Crazy for Liberty

Thursday Night :Town Hall with Governor Johnson & special guest Geoff Neale

2012-05-09T18:10:59Z

Thursday Night: Town Hall with Governor Gary Johnson & Special Guest Geoff Neale

Thursday, May 10, 2012

6:00 PM PT/ 7:00 PM MT/ 8:00 PM CT/ 9:00 PM ET

Governor Johnson's next on-line Town Hall will be held tomorrow evening. Please join us on-line at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 PT. To participate, go to www.garyjohnson2012.com.

Geoffrey J. Neale is chair of the Libertarian National Committee, the executive body of the Libertarian Party of the United States. He is a software engineer consultant from Texas.

Mr. Neale was elected as the new LP Chairman at the Party's national convention in Las Vegas on Sunday. He and Governor Johnson, who received the LP nomination for President at the convention, will discuss their plans for an aggressive national campaign in the weeks and months ahead.

These informal on-line video chats are an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas regarding important issues of the day, and we urge you to participate if you can.

If you do not have a web camera, you can still participate via text questions. If you have technical questions, please visit http://www.yowie.com/faq.

If you can't join us "live", and would like to watch the video later, you can always go to Yowie.com to view my video archives.

Again, go to www.garyjohnson2012.com tomorrow evening and join what I am sure will be a great discussion.

Hope to see you on-line!

Governor Gary Johnson

Gov. Gary Johnson Libertarian candidate for president : White House make up your minds on gay marriage

2012-05-09T13:12:13Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Joe Hunter
media@garyjohnson2012.com
801-303-7924

GOV. GARY JOHNSON: WHITE HOUSE GAMES ON GAY MARRIAGE AREN’T FUNNY

May 9, 2012, Santa Fe, NM – Libertarian nominee for President and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson today called for the Obama Administration to "make up its mind” when it comes to supporting marriage equality for all Americans, citing Vice-President Biden’s weekend comments appearing to support gay marriage and White House efforts since to clarify those comments.

Johnson, who supports gay marriage equality, received the Libertarian Party nomination for President Saturday, and will be on the ballot in all 50 states. "The President is playing cruel, cynical politics with a deeply personal issue for many Americans," said Johnson. "He should quit trying to have it both ways and take a stand."

In a statement released Wednesday, Johnson said, “Gay marriage equality is not a trick question, and we shouldn’t be getting trick answers from the President of the United States. Gay Americans deserve better than a President who winks and nods and tries to convince them that he will protect their rights, but refuses to emerge from the closet and support one of the most basic rights – the right to equal access to marriage. And frankly, even opponents of gay marriage deserve the truth from the White House. Is the President for it or against it? Right now, the Administration is trying to have it both ways"

“For a few brief minutes over the weekend, supporters of marriage equality were given a glimmer of hope when the Vice-President expressed ‘comfort’ with gay marriage. I’m sure the White House was delighted to offer that glimmer. But within hours, they were walking it back. And Monday, President Obama sends his spokesperson out to say there is no ‘update’ of the President’s position that marriage is between a man and a woman, but repeats that Obama opposes ‘efforts to repeal rights for same-sex couples’.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what that means and I suspect no one else does either,” Johnson said. “We have a President saying he won’t support marriage equality, but if it somehow becomes legal, he won’t support repealing it? And a Vice-President saying he’s ‘comfortable’ with it? That is not leadership. That is politics, and on such a deeply personal issue for many Americans, it is cruel politics.

“Government exists to protect civil liberties and constitutional rights – not to pick and choose among those Americans who should have those rights. Denying same-sex couples the right to marry under the law is government-sanctioned discrimination. Unlike President Obama, I am not afraid to state, without a wink or a nod, that the government has no right to tell us who we can marry or not marry.

####

For more information regarding Governor Johnson, please visit www.garyjohnson2012.com.

About Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson: Gary Johnson, two-term Governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003, has been a consistent and outspoken advocate for limited, efficient government and personal liberty. Johnson switched from Republican to the Libertarian Party on December 28, 2011. As the Libertarian Party's candidate, Johnson will appear on all 50 states' ballots as the third national presidential nominee. An outspoken pro-Constitution Libertarian, Johnson opposes the war in Afghanistan, demands greater transparency at the Federal Reserve, would cut Federal spending by 43%, supports a woman's right to choose, opposes gun control, supports gay marriage equality and supports the legalization of marijuana. An avid skier and bicyclist, he has reached the highest peaks on four of the seven continents, including Mt. Everest.

Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Make A Contribution

Libertarian Lee Wrights Goes On the Road to Stop All War

2012-02-21T02:53:30Z

Libertarian Lee Wrights Goes On the Road to Stop All War

ATHENS, Ga. - R. Lee Wrights, a longtime libertarian writer and activist, is seeking the Libertarian Party nomination for president because he wants to stop all war. He's so committed to insuring that this is the Libertarian Party message in November, regardless of who gets the nomination, that he's taking his campaign on the road – literally.

Wrights will attend the Georgia Libertarian Party State Convention in Athens March 25-26. Then he will embark on a two-month odyssey, traveling by car, that will crisscross the nation twice. He'll attend Libertarian state party conventions and events in Georgia, California, Mississippi, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas/Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and New York.

