Apr 9, 2013 at 9:46 pm
What was the full breakdown?
83 johnO // Apr 9, 2013 at 10:00 pm
Not much of a race>>with 96% reporting/
1-Robin Kelly -D- 54,879 — 71%
2-mckinley -R- 16,862 — 21.8%
3 l. pahlke -I- 2.354 — 3%
4 jones -G-1,419 — 1.8%
5 lewis – I- 1,277 — 1.7%
6 llong bey -I- 509 — .7%
IPR’s crack “news” operation shows inability to do the most basic of research, and the story STILL hasn’t been posted! Talk about lazy reporting.
http://lpmndc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2376%3Anashville-libertarians-begin-season-of-outreach&catid=59%3Aaction-item
Nashville Libertarians Begin Season of Outreach
In an effort to spread the freedom message in Middle Tennessee, the Libertarian Party of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County is pleased to announce some up-coming events. Please consider attending some of our events or making a generous donation to help support the Libertarian Party of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County.
4/13/13
On Saturday, April 13, 2013 Nashville Libertarians will be hosting our April monthly meeting. State Represented Jason Powell is scheduled to come speak about minor party ballot access.
4/15/13
Nashville Libertarians are hosting a tax day event in downtown Nashville.
4/18/13
Nashville Liberty on the Rocks
4/20/13
Tennessee NORML is hosting Tennessee NORML Marijuana Education Day & Celebration April 20. Nashville Libertarians are looking into doing outreach at this event. The event starts at 4:20 pm. Cost is not yet known.
DONATE TO HELP FUND THIS EVENT
5/11/13
On Saturday, May 11, 2013 Nashville Libertarians will be hosting our May monthly meeting. The focus of the meeting will be effective Libertarian outreach and how to work an Operation Politically Homeless booth. Speakers are TBA.
5/16/13
Liberty on the Rocks
5/25/13
Operation Politically Homeless booth at the Hands Together in Flatrock Music & Arts Festival.
The cost for the booth is $100. Sponsorships with promote the sponsor in various ways cost $100, $250, $500, or $1000 or more. Must decide on this by mid April.
DONATE TO HELP FUND THIS EVENT
6/8/13
On Saturday, June 8, 2013 Nashville Libertarians will be hosting our June monthly meeting. Our speaker will be Libertarian Party of Tennessee Heartland Coordinator Michael Lotfi.
6/15/13
Operation Politically Homeless booth at Nashville Pride.
The booth space costs $275. We must register and pay for the event my May 1, 2013.
DONATE TO HELP FUND THIS EVENT
6/20/13
Liberty on the Rocks
More events are being planned for the remainder of 2013. We need your generous donation to fund outreach. Only Libertarians defend all your rights all the time. Please support our efforts. Contact the Libertarian Party of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County if you want to help free minds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsPDT5qHtZ4
Kristin Davis is not the candidate! Her website now says she is running for comptroller, not mayor:
http://davis2013.com/?p=154
Sex And The City author Candace Bushnell added: “I think it was coming to the end of what they could do with the character. If it were up to me, the second movie would have been Carrie Bradshaw decides to run for mayor and Samantha helps her. It would get into some real issues of what happens when you’re part of a relationship and the woman is ambitious. To me, that would be interesting. But they were not going to go there.”
At last report, Randy Credico was pursuing only the Democratic Party line, and Carl Person had been deemed ineligible due to his Reform Party nomination and the lack of fusion for minor parties under a NY law that is now being challenged in court.
Giuliani’s second in command Lhota is indeed the LP nominee according to comments on his facebook page, but as of this time his facebook page itself as well as his website portray him as a candidate for the Republican nomination.
Does anyone know who got nominated for Libertarian candidate for NYC Mayor race in tonights meeting? I had to work late this evening due to a clients deadline so had to miss it unfortunately. I received a couple spam emails stating Republican John Lhota was going to try and get it – not sure if that was true.
Clearly, our spam filter has gone nuts. I don’t know how to fix it. Does anyone?
Not much of a race>>with 96% reporting/
1-Robin Kelly -D- 54,879 — 71%
2-mckinley -R- 16,862 — 21.8%
3 l. pahlke -I- 2.354 — 3%
4 jones -G-1,419 — 1.8%
5 lewis – I- 1,277 — 1.7%
6 llong bey -I- 509 — .7%
What was the full breakdown?
Special election in Illinois LeAlan Jones -Green Party- came in 4th just under 2%. D’s won.
@79 Let the battle royale be joined!
