February 14, 2011
Dear Friend of Liberty,
I think you’ll enjoy this video of the LP in action at CPAC (pronounced "see-pack"), the Conservative Political Action Conference.
LP Headquarters staff and volunteers hosted a booth last Thursday through Saturday here in Washington, D.C., featuring the World’s Smallest Political Quiz and the "Republican Wall of Shame."
Our new video specialist, Nigel Lyons, interviewed everyone from Libertarians to Republicans, as well as representatives from various nonpartisan groups like Students for Liberty and Young Americans for Liberty. He even captured original video footage of Jimmy McMillan (from the Rent Is Too Damn High Party) Eskimo-kissing Sarah Palin.
Republican Congressman Ron Paul, the 1988 Libertarian nominee for president, won the presidential straw poll at CPAC. Republican "Wall of Shamer" Mitt Romney placed second, and former Republican New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson placed a distant third.
Gary Johnson has fairly libertarian principles. As governor, Johnson vetoed 750 bills, which was more than all 49 other governors combined at the time. He’s an outspoken opponent of the war on drugs and supports legalizing marijuana.
Governor Johnson gave a "shout-out" to the Libertarian Party in the video, probably seeking support.
Meanwhile, FoxNews.com published a rather hostile opinion piece: "Disrespectful Libertarians Hijack CPAC Poll — And Its Mission."
Just for the record, our official Libertarian Party representatives were reasonably polite and professional (aside from the "Republican Wall of Shame"). And I’m not going to criticize the tactics and effectiveness of the many spirited Ron Paul libertarians.
The Fox News op-ed angrily states, "Libertarians and Conservatives are as different as Libertarians and Liberals."
I couldn’t agree more.
Have a great week.
Sincerely,
Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee
P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.
