Libertarian Party State Convention

by David K. Williams, Jr. | 8:11 pm, February 28, 2010

It’s convention time!

The Libertarian Party of Colorado’s convention is Saturday, March 20, at the Red Lion Inn.

LPCO Business Meeting /State Convention

Red Lion Hotel

The Jefferson Room

3200 S. Parker Road

Aurora, CO 80014

303-695-1700

The doors will open at 7:30 am, registration begins at 8:00 am, and the business meeting will start at 9:30 am.

Vendor tables available for advertising your business.

Please complete a quick questionnaire if you’re attending, so we can provide the best possible convention.

Book your king sized non-smoking room for $89 a day by calling the hotel directly or by going to: RedLion.com & using access code 0319libe.

If you call 1-800-Red-Lion through central reservations, simply request the Libertarian Party of Colorado rate.

Currently, we have three people seeking our nomination for Colorado Governor.

We have candidates seeking our nomination for every U.S. Congressional District and the U.S. Senate. This is good news.

We have some candidates seeking our nomination for state General Assembly seats. We need more. If you score near the top of the Nolan Chart and can effectively articulate why you answer each question on the World Smallest Political Quiz the way you do, consider running.

With growing dissatisfaction to the big-government two-party duopoly, the Libertarian Party of Colorado has an opportunity to do well in the 2010 elections. We are the only political party that actually believes in small government and free markets. The ONLY ONE. However, to capitalize, we need to provide an option to the public. The best way to provide that option is to run as many qualified Libertarian candidates as we can. We are off to a good start. Let us keep up the pressure.

====

The night before our Convention, there will be a candidate reception at the Red Lion Inn. You are encouraged to attend and meet them all. I will see you there.

LPCO Candidate Meet & Greet

Red Lion Hotel

Rooms A & B

3200 S. Parker Road

Aurora, CO 80014

303-695-1700

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Come meet the 2010 LPCO Candidate Pool,

and schmooze with fellow Libertarians.

$10 donation suggested.

Cash Bar.

All Donations Welcomed.

===

National Update

As I write, I’m in Austin, TX, attending the yearly Libertarian State Leadership Alliance conference. It is a good opportunity to meet members of other state parties and to learn what is working in their states.

The Libertarian National Committee is also meeting at the same time. Our current National Chairman, Bill Redpath, is not seeking another term. As of now, there are five announced candidates to replace him. All five spoke at the LSLA.

They are: George Phillies, Ernie Hancock, Wayne Allyn Root, John Jay Myers and Mark Hinkle.

Redpath’s successor will be selected at the National LP Convention this summer in St. Louis, Missouri. The convention will be the weekend of May 28.

In addition to selecting our candidates for the 2010 elections, we will elect our delegates to the National Convention.

If you have interest in attending the National Convention as a delegate, you are encouraged to attend the State Convention and seek a seat. Even if you can not attend the State Convention but wish to be a National delegate, you can have someone nominate you at the State Convention.

Other National News

Tony Ryan is our District Four representative on the LNC. Tony has done a great job representing us, but is not seeking another term. Tony’s alternate, Rob Latham of Utah, does not want the position but is willing to remain the alternate. Enter our own Jim Remmert, of Boulder. Jim is seeking the District Four spot on the LNC being vacated by Tony. Jim is the former Associate General Counsel for Exxon and has retired in Colorado.

Jim is also in Austin meeting many of the LNC and letting people know he is running.

Jim has my full support and I hope you all get a chance to meet him if you have not yet.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss…

The Obama administration and the Democrat controlled congress extended the USA PATRIOT Act.

What does defensive medicine cost? It depends on your agenda

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 2:23 pm, February 28, 2010

Democrats who depend on malpractice lawyers for huge campaign contributions do everything they can to down play the cost of defensive medicine. Republicans who don’t get money from trial lawyers do everything they can to show that the threats of malpractice suits cause physicians to increase the cost of health care by 30% to 50% by practicing defensive medicine. When physicians practice defensive medicine, they order more tests and procedures and drugs than they should in an effort to reduce their risks of being sued. Trial lawyers win. Medical supply companies and medical device companies win. Physicians and hospitals win. Patients and taxpayers lose.
A new Gallup poll of physician finds that 25% of procedures ordered by physicians are unnecessary. Jackson Healthcare uses that number to estimate that $650 billion of the $2.5 trillion spent on health services is spent on unnecessary tests and treatments. Click on the hed of this story to see links to several relevant articles.