Crackpot, excommunicate thyself!
The LP doesn’t need kooky pro-world-government statists, nor anti-science deniers of the real effects of vaccines and state of the climate.
I agree. It’s just that IMO the LP has been, generally speaking, erring too much in the other direction. To a pathological extent, if anything.
Paulie @ 76, not all attention is good attention. If for example you rushed the White House gates stark naked with the LP logo tattooed on your ass cheek, you will not be representing the party well to non-LP voters. The old adage “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” is patently false.
Good IMO. It will raise attention.
I’ll try to force myself to watch it then. Not sure when yet.
If I manage to watch it I’ll see what connection it has to the Green Party.
I think I get what you are saying, but I’d have to see it to thresh out the details. Or let someone else beat me to it.
@72 the main value of the video is it provides an enormous amount of accurate info about the political system in only 30 mins. Very informative to people ignorant of how the 2 party system works and who actually controls it. There’s very little that would be new to you or me but what impressed me is how concisely Joseph captures “the zeitgeist”. This piece definitely moves along faster than the films.
I suppose the implication of the video is either 1) vote Green or 2) don’t bother.
Many people have recently been granted the ability to post on the national LP Facebook page. It’s probably going to lead to more instances of contentious content than in the past.
@71 Thanks, and never mind the email then.
@70 Before I watch another one of Mr. Joseph’s sleep inducing videos, is there a direct link to alternative parties or independent candidates in this video? Or just by implication?
Darryl W. Perry wrote (@37):
paulie wrote (@59):
Arvin said I should delete it, so I did.
Check out “Culture in Decline | Episode #1 “What Democracy?” by Peter Joseph ”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTbLslkIR2k
This video deserves its own post. Devastating critique of the American political system and the 2-party system in particular.
I tried to search through Obituaries for Don Lake. There are some other Don Lakes who have died pretty recently, but none of them seem right. I hope he’s ok. I’m sure our recent discussion with Don Grundman would have been different if our other Don were also participating; they didn’t get along very well.
No, they are the same way on Ballot Access News and anywhere else they post.
The men who have come forward from the American Independent Party aren’t exactly making me run to sign up, that’s for sure. Is it possibly something we bring out in them here at IPR? (See the Don Grundmann thread).
Dedicated to Don Grundmann:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q1K-R8P7W4
I probably won’t. I type too fast and make too many mistakes. There are too many Libertarians much better than me, so I’ll let them do the policing.
That would be good.
I could delete it, but I’m just going to leave the decision to Arvin.
If I had to guess: he’ll probably put up a radical ant- Fair Tax post when he gets back.
I just have to get started and get on a roll.
I signed up to be on Arvin’s pages, too, but so many people are so enthusiastic about being on there I’ve kind of stayed away.
I am signed up there, but haven’t done much yet, so I probably don’t have the authority myself and I’m not sure who else would besides Arvin. JJM I believe used to, but I think he doesn’t anymore since he resigned from LNC. I could be wrong.
Arvin would have probably taken it down if he had seen it. I don’t know off hand otherwise.
@55 which postage rate are you using?
I’m very disappointed with that facebook post. I wonder if there is a remedy?
You’re probably right, but LPHQ staff don’t see it that way.
Interesting. Each month I along with a few others get together to do a mailing for a local group that sends out about 5000 pieces at a time. I have also done much larger mailings.
Volunteers could easily manage to do the work if someone simply took the time to think.
It’s possible volunteers could do it, but the staff view seems to be that managing a lot of volunteers eats up more staff time than whatever money can be saved.
@51 Historically it has been outsourced. The National office has nothing like the staff needed to mail, not to mention there are contractors with machines.
Good question. Have you tried asking the national office?
re: 44 When the national office does a mailing is any of the work done in house such as putting in return envelops or stuffing envelopes or is all of the work outsourced?
Might be the only way ..or maybe you will get him on the phone if you call a few times.
I didn’t try snail mail. I would be willing to give it a shot.
Did you try email and snail mail?
I tried calling Don back in February. Left a voicemail. No response.
Dunno, but frequently posted contact info; someone could try getting a hold of him through email, phone, snail mail, or stop by his place if you are not too far away. Someone could also do an obit search, etc. I’m not motivated enough to do any of those.
Don was frequently in ill health, so even if he is alive he may be in no condition to comment here. Or, perhaps he is alive and well (at least as well as he could be) and has simply moved on to other interests.
NF – maybe he’s taking part in the Milnes “boycott” of IPR… lol
seriously, I don’t know
http://libertyforamerica.com/201304.pdf
Contents:
Editorial: Out With the Crackpots!
