Decorated Marine, Foreign Service Official resigns

He said he was going to “grow the party” yet he finished his comments with “if you don’t like it you can leave!” Yeah, that seems like a good way to grow the party Lindsey.

Paul is going about his business defending the Constitution and bringing the GOP to young American patriots through the Campaign For Liberty. Paul educates with his books like his most recent “End the Fed” and last year’s “The Revolution: A Manifesto“. Meanwhile neo-conservatives and strangers to logic like Graham attempt to grow the party by shouting down those that would support them if they had any principles at all.

It is this lack of integrity and principle on display right now. Graham is the worst of the lot. Integrity, honesty, and principle are the ideological fuel to grow the Republican Party. That is the fuel of Ron Paul. Utilizing the Lindsey Graham infested fuel has already been attempted and failed.

Last time I checked John McCain wasn’t the President of the U.S. Although he could certainly be described as an angry white guy. Hmmm… maybe that’s who Graham was talking about after all.

In case you haven’t seen it already, here is the full video of the Graham town hall:

And here is the response from Ron Paul on CNN and MSNBC yesterday:

Ron covers many of the same points critics have made already, but he interestingly points out that the anti-war Left is AWOL now that Obama is in office. Projecting a bit into the future I’m curious what will become of these “Tea Partiers”  if another big-government neo-conservative Republican wins the White House in 2012. Will they go AWOL too? I fear they will. Can we please, for the love of liberty, break this vicious cycle?

Partisanship is an evil drug and too many Republicans and Democrats are addicted. The Constitution was not created for convenience or whim. It was once the “supreme law of the land”, but now it really has become “just a god-damned piece of paper” for far too many people.

Yesterday it became quite clear that she was never in danger of becoming a foreign policy non-interventionist like Paul.

From CNN:

Palin published a note on her Facebook page Tuesday that encourages President Barack Obama to grant a request for the tens of thousands of additional troops reportedly requested by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in the country.

“Now is not the time for cold feet, second thoughts, or indecision,” Palin wrote on the site. “It is the time to act as commander-in-chief and approve the troops so clearly needed in Afghanistan.”

Noting the possible consequences of not helping to build up Afghanistan’s institutions, the former Alaska governor also wholeheartedly endorsed McChrystal’s counterinsurgency approach to continued U.S. military presence in the country.

“We can win in Afghanistan by helping the Afghans build a stable representative state able to defend itself. And we must do what it takes to prevail. The stakes are very high. The 9/11 attacks were planned in Afghanistan, and if we are not successful there, al Qaeda will once again find a safe haven, the Taliban will impose its cruelty on the Afghan people, and Pakistan will be less stable.”

She is just confirming that she never was and never will be a libertarian, especially when it comes to foreign policy. Don’t let the new designation (or Eric Dondero) fool you. The Palin-Cons are the same old Neo-Cons.

From Kentucky.com:

FRANKFORT — Bowling Green eye surgeon Rand Paul is expected to announce his Republican candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday on a national television news show.

Paul, who has been exploring a U.S. Senate bid for several weeks, is to appear on Glenn Beck’s show on the Fox News Channel at 5 p.m. Wednesday and will hold a media conference call at 9:15 a.m. Thursday, said campaign manager David Adams.

Rand Paul’s father was painted with the fringe brush by his fellow Republicans during his 2008 Presidential campaign. All indications at this point are that the Republicans are about to make the same mistake again. The establishment is supporting and funding Rand’s likely opponent Trey Grayson. Could succeeding in raising a million dollars in a single day change all of that?

Hopefully we get to find out.

Some claim taking a non-interventionist approach on the Iran election aftermath is the height of hypocrisy from someone who claims to believe in liberty. Ron Paul is being criticized for his lone “Nay”  vote on condemning the Iranian government’s heinous actions on it’s own people. On the surface it appears Obama is taking a similar non-interventionist approach for now, although there are some arguing the opposite may be true. Hopefully, Obama stands his ground (this time) against the interventionist opposition.

