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Phillies: Is the Sparks LP National Convention Valid?

It is clear that the Mises Caucus and their allies, agents, and useful idiots on the Libertarian National Committee and the various other LP committees have used whatever powers they have to stack the deck.

Actions were taken in violation of the National Party Bylaws that cannot be reversed and that make it impossible for LP candidates to campaign effectively. Accordingly, the Sparks convention is arguably invalid as a National Convention.

First, the Credentials Committee has de facto validated the Massachusetts and Delaware delegates of the Mises faction, by listing them as delegates, without listing the Massachusetts delegation from the Massachusetts group currently recognized by the LNC as its affiliate, and without mentioning the  competing delegation submitted by the Delaware LP group with ballot access.

There are two delegate lists received for Delaware and for Massachusetts, because there are competing factions in those state affiliates. Prior practice when receiving competing delegations has been for the Credentials Committee to list both groups as submitted delegates. The decision as to which delegation would be seated was left to the delegates at convention. The Mises-Caucus-dominated Credentials Committee instead reported only the Mises Caucus supported group from each state, without any justification or authority. There is a pending Judicial Committee appeal regarding Massachusetts.

Second, the Credentials Committee chair, Susan Hogarth, did not prior to the start of May distribute the list of delegates. In the months prior to convention, it is traditional for candidates for internal office and other party members to send mailings to convention delegates to inform them of options. Libertarian Party bylaws explicitly protect the right of any party member to receive a copy of the delegate list for an upcoming convention:

Bylaws Article 10, Section 5: Delegate List: Any Party member shall be provided, upon request and payment of copying and mailing costs, a list of the names and addresses of all delegates  selected to attend and those who actually attended the most recent two conventions, with those who attended clearly identified, and all delegates / alternates selected to the upcoming convention, if available.

Previous credentials committees have sent partial and past delegate lists out many months in advance. The current committee did not.

Whether this failure was purposeful to prevent party members from communicating with delegates or just an inability to compile the list in a timely manner, it has the effect of preventing party members from effectively communicating with the delegates who will represent their interests at convention, and therefore arguably invalidates the convention.

When Ms. Hogarth finally announced that the delegate list was available, she added her own restrictions on its use. There is no basis in the Bylaws for these restrictions. Her restrictions were:

This list of the delegates and alternates for LNC2022 with mailing addresses is being provided to you by the interim Chair of the Credentials Committee, Susan Hogarth. The list is current as of but the list will be changing as delegations are updated by the affiliate Chairs. Please feel free to request an updated list. Only the individual requesting and receiving this list is authorized to use it, and this excludes sharing the information with any organization of which you may be a member. This list is provided with the understanding that you are a national Party member in good standing. A list of delegate/alternate names is available publicly. This list differs in having attached the mailing addresses of each delegate/alternate, and is provided in compliance with current Libertarian Party Bylaws. You may not breach the privacy of delegates/alternates by sharing or selling this list with mailing addresses.

The Libertarian Party will hold a national convention in less than three weeks. It is now more or less too late for you to get your mailing to a mailing house and send your mailing to all delegates.

64 Comments

  1. Ron Paul Caesar Ron Paul Caesar May 20, 2022

    No we got it, it just wasn’t funny.

  2. George Phillies George Phillies May 20, 2022

    Most of you will have missed his joke, which I thought was quite funny.

  3. Jared Jared May 20, 2022

    Thanks, George. I hope I have what it takes to become a Real Libertarian™ someday, once I’ve adopted the correct positions on abortion, private nukes, and polymer motion in non-dilute solutions.

  4. George Phillies George Phillies May 20, 2022

    Seebeck 11/20 5:42 I’m sorry, what are you even responding to? And which JJ did you have in mind?

    RenoReset: I am not clear how likely this is. However, Libertarians tend to agree that people without moral responsibilities, e.g. small children, should not be legally prevented from committing suicide, which is what the Mises caucus is offering the National LP.

