Voice For Liberty

Tag: Politics

  • Organizing for a free America summits

    American Majority is a national non-profit, non-partisan political training institute whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market. To support this goal, American Majority is offering a number of post party summits across the country. The goal of these summits, according to American Majority, is to “highlight and emphasize real tools that an organization, campaign, and individual activist can implement immediately.”

    American Majority also says: “It is not enough to stand on the sideline and it is not enough to protest — conservatives must learn how to implement freedom and liberty on the ground in their communities. With the right tools and training, conservative activists can be successful in taking their community back to the principles of limited government, individual freedom and the free market.”

    For those in Kansas, the closest event is on Friday and Saturday May 7 and 8, at the Embassy Suites KC – International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. The cost for the event is reasonable, as is the special hotel rate.

    To learn more about the event and register, click on summit.americanmajority.org.

  • Why I’m not a great fan of the Constitution

    One of the reasons that I’m not as much of a fan of the Constitution as some are is that the Constitution means what the courts, particularly the Supreme Court, say it means. The courts say the Constitution means some pretty crazy things, while at the same time, the idea of the Constitution limiting government has morphed into a tool for promoting the growth of government.

    I quote at length from Murray N. Rothbard’s book For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto. Perhaps this will help explain why I am a libertarian and not a conservative.

    First, from page 48. A constitution must be interpreted and enforced by men:

    It is true that, in the United States, at least, we have a constitution that imposes strict limits on some powers of government. But, as we have discovered in the past century, no constitution can interpret or enforce itself; it must be interpreted by men. And if the ultimate power to interpret a constitution is given to the government’s own Supreme Court, then the inevitable tendency is for the Court to continue to place its imprimatur on ever-broader powers for its own government. Furthermore, the highly touted “checks and balances” and “separation of powers” in the American government are flimsy indeed, since in the final analysis all of these divisions are part of the same government and are governed by the same set of rulers.

    Then from page 66. Instead of limiting government, courts use the Constitution to legitimize growing government:

    Certainly, the most ambitious attempt in history to impose limits on the State was the Bill of Rights and other restrictive parts of the United States Constitution. Here, written limits on government became the fundamental law, to be interpreted by a judiciary supposedly independent of the other branches of government. All Americans are familiar with the process by which John C. Calhoun’s prophetic analysis has been vindicated; the State’s own monopoly judiciary has inexorably broadened the construction of State power over the last century and a half. But few have been as keen as liberal Professor Charles Black — who hails the process — in seeing that the State has been able to transform judicial review itself from a limiting device into a powerful instrument for gaining legitimacy for its actions in the minds of the public. If a judicial decree of “unconstitutional” is a mighty check on governmental power, so too a verdict of “constitutional” is an equally mighty weapon for fostering public acceptance of ever greater governmental power.

    From page 69, the solution is given:

    Thus, even in the United States, unique among governments in having a constitution, parts of which at least were meant to impose strict and solemn limits upon its actions, even here the Constitution has proved to be an instrument for ratifying the expansion of State power rather than the opposite. As Calhoun saw, any written limits that leave it to government to interpret its own powers are bound to be interpreted as sanctions for expanding and not binding those powers. In a profound sense, the idea of binding down power with the chains of a written constitution has proved to be a noble experiment that failed. The idea of a strictly limited government has proved to be utopian; some other, more radical means must be found to prevent the growth of the aggressive State. The libertarian system would meet this problem by scrapping the entire notion of creating a government — an institution with a coercive monopoly of force over a given territory — and then hoping to find ways to keep that government from expanding. The libertarian alternative is to abstain from such a monopoly government to begin with.

  • Wink Hartman meets with voters in Kingman

    Today, Wichita businessman and candidate for the Republican Party nomination for the United States House of Representatives from the fourth district of Kansas Wink Hartman kicked off his “Back to Work” tour by meeting with a group of about 15 citizens in a downtown Kingman cafe.