“We must not only stop the wars in Afghanistan and on other countries, we must stop the war on drugs and alternative lifestyles, we must stop the war on civil liberties, we must stop the wars on food, healthcare, guns -- you name it,” Wrights said. “We must stop all war.”

Wrights said that all politicians, Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, manipulate every calamity and issue into a war on something or somebody to instill mindless fear into Americans, to divide us, and to con us into surrendering more and more of our liberty in the vain hope of insuring our security.

“We have waged war on poverty since the 60's, and people are still poor,” he said. “We've waged war on ignorance since the 70's, and our children still cannot read, write, or think critically.”

“And we have gallantly fought the Demon Drugs for decades, and all we have done is put more people in prison for non-violent crimes than any other nation, while funding terrorists who kill people all over the world,” Wrights said.

Rather than bringing change, President Barack Obama has reneged on his promise to reverse the trampling of civil liberties begun under the Bush Administration. “He’s done just the opposite,” Wrights said. “He’s expanded federal power to invade our privacy and curtail our rights, or detain us indefinitely.”

“What is most frightening and appalling of all is that President Obama has ordered assassination of American citizens, making himself judge, jury and executioner, in total disregard for the rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution,” Wrights said. “We’re all now suspects, not sovereigns.”

“President Obama has also bombed more countries than any other Nobel Prize winner in history,” Wrights noted.

Wrights said that the Republican candidates for president, except one, challenge the right of the president to do any of these things. “Only Libertarians do that,” he said. “Only the Libertarian Party is committed to peace, which will bring prosperity.”

“The libertarian promise of peace and prosperity is one Americans are longing to hear,” Wrights said. “We don't need to soften, refine, modify or craft what we believe to appeal to conservatives or liberals to win votes. Instead, we must embrace our beliefs and wear them proudly.”

“As the Libertarian candidate for president I'm ready, willing and able to take this bold stand. I've never been afraid to speak truth to power,” Wrights stressed. “I'll take the true libertarian message of peace and prosperity to all 50 states and won't be ashamed to say in a loud, clear and unequivocal voice: Stop all war!”

The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the U.S. Libertarians believe the answer to America's political problems is the same commitment to freedom that earned America its greatness: a free-market economy and the abundance and prosperity it brings; a dedication to civil liberties and personal freedom; and a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade as prescribed by America's founders.

Libertarianism is essentially the application of the Golden Rule to politics: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. “This means that no one, not even the government, has the right to tell you how to live your life, or what you can do with your property so long as you respect other people's right to live as they please and use their property the way they want,” Wrights explained.

-30-

Lee Wrights for President

855-4-LeeWrights

Contact: Brian Irving, press secretary

press@wrights2012.com

919.538.4548

Gov. Gary Johnson Libertarian presidential candidate : 30,000 drones over the U.S. : Government snooping at an entirely new level

2012-02-15T20:01:46Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Joe Hunter
media@garyjohnson2012.com
801-303-7924

GOV. GARY JOHNSON: 30,000 DRONES OVER THE U.S. – GOVERNMENT SNOOPING AT AN ENTIRELY NEW LEVEL

February 15, 2012, Santa Fe, NM – Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is calling congressional approval of legislation making it easier for the government to operate unmanned drones over U.S. soil an “ominous step that raises serious concerns about individual freedom and privacy.”

The FAA Reauthorization Act, signed into law by President Obama Tuesday, includes a provision directing the Federal Aviation Administration to develop rules for the testing and licensing of drones to be flown in U.S. airspace and to expedite the process for authorizing their use by federal, state and local agencies. The FAA projects that as many as 30,000 drones could be in use over the U.S. by 2020.

In a statement, Johnson said, “The threats to privacy in America – from our own government – seem to never end. Does Congress really think they can just stick an ‘oh-by-the-way' provision in an obscure piece of legislation directing the FAA to clear the way for 30,000 drones to fly over our neighborhoods, and have no one notice?

“Big Brother is alive and well, and now we’re talking about making it easier for him to fly remote control planes loaded with cameras over our neighborhoods. Based on our experience with the Patriot Act, the National Defense Authorization Act, and several other laws Congress has enacted in recent years, it is not alarmist to fear or assume that when we give the government the power to snoop, they will indeed snoop.

“The government, through the FAA, already has the power to permit specific uses of drones, such as in fighting forest fires, looking for lost campers, or helping deal with natural disasters. And right now, they are being used to patrol the border. Some of those uses may be justified and legit, and the rules allow for that today. But directing the FAA to come up with a system that will allow federal, state and local law enforcement to deploy 30,000 drones is a very different proposition, and should absolutely not be allowed to proceed without a serious conversation about a very real threat to fundamental privacy.

“The ACLU, the Electronic Freedom Foundation and numerous other groups are expressing serious concerns about Congress’ action, as they should. I share those concerns. The idea that the air above our heads and homes should be turned into a wide-open playground for government snooping is an insult to freedom and to what remains of privacy in this country.”

# # # #

About Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson: Gary Johnson, two-term Governor of New Mexico from 1994-2002, has been a consistent and outspoken advocate for limited, efficient government and personal liberty.

Constitutional Carry Bill in Georgia

2012-02-10T02:06:05Z

Dear Georgia patriot, 

“Rep. Ann Purcell, can you hear us now?”