  5. George Phillies George Phillies May 20, 2022

    Jared: Jared, but you can repent your errors and become a Libertarian. Real libertarians believe that you do not have to agree with us on everything, not abortion, not borders, not even KG84as for ten-year-olds.

  6. Seebeck Seebeck May 20, 2022

    J.J. is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian of impeccable credentials.

    He’s also not a Mises Caucus member. He’s not even a Libertarian.

    But he’s also correct.

    And George is wrong. Again.

    See you in the #RenoReset

  7. George Phillies George Phillies May 18, 2022

    Al Smith The government should not take the role of a censor, even for disinformation like yours. President Biden tried for a bridge too far.

  8. Al Smith Al Smith May 18, 2022

    Phillies is upset the Ministry of Truth is on hold for now, because he believes in censoring speech.

  9. George Phillies George Phillies May 18, 2022

    As there was a question about Massachusetts, the Judicial Committee has rejected the latest Cordio appeal:

    From: Mary J Ruwart
    Date: Tue, May 17, 2022 at 5:14 PM
    Subject: Status of the Second Cordio Appeal

    The JC has concluded that the LP Bylaws do not allow the current JC to hear this appeal.

    Specifically, the LP Bylaws (p. 4) state:

    “ …The affiliate party may challenge the revocation of its status by written appeal to the Judicial Committee within 30 days of receipt of notice of such revocation. Failure to appeal within 30 days shall confirm the revocation and bar any later challenge or appeal.

    The National Committee shall not revoke the status of any affiliate party within six months prior to a regular convention. The Judicial Committee shall set a date for hearing the appeal within 20 to 40 days of receipt of the appeal and shall notify all interested persons, which persons shall have the right to appear and submit evidence and argument. At the hearing the burden of persuasion shall rest upon the appellant. The Judicial Committee shall either affirm the National Committee’s revocation of affiliate party status or order reinstatement of the affiliate party. The Judicial Committee shall issue its ruling within 30 days of the hearing and in no case later than 90 days prior to a regular convention. Failure of the Judicial Committee to rule within 30 days shall constitute an affirmation of the National Committee’s revocation of affiliate party status except when the last day of the 30 day period falls within 90 days prior to a regular convention, in which case the Judicial Committee’s non-action shall result in reinstatement of affiliate party status.”

    Given the proximity of the Reno convention, this JC would have to render an opinion later than 90 days prior to the convention, a clear impossibility, even if we were to have a hearing during the convention and immediately render an opinion. In order for Mr. Cordio to get a JC verdict on his appeal, he might consider re-submitting to the next JC or see if the next LNC would consider hearing the Bowen resolution.

  10. Ted Ted May 18, 2022

    Philiies has no clue what libertarianism is if he thinks gun grabbing, globalist Weld qualifies.
    Sarwark was involved behind the scenes in MA and DE. You don’t have to be chair to try to steal an affiliate.

    Did Phillies say the government should be involved in setting wages, giving a premium to outdoor work? Doesn’t sound very libertarian to me.

    Perhaps Phillies should join the Democrats, or communists.

  11. Nathan Norman Nathan Norman May 18, 2022

    https://web.archive.org/web/20060407035852/http://phillies2008.org/

    This is great stuff:

    “Someday, the Libertarian message of peace, liberty, and prosperity reach the entire world, so all people will enjoy the high standard of living we take for granted. In that day, immigration and open borders will be non-issues. We may differ as to what our laws should be. However, Americans are entitled to the certainty that their country’s just laws will be enforced until those laws are changed. Furthermore, America is a welfare state with generous safety net. The low-cost workers we import into America pay less in taxes than the social services they receive, so a vote for open borders is also a vote for a tax increase on the rest of us. Needless to say, I am not in the habit of supporting tax increases. Americans who quote the Statue of Liberty’s message ‘Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ should remember that it was written when France, Germany and Russia were autocratic monarchies The huddled masses of Europe now breathe free.