    In brief opening remarks, Hartman expressed concern over the direction this country and our state — even families — is going. He said he is a third generation Kansan, born in Wichita, graduating from Southeast High School and Wichita State University. He has five children and six grandsons.

    Hartman said he is a businessman, not a politician, and is currently involved in 44 small businesses, with the largest of these having 25 employees. He said people ask him “why are you running for Congress?” Hartman replies by saying he brings a multitude of benefits to the people of the fourth district. He said his business background is important, having taught him how to balance a budget, gave him experience providing health care for his employees, and let him experience and understand the stress of making a payroll continuously. He added that he’s never asked the government to bail him out of anything.

    Most people know him for the Hartman Arena, he said. He built it for many reason, but partly because he was told he couldn’t build it. He said he didn’t ask for any government assistance in building the arena, and paid taxes on the money he used to build the arena.

    He said “I’m not going to Congress because of what Wink Hartman needs or wants … what it’s all about is what you need and want. Your elected representatives should represent you … not what Wink Hartman wants.”

    He said he is the only independent candidate in the fourth district that “does not have a lobbyist on my shoulder.” He said that such people will eventually ask for a favor. His friends, he said, say “Wink doesn’t have a reverse gear.”

    In the first question from the audience, a woman asked if there was any way we could get government to start pulling out of the private sector. Hartman replied that government has become intrusive, with increasing regulation and size. He said that the only way to get government out of your life is through the people you elect to send to Congress. A new direction requires new people, he added.

    What about members of Congress who have ethical problems? Hartman said that Washington has a herd mentality, and that fresh blood and new thinking is needed in Washington to clean up the mess.

    A gentleman remarked that our nation’s troubles started when we took God out of our lives. Hartman agreed. He said that he was raised in the Episcopal church, and that his walk with the Lord “got a little bit strained and frayed in my mid-years.” At Central Christian Church, which he attends now, a recent sermon impressed upon him that “believers need to turn into disciples.” The difference, he explained, is that disciples are 24/7 believers.

    He added that he is on the board of directors of the Jesus prom. This event allows students with disabilities to attend an event like a high school prom. Last year he said 543 people attended.

    On funded abortions, Hartman said he is totally against this.

    A question asked about the differences between Hartman and Mike Pompeo, another Wichita businessman and candidate for the fourth district Republican nomination. Hartman said that he does not have a law degree, as does Pompeo.

    As a second area of difference, Hartman said that he has truly created businesses from the ground up, and Pompeo has not. In his stump speech and on his website, however, Pompeo notes his accomplishment in founding Thayer Aerospace, a major aviation contractor that grew to over 500 employees.

    On national energy policy, Hartman said that the Obama administration has sent $2 billion to Brazil so that country can drill offshore for oil hat will be sold to China. Of what benefit is that to American taxpayers, he asked? He said that the United States and North America has huge oil and oil shale reserves that we could tap. He also said that although he is in the oil business, he believes in “all of the above,” meaning that we should seek diversified sources of energy, including nuclear power, which he said is a good short-term answer. Wind energy has a place, he said, but a problem is our aging electrical power grid.

    On national priorities, Hartman said that our first responsibility is national security, with our blooming national debt in second place.

    Hartman said we have a serious problem with illegal immigration, noting that there are legal ways to immigrate to the United States. Referring to a case about an ill woman who is in the United States illegally, Hartman said that she could return to her original country to receive medical care.

    Speaking about his process for making decisions, Hartman said that he doesn’t have the answers to all questions and problems. What he does in business is to gather people who have knowledge and experience, and together they make decisions.

    On education, Hartman said that education needs to be administered locally by the community and parents. Also, not everyone needs to have a college degree. Vocational and technical education has a stigma, he said, but children should be educated so they can provide for themselves. Many trades pay well, he added.

  • KPTS’s Kansas Week now online

    Wichita public television station KPTS has produced the weekly public affairs program Kansas Week since 1989. Tim Brown has been the host since 2006.