Those clamoring for intervention need to answer a few questions, but there is one question that trumps them all.

What is the endgame of intervening in Iran?

Is it the preposterous idea to enforce a fair election in another country and install Mousavi as President so the Iranian reformers can be “free”? Where in the U.S. Constitution that we claim is the supreme law of the land permits the U.S. government to intervene in another country’s election process (no matter how flawed it may be)? Of course that pesky Constitution didn’t stop us from doing something similar in Iran in 1953 and many other places over the years. In fact a good argument could be made that the reason Iranians are so “unfree” today was because of our own interventions in Iran beginning in 1953.

Furthermore, If we somehow magically install a new Iranian President but do nothing about the theocratic dictatorship with all the real power in Iran, the Iranian reformists would be no more free than they are right now.

Is the goal then to use force to remove the theocratic dictatorship and transform Iran into a… well… another version of Iraq? Yeah, that worked so well. It was done with minimal bloodshed, it only lasted a year, and it was cheap for the U.S. taxpayers. Oh never mind, that was the promise, not the reality. Doing this would mark the fourth simultaneous nation-building effort if you count Afghanistan in the mix. And I say fourth because we are most certainly doing our own version of nation-building right here in the U.S. with Obama’s “stimulus” plan in effect.

There’s nothing quite like some more nation-building to bring America back to economic prominence in the world by spending more money we don’t have!

Being a lover of liberty I can’t help but cheer for Iranian freedom with a full-throat, but that freedom can only be achieved by the Iranian people organizing and demanding it through whatever means they deem necessary. If the U.S. determines the means then the Iranians will be trading one dictator for another.

We need to focus on leading by example and diplomacy. This is yet another case where America can be that proverbial “shining city on a hill”, but only if we don’t send our military down that hill and around the world “in search of monsters to destroy“.

If you are for U.S. intervention in Iran yet getting yourself all in a lather over attending one of the Tea Parties which are dedicated to restoring our Constitution as the rule of law, may I suggest being cautious about whom you call hypocrites? As hard as it may be to believe, it is possible to support freedom around the world without intervention.

H.L. Mencken wrote:

“I believe in only one thing: liberty; but I do not believe in liberty enough to want to force it upon anyone.”

Couple that thought with Thomas Jefferson’s…

“…peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.”

and we have the best answer to the Iranian situation. To do otherwise, we may find that when all is said and done, the only tyrant remaining in the world lives and works in the White House. That is of course, if our economy can hold up that long.

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And about that lone Ron Paul vote, here is another quote from John Quincy Adams:

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.

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UPDATE: Paul Kroenke, who wrote the article I was critical of above, has posted a clarification/follow-up that readers of this article should also read. Also note my own clarification in the comments section of that piece. In short, I apologize to Paul for misconstruing his article and offer up that I do agree with condemning the Iranian regime’s actions, but I disagree about doing so as an official act of Congress. Furthermore, my largest worry is that such condemnations will lead to eventual intervention.

Kathleen Wells: What are your thoughts on President Obama’s decision to release the torture memos?

Congressman Ron Paul: I think he is purely political. I think he has backed down on what he said. He was elected for change and it is the same old stuff and he is as much of a neo-con now as Bush was with this issue and other issues. The war has been expanded. He continues with not closing down Guantanamo. There is probably, for as most [sic] as we can tell, there is still secret rendition going on. We just moved some of this process overseas. We are not going to be aware of it in detail.

Kathleen Wells: You feel President Obama is a neo-con like Bush? You don’t see a distinction between the two administrations?

Congressman Ron Paul: The tone is different, but the policies don’t change. We are spreading the war. The war is expanding. We are not prosecuting those that committed torture. Guantanamo is not going to be closed down. So, no, I don’t see [a distinction between Bush and Obama].

He [Obama] increased the DOD [Department of Defense] budget. We surely could spend some of that money at home where people are really hurting. But we increased the DOD budget, I think, by 10-percent. I can’t see any significant change in foreign policy. The pretense in leaving Iraq was a mild pretense and I’m predicting that’s not going to happen. There are going to be troops in Iraq throughout this administration, I’m convinced.