    “All too often, we hear claims that we must import foreign workers because Americans won’t do those jobs. ‘Those jobs’ are hard, physically demanding, outdoor work that require constant, careful attention to detail. Those jobs should be receiving a wage premium, not be barely-minimum-wage sources of employment. If those jobs paid that premium, there would be Americans available to do them. Mr. Bush’s foreign guest worker scheme is a corporate welfare deal at the expense of the American worker.”

  12. Nathan Norman Nathan Norman May 17, 2022

    Didn’t Phillies have a strongly anti-immigration platform during his 2008 presidential campaign?

  13. Jared Jared May 17, 2022

    I might be unfortunately centrist in that I’m one of Phillies’ loathed anti-abortion, socially non-progressive libertarians who considers Bill Weld a disgraceful charlatan as well as one of the free-immigrationist, non-Rothbardian, bleeding-heart libertarians the MiCaucs find intolerable. Sucks to be on everybody’s shitlist.

  14. Jared Jared May 17, 2022

    SG,

    I thought it was pretty common knowledge in these parts that Winger is a Libertarian.

  15. George Phillies George Phillies May 17, 2022

    I attended the 2018 convention. Your idea of ‘exploit’ is a more than a bit odd.

    Sarwark is not involved in the MA issue. I know who was. Delaware happened under the current LNC chair. Sarwark was not involved there, either. What is your next fabrication?

    “He pushed Bill Weld very hard. ” That’s a reference to Sarwark, not me, by someone else, not me. Weld is more Libertarian then the antiabortionists we have regularly run for office, and more libertarian than the scammers and grifters we have had as Presidential campaigns. There’ve been a number of those.

  16. Facts Facts May 17, 2022

    Phillies obviously did not attend the 2018 convention on the final day where Sarwark exploited his children for party donations.

    Phillies obviously doesn’t pay attention to MA or DE, or he’s just too ignorant to look at the obvioud.

    Phillies doesn’t care if the people running are even libertarian. He just admitted that with Bill Weld. So much for the party of principle.

  17. George Phillies George Phillies May 17, 2022

    Ron is another Mises prevaricator. In many but not all cases, NH being an obvious example, you cannot ‘steal’ an affiliate because there is nothing there to steal. That affiliate is a private club with no say as to who runs for office. Sarwark, in any event, is busy recruiting Libertarians to run for office, this being an opposite of stealing an affiliate. ‘exploited his children for donations’? That’s ridiculous, photographs of the candidate and family being as American as apple pie.

    Sarwark was a public defender. He spent much time making life difficult for prosecutors trying to lock up accused people when the prosecutors did not have a case.

    There are good used car salesmen and bad used car salesmen. My current car was purchased from a good used car salesman.

  18. Ron Ron May 17, 2022

    Sarwark cannot be trusted. He has tried to steal affiliates. He pushed Bill Weld very hard. He exploited his children for donations. He’s both an attorney and used car salesman, two occupations not known for honesty. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Snowden thing is a hoax.

    Sarwark is still upset he lost to NOTA for NH treasurer.

  19. SocraticGadfly SocraticGadfly May 16, 2022

    “We.” Wasn’t sure what affiliation with what party Winger claimed. Thanks.

  20. Not important Not important May 16, 2022

    Yes, retractions happen. But given that the event is right about to happen and an overwhelming vote is taking place right now, that isn’t likely either.

  21. George Phillies George Phillies May 16, 2022

    Readers interested in Science Fiction may recall that recently the World Science Fiction Convention retracted their Guest of Honor invitation, that having been to Baen Books Editrix Toni Weisskopf. Retractions do happen. One of the major board wargaming conventions retracted a GoH invitation to miniatures painter (and SF author) Larry Correia. These retractions were obviously political, and roundly denounced by people who did not agree with the politics.