    Now many of KPTS’s shows are available online through the station’s website. There’s a link on the main page, or click on watch.kpts.org. Both Kansas Week and the Sunday afternoon show Ask Your Legislator are available.

  • Political scientist to address Wichita Pachyderms

    On Friday March 12 Dr. Ken Ciboski will address members and guests of the Wichita Pachyderm Club. Ciboski is professor of political science at Wichita State University and an observer of local, state, and national politics. His topic will be “Political and Economic Trends.”

    All are welcome to attend Pachyderm club meetings. The program costs $10, which includes a delicious buffet lunch including salad, soup, two main dishes, and ice tea and coffee. The meeting starts at noon, although it’s recommended to arrive fifteen minutes early to get your lunch before the program starts.

    The Wichita Petroleum Club is on the ninth floor of the Bank of America Building at 100 N. Broadway (north side of Douglas between Topeka and Broadway) in Wichita, Kansas (click for a map and directions). Park in the garage just across Broadway and use the sky walk to enter the Bank of America building. Bring your parking garage ticket to be stamped and your parking fee will be only $1.00. There is usually some metered and free street parking nearby.

  • Wichita aviation leaders endorse Pompeo

    At a luncheon meeting on February 25, Wichita aviation leaders — dubbed “Wingmen for Pompeo” — endorsed Mike Pompeo for the Republican Party nomination for the United States House of Representatives from the fourth district of Kansas.

    In a recorded video appearance, Spirit Aerosystems Chief Executive Officer Jeff Turner said that Pompeo is the kind of representative we need in these difficult and turbulent times. He said he’s known Pompeo for several years, and found him to be a man of integrity who understands business in general and the aviation business in particular.

    Bill Boisture Jr., chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, said that after meeting Pompeo, he was convinced that he understood business, investment and risk-taking, and had similar ideas to his on the size of government. He added that this election will be directional to our country for several years.

    In his remarks, Pompeo said we are in serious times. Washington has too few people who have run businesses, and that played a role in his decision to run for Congress. He said we are short about 10,000 to 13,000 jobs in the Kansas fourth district compared to just a short time ago. Demand for airplanes built here is down to levels not seen in a long time. This has a tremendous impact on the local economy and workers and their families.

    Pompeo said that when you’re in a hole, the first thing to do is to stop digging. He mentioned President Obama’s remarks last year making it politically incorrect to fly in business aircraft. His policies have also made credit scarce and business people unwilling to invest, he said. Businesses don’t know what’s coming next from Washington he said, citing the health care summit taking place and the effort to federalize one-sixth of the nation’s economy. The burden of taxation and regulation are harming business, too. “There are 32 agencies that keep our drinking water safe, just at the federal level.” When it comes time to grow again, will new jobs be in America or somewhere else where business can be more competitive?

    Pompeo said this his belief is that the federal governments’ role should be “intensely limited,” mentioning national defense as one role. He said that he recognizes that he, as a Member of Congress, can not create jobs. High taxes, he said, make capital go somewhere else, and that takes jobs away with it. He added there’s a place for a strong Federal Aviation Administration to create air traffic infrastructure.

    Wichita has an entrepreneurial tradition, Pompeo said, and liberals and progressives in Washington believe they know better than we do about business. Their deal of offering security in exchange for control results in a false security.

    Closing his remarks, Pompeo said that “compromise is something you do about the things that don’t matter a whole lot.” The things that matter — jobs, families, schools — are things he will not compromise on.

    Jack Pelton, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer for Cessna Aircraft Company, said that our next congressman needs to understand business, capitalism, and the importance of national security, things he said Pompeo understands. He added that the values and integrity of Pompeo and his wife Susan also convinced him to support Pompeo’s candidacy.

  • Political celebrities stump for Anderson, Kelsey

    Recently two political celebrities visited Wichita to campaign for candidates for the Republican Party nomination for the United States House of Representatives from the fourth district of Kansas.