Johnson Systematically, Massively, Under-Reported His Pre-Nomination Campaign Debts
He Paid His Staff $100+, $200+, Even $300+ …an Hour
Tom Stevens Resigns as LPPA Chair
LNC Elects Salvette as New Credentials Committee Chair
Competing Slates for LP-Nevada State Committee
Where Your Money Went — Libertarian National Committee
Lest We Forget — Massachusetts Campaign Spending Anomalies
Lest We Forget — 2005 LNC Members Who Voted to
Keep Secret Their 2005 Votes on Raising Dues
LNC March 2013 Meeting Partial Transcript
Happy Spring!
…George Phillies
Does anyone know if Don Lake died? He hasn’t posted here for a very long time.
“Darryl W. Perry // Apr 5, 2013 at 10:35 am
Did anyone see the post from the LP on the LP facebook page advocating the ‘Fair Tax’?
https://www.facebook.com/libertarians/posts/176516405835117?comment_id=521838”
I find all of this Fair Tax stuff that is being pushed by some “Libertarians” to be quite disturbing. The Fair Tax is a badly flawed plan. This is not even so much a case of anarchist Libertarians vs. minarchist Libertarians, as there are good reasons for minarchist Libertarians to oppose the Fair Tax plan as well.
I’ve talked about Libertarians Against the Fair Tax for while. I think it is past time to put it into action.
Jill and I went to see “Silver Circle” at its opening at the Laemmle Theater in North Hollywood last night. There weren’t many LP members there, because of the CA state convention in Sacramento (we couldn’t attend this year). But there were a lot of Republican libertarians and non-aligned libertarians in the audience, many of whom we know.
It’s an animated, feature-length film set in the 2019, when the Federal Reserve banks are the only ones in existence, and the housing industry has essentially been nationalized. Meanwhile, the Fed Chairman is consummating a power grab that involves legislation naming him Chairman for life.
Being a low-budget film, it certainly has its flaws. But it’s a very intriguing, entertaining story. By concentrating on the story line instead of political concepts, it has the potential to reach out to a broader audience and introduce them to concepts they would not be exposed to, otherwise. IMHO, this is exactly what the liberty movement needs right now.
After the screening, Director Pasha Roberts and screenwriter Steven Schwartz stayed for a Q&A session. Then they rendezvoused with audience members at Big Wang’s nearby for dinner, drinks, and discussion.
I encourage everyone to support this film. 90% of the American electorate is impervious to intellectual or philosophical arguments for freedom, but film is a media we can reach them with. “Silver Circle” will screen through the rest of the weekend at the NoHo Laemmle, and future dates are scheduled for Tempe, AZ, Arlington, VA, Round Rock, TX, and Cambridge, MA. For dates and further information, see the movie website at http://www.silvercirclemovie.com/.
I’ve only found highlights from the speech so far, hopefully I’ll find the entire thing, which was supposed to be one and a half hours long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6x53aSED9g
No, I couldn’t go to UIUC to see GJ after all 🙁
Arvin Vohra, who usually manages the page, is out of the US til the 13th with limited internet access. He’s signed up a bunch of new people to post on the FB page and is seeking more, but not until he gets back (I’ve been meaning to write an article about that). Unfortunately I know no way to tell who posted as the LP for that post.
Did anyone see the post from the LP on the LP facebook page advocating the “Fair Tax”?
https://www.facebook.com/libertarians/posts/176516405835117?comment_id=521838
Because he’s an attention whore. So stop it, enough already.
Because he isn’t allowed to post?
He’s not boycotting. He’s asking everyone else to boycott.
Since she can you claim you are boycotting somewhere you have been banned from?
Rosa Parks: “I am boycotting the front of the bus.”
Not the way it works.
IPR, supposedly.
Krzysztof,
What is Milnes boycotting?
Cool. Did you go to Urbana-Champaign BTW?
REMINDER: Tomorrow, Friday April 5th, I will air the first live broadcast of The Lesiak Report!! Listen to it live on LibertyMovementRadio.com from 10 PM to 11 PM CST. Call in number is 415-707-2236. 🙂
http://www.libertymovementradio.com
https://www.facebook.com/TheLesiakReport?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYp28tEAVvs
Alright. Maybe we can wait a while. Or not. I guess we gave him enough attention.
One Milnes article is enough, IMO.
Yo Paulie, is the Milnes IPR boycott thingy suitable for publication on IPR?