Thanks to your phone calls and emails we had the opportunity to speak in support of “Constitutional Carry” at a hearing for the House Public Safety and Homeland Security committee today.

But giving testimony at a hearing won’t change Georgia law. Only roll-call votes by the legislature will enact “Constitutional Carry."

At the hearing, Committee Chairwoman Rep. Ann Purcell stated that she hadn't gotten any calls about the bill. She said this in reply to a question about blocking a roll call vote.

Really, Rep. Purcell?

Please CALL and then email Rep. Ann Purcell and demand a roll-call vote on Constitutional Carry in committee!

         Rep. Ann Purcell - ann.purcell@house.ga.gov
         404-656-5139 | 912-826-5465

Leave voice mail. Leave messages. Demand to speak directly with Rep. Ann Purcell.  Don't take "no" for an answer.

Follow-up with an email reminding Rep. Purcell that inaction is the same thing as a vote against your 2nd Amendment rights.

Thank you for your continued support in this fight!

Yours in Liberty,

Nathan Adams
Interim State Coordinator
Georgia Campaign for Liberty

P.S. Don't forget to sign our "Constitutional Carry" petition and share this email with all of your friends and family.

P.P.S. Contact Rep. Ann Purcell at 404-656-5139 and demand a roll-call vote on the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2012.

This message was intended for: doug@vikingmetals.com

Town hall with Governor Gary Johnson

2012-02-09T20:04:06Z

Upcoming Town Hall with Governor Gary Johnson

& Special Guest Economist Jeff Miron, Ph.D.

Monday Night, February 13, 2012

7pm MST/ 9pm EST

I am pleased to announce that our next on-line Town Hall will be held Monday evening, February 13, 2012. I will be joined for this informal on-line chat by a very special guest: Nationally-known economist Jeffrey Miron, Ph.D. Jeff is currently a Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Harvard's Economics Department, and is well-known for his libertarian approaches to fiscal and monetary policy.

We will begin at 7:00pm MST/9:00pm EST, and to participate just go to www.garyjohnson2012.com. If you do not have web camera, you can still participate via text questions. Please note that, if you log on before the video chat actually begins, you may need to refresh your browser to join. Also, you will see a volume icon on the screen, which may be automatically muted until you "un-mute" it or adjust the volume.

If you can't join us "live", and would like to watch the video later, you can always go to Yowie.com to view my video archives.

I am committed to keeping the lines of communication wide open with friends and supporters. I need your input, I want you to be a key part of our campaign strategy, and I want to insure that you have the opportunity to share your views directly with me. We have found that informal on-line video chats are an excellent way to accomplish that communication, and I urge you to participate if you can.

Again just go to www.garyjohnson2012.com at 7:00pm MST/9:00pm EST this coming Monday evening and join what I am sure will be a great opportunity for us to talk about the campaign, the issues, and the exciting weeks ahead.

Hope to see you on-line Monday evening February 13th, 2012.

Governor Gary Johnson

Paid for by Gary Johnson 2012 Contributions or gifts to Gary Johnson 2012 are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Make A Contribution

Noted Libertarian Economist Endorses Lee Wrights for President

2012-02-09T19:03:51Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Noted Libertarian Economist Endorses Lee Wrights for President

BURNET, Texas (Feb. 9) - Ken Schoolland, a long-term board member of the International Society for Individual Liberty and associate professor at Hawaii Pacific University, has endorsed Lee Wrights for President and joined the campaign as economic advisor.

In libertarian circles Schoolland is best known as the author of the animated video “The Philosophy of Liberty” popular on the Internet. He wrote the illustrated libertarian primer “The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A FreeMarket Odyssey,” which has been translated into more than 40 languages.

Schoolland, who was Hawaii LP chair for five years, is also the author of “Shogun’s Ghost,” an expose on education in Japan, where he taught before accepting his current position in Honolulu. He is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society, an international organization of economists, philosophers, historians, intellectuals, business leaders, and others who favor classical liberalism.

ISIL is a non-profit, non-partisan libertarian educational organization encouraging activism in libertarian and individual rights.

Schoolland issued this statement:

"I like Ron Paul. I like Gary Johnson. I'd probably like all the libertarian candidates running for President. But liking someone isn't a reason to vote for them. When I became a member of the Libertarian Party back in 1976 I signed a non-aggression pledge. I take that pledge very seriously. That has been my guiding principle ever since.”

"I simply don't vote for anyone who compromises on that principle, as the Libertarian Party has too often been willing to do in recent years to broaden candidate popularity. I applaud Ron Paul and Gary Johnson for promoting the libertarian program, but if people don't grasp the underlying principle, then gains will turn to losses in an instant of mob passion. No compromise with principle.

"The libertarian message is rooted in an appreciation of individual rights … not state's rights, not practical moderation. That is why I enthusiastically join the Lee Wrights campaign and endorse him for the 2012 Libertarian Party Presidential nomination. When I listen to Lee Wrights speak, as he did at the Libertarian Party of Hawaii convention last May – traveling on his own dime – I was reminded of that great, successful libertarian abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, who said:

I am aware, that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation. No! No! Tell a man whose house is on fire, to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hand of the ravisher; tell the mother to gradually extricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen; -- but urge me not to use moderation in a cause like the present. I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- and I will be heard.”