Will Colorado become a NY, CA, IL, OH , NJ, WI; blue states dominated by unions, deep in the red

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 10:21 am, February 28, 2010

The most financially troubled states are dominated by union-backed Democrats who are spending more than they can tax and borrow, and Colorado’s unions and Democrats will put this state in the same sorry fix if they hold on to power in November.
The very conservative magazine, Forbes, has looked at the financial plight of the states and published its results, which will be sneered at by the left. But Republicans if they are smart, will use this report to hammer home the risks voters take when they elect Democrats. Simply put, when you put pubic unions in charge of your state, you give state employees the power to run the state for its bureaucrats, not for the people. (Click on hed to see impact graphs, links):

Weekly Wrapup – “Dirty Dozen” tax increases signed into law, Amendment 54 overturned, school districts sue – taxpayers?

by CTBC Director | 9:12 am, February 28, 2010

It’s been an eventful week in Colorado – unfortunately, so eventful that it’s been hard to keep up.
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time to give any one of these issues the attention (and analysis) they deserve this week – particularly the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling on Amendment 54, which calls for a thoughtful (and time-consuming) [...]

A few thoughts on Obama’s “Debt Commission”

by Rossputin | 4:44 am, February 28, 2010

For today’s  intellectual ammunition please permit me to offer you my initial thoughts on Obama’s “Debt Commission” as written for Human Events earlier this week:

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=35754

Andrew Romanoff answers questions in Frisco

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 11:48 pm, February 27, 2010

Former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff today told a small Frisco luncheon group that he wants to become the state’s U.S. Senator so that he can help build coalitions and get things done. He said he supports a single-payer health care system, including a government-run health insurance plan in President Obama’s health bill, and he likes a proposal that would get employers out of the health insurance business.
Without being specific about how he would create jobs, Romanoff said Congress needs to help unemployed Americans get jobs.
“We’re in charge now, and we ought to act that way,” he declared. The Senate is a country club and it needs to stop dithering, he said. If the Republican minority wants to filibuster the health and other bills, he said, let them. (Please click on headline to see the rest of this story.)

The Road to Recovery

by Al Maurer | 10:31 am, February 27, 2010

Liars figure.

Conservative establishment targets extremists; Tom Tancredo an extremist?

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 8:12 am, February 27, 2010

“Truthers,” “birthers,” members of militia groups, and, apparently anyone opposed to illegal immigration and immigration are “extremists” and are hurting the Tea Party movement and the Republican Party in the eyes of so-called “establishment” conservative leaders such as Erick Erickson, Michael Gerson and Ned Ryun, according to a Politico story.
Former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo leads the list of extremists mentioned by

Democrats’ remarkable reconciliation hypocrisy

by Rossputin | 5:29 am, February 27, 2010

The video below is making its way around the Internet, showing Democrat Senators railing against a plan by Republicans during the Bush Administration to use the “nuclear option” in order to get votes through the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes needed for items which would be filibustered.

Also, Human Events has many excellent quotes HERE.

As usual, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd are the source of inspiration and amusement…

Biden: “I pray God when the Democrats take back control we don’t make the kind of naked power grab you are doing.”

And Dodd: “I’ve never passed a single bill worth talking about that didn’t have a lead co sponsor that was a Republican. And I don’t know of a single piece of legislation that’s ever been adopted here that didn’t have a Republican and Democrat in the lead. That’s because we need to sit down and work with each other. The rules of this institution have required that. That’s why we exist. Why have a bicameral legislative body? Why have two chambers? What were the framers thinking about 218 years ago? They understood Mr. President that there is a tyranny of the majority.”

It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that hypocrisy is one of the least effective charges against “liberals.”  As I’ve written before, conservatives frequently campaign on principles. (Whether or not they govern based on them is another question entirely.)  Liberals, on the other hand, are utilitarians whose actions are judged based on whether they move the ball toward the goal line of socialism, not whether the ball is moved by a play that they previously threw the flag on when the other team tried it.  It’s all about outcome, nothing about principle.  They’ll lie, cheat, and steal.  They’ll say “it’s different this time”.  They’ll do absolutely anything to take the next step in the march on the Road to Serfdom.

So even when you catch them in repeated shameless hypocrisy, they don’t care.  And their voting base won’t care either.  It’s just a question of whether the rest of the country does…

Colo. House Dem Leader Waging PC Fight against “War on Terror” Memorial?

by Ben DeGrow | 5:40 pm, February 26, 2010

In case you’re like me and didn’t listen to the Peter Boyles Show this morning, then you’ve probably missed this gem from our state legislature. As reported by Colorado Senate News:

A memorial to honor soldiers that have sacrificed their lives fighting the War on Terror could be derailed following objections from one Democrat lawmaker.
“It is [...]