That’s right people… It’s taken Barack Obama less than 6 months as President to prove beyond any doubt that the only change he represents is rhetorical. The honeymoon is over.

I apologize to the wonderful Free State Project for bastardizing their efforts with such a suggestion, but I am quite serious. Instead of putting energy into calling the Obama administration socialists why not abandon the petty, kindergarten-style, partisan bickering and look within? Come up with a new 1994-style “Contract With America” but this time don’t renege on the contract. It should not be called anything similar to “Contract With America” though. Yes, that bad taste is still lingering.

Dubbing it “The Free Country Project” and making more than a half-assed effort to bring libertarianism back into the GOP could be a winning formula. Of course, many will have to tuck their neo-con tails between their legs and embrace Ron Paul and his libertarian friends. I’m not talking about a macho homophobic half-hearted embrace here. I’m talking about a full-on bear hug that will make gawkers worry about dropping the soap in the GOP country club shower.

The principles that should go in The Free Country Project are quite simple to find. In fact those principles were codified into a rulebook that every lawmaker must take an oath to uphold. Yet once most of them set foot on DC soil they begin thinking, “What oath?”

The Free Country Project should be a promise to restore the Constitution as the “supreme law of the land.” If that promise is made and the GOP begins behaving like grown-ups again the sky is the limit. It may take a long time to touch the clouds again, but at least there will be an upward trajectory.

So here are my humble recommendations for successfully restoring the GOP, the five guiding principles of  The Free Country Project:

1. Promise to follow the Constitution and do so.
2. Behave like grown-ups.
3. Watch what Lindsey Graham does and do the opposite.
4. Listen to what Lindsey Graham says and say the opposite.
5. Fear the soap.

Do all of this and the GOP may be able to declare the Obama honeymoon over right before socialized medicine starts killing off old people to ease the Social Security burden.

NOTE: Another name considered was “The 9-13 Project”. If I can steal from real libertarians (Free State Project) then I can certainly steal from pseudo-libertarians like Glenn Beck (9-12 Project). If Glenn Beck and I were contestants on the Price Is Right I would amuse myself silly by bidding one dollar more than him every time. And Beck being Beck, it wouldn’t shock me if he ended up crying about it on the air.

Lindsey Graham represents the GOP in a death-ward spiral. He is at the point of kicking, screaming, and clawing his way out of the Republican pit of despair. To really illustrate how the Grahams of the GOP operate see the video below. The sad thing is that this kind of behavior is no longer surprising. It is expected. This is the giant wall those that are trying to rebrand the GOP with the same old neo-con leaders are up against. The GOP should take Stephen Gordon’s advice and embrace libertarians of all stripes, otherwise the Grand Old Party may be destined to be the Tired Old Party by 2012.

What is required is a bear hug embrace of the “Old Right”-the fundamental conservatism embodied in the traditional Republican nickname. The Grand Old Party of free markets, individual freedom, and non-intervention must replace today’s Grand Neocon Party of massive spending, legislating morality, and preemptive war. Republicans have the poster boy for such an effort right under their noses, that is if they stop looking down their noses at the only man equipped to be their savior, Ron Paul.

Michael Steele, as the new RNC Chairman, should immediately work on what I call the “Only Ron Paul” strategy for 2012 victory. They should embrace Ron Paul and every single one of his activist supporters. They should make Ron Paul their candidate in 2012. Not one of a few, nor several candidates, but their only candidate, their chosen one. They should be public about it too. Let everyone in America know that Ron Paul is the Republican choice for President in 2012.

This benefits the GOP in many ways. First, they can save Party money by not having to fund primaries and caucuses in the states. The money they save can be better utilized during the general election against Obama. Sure, some kind of process must be agreed upon for the state conventions and local meetings, but the Party is a private organization and there is ample time to modify rules to allow such an effort.