R. Lee Wrights, 53, a libertarian writer and political activist, is seeking the presidential nomination because he believes the Libertarian message in 2012 must be a loud, clear and unequivocal call to stop all war. To that end he has pledged that 10 percent of all donations to his campaign will be spent for ballot access so that the stop all war message can be heard in all 50 states. Wrights is a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party and co-founder and editor of the free speech online magazine Liberty For All. Born in Winston-Salem, N.C., he now lives and works in Texas.

Lee Wrights for President
Contact: Brian Irving, press secretary
press@wrights2012.com
919.538.4548

Gary Johnson: Let's get America moving again

2012-02-03T21:03:40Z

JOHNSON: Let's get America moving again
Replacing income and capital-gains taxes with Fair-tax is a good place to start

By Gary Johnson - The Washington Times Thursday, February 2, 2012

With the real unemployment rate probably well above 10 percent, we have to, as President Kennedy said, "get America moving again." When I visited Occupy Wall Street, I felt the frustration of young people who wanted to work but couldn't get an interview, much less a job. What's even more frustrating is that when I visit business owners and employers, I meet people who want to hire, but can't.

Capitalism requires capital. When government robs capital from investors in the form of high taxes, it takes away the money that creates jobs - real private-sector jobs that contribute to the health of our economy. The businessmen I meet want to expand, want to hire and think they can find a market for what they sell, but they lack capital.

Meanwhile, the federal government is spending us deeper and deeper into debt while we shell out billions in foreign aid we can no longer afford and trillions more for foreign wars in which our national interest is just not apparent to me.

Republicans and Democrats have both failed to respond to this reality. In order to create jobs now, we need radical surgery, not a haircut. Here I present a simple but drastic economic plan to foster a boom in America.

First, we need to get rid of the income tax. When our first great Supreme Court justice, John Marshall, equated the power to tax and the power to destroy, he was predicting what's happening to our country right now. Giant, slow corporations spend their money on lobbying because tax avoidance is where their profit is. General Electric earned $14.2 billion in 2010 and paid zero taxes on it. Why? Because it has the lobbyists to get subsidies and tax breaks.

But those mom-and-pop stores? The tech startups? The nimble new corporations with new ideas and new visions for our economy? They pay as much as 35 cents on every dollar they earn. When the company pays its employees, the government taxes that money again. We need to stop taxing work, savings and investment. I advocate removing all income taxes, all capital-gains taxes, and replacing them with a consumption tax, kind of a national sales tax called the Fair-tax.

We also need to get rid of payroll taxes. Look at it from the perspective of employers for a moment. When they want to hire someone, it costs more than just the wage they're paying. They have to pay payroll taxes, including for Social Security and Medicare. That cost is about 10 percent of the wages they pay an employee. Remove that burden, and employers will be able to hire 10 percent more people. With an unemployment rate of 10 percent, why wouldn't we jump at this chance? The Fair-tax replaces employment and payroll taxes.

So how does Fair-tax fund the government? When anyone purchases a new good or service for personal consumption, be it a DVD or a yacht, the person is taxed. Fair-tax doesn't tax used goods or business-to-business purchases.

Some think the Fair-tax is regressive, but in fact it's progressive - taxing the wealthy more than the poor. Fair-tax issues a "prebate" for families to spend on food, clothing, transportation, medical care or whatever they want to spend it on - it's their money. Undocumented immigrants will pay their taxes if they want to buy anything. They need a Social Security card to receive a prebate, so the incentive is for immigrants to get themselves on the books as fast as possible.

At the same time, I have proposed cutting the federal budget by 43 percent to bring it into balance. It can be done. It requires the will and ability to ignore and even fight the special interests that have a vested interest in more and more government spending. Our system is corrupted by special-interest campaign contributions. Crony capitalism permeates our government. The result is that, as the Congressional Budget Office reported this week, the deficit for 2012 will once again exceed $1 trillion.

When I was governor of New Mexico, I had the highest job growth of any of the 50 governors. But I didn't create a single job - businesses did. I just got government out of their way. We have an unprecedented opportunity to use today's crisis to return us to economic growth and prosperity. Never before has the government been such an obstacle to employment. Republicans and Democrats have regulated and taxed our economy to where we're lagging behind Brazil, Russia, China, Israel and India in terms of growth and innovation.

Government can't grow us out of this mess - government is the problem. Radical tax reform and spending discipline can bring America back. Let's get America working again.

Paid for by Gary Johnson 2012Contributions or gifts to Gary Johnson 2012 are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Make A Contribution

Momentum is building for Constitutional Carry but we need you help.

2012-01-31T17:43:21Z

Dear Georgia patriot, 

Momentum is building for Constitutional Carry, but we have a long hard battle ahead of us. The politicians under the Gold Dome in Atlanta aren’t going to make this fight for liberty easy!

Because of the pressure applied by grassroots activists like you, the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2012 (H.B. 679) now has four co-sponsors in addition to the bill’s original sponsor, Rep. Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine). Now the real work begins.

As I mentioned in the last update, House ‘leadership’ tried to derail our efforts by assigning the bill to the Public Safety and Homeland Security committee instead of the Judiciary Non-Civil committee where all other 2nd Amendment related bills have been assigned.