LSLA bylaws and leadership are all subject to being changed at the meeting.
The LSLA: An organization that includes many state chairs.
I certainly do NOT believe that the LSLA should be abolished. I do, however, disagree with members of the last LNC (on which I served) and the current LNC who believe that the LSLA leadership should have power given to it to appoint members to several of the LNC’s standing committees.
Yes, this was a last-ditch power grab by the hooded key holders. Unfortunately, it worked.
Catholic Trotskyist,
In an earlier thread you mentioned that you are a Wikipedia Administrator. What is your username there?
E-mail me at wssaturn@gmail if you don’t want to list it here.
@17-18-19
Sad news. Hopefully he is innocent.
There’s some very unfortunate news today about NYC Councilmember Dan Halloran, Republican-Conservative-Libertarian from Queens.
In the past, Dan has been to many LPNY, Queens LP and Manhattan LP events. He even attended the 2010 National LP Convention.
He is a good guy, frequently sticking his finger in the eye of the oppressor. Given the size of NYC Council districts, he represents more people than any other elected Libertarian in the country.
Dan has frequently stated that he could not have been elected in his 2-1 Democrat to Republican district without the Libertarian endorsement.
NY Times article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/nyregion/state-senator-and-city-councilman-accused-of-trying-to-rig-mayors-race.html?hp&_r=0
wikipedia:
Dan Halloran (born March 16, 1972)[1] is a Republican member of the New York City Council. He was also endorsed by the Libertarian, Independence and Conservative parties[2] in his 2009 election to the New York City Council. He represents nerarly 200,000 residents of New York City in the 19th Council District, of Queens. Elected on November 3, 2009,[3] he succeeded Tony Avella, who made a failed bid to become the Democratic nominee for mayor. [4] In September 2010, he was named one of City Hall’s “40 under 40” for being a young influential member of New York City politics.[5]
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bribing_his_way_onto_the_ballot_3XFvV67oWZHFo7bVdoCkcO
State Sen. Malcolm Smith and city Councilman Dan Halloran were arrested this morning on charges they were plotting to rig this year’s mayoral election through fraud and bribes.
LOL–one of my calendars calls April 2 April Smart’s Day. I’m not sure what that means, but we still could have some fun with it.
MM @14
I don’t think any good people want to step up to run the organization with the type of garbage that is floating around in it…
Reconstitution would be the better option.
When the current bylaws and org structure got crammed through it got starr-ized to the point where it is a sack of excrement.
Since it has no assets of appreciable value, the cost of abandonment is nearly zero … meanwhile keeping all those hygiene factors is incredibly costly.
I doubt it will get abolished, but it may get some new leadership.
SF @12
I suspect this conference will be the final piece of evidence that the state chairs need to recognize that the LSLA should be abolished.
Oh sorry…forgot that this was the second. So they are actually having a conference? Nice of them to announce it AFTER the “early bird” deadline.
LSLA? Another April Fools Day article?
It’s still pretty early in the planning stages.
Maybe I am the only one that feels this way but it sounds like the LSLA doesn’t have much going on at the conference.
LP.org blog and email:
Highlights of the upcoming conference include:
Registration is available online. Please visit for more information and to register.
GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org
For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-904-7614, [email protected]
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, [email protected]
Green Party challenges US State Dept. on conflict of interest in consultant’s environmental impact statement for Keystone XL pipeline
• Greens note recent pipeline ruptures, including Friday’s Canadian crude-oil spill in Arkansas
• Green Party Speakers Bureau: Greens available to speak on environmental issues: http://www.gp.org/speakers/speakers-ecological.php
WASHINGTON, DC — The Green Party of the United States has sent the U.S. State Department a strongly worded objection to TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline.
The letter, appended below, cites environmental concerns as well as the conflict of interest that compromises the draft environmental impact statement on which the Obama Adminstration may base its decision on the pipeline.
The statement, prepared by fossil fuel consultant Environmental Resources Management, was paid for by TransCanada, a probable violation of legal and ethical standards.
The letter to the State Department, which mentions a July 2011 ExxonMobil pipeline rupture that dumped 63,000 gallons of Canadian crude oil into the Yellowstone River in Montana, was sent just as news was breaking on Friday’s ExxonMobil spill in Mayflower, Arkansas, after a pipeline carrying Canadian crude oil ruptured (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57577164/homes-evacuated-after-exxonmobil-oil-pipeline-spill-in-arkansas/).