During his 2008 campaign Ron Paul raised approximately $35 million. That is astounding considering the treatment he received from his own party. Imagine the money he could raise if he had the unequivocal support from his fellow Republicans.

The current economic crisis is likely to get a lot worse by 2010 and beyond. Imagine having a candidate that correctly warned and predicted the calamity. The number one issue will be the economy and Ron Paul owns everyone else on that issue, especially an incumbent who presided over the mess for 3-4 years.

The Ron Paul 2012 campaign can turn a negative into a positive quite easily. A counter attack to the “too old” argument should not be merely pointing out a daily exercise routine. The counter argument should ask everyone to look at the young inexperience of Obama and his socialist mismanagement and compare that to the wise economic sage Ron Paul.

Embracing an “Only Ron Paul” strategy also does something else. It sends a signal to everyone that Republicans are no longer unwilling to admit mistakes and change their ways. Getting 100% behind a man in 2012 that they marginalized in 2008, a man that went against his own party, calling for bringing all the troops home from Iraq and elsewhere, would be the best evidence that the GOP is serious about shedding its neo-conservative skin for good.

I doubt Michael Steele and his fellow Republicans have the guts to do such a drastic thing. They fancy themselves conservatives, so taking drastic measures isn’t in their DNA. However, I remain hopeful that a “eureka” moment will overcome their stodgy ways.

The Ron Paul faithful is simmering with activism and ready for another go.

Obama has already shown what direction he’s taking the country-to the left. It’s time for Republicans to return to their Old Right roots. A great first step to this end is banishing neo-conservatism and embracing the “Only Ron Paul” strategy for victory in 2012. What a sweet victory for liberty it will be.

There’s no gray area with Ron Paul, you are either an interventionist or a non-interventionist. Barack Obama continues the Bush doctrine of preemptive war. As usual Ron Paul is quick to point out the folly of intervention.

In fact, Ron Paul’s political views can be summed up with the following:

“The federal government should leave us alone, leave private businesses alone, and leave other countries alone.”

Or perhaps better still would be: “Don’t meddle!”

I’m still waiting for the outrage from the Obamacons. I will have to wait for a long time from the looks of it, but the backlash will come. In the meantime we have to put up with gag-inducing videos like this one from some of our favorite actors.

For a much better, down to earth, and honest video watch the one from Ron Paul below.

They dream that they can somehow keep one hand in the neo-con cookie jar while the other hand waves over the Constitution. When Dr. Ron Paul comes along and tells them its time to amputate the gangrene neo-conservatism they dart out of the office crying like babies. One would think they would get the hint with their string of losses the past few years. Their latest and ultimate loss came this week when Al “Dog-gone it! People like me!” Franken was declared the winner over Norm Coleman in the hotly contested Minnesota Senate race.

As difficult as that is to chew on for Republican leaders it still won’t be enough to get them to mend their ways. They are more worried about beating Democrats than doing what’s right for America.  Somewhere some red-blooded, meat-eating, Sarah Palin-in-drag true-believing Republican cymbal monkey is happy with this strategy. Those of us who believe in conservative roots and Old Right principles know how to restore the GOP to greatness. It starts with severing the neo-conservatism arm and embracing the liberty found in our Constitution. And by embracing I don’t mean fondling it under the table like many politicians do today. I mean embracing it with a proud momma bear hug.

Ron Paul knows this better than anyone yet he is still picked last for the team in GOP gym class. Paul is admired for his economics and ostracized for his foreign policy. Bad-mouthers always ask the question: How can Ron Paul be so right on economics yet so wrong on foreign policy?

The answer my friends (with apologies to John McCain)  is that he isn’t wrong on foreign policy. He is just as right on foreign policy as he is on economics.

All we are saying is give peace a chance. Peace through free trade and commerce that is. Stop bombing and start doing business. We aren’t asking for much, just tell the truth, uphold your oath of office, and err on the side of freedom. That should be the goal, not winning the political party potato sack race.