But we will not back down or be cast aside so easily.

That is why I am asking you to keep the pressure up and please contact the House Public Safety and Homeland Security chairwoman, Ann Purcell, and ask her to schedule hearings for H.B. 679 as soon as possible:
Rep. Ann Purcell - ann.purcell@house.ga.gov
Capitol Office: (404) 656-5139
District Office: (478) 374-4316
We also want to send a clear message to the other Representatives that you have already been contacting: As someone who claims fidelity to the 2nd Amendment, you need to co-sponsor the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2012!
Please contact each of these Representatives and ask them:  “Why haven’t you co-sponsored the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2012?”

    Rep. Mark Hatfield - mhatfield@wayxcable.com
    (404) 656-0109 | (912) 285-1675
    Rep. Rich Golick - rich.golick@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-5943 | (770) 319-7200 | (770) 444-3224
    Rep. Wendell Willard - wendell.willard@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-5125 | (770) 392-0676 | (770) 481-7100
    Rep. Alex Atwood - alex.atwood@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-0152 | (912) 265-5515
    Rep. Doug Collins - doug.collins@house.ga.gov
    (404) 651-7737
    Rep. Christian Coomer - christian.coomer@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-0109 | (770) 383-9171
    Rep. Sharon Cooper - sharon.cooper@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-5069 | (770) 956-8357
    Rep. B.J. Pak - bj.pak@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-0254 | (478) 953-4557
    Rep. Matt Ramsey - matt.ramsey@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-7146 | (706) 632-2221
    Rep. Ed Setzler - ed.setzler@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-0177 | (770) 420-0520 | (678) 290-6572 

Yours in Liberty,


Nathan Adams
Interim State Coordinator
Georgia Campaign for Liberty

P.S. Don’t forget to sign our Constitutional Carry petition and share this email with all of  your friends and family in Georgia.

P.P.S. Contact Representative Ann Purcell at (404) 656-5139 and demand public hearings on the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2012.

This message was intended for: doug@vikingmetals.com

Gary Johnson : Is your Library Card Really Yours? Repeal The patriot Act Now.

2012-01-31T00:02:32Z

IS YOUR LIBRARY CARD REALLY YOURS?

REPEAL THE PATRIOT ACT NOW!

You’ve seen the quote from Benjamin Franklin: “‘Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

The bifocal eyeglasses Franklin created must have been pretty powerful – powerful enough to let him see more than 200 years into the future to the day when Congress would enact the Patriot Act.

Though we all can understand that Congress, in the wake of 9-11, felt compelled to do something, I think we have all come to understand that the Patriot Act, rather than providing that safety Benjamin Franklin spoke of, has turned out to be a very real threat to essential liberty.

That’s why I took the opportunity last night in remarks to a national conference of the ACLU to call for the immediate repeal of the Patriot Act. You can read my remarks here: Gary Johnson: Repeal Patriot Act Now.

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, were horrific, infuriating and tragic. Everyone understands that. But throughout history, the federal government has responded to attacks and threats by saying, “If only we had more power, we could…..”.

Ten years later, we can clearly see that the Patriot Act was a perfect example of that classic reaction, and with the exception of the folks in Congress and the Administration, we can all see with equal clarity that this law (as well as some others we could mention) is arguably as great a threat to liberty as were the terrorists who were at the controls of the airliners on 9-11.

Where is the patriotism in a law that let’s the government monitor our cell phones because we might know someone who might know someone who might be associated with a group that might be supporting terrorists?? Where is the security in a law that gives the government permission to keep track of our library visits and book store purchases, not to mention bank transactions?? And where is the common sense in a law that grants powers so onerous the government feels compelled to promise they won’t really use them??

I’ll make a prediction right now: In the general election campaign for president later this year, you will not hear either President Obama or the Republican nominee talking about the Patriot Act – or the fundamental rights it tramples. They won’t be talking about it because they WANT THE POWER it provides. And if, by chance, they do mention it, they will tell us we just don’t understand, that there are secrets we don’t know, and we should just trust them.

Right. If you share my doubts about trusting them, please go Here.

Questioning the Patriot Act – and in fact demanding its repeal – is just one of many vital debates that won’t happen in this year’s campaign for President if OUR voice isn’t heard. Someone has to be on the stage asking the question: Why does the government need more power to intrude on our basic rights? With your help, that ‘someone’ will be me – speaking and questioning on behalf of you and millions of other Americans who really, really care about freedom, liberty and making government smaller, rather than bigger.

But I won’t be on that stage without your help. In the past week alone, I have appeared on Fox, MSNBC, NY1, and numerous other national news outlets pounding the message of liberty. Today I am in Florida doing the same.

I’m delivering the message, and people are listening. The key is simply to reach more people. For that, your financial support is the essential ingredient. We have to reach beyond and around the traditional and elite media to reach real people who are ready to join us if given the opportunity. They are out there. Just last night, the room wasn’t large enough to hold the crowd who wanted to talk with me about civil liberties and individual freedom.

The next few weeks are critical. Please offer your support today by going to garyjohnson2012.com and making a contribution. It will be used carefully to make sure real freedom and real liberty are on the ballot in 2012.

