We've Been Neo-Conned by Rep. Ron Paul

We've Been Neo-Conned by Rep. Ron Paul-I remember first coming across this speech (I believe in 2004) and falling in love with the title. I since returned to it a number of times,finding it to be a great source.

I wholeheartedly believe that neoconservatism is a grave disease that eats away the heart of liberty. It is the worse type of liberalism, one that infects the very thoughts and actions of those who claim to be conservatives. If freedom is to survive, neoconservatism must perish!

In "We've Benn Neo-Conned" Dr. Paul provides a good overview of neoconservatism, its modern origins and practioners, and why it must be combatted. I highly recommend that you take the time to read/or listen to this classic speech from July of 2003.

If you prefer watching the speech, here is the first video in the series:

Quotation of the Day

"Liberty is not a means to a political end. It is itself the highest political end." – Lord Acton

Bernanke Re-confirmation Met with Opposition

If you haven't already heard, FED Chairman Ben Bernanke was re-confirmed by a vote of 70-30 yesterday afternoon. In this two clear signals were sent: 1. Failure will continue to be rewarded in DC. 2. Some are ready to stand up to the FED chairman.

The vote did not go along party lines with the failed chairman of the currency debasing giant finding support on both sides of the aisle. Sadly, both of my Republican senators (Alexander and Corker) gave their support, but that was to be expected. Each are statist in make-up, moderates at best, and completely ignorant in the field of fiscal policy. Major supporter of the FED Sen. Bob Corker even went as far as to say:

“We need to mature a little bit. ... If we continue constant witch hunts, which is what happens here on a daily basis, no one in leadership is ever going to make a bold decision. You’re going to reduce people to just not taking leadership.”

This is a severely misguided statement. First, it assumes that Bernanke has made bold decisions. Keeping interest rates extremely artificially low and injecting volumes of paper money into a hungry system is not bold. Rather, it is politically expedient. Second, Corker assumes that bold equals correct. And even if Bernanke was being bold-he wasn't-he sure wasn't acting rightly. Moreover, Mr. Corker this is not a matter of immaturity by the FED chairman's opponents. In fact, immaturity has shown forth quiet brightly in statements you have made over the last year involving the FED, fiscal policy, and basic economic theory. Perhaps the finger needs to be pointed back at you.

There is an upside to the recent re-confirmation process, however. Some are upset with the FED, its chair, and our current fiscal policy. The speeches made on the senate floor and the 70-30 margin are proof of this.

The senate usually skates through these confirmations. Not this time. A record 30 senators voted against him, which is a very good sign. I can't help but see this as a major victory for Texas Congressman Ron Paul. He has single handedly brought the FED issue to national prominence and led his colleges on a crusade for FED transparency.

May this opposition continue to grow and lead to good things down the road. If you haven't already checked out the effort to audit the FED through legislation going through the House and Senate, please do.

Quotation of the Day

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated." – Thomas Jefferson

State of the State of the Union: Uneventful

If you missed the President's State of the Union Address last night, you did not miss much. It was "surprisingly unsurprising," if I may borrow an analysis from a Cato scholar's live blogging during the event. I couldn't agree more.

President Obama started doing what he does best--painting word pictures, presenting broad platitudes, and offering no real policy meat. But unlike his success in the past two years, these words seemed to fall flat. I don't think anyone across the political spectrum was truly please with the speech. There was no "game changing" statements, no signal to the left that he was going to be the liberal they want, and no signal to the right that he would become the moderate they can tolerate.

There were some new policy directions announced. For example, President Obama announced his intent to overturn "Don't ask. Don't tell." For this he should be commended. Whether or not you are pro gays in the military. "Don't ask. Don't tell." has been a ridiculous and failed policy that needs to be done away with. Morover, in his speech, Obama announced a few other new policies such as new bank taxes, his "spending freeze" which is nothing more than an attempt to save face and preserve current entitlement spending (Anyone against runaway government spending should be against this "spending freeze."), and a host of other "new" economic policies. The truth is that these "new" policies are not really that new. They are merely different ways to continue government interventionism into the economy. Do not be fooled.