American Future Fund launches ad attacking ObamaCare

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 4:55 pm, February 26, 2010

The Iowa-based American Future Fund, which says it is advocating conservative, free market ideals, has launched a strong attack on ObamaCare. The TV and print ad campaign, “Lipstick,” which is running on Fox, CNN and elsewhere, is here.

PPC Covers Leadership Program of the Rockies Retreat: Twittering Liberty

by elpresidente | 2:09 pm, February 26, 2010

Twitterty? Join PPC on Twitter for coverage: twitter.com/peoplespress Photos to follow . . . Steve Moore, Fox News

The Whole Story On Norton’s Jobs-Bill Comments

by Ari Armstrong | 1:46 pm, February 26, 2010

As much as it humors me to be quoted by Colorado Pols and the Colorado Independent, those leftist publications are failing to tell the whole story behind Jane Norton’s comments on the jobs bill. They are trying to score political points rather than get…

Liberty In the Books Web Page

by Ari Armstrong | 1:40 pm, February 26, 2010

I’ve finished the Liberty In the Books web page (for now). See http://tinyurl.com/libertybooksThe readings cover basic economics, health policy, the Great Depression, the housing bust, and antitrust. I’ll continue to add new review questions as the Den…

Transparency, Merit Pay and “It’s For the Kids”: A Little Friday Deja Vu for You

by Eddie | 12:10 pm, February 26, 2010

I know this sounds a little weird, but I think I’m experiencing a bad case of deja vu. The topics of three posts I wrote last week all re-emerged this Friday morning:

On Monday the 15th I noted that the school spending transparency debate had returned to the State Capitol. While Senate Bill 91 here was [...]

Obama uses his time to show his arrogance, bad manners, win-at-any-cost mindset; he was the prop

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 9:57 am, February 26, 2010

President Obama used more time than all of the Republicans combined at his latest prop, the seven-hour health talking points show that was on TV until the news channels got bored with it. And how did Obama use his time? He showed Republicans are correct when they call him arrogant, uninformed about health markets and, as Peggy Noonan says, boorish. As expected, Republicans came prepared to show their expertise on health and to tell America that they believe consumers can make better decisions about their health insurance and health care than Obama, Harry Reid, Henry Waxman, and Nancy Pelosi can. The Democrats showed not only that they are clueless about health markets, but also that they rule by anecdotes and for themselves. The best coverage of the health standoff at Blair House is at Politico.com. The best commentary is at wsj.com. And the Democrats’ talking points are at nytimes.com and washingtonpost.com. 

Differing views on who “won” the health-care summit

by Rossputin | 9:45 am, February 26, 2010

The editors at Americans for Limited Government argue that Republicans basically won yesterday’s confrontation with Barack Obama:
http://blog.getliberty.org/default.asp?Display=2064

And over at the American Spectator, Quin Hillyer suggests that the very existence of an ongoing debate and the fact that Americans might let their guards down just through becoming tired of hearing the arguments means that Obama is winning:
http://spectator.org/archives/2010/02/26/summit-strategems/

What do you think???

 

Bill Ritter’s Pitch for Cary Kennedy Shows Vulnerability of Treasurer’s Race

by Ben DeGrow | 9:13 am, February 26, 2010

Just a reminder that Colorado Democrat State Treasurer Cary Kennedy’s re-election hopes are fragile this year. Yesterday I received a fundraising email from Bill Ritter. After touting the incumbent’s record, the message reads:

Cary Kennedy is facing a well-funded challenger who is related to George W. Bush and has tapped into his family’s national fundraising network. [...]

Health Care Summit Does Nothing for Vulnerable Congressman John Salazar

by Ben DeGrow | 9:02 am, February 26, 2010

Say what you will about yesterday’s Health Care Summit. Obama and the Democrat leadership didn’t make the case for expanded government control of medicine and didn’t move the ball politically in any way to help ram through the Obama Care monstrosity.
In Colorado, that has to be especially unsettling for 3rd District Congressman John Salazar. Dick [...]

Public-Sector Unions: The Fourth Rail of Politics

by Rossputin | 7:11 am, February 26, 2010

I’m participating in the Leadership Program of the Rockies Annual Retreat today, so I won’t be writing about yesterday’s health care summit.  I’m sure plenty of other people will have covered that Kabuki more than adequately.

But not too many people are covering this, so I hope you find it interesting.