Your friendship and support are very important to me. We have come a long way together – and we have an amazing journey ahead of us!

Thanks,

Gary

P.S. Trivia question: What candidate for president scored better than Barack Obama AND Ron Paul on the ACLU’s 2012 Liberty Watch report ?

We need your help to fight for liberty. Please show your support with a generous contribution today. Donate Here.

Paid for by Gary Johnson 2012Contributions or gifts to Gary Johnson 2012 are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Make A Contribution

Gary Johnson is a complete Badass

2012-01-27T19:03:24Z

Gary Johnson is a Complete Badass

We don't talk much about politics here, I think mostly because we're apathetic and/or disillusioned. There are precisely two politicians I genuinely think would be appropriate leaders of our fair country. One of them is the highly polarizing Ron Paul. No, I do not think he's the second coming of Jesus, and I definitely don't approve of his views on church and state or abortion. But overall, there's probably not a more sincere, consistent and honest politician that actually has a chance at becoming president.

The other is the largely unknown former governor of New Mexico: Gary Johnson. A young, active, perhaps more progressive version of Ron Paul, Johnson has gained notoriety (and respect) for having climbed Mts. Everest, Elbrus, McKinley and Kilimanjaro, performing impressive 140+ mile triathlons, and a 100 mile run through the Rocky Mountains. He also survived a 50 foot fall from a paragliding accident and treated his pain with medicinal marijuana.

No, he is not a myth, though he might sound too good to be true. He is highly vocal about his disdain for the War on Drugs, specifically the War on Marijuana. In fact, he has been firmly (and loudly) of this opinion as far back as 1999, long before the argument was part of public discourse.

Nowadays, he is trying to gain footing to stage a serious presidential run, likely in 2016. Just today an op-ed piece authored by none other than Johnson was published in Big Government - a strictly right-leaning website. In the article Johnson argues for the end of the War on Drugs, citing the fiscal, social and international benefits that could come with it. And... well, I'll let you read it for yourself:

READ MORE http://stonerculture.com/2012/01/garyjohnsonisacompletebadass/

The State of the Union is Still a State of War

2012-01-27T15:17:40Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The State of the Union is Still a State of War

by R. Lee Wrights

BURNET, Texas (Jan. 27) - A year ago, after President Barack Obama's State of the Union message I wrote an op-ed entitled "The State of the Union is a State of War." Lamentably, a year later, after his 2012 address I am compelled to write that the State of the Union is still a state of war. And there's no sign that the wars will come to an end anytime soon, particularly so long as Democrats, Republicans, and their corporate and special interest supporters keep using our tax dollars to fund these wars so that they can benefit and profit.

President Obama used the word "fair" and "reward" several times in his speech. His vision of "fair" is to "fight obstruction with action," by taking from those who produce and giving that money as a "reward" to those who produce nothing. His idea of "fair" is to "reward companies that keep jobs in America" by taxing companies that try to stay in business by outsourcing jobs overseas. His view of "fair" means "reward" schools that meet federally-imposed education standards by threatening to withhold money from schools that fail to do so. His concept of "fair" means forcing states to keep young people in school until they graduate or turn eighteen.

While piously declaring that there would be "no bailouts, no handouts, and no cop-outs," the president's address was full of promises and pledges, threats and offers of reward that are precisely some sort of bailout, handout or cop-out. His standard line was to demand Congress "send me a bill," but threatened, "with or without this Congress I will keep taking action..." For some reason that old saying, “the blind leading the blind” comes immediately to mind when I hear our president say things like that.

President Obama repeated the grandiose nonsense that has tainted American foreign policy since World War II, the hubristic absurdity that the United States is the one indispensable nation in world affairs. Even while acknowledging that Washington is broken and that Americans have lost faith and trust in government, all President Obama could offer was more interference and government mandates as solutions to the problems government itself has created. His latest gem: "smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior." Government is not just broken. It is running out of control, destroying our lives, our liberty, our security and our livelihood.

In short, the 2012 State of the Union address was just another campaign speech, at its core the same speech President Obama has been giving since he took office. There were two very revealing moments in this iteration, however. The first came when he quoted Abraham Lincoln, who said, “government should only do for people what they can't do for themselves, and no more.” Yet his entire speech was a typical laundry list of what government must do for people.

The other moment once again clearly illustrated President Obama's statist view of government. He said that we must change the tax code so that "people like me, and an awful lot of members of Congress, pay their fair share in taxes." Was the president admitting that he does not pay his fair share? If so, what prevents him from giving some of his wealth to charity - or to the federal government?

In his distorted understanding of economics, when anyone, but especially the rich get a tax break or pay less in taxes, someone else has to pay the difference or the supposed shortfall adds to the debt. His assumption, typical of most Democrats and Republicans, is the government is "owed" a portion of the fruits of our labor. It never occurs to him that perhaps the government has no business taking money from people who earn it in the first place. He never thinks that the solution is to stop government spending and stop robbing Peter to pay Paul.

He and other members of the ruling elite can only see the economy as a pie, with only so much to go around. If one person gets "more," someone has to do with "less." It never occurs to them that the free market is like a bakery that can produce many pies, and bigger pies, and different kinds of pies so that everyone has their fill.

