liberty talk

   How are RLC members different from other Republicans?  The difference is that we are not suckers; we are suspicious of things that other Republicans accept without question.  We trust the leaders and policies of the Republican Party no more than we trust the leaders and policies of the Democrats.  We receive some grief for stating our opinions, but time usually proves that we were right and those who followed the party line were in error.
     To give an example, yesterday I received an e-mail from Moveon.org which bemoaned recent changes in campaign finance laws.  The Supreme Court has overturned some elements of McCain-Feingold, the result being that corporations can now give an increased amount of campaign contributions.  Moveon feels that this will increase corporate control over government.
     Let us talk first about the bandwagon.  The “McCain” of McCain Feingold is of course Senator John McCain, the winner of the 2008 Republican Primary.  For years people had been talking about how messed up of a law McCain-Feingold was because of it’s convoluted rules and abridgement of political speech, and displeasure at McCain for his “crossing the aisle.”  This negative talk ceased at some point during the 2008 Republican Primary.  Suddenly, McCain stopped being the long-shot, “no way in a million years this guy will win” candidate, and he became the anointed contender that everyone must support and against which nothing negative could be said.
     The problem is that a problem doesn’t go away just because people stop talking about.  A bad candidate is still a bad candidate no matter how they are portrayed by the campaign machine.  Once McCain lost the Presidential election the old criticisms were again spoken, as well they should have been because McCain was the same person he ever was.  Soon after the election the RNC Chairman actually filed a lawsuit against the constitutionality of McCain-Feingold.  A bad candidate who co-sponsored a bad law, no that there was no election at stake it was alright for people to speak the truth.
     The should have been speaking the truth all along.  Instead they compartmented their principles away for party interest, but in defeat they lost both principles and party. 
     RLC people did not jump on that bandwagon.  They remained critical of McCain throughout because those criticism were true, just as they always had been. 
     The RLC was critical of former Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer.  As a matter of fact two of the most prominent RLC members in Florida were banned by Greer from holding any leadership positions in the state party.  Time proved that the RLC opinion of Greer was correct.  Eventually Greer’s actions became so unpopular with the rest of the Republicans that he was obliged to step down.
     RLCers do not like “the bandwagon.”  We do not like the candidate with the big endorsements.  We do not like the candidate that party leadership tries to force down our throats. 
     Neither are we big fans of corporate cronyism.  This brings me back to the e-mail from Moveon.org.
     Most Republicans are hailing as a victory the new ability of corporations to contribute increased amounts to political campaigns, feeling that this will help the Republican Party.  Yeah, this probably will bring some more money into GOP campaign funds, but it also gives more political power to business.  Business is the driver of the economy and so must prosper for our collective benefit, but business already has too much political power.  The Moveon people consider business as evil, I take another view: business is selfish.  Because business is selfish there is collateral damage when business gets whatever it wants from the government.  Think of the growth industry in Florida and that while it has created jobs and driven our economy it is also the cause of traffic problems, rising taxes for infrastructure, and water shortages that are expected to get worse.  They make the profits, but the taxpayers bear the cost.  That is what happens when a group with a lot of money and a lot of lobbyists virtually make the rules that are supposed to regulate them for the common good.  More corporate money to the Republican Party will probably mean more elections won, but it will also mean we will have to watch our elected officials more closely to see that they represent all the people, not just the ones that can afford lobbyists.
       
      
        
    

Good luck with a petition over the booze issue Travis.  If the SOE gets his way they will be even less responsible for anything even moreso then they already are.  Also, keep an eye on the CRC to see if they take up the last CRC advise to make the Citizens Petition Intiative even more difficult then it already is.  If you manage to get past all that just hope someone doesn't try to take your ballot amendment to court like Karen Lake and Roy Lyons. 

Does anyone really believe Judge Wilkes will be anymore unbiased then Buttner. Does the reality that his son lost the election have any impact on Wilkes to take advantage of his position?  

If they win and get the salary issue back on the ballot do they really think that the electorate who is struggling to make ends meet while the BCC bends over backwards for the growth industry that we're honestly going to choose to give these people more money?

Just to be clear, i didn't have anything to do with the "Clay Citizens for Voters Rights" committee.  The following is public information, the three people on their contribution list are all local  business people.  I believe that two of them are mentioned in the Clay Today (or was it the TU) article about when the Policy Committee shot down the Chamber on the alcohol issue.  They do have a petition that was approved by the SOE at the end of December.  i don't know if I will be getting involved in a petition process, but the clock is ticking, one month gone, five months left, 9000+ signatures.  Would be a good RLC issue, I'll need to make a decision on that real soon.  

Marsha, SOE Chamblis did make some comments on the the petition process at one of the CRC meetings, I believe it was the second meeting.  I think he actually is trying to make the process more understandeable.  

I don't really have a positive or negative opinion of Lyons.  He and another gentleman did make a successful effort at the last REC meeting for the state delegates of that body to vote John Thrasher as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.  Not sure who it was, but someone did post a blog on it called "King Thrasher" on www.rlcnef.org