I believe this is becoming, and will continue to become, a major issue in American politics:

In few places has unionization been less justified and more harmful to the nation than in the creations of unions of government workers – at all levels, local, state, and federal.  Please read my article for American Spectator on this topic at http://spectator.org/archives/2010/02/25/the-fourth-rail-of-politics

Beer Policy Bash on Indepedent Thinking

by Jon Caldara | 5:59 am, February 26, 2010

Should convenience stores be allowed to sell full strength beer? And if so, why can‘t liquor store owners operate multiple locations? This weeks Independent Thinking takes a look at Colorado’s complex and antiquated liquor laws and the bills currently in the legislature that would change the way beer is sold in Colorado. [...]

Republicans, beware the trap of ‘limited’ health reform

by Brian Schwartz | 1:30 am, February 26, 2010

Writes Paul Hsieh, M.D. in Pajamas Media:
Controls breed more controls. The seemingly innocuous “reform” of requiring insurers to cover all pre-existing conditions would merely set the stage for ever-tightening controls until liberal Democrats achieved their long-held dream of a complete government takeover of health care — only gradually, rather than all [...]

How much is Medicare costing taxpayers?

by Brian Schwartz | 1:30 am, February 26, 2010

Keith Hennessey reviews the disagreement between Paul Krugman (on one side) and Rep. Paul Ryan, New Gingrich, and John Goodman (on the other) about how to change Medicare so it does not bankrupt the country.  How much is Medicare spending? Consider what Hennessey points out:
The policy reality is that if we are to prevent a [...]

Schools Deal with the Devil

by Ari Armstrong | 12:28 am, February 26, 2010

WTVD out of North Carolina posted an interesting story illustrating how tax-funded schools deal with the devil.Tieanna Trough, a student at Gray’s Creek High School, “refused to write an essay on making a deal with the Devil… Trough says when the tea…

Tom Wiens hypocritically voted for Ref. C-type bills before he voted against Ref. C; ads backfire

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 7:36 pm, February 25, 2010

Before a candidate attacks an opponent, he should anticipate how his record will be used to make him look like an overly desperate hypocrite.
Tom Wiens, a candidate for the Republicans’ nomination to challenge appointed Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet, is relearning this bitter lesson.
He and a Virginia group just

Thank you John Kefalas!

by Amy Oliver | 5:17 pm, February 25, 2010

I want to send a thank you card to State Rep John Kefalas (D-Fort Collins).
In a press release bragging about the House Health and Human Services Committee passing his “Transparency Trojan Horse” bill, a.k.a. HB 1330 The Health Care Cost Transparency Act, Kefalas said, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”  In other words, Kefalas [...]

Strauch Clarifies Norton’s Remarks on ‘Too Small’ Jobs Bill

by Ari Armstrong | 4:59 pm, February 25, 2010

Both the Huffington Post and Colorado Pols have been having fun with Jane Norton’s comment that the Congressional jobs bill “was too small.”Norton, the Republican frontrunner for the U.S. Senate seat, made the remark in an interview with Fox News yeste…

All-payer Database: Transparency Trojan Horse

by Amy Oliver | 4:12 pm, February 25, 2010

Coloradans should beware the “Transparency Trojan Horse” that will create a database containing their most personal health care information, according to an Independence Institute analysis of HB 1330 the Health Care Cost Transparency Act sponsored by State Representative John Kefalas and Senator John Morse.
Health Care Policy Center Director Linda Gorman warns that the legislation grants unlimited power to [...]

Ex-Jihadist on Regis ‘Seng Center’ Radio Show 6pm tonight

by Jimmy Sengenberger | 1:12 pm, February 25, 2010

Who ever said college media outlets are run by liberals Freedom and liberty are to be cherished and preserved, not taken for granted.  While we are arguing over the kinds of freedoms Americans deserve here on the homefront, our nation is faced with a grave threat to our liberties overseas.  Whether you agree with certain [...]

How to Push Ben DeGrow’s Buttons in Making Arguments about School Funding

by Eddie | 11:05 am, February 25, 2010

The same day that I promised to stay away from using the “it’s for the kids” line to make an argument, the Denver Post published an online column by University of Northern Colorado education professor Spencer Weiler doing just that:

…Colorado is only as strong as the quality of education children throughout the state receive each [...]

keep looking »

Featured Posts

• Judge Rules Americans Can Be Forced to Testify Against Themselves

  In order to protect our rights, our security must be protected. In order to protect our security, our rights must be invaded. Nothing wrong with that, is there?

• World Economic Forum in Switzerland: Global Elites Celebrating Hypocrisy
• SCOTUS decision on warrantless GPS surveillance produces an expected friend of privacy
• You didn’t want your Fifth Amendment rights, anyway, did you?
• Keynesian Economists Finally Catch Up and Agree: China to Have Hard Landing
• The Beauty of Private Property—from China?
• Regime Uncertainty, Regulatory Surge, and Unemployment Numbers