    Joe the Plumber for Jim Anderson

    Joe the Plumber, who gained national attention for his questioning of candidate Barack Obama, appeared in Wichita on January 28 at a town hall meeting on behalf of Jim Anderson.

    Speaking before — should I refer to him as “Joe” or “Plumber”? — Anderson said he was born in Boise. After college, he started working for Eastern Airlines as a pilot, finishing his career with ATA Airlines. His job brought him to Wichita, but then his job was eliminated. Although offered a position in another town, he and his wife decided to stay in Wichita and raise their three children here.

    Anderson said he has always wanted to make a contribution to government, and that’s why he’s running for Congress. He said he can’t take it anymore watching our country “slip down the slope into socialism.” When the fourth district position became open, he said this is the time to run for office.

    Anderson said he is a Reagan Republican and believes in limited government based on the enumerated powers in the Constitution. Everything else, he said, is supposed to be relegated to the states, but that’s not the way it is right now. He said he supports the Fair Tax, which he said would be the best way to generate revenue for a limited government.

    2010 is a turning point for our country, he said, and he told the audience that it’s crucial to stand up and speak loudly.

    Joe the Plumber said he’s received many requests to campaign for candidates across the country, but he’s being selective in who he decides to campaign for. It’s about the individual, and not party politics, he said.

    When he speaks across the country, often at tea parties, Joe said he speaks on four issues: individual responsibility, accountability, education, and the Constitution.

    On individual responsibility, Joe said that our political leaders and celebrities are quick to lay blame elsewhere when caught doing something bad. “Freedom means responsibility,” he said, and Americans have accepted responsibility for a long time. The tea party movement is evidence of people taking responsibility, he said.

    Joe said that parents need to take more responsibility for their children’s education.

    Joe said that Jim Anderson truly wants to represent the fourth district. It’s a big job and responsibility, he said, being a public servant. He said that Anderson wants to serve his fellow man, and there’s no higher calling than that.

    Answering a question from the audience, Anderson said that state’s rights are very important to him. He said that we should be running our own state, rather than tolerating so much federal government intervention. He said he supports term limits for federal elected officeholders. He said he will not vote for any earmarks.

    Mick Huckabee for Dick Kelsey

    Former Arkansas governor, presidential candidate, and winner of the 2008 Kansas Republican Caucus Mike Huckabee appeared in Wichita on February 24 on bahelf of candidate Dick Kelsey.

    Before Huckabee’s appearance, Kelsey spoke about his campaign for Congress. “Leadership does make a difference,” he said, and our country is in need of leadership that is willing to take a stand and find solutions to tough problems. In the campaign there are four conservatives, and Kelsey said he is the only one who has a proven voting record. The type of experience he has gained, he said, will be necessary to be effective in Washington.

    In his remarks, Huckabee told the audience of over 200 why it is important to elect Kelsey to Congress. He said he’s come to know Kelsey, and has talked to people who have served in the Kansas Legislature with him. Huckabee said Kelsey is a principled individual who has convictions. He’s not bull-headed, though, Huckabee said, as Kelsey knows that it is the responsibility of legislators to make things function.

    Huckabee added that Kelsey brings experience to the race, and that he has a record that is consistent with what he’s campaigning on. “You will not find him saying things as a Congressional candidate that are polar opposite of the way he voted here in Kansas. … That alone is the best reason that I can possibly think of to elect him.”

    Huckebee said that although times may be tough now, America will rebound. He said America will see a political and spiritual revival. Electing people like Dick Kelsey is part of making this happen.

    He also said that those who value low taxes and those who are worried about the national debt should vote for Kelsey, as should those who believe in the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.

    Answering a question, Huckabee said that Republicans will take back the House of Representatives in this year’s elections, and they have a good shot at taking back the Senate, or getting close. The Democrats are in a state of disarray, he added. Republicans need to have a clear and concise message, as they shouldn’t assume they’ll win just because voters are angry at Democrats. He added that third party conservative or libertarian candidates mean defeat for Republicans.