  22. Not important Not important May 15, 2022

    Any speaker could in theory back out. That doesn’t mean any and all announcements of speakers are “fake news.” The venue could back out, which actually happened before. That doesn’t make all promotions of the convention “fake news.” There’s no good reason to presume he would back out. He gets a speaking fee, possibly substantial, to appear by video, to a group of like-minded people. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

  23. Rick Rick May 14, 2022

    People never back out of agreements, ever. Never in the history of the universe.

  24. George Phillies George Phillies May 14, 2022

    Glenn: I am a life member. I am not a delegate.

    For starters, I am from Massachusetts, which is already sending two delegations.

  25. Am I being detained? Am I being detained? May 14, 2022

    “$10 says Snowden doesn’t appear, either in person or web video. ”

    You’re on. Your money will go to

    https://libertarianpolicy.org

    Of course it won’t be in person, no one expects that – he would be arrested at the airport. But he has already agreed to appear by video, and the LNC is voting overwhelmingly in favor.

  26. Glenn Glenn May 14, 2022

    Is George Phillies’s spot as a delegate valid?

  27. Tony Tony May 14, 2022

    Is the chair valid? I say no. The LNC violated Roberts by installing Bilyeu. Ken Moellman is the legitimate chair.

  28. O,R O,R May 14, 2022

    Okay, Retard

  29. Ray Ray May 14, 2022

    It’s a scam if Snowden doesn’t appear, even if Sarwark doesn’t keep the money. Donations under false pretenses.

  30. Robert Milnes Robert Milnes May 14, 2022

    Clearly Prof. Phillies is not stupid.
    Imo, his theory that the LP will. grow and eventually replace one of the two “major” reactionary parties is imo crackpot.
    Oh, is that the word he used to describe MY political theory? More than once?
    Coincidence?
    I guess so.

  31. George Phillies George Phillies May 13, 2022

    It’s easy to identify the Mises folks. They don’t have complete names, and spout few-line claims. In order for the convention to be valid, it has to have been set up in accord with the bylaws. When bylaws are violated, the validity of the resulting process is in doubt, and ‘we had a quorum’ is inadequate.

    The question is not when the delegate list is completed, it is that the delegate list until recently was kept secret from delegates and candidates. That’s a no-no.

    Sarwark’s scam? Where? The meal ticket money is going to the LNC, not to Sarwark. Let’s hear an explanation of where there is a possible scam here.

  32. Walter Walter May 13, 2022

    Thank you JJ for confirming Phillies’s stupidity.

  33. J. J, in Phila J. J, in Phila May 13, 2022

    Is the National Convention valid? If it has a quorum, yes.

    None of those things would invalidate the convention. The credentials committee acted well within the rules in adding both Delaware and Massachusetts to the roll, See RONR, 12th edition, 59:21. Delaware was added unanimously.

    The full delegate list need only be completed the day before the convention.

    Ms. Hogarth should not have placed those restrictions on the lists, as she has no authority to do so. However, that in no way invalidates the convention.

  34. Pete Pete May 13, 2022

    $10 says Snowden doesn’t appear, either in person or web video. Sarwark’s scam will backfire.

  35. Am I being detained? Am I being detained? May 13, 2022

    What’s fake news? If you mean Snowden as speaker, it’s real news. Voting is still ongoing, but it currently has more than enough votes to pass. If you mean something else, present your evidence for whatever it is. Otherwise, you’re just yelling empty slogans.

    BTW, has the LNC ever had to vote to approve individual convention speakers before this term? I don’t remember ever seeing such votes before. Is it just my memory?

  36. Phil Phil May 13, 2022

    FAKE NEWS

  37. Not important Not important May 13, 2022

    “In good news, per the LNC public list, Edward Snowden will be speaking in the same hotel as the National Convention, subject to the LNC voting to approve the use of the hotel space. The event will happen Friday morning of the convention. This is a breakfast event, but tickets to the LP Friday morning breakfast event will be honored here.