The Green Party has taken a strong stand against the tar-sands oil pipelines: see “Green Party urges national protest against the proposed Keystone XL and Trailbreaker pipelines” (January 31, 2013, http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=583) and “Greens to participate in the Feb. 17 protest in DC against the Keystone XL Pipeline, after the Green Party endorses the event” (February 13, 2013, http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=588).
U.S. Department of State
Attn: Genevieve Walker, NEPA Coordinator
2201 C Street NW, Room 2726
Washington, D.C. 20520
http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Walker:
The Green Party of the United States (GPUS) registers its opposition to the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) released by the U.S. State Department (DOS) for TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL Pipeline project on both ethical and environmental grounds.
First, GPUS understands that DOS, which was responsible for reviewing the project on behalf of the federal government and lacking the in-house expertise to do so, recruited fossil fuel consultant Environmental Resources Management (ERM) to draft the required environmental impact statement. GPUS is concerned about the conflict of interest presented by the fact that TransCanada paid ERM an undisclosed sum to produce the SEIS. While it may be commonplace for industries to pay consultants to review projects subject to U.S. government approval, the scale of this project and its potential adverse environmental impact required DOS to hire a consultant with no financial ties to the project sponsor. In other words, the consultant hired to draft the SEIS should have been paid by DOS, not TransCanada.
GPUS also deplores the fact that DOS omitted the amount TransCanada paid ERM from documents published on its website, as indicated by a Grist article published on March 6, 2013:
http://grist.org/article/state-department-keystone-xl-report-actually-written-by-transcanada-contractor/
The failure of DOS to report what TransCanada paid ERM shows more than the appearance of a conflict of interest. DOS’ deliberate withholding of information relevant to the SEIS is contrary even to the de minimis legal standards governing conflict of interest in the U.S.today and constitutes a betrayal of public trust.
Second, ERM’s conclusion that the project has no significant environmental impact, because tar sands crude will be transported one way or the other or that other alternatives may produce even more impacts, turns the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on its head. NEPA requires an assessment of the project’s benefits in light of its own costs, not just the costs of some other proposed project, such as transporting diluted bitumin (dilbit) by rail car instead of pipe.
Furthermore the costs of pipeline spills from crude oil consisting of benzene laced dilbit have already been documented. “Tar Sands Pipelines Safety Risks” issued by NRDC, NWF, Pipeline Safety Trust and the Sierra Club in February, 2011, reported that a July, 2010 pipeline rupture dumped 840,000 gallons of dilbit into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River, causing 60 percent of the people in the vicinity to experience “respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms consistent with acute exposure to benzene and other petroleum related chemicals.” The spill required “over 150,000 feet of boom, 175 heavy spill response trucks, 43 boats, and 48 oil skimmers” to clean up. The dollar cost of the cleanup has been estimated by the Canadian pipeline owner Enbridge at $550 million, and the crisis is not over. In fact on March 14, 2013 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered Enbridge to dredge the Kalamazoo River of the the gooey, toxic sludge that sunk to the bottom of the river and has yet to be removed.
It also bears mentioning that Exxon Mobil spent $135 million to clean up a July, 2011 pipeline rupture that dumped 63,000 gallons of crude oil along 70 miles of the once pristine Yellowstone River in Montana.
In light of the obvious financial conflict of interest in TransCanada’s payment of an undisclosed sum to ERM to produce an SEIS on its behalf and in light of the massive costs associated with remediation of dilbit spills, GPUS believes that the finding of no significant impact is unwarranted and urges DOS to employ a consultant directly with no ties past or present to TransCanada to produce a final SEIS for the Keystone XL Pipeline project.
Sincerely yours,
Budd Dickinson
Secretary, Green Party of the United States
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191
• Green candidate database and campaign information: http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Ballot Access Page http://www.gp.org/2012/ballot-access.html
• Video Page http://www.gp.org/video/index.php
• Green Papers http://www.greenpapers.net/
• Discussion Forum https://secure.gpus.org/secure/GreenPartyForum
• Google+ http://www.gp.org/google
• Twitter http://twitter.com/gpus
• Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus
• GP-TV Twitter page http://www.gp.org/twitter
• Facebook page http://www.gp.org/facebook
Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United States
http://gp.org/greenpages-blog
~ END
It was midnight here. I wasn’t awake at midnight on the West coast.
I thought I would sneak into the top 5 posts in the newly opened closed thread…
Opps
I am not going to comment here for another 29 minutes until it is April 2nd….
My calendar from “Twig the Fairy” has tomorrow, April 2, as April Smart’s Day. I can’t wait!
Back by popular demand…