    Huckabee said he hasn’t decided on another campaign for the presidency, saying he hasn’t ruled it out.

  • Kansas Republican online efforts lag

    If online political activity has any value, Kansas Republicans aren’t providing much. Many Kansas Republican websites and online outreach efforts are stale and lagging behind in providing timely and quality information.

    As of today, the most recent post on The Kansas Trunkline (promoted as “The Official Blog of the Kansas Republican Party”) is dated November 30, 2009. That’s coming up on three months old. If blogs have any defining characteristics, one is frequent updates with timely material. That’s not happening here.

    This blog is promoted on the front page of the Kansas Republican Party website. That site doesn’t fare much better with regard to timely updates. The most recent news item is from January 25. The Twitter feed displayed there has four posts for all of 2010. The site doesn’t have accurate information about who is — and how to contact — the executive director of the party.

    On the Kansas Republican Party’s Facebook page, the most recent post is from December 1, 2009. The Kansas Young Republicans Facebook page, however, does better.

    Even efforts using cutting-edge technology from campaigns aren’t doing better. SamForGov — that’s Sam Brownback’s campaign application for the iPhone — has an event from November 2, 2009 as the latest campaign event. Under “Campaign Updates,” the only item is a news release from September 3, 2009. The front page of the app still displays an invitation to Kansas Days. That event took place nearly four weeks ago.

    Some local Kansas Republican Party organizations do better. The Johnson County Republican Party seems to be up-to-date with useful information. The Sedgwick County counterpoint doesn’t fare as well.

    The Kansas Democratic Party has a revamped blog that allows for “community bloggers,” although so far only one has signed up. The blog has 10 posts so far for February. Not exactly a fount of information, but better than the stale Republican blog and websites.

    There’s a saying: “You are who Google says you are.” Google, of course, finds relevant websites based on what people say they’re looking for. But when Google (and other search engines) returns these websites with their stale news and out-of-date events, people lose confidence in the organizations that created the sites. Having visited once and finding little of value, people are not likely to return again.

    This is the case if Google even returns these sites in response to searches, as freshness and frequency of updates is thought to be a major factor Google uses in deciding which sites to display to users.

    As a Republican activist, I urge those in charge of these sites to make a commitment to providing fresh, timely, and relevant content. Part of how to accomplish this is to avoid delegating responsibility for the websites and blogs to “tech guys.” That’s because when it takes communication with technical support — and the possibility of receiving an invoice — to update a website or blog, the hassle factor means it doesn’t get done.

    Instead, party leaders, staff, volunteers, and activists need to know themselves how to update websites and blogs. This requires that these sites be built upon technology platforms — like WordPress blogs, for example — that allow for and encourage end-user updates and maintenance. It also takes a commitment by leadership and staff to be trained, and then ongoing disciplined effort to keep the sites updated.

  • ‘For Liberty’ to be shown in Wichita

    On Sunday, April 18, the Wichita State University chapter of Young Americans for Liberty is showing the film For Liberty: How the Ron Paul Revolution Watered the Withered Tree of Liberty. The film’s description is:

    As the 2007-08 presidential campaign cycle offered up the usual slate of Washington insiders, Ron Paul, an obscure Congressman from Texas brought an alternative voice that challenged the political establishment.

    Advocating a philosophy of sound money, a non-interventionist foreign policy, strict Constitutionalism, and individual liberty, Dr. Paul inspired a unique grassroots movement unmatched in American history — the repercussions of which continue to reverberate today and into the future of the American psyche.

    For Liberty: How the Ron Paul Revolution Watered the Withered Tree of Liberty follows this historic campaign from the perspective of grassroots activists, and showcases the unique, often bizarre, yet groundbreaking projects they undertook as they brushed aside traditional campaign methodology.

    The film will be shown Sunday, April 18 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Wichita State University CAC Theater. The event’s Facebook page is “For Liberty” Screening.