Moreover, the President's speech had a number of highlights for policy wonks, if you knew where to look. When speaking on trade, Obama seemed to endorse the practice of mercantilism in his call for balanced import substitution. Mercantilism is dangerous and misguided as it has always been. We need to produce more. We need to export more. But we do not need artificial trade barriers which will end in ruin. Likewise, the President's emphasis on the economy in general was misguided as it placed the government at the center of all. The policies laid out by the President such as his "small business tax credit," his call for equal pay for equal work, and his continued call for government spending on unnecessary projects to create short-term and unnecessary work programs, are misguided and will only worsen the current economic climate. These policies at their heart are nothing more than the continuation of the interventionist policies that have gotten us into this mess.

Perhaps most striking from the speech was President Obama's attacks on Republicans and the Supreme Court. Though the partisan attack can be written off as mere tackiness, the attack on the Court flies in the face of proper behavior when considering our nations system of separation of powers. First, the President went out of his way to attack a non-legislative branch of government at a questionable time. Secondly, his statement was completely false, not grounded in one bit of truth. A disagreement with a ruling is one thing. An false attack for one's own populist gain is another.

As I have already said, not much earth shattering came out of the President's speech, but maybe that is because we have heard much of it before. Just look at how Obama's SOTU measures up with those of Bush.

Sadly, in a speech clearly playing to populist emotions, the populace was unable to find hope for the State of the Union.

This Just in from TN Campaign for Liberty

January 27, 2010


Dear TN patriot,

This is it. It’s crunch time in our fight to Audit the Fed. And the clock is ticking.

You see, Ben Bernanke’s confirmation vote will come TOMORROW.

Patriots like you have been calling your Senators non-stop INSISTING that Bernanke not be re-confirmed until S. 604, the Audit the Fed Bill, is given an up or down vote on the Senate floor.

But Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Bob Corker’s votes are still up in the air, and they could be the clinchers. That’s why I need you to keep hammering.

Please call Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Bob Corker at the numbers below RIGHT AWAY. Insist clearly: “No Audit? No Bernanke!”

Senator Lamar Alexander: 202-224-4944
Senator Bob Corker: 202-224-3344

But we need to send a second message, too. You see, some Senators -- including Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Bob Corker -- are trying cover themselves by voting for cloture (the 60 vote Senate procedure to bring Bernanke up for a vote) but then voting AGAINST his final confirmation.

They want to be for him before they’re against him. They want to play both sides, and in the process allow Ben Bernanke to be reconfirmed and continue to wreck our economy.

And Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Bob Corker actually think you’ll be happy with that arrangement!

That’s why it’s so important you tell Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Bob Corker’s offices that “a vote for cloture IS a vote for Bernanke.”

Senator Lamar Alexander: 202-224-4944
Senator Bob Corker: 202-224-3344

This really is the final showdown, and I need you on our side. Ron Paul needs you on his side.

You see, Ron Paul has been fighting for this bill nearly three decades. Your calls can push it over the top and finally realize this Audit for him.

Please call Senator Lamar Alexander at 202-224-4944, and Senator Bob Corker at 202-224-3344 right away.

In Liberty,

John Tate

Obama Has Crossed the Line!

President Obama you have crossed the line.

When you trampled upon our civil liberties and continued the Bush Administration's Fifth Amendment violations, I was upset--but maybe you were just misguided by a false sense of fear.

When you pushed the massive, unconstitutional spending of the federal government into overdrive, I was outraged--but I knew you were blinded by Keynesian economists who are foreign to the truth.

When you escalated the wars in the Middle East, I was worried--but you and I both know we should get back to policy of true national defense rather than massive interventionism.

When you I saw one irresponsible and unconstitutional act after another from you and your administration, I was perturbed--but I hoped you would pull your wits about you eventually.

But now I am afraid you have crossed the line.

How can you openly support the New Orleans Saints to win the Super Bowl? That is ridiculous.

I am a huge Colts fan, and I will not stand for this. In two weeks the Colts will triumph and crumble your Saints like we in the liberty movement will crumble your statist policies.

(One more thing: God forbid, even if the Colts somehow lose, we in the liberty movement will still defeat the statist policies of you and others. That's a guarantee.)