    The event is being presented by the Libertarian Policy Institute, a group independent of the Libertarian Party. The Institute is paying Mr. Snowden’s speaking fee.

    And, yes, the event will be simultaneous with the Woods speech.”

    That is indeed good news. Hopefully it will be available for public broadcast for those of us who will not be going anywhere near Nevada this month.

  38. Not important Not important May 13, 2022

    “Is Snowden still broadcasting from inside Russia under the protection of fascist Putin?”

    What would you have him do instead, go back to the fascist United States which would imprison him, not allow him to broadcast anywhere, quite likely torture him, put him up for a kangaroo court show trial, and lock him up for a very long time and/or execute him?

  39. Not important Not important May 13, 2022

    “North Dakota LP did not “lose” ballot status. It decided not to gain it for 2022.”

    They attempted to gain it, told national to butt out because they had their own (laughable) plans, and failed.

    Sources:

    1. Quarterly ballot access committee reports to LNC and/or discussion on public LNC list
    2. Comments on this blog and/or your blog

    Sorry, I am not going to look for exactly where in those but it was more than one mention in each. If anyone wants to verify that I saw what I saw they can go through those themselves.

  40. Richard Winger Richard Winger May 13, 2022

    North Dakota LP did not “lose” ballot status. It decided not to gain it for 2022.

  41. Sammy H Sammy H May 13, 2022

    Is Snowden still broadcasting from inside Russia under the protection of fascist Putin?

  42. George Phillies George Phillies May 13, 2022

    In good news, per the LNC public list, Edward Snowden will be speaking in the same hotel as the National Convention, subject to the LNC voting to approve the use of the hotel space. The event will happen Friday morning of the convention. This is a breakfast event, but tickets to the LP Friday morning breakfast event will be honored here.

    The event is being presented by the Libertarian Policy Institute, a group independent of the Libertarian Party. The Institute is paying Mr. Snowden’s speaking fee.

    And, yes, the event will be simultaneous with the Woods speech.

  43. Morey Morey May 13, 2022

    My prediction is the same as Jared’s. Particularly the points about neglecting non ideological administrative work and ballot access.

  44. Steve Steve May 13, 2022

    The new secretary can’t even format minutes properly. He’s lost when it comes to RONR.

    Phillies is still a joke.

  45. George Phillies George Phillies May 12, 2022

    Not important: Excellent point on ND. I had forgotten that. Finding that detail on the LNC public list is entertaining, though the noise density has gone down a lot since the LNC got a new Secretary.

  46. Am I being detained? Am I being detained? May 12, 2022

    “He’s mad actual libertarians are taking back the party …”

    If you think the Hoppe cucks are actual libertarians (they’re not, but that is a completely separate issue) when was it that they had control of the party? You can’t take back something that was never yours. In the real world, while they did narrowly win the 1988 presidential nomination in 1987, they were held to a party platform and leadership that they did not control. When they tried to take those in 1989, they lost, and then left the party in a huff and denounced it for almost 30 years before starting up their hostile takeover attempts again after the Charlottesville nazi parade, riot and murder on behalf of their blood and soil ideology.

    Jared is probably right, it looks like they will win this time. He’s probably also right about what will follow. Oh well, it doesn’t matter anyway.

  47. Not important Not important May 12, 2022

    Isn’t north Dakota a “Mises” “caucus” lead state affiliate which told national to butt out and that they had their own plans for ballot access which predictably failed?

  48. George Phillies George Phillies May 12, 2022

    Joe: OK, that’s one state. Thank you for the correction.

  49. Richard Winger Richard Winger May 12, 2022

    In November 2020 the party was on the ballot in 32 states (that counts Georgia, where our status was for statewide office only). Now we are on in 34. Between November 2020 and now, we have gained Arkansas and Maine. In a few weeks we will probably be on in Alabama and Alaska. Besides those states, our candidates for the most important office on the ballot are now on in Iowa and New Jersey, although we are not qualified parties in those two states.