And as he did a year ago, President Obama made passing reference to the trials and sacrifices his interventionist foreign policy demands of the men and women in our Armed Forces. He shamelessly cites their example of courage, selflessness and teamwork as a prop to support his programs of more spending, higher taxes, and more war. Our president doesn't seem to realize that the way to reward such sacrifice by our men and women in uniform is to keep them out of harm's way unless absolutely necessary. As Commander-in-Chief I would take care that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are never sent on interventionist adventures in the first place.

Thomas Jefferson, our third president, thought that the sight of the President of the United States appearing before Congress to make a speech smacked of monarchy, reminiscent of the British king's Speech from the Throne. Rejecting this monarchical display, he simply sent a written report to Congress to fulfill the Constitutional requirement. Every president until Woodrow Wilson followed his example. If I have the honor of being elected, I will return to Jefferson's idea and cease this grandiose and wasteful display of meaningless pomp and circumstance.

Lee Wrights for President
Contact: Brian Irving, press secretary
press@wrights2012.com
919.538.4548

The Libertarian Party of Georgia To Host Presidential Debate

2012-01-26T01:35:42Z

Contact: Doug Harman
(706) 424-3984
doug.harman@lpgeorgia.com

The Libertarian Party of Georgia To Host Presidential Debate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Who: Libertarian Party of Georgia and 2012 Presidential Candidates
What: Presidential Debate At The 2012 Annual State Convention
Where: The Georgia Center Conference Center & Hotel (on the campus of the
University of Georgia):
1197 South Lumpkin Street
Athens, GA 30602

When: Saturday, February 25th at 3:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time

The Libertarian Party is Georgia’s third largest political party and the only party in Georgia promoting fewer taxes, less government and personal liberty for all Georgians. To learn more, please visit www.LPGeorgia.com.

Libertarian Party nation convention draft schedule (May 2-6)

2012-01-26T01:31:01Z

DRAFT *** 2012 LP Convention Schedule
SUBJECT TO CHANGE – DRAFT DATE 1/16/12

Wednesday, May 2nd
8:00a-5:00p Free Candidate Training Workshop
TBD Credentials Committee Meeting
TBD Bylaws and Rules Committee Meeting
TBD Platform Committee Meeting
TBD LNC Meeting
TBD Registration Opens
6:00p-8:00p Welcome Reception

Thursday, May 3rd
9:00a Business Session Call to Order
9:00a-3:00p Business Session (Credentials Committee Report, Officer Reports,
Keynote Speaker, Bylaws Committee Report)
3:00p-5:00p Breakout Sessions (no overlapping business in main hall)
5:00p-6:00p LSLA Business Session
6:00p-8:00p Torch Club Reception

Friday, May 4th
9:00a-3:00p Business Session (Platform Committee Report)
3:00p-5:00p Breakout Sessions (no overlapping business in main hall)
6:00p-8:00p Presidential Candidate Debate

Saturday, May 5th
9:00a-5:00p Business Session (Presidential Nomination, Vice-Presidential
Nomination, LNC Elections Begin)
6:00p-7:00p Pre-Banquet Reception
7:00p-9:00p Presidential Banquet

Sunday, May 6th
8:30a-2:00p Business Session (finish LNC Elections, Judicial Committee
elections)
TBD LNC Meeting

Gary Johnson, Libertarian for President responds to President Obama’s State of Union speech

2012-01-25T20:41:48Z

Gary Johnson, Libertarian for President responds to President Obama’s State of Union speech

As posted on the Libertarian Republican by Eric Dondero:

January 25th, 2012

GOVERNOR GARY JOHNSON ON THE SOTU: ONLY IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE THAT IS WASHINGTON…

January 24, 2012, New York, NY –Former New Mexico Governor and current presidential candidate Gary Johnson released the following statement in reaction to the President’s State of the Union address:

“If the idea tonight was that the President would fulfill his constitutional duty to give us ‘information of the State of the Union’, we should be able to expect some truth. I didn’t hear much truth. Truth is that the real unemployment rate is probably still above 10%. Truth is that after all the hand-wringing and deals of the past couple of years, instead of cutting spending, the President and Congress are going back to the well for another $1.2 Trillion debt limit increase. And the truth is we are seeing nothing from either the President or the Republicans that will really change any of those unacceptable realities.

“Only in the twilight zone that is Washington could a President who has bailed out and stimulated our economy to death stand in the Capitol and declare there should be ‘no bailouts, no handouts, and no cop-outs’. Can anyone spell GM or TARP or Solyndra?

“The President said we deserve a government that plays by the same rules as millions of hard-working Americans. Perhaps that should begin with the government not borrowing and printing 43 cents of every dollar it spends – something hard-working Americans can’t and don’t do.

“Until we see a real plan – not a Washington smoke and mirrors plan – that puts a stop to deficit spending and really puts America back to work, all of this rhetoric is just wasted breath.”

####

For more information, please visit www.garyjohnson2012.com.

Update from Gary Johnson (from his website)

2012-01-25T18:58:39Z

Friends,

It is a busy week for me in New York, with multiple appearances on Fox, MSNBC, and NY1 - Time Warner's 4.5 million viewer news channel.

Take a few minutes to watch my interview with NY1. A great, wide-ranging conversation on the issues we care about.

