It's becoming increasingly clear that being called a Republican is more than some people can take. Even for the registered Republicans.

So now many of Bush's former vocal cheerleaders have decided they're not really Republicans. The Party nowadays doesn't speak for them. No, they'll tell you, they're actually Libertarians. World of difference, they'll say. Libertarians are nothing like Republicans.

Don't tell Ronald Reagan that! More, below the fold...

In this diary I would like to lay out the case for the Left Libertarian movement and for interested Kossacks to join me in helping to bring about that movement.