  50. Joe Joe May 12, 2022

    North Dakota lost ballot access.

    Do you even read the LNC list?

  51. George Phillies George Phillies May 12, 2022

    Eddie: “….LNC corruption…” I am inclined to believe this is a mises lying point, but will give you a chance to defend your claim.

  52. George Phillies George Phillies May 12, 2022

    “…actual libertarians are taking back the party in Reno…” That seems unlikely.

    Of more interest is whether the Mises takeover effort, which in my opinion is more likely than not to succeed at Reno, will actually do something to advance the party, or whether it will stand revealed as a well-crafted, fundraising scam

  53. George Phillies George Phillies May 12, 2022

    Oliver: I realize that you must find email extremely difficult to understand, but I will try.

    You may have an email address. However, as you have clearly missed the point, in order for someone to send you email, they must know what your email address is. The circulated delegate list does not include the delegate email addresses. It therefore cannot be used to send email to the delegates, because the needed information is not there.

  54. George Phillies George Phillies May 12, 2022

    Joe: “State affiliates are losing ballot access now.”

    Name some. Come on, name one. It being May, how did they manage to do this. I believe that your claim is rose fertilizer from male cows, up to the possibility that some Mises takeover clown car filed a disorganization statement with their state government.

  55. Oliver Oliver May 12, 2022

    Who doesn’t have an email address? I know a man in his 90s who uses email. George Phillies needs to get with the times.

  56. Joe Joe May 12, 2022

    State affiliates are losing ballot access now. Thanks Bilyeu and her corrupt LNC cohorts. So much for the affiliate support but hey, let’s try and steal three states.

  57. Jared Jared May 12, 2022

    Here’s my prediction.

    The Mises Caucus will do a fairly good job seizing control of the party and installing their own in positions of authority, kicking out more experienced people. Many long-time LP members will leave. The first wave will ditch the party to dissociate from the sharp right turn in culture and messaging, the second wave due to caucus members’ cliquish behavior making them feel shut out and it becoming needlessly difficult for them to perform group tasks. The LP(MC) focus will be strongly on the front end, areas such as communications and social media outreach and acquiring new members, while the unsexy administrative work will suffer neglect, especially after the second wave of departures. State affiliates will begin to lose ballot access, and excuses will flow. A third wave of members will bail on the party, this time it’s MiCaucs leaving for a reinvigorated Republican Party, some for the “GOP Mises Caucus.” So, the Libertarian Party will follow a trajectory similar to that of the crumbling Constitution Party.

    [/propheticvision]

  58. Jared Jared May 12, 2022

    Given that LPMC leaders are Hoppean, and given that Hoppe claims that communists and even democrats cannot be tolerated within a libertarian (trans. Austrian ancap) social order—advocating their forcible expulsion from society to prevent the dissemination of left-wing ideas, and given that many MiCaucs habitually accuse anyone in the party who isn’t a hard-right “unleash the cops (but only on the poor)!” Rothbbardian or who doesn’t support their takeover efforts of being a corrupt crypto-communist, I’d say LP members outside the caucus have good reason to be concerned and also to doubt olive branches were ever extended in good faith.

  59. Eddie Eddie May 12, 2022

    Phillies once again supports stealing affiliates and LNC corruption. He’s mad actual libertarians are taking back the party in Reno instead of frauds like Sarwark and Weld and that communist who ran for chair in 2018.

    That logo is extremely ugly, by the way.

  60. Sammy H Sammy H May 11, 2022

    Libertarians continue to reveal themselves as authoritarians

  61. George Phillies George Phillies May 11, 2022

    Your ignorance is amazing, especially given that we are discussing people for whom one has papermail addresses but not email addresses.

  62. Anastasia Beaverhausen Anastasia Beaverhausen May 11, 2022

    “Mailing”? Dear, it isn’t 1972 anymore. No one uses the postal “service”.

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