Thanks,

Gary Johnson
WATCH VIDEO
NY1 Online: Libertarian Gary Johnson Makes Case for White House
By: Inside City Hall

Visit Governor Johnson's website http://www.garyjohnson2012.com

Libertarian party of Georgia 2012 State Convention

2012-01-24T20:59:05Z

:

Libertarian Party of Georgia 2012 State Convention

Friday & Saturday, February 24th and 25th, 2012***

If you have not yet registered for the convention, please do so right away.

We have a lot of great things going on with the Convention this year:

We are having a Cocktail "Mixer" Friday evening, Feb 24th, at Highwire Lounge downtown in Athens, featuring a special cask conditioned ale.

The cask was brewed by Chairman Daniel Adams, Region 2 Rep Doug Harman, Athens LP member Kip Earnhart and Wild Heaven Brewery brewmaster Eric Johnson. Naming priviledges for the beer will be raffled off at the event!

Rumor has it there will be a special guest or two at the Mixer.

We will have several tables set up in the vendor/information area including, but not limited to:

The Advocates for Self Government
Foundation for Economic Education
Young Americans For Liberty - UGA
Project Appleseed
Georgia Carry. Org
Liberty's Line In the Sand
Know Stealing
Laissez Faire Books
Athens-Area Libertarian Party

After the business section of the Convention on the 25th, we will hear from the following speakers:

Stefan Molyneux - Freedomain Radio (via webcast)
Duncan Berry - Applied Iconology
Brian Brawdy - Author, "Liberty's Line In The Sand"
Page Pate - Attorney, The Pate Law Firm
Rich Sullivan - Radio Personality, DAVE FM 92.9
Jake Lilley - Project Appleseed
Jeff Edgens - Political Science Professor @ East Georgia College
Sharon Harris** - The Advocates for Self-Government

Following the afternoon speakers we will hold a presidential candidate debate* featuring:

*All announced candidates for the LP Nomination have been invited.
** Mrs. Harris will serve as the moderator for the debate.

A banquet dinner will follow featuring a keynote address from Jeffrey A. Tucker - CEO Laissez Faire Books and author of "It's a Jetson's World: Private Miracles and Public Crimes" and "Bourbon for Breakfast: Living Outside the Statist Quo"

If you are planning to stay at the UGA Hotel and Convention Center during the Convention, please book your rooms as soon as possible. We have a block of rooms with special rates for the LP, but they are only being held until January 25th. After the 25th, the rooms will be released to the general public. Please visit www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/cch to book your room now, using room block code 73338.

This is your convention!

Plan to attend.

Invite others to attend as well.

If you plan to attend ONLY the morning Business Session, there is no cost, however registration is required. Click here to register.

I'm looking forward to seeing you February 24th and 25th in Athens. To register for more than the Business Session, please click here. If you would like to register by mail please click here.

This week's G.L.O. will appear in your inbox later this week.

*|EBMAP:400|*

Attend Event

Gary Johnson Discusses Presidential Bid

2012-01-24T17:21:57Z

Gary Johnson Discusses Presidential Bid

Former Republican New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is seeking the Libertarian Party's nomination for president, running on a platform supporting same-sex marriage, the legalization of marijuana, and ending our wars overseas.

http://www.capitaltonight.com/2012/01/gary-johnson-discusses-presidential-bid/

Gary Johnson wins Manhattan straw poll

2012-01-24T00:58:43Z

Manhattan Libertarian Party
Manhattan Libertarian Convention – SUCCESS!
Published on January 22nd, 2012 by Adam
The Manhattan Libertarian Party was a great success yesterday on the 21st!
Not only did we have over 60 attendees and over a dozen new members, but the featured speakers were amazing. Jim Babb of We Won’t Fly kicked off the meeting with a speech about how the TSA is a great example of state force followed by Carl Oberg of FEE who spoke of the living a principled life for liberty.
Candidates running to be the Presidential Candidate on the Libertarian ticket, were (as appear in the photo from left to right) Gary Johnson, Carl Person, RJ Harris, and Bill Still. They each gave brief statements of why they’d be the best candidate for liberty in 2012 and then fielded an array of questions ranging from their thoughts on Ron Paul to their management style, plans for drumming up extra media attention, immigration and beyond!
At the end of the event, Gary Johnson won the Manhattan LP Straw Poll with over 50% of those present polling in his favor. Points that curried favor with the crowd were the fact that Gary Johnson vetoed over 700 pieces of legislation while Governor of New Mexic0 (more than all other governor’s combined) and is a self made entrepreneur who started his career as a self-employed handyman but grew his business into a company that employed over 1000 people. RJ Harris was the runner up whose background in the Army National Guard provided unique insight into American Foreign Policy.
The meeting began at 11AM where, Ron Moore, Former Chair of the Manhattan LP conducted the election of new officers. The new officers of the Manhattan Libertarian Party are: Janet Hopf, Chair; Mark Axinn, Treasurer; Adam Weissman, Media Director; Alton Yee, Fundraising Director; and Ron Moore, Membership Director.

Visit Governor Johnson's website http://www.garyjohnson2012.com

Paid for by Gary Johnson 2012Contributions or gifts to Gary Johnson 2012 are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Make A Contribution