Wayne Allen Root, the Libertarian Party’s 2008 vice-presidential nominee, has a new book out today. “The Conscience of a Libertarian” lays out the case for libertarianism and lets you know what you can do to help build a free country.
“The Conscience of a Libertarian” is available through our store (powered by amazon) by clicking the image below or browsing through our store in the sidebar.
The Washington Post had an interesting article yesterday. Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie wrote;
Barely six months into his presidency, Barack Obama seems to be driving south into that political speed trap known as Carter Country: a sad-sack landscape in which every major initiative meets not just with failure but with scorn from political allies and foes alike. According to a July 13 CBS News poll, the once-unassailable president’s approval rating now stands at 57 percent, down 11 points from April. Half of Americans think the recession will last an additional two years or more, 52 percent think Obama is trying to “accomplish too much,” and 57 percent think the country is on the “wrong track.”
As writers who inveighed against last year’s GOP candidate and called George W. Bush’s presidency a “disaster,” we’re equal-opportunity critics. As taxpayers with children and hence some small, almost certainly unrecoverable stake in this country’s future (not to mention that of General Motors, Chrysler and AIG), we write with skin in the game and the fear that our current leader will indeed start busting out the 1970s cardigans.
The key to understanding Obama’s predicament is to realize that while he ran convincingly as a repudiation of Bush, he is in fact doubling down on his predecessor’s big-government policies and perpetual crisis-mongering. From the indefinite detention of alleged terrorists to gays in the military to bailing out industries large and small, Obama has been little more than the keeper of the Bush flame. Indeed, it took the two of them to create the disaster that is the 2009 budget, racking up a deficit that has already crossed the historic $1 trillion mark with almost three months left in the fiscal year.
You can read the whole article by clicking the link at the top of the page.
Some of the comments are worth reading also. Of course there’s the 7th graders acorn crew with their “you lost nah nah” comments but you can skip over those. 
Shocking to some to see the media doing their job for a change instead of being Obama’s bootlickers.
Beautiful piece. Bush was bad. Carter was horrible. And now we have Carter on steroids AND meth. It will take a decade to undo this mess Obama is making.
Obama is a socialist/marxist that wants to REMAKE this country; he has said so more than once. Those that surround him are of like mind. Of course, remember that the “rulers” will be miraculously insulated and immune from the chaos and misery that their policies will create. Carter was a least a decent, honest man with good intensions, but was a terrible president. I find nothing in Obama but a cold, arrogant, elitist, that has been raised and mentored to loath and despise this country.
What’s next? Cardigans? What may be next is what Presidents like Jimmah Cawter and Obama attract like offal to flies– an international crisis brought on by enemies who know how weak and ineffectual they are. It’s frustrating that in these times of real danger and challenge, we have a President who talks big, does little except spend money, and at the end of day winds up as soundbites on cable news. President Obama is the Peter Principal cubed. I hope all you rubes who voted for him are bleary-eyed and happy.
The Libertarian Party of Maryland has nominated four candidates in the upcoming 2010 election. In the First District, Dr. Richard Davis has been nominated as the Libertarian candidate for Congress; he ran in 2008. Lorenzo Gaztañaga has accepted the nomination for the Second Congressional district again; he ran in 2008. In the House of Delegates two individuals have been nominated: Justin Kinsey in District 5B, and Brandon Brooks in District 11.
Dr. Richard Davis, the Libertarian Party’s First District Congressional candidate, is a Hurlock, MD resident and operates a Dentist office out of Federalsburg, MD. In 2008 he accepted the Libertarian Party’s nomination for Congress in the First District, where he received 8,873 votes (2.5% of the vote). His mild manner and firm grasp of the issues attracted many voters. Dr. Davis can be contacted at (410) 943-8314.
Lorenzo Gaztañaga has been chosen to run for the Second Congressional District seat; this will be his second run for Congress. Mr. Gaztañaga was born in Cuba and became an American Citizen in 1973. He attended Loyola College and Towson State University, majoring in History and Political Science. During the 1980’s he studied Psychology at the University of Baltimore. Mr. Gaztañaga currently works in a security business. He is active in his church, Cliftmont Community Wesleyan Church. In 2008 Lorenzo got 8,786 votes (3.2%) in his run for the Second District seat. Mr. Gaztañaga can be contacted at (410) 325-2813 and email at diazvivar@aol.com.
Justin Kinsey has been nominated as the Libertarian Party’s candidate for Maryland House of Delegates District 5B. Mr. Kinsey is a Sparks, Maryland resident. He works as a Patient Transportation Coordinator for Northwest Hospital in Randallstown and he is a part time EMT. Mr. Kinsey is also an instructor at the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. He currently attends Baltimore County Community College where he is Double Majoring in Sociology and Political science. His website, www.Kinsey5B.com, is scheduled to be up on July 13, 2009. He can be reached at (410) 456-3584 and email at FriendsOfJustinKinsey@gmail.com .
House of delegates District 11 candidate Brandon Brooks is a longtime resident of Pikesville, MD. Mr. Brooks is an Electricians Assistant in a family business. He is a graduate of Western School of Technology Science in Catonsville, MD and specialized in Information Technology. Mr. Brooks has been a part of the Civil Air Patrol, where he has been involved in search and rescue operations, and training other personnel. This is Mr. Brooks’ first time running for elected office. His contact information is (410) 207-1458, SonOfLiberty076@yahoo.com, and his website is brooksfordelegate.webs.com.
The Maryland Libertarian Party is proud to present its first group of candidates for the upcoming 2010 election. The MDLP plans to run candidates for all federal offices and some county and state offices.
For more information on this issue, or to arrange an interview with the Maryland Libertarian Party, please call Communications Director Muir Boda at (410) 603-3347, or email at mwboda@mac.com.
The Libertarian Party is America’s third-largest political party, founded in 1971 as an alternative to the two main political parties. You can find more information on the Maryland Libertarian Party at www.md.lp.org, their blog at www.mdlibertarian.com, and the Libertarian Party by visiting LP.org. The Libertarian Party proudly stands for smaller government, lower taxes and more freedom.
Daniel Henninger of the Wall Street Journal asks the question “What is the point and purpose of the President’s orations”?
Six months into his presidency, with more surely to come, it is an appropriate moment to ask: What is the point and purpose of Barack Obama’s speeches?……He seems to be on TV every day, talking.
Mr. Obama is not the nation’s Speaker in Chief. He’s not a senator, and he’s no longer a candidate. He’s the president. A president’s major speeches are different than those of anyone else. That high office imposes demands beyond the power of a podium. Inspiration matters, but the office also requires acts of leadership. A U.S. president’s words must be connected to something beyond sentiment and eloquence. Too much of the time, Barack Obama’s big speeches don’t seem to be connected to anything other than his own interesting thoughts on some subject.
You can read Daniel’s article at the link above. Also, read some of the comments if you get a chance. Here’s a few I thought were right on the spot:
“It is megalomania, pure and simple that drives this talking head of a president. His ideas are old and vacuous, and as the author points out, rest on a tissue of foundation.”
“Just like a top 40 song that everyone hums along to when it first comes out after excessive airplay people begin to just change the channel and soon enough it is out of radio rotation. The American public is already beginning to change the channel; what will happen when he announces a major speech and only Keith Olberman shows up?”
“I certainly can’t see why anyone thinks his speeches are worthy of any praise. Seeing the media fawn over his oratory reminds me of pre-school parents ooo’ing and ah’ing over their precious little ones fingerpainting……He may be spouting roses and laurel but what I hear in my head resembles the sound all adults make in “Charlie Brown” features. What he lacks in sincerity he makes up for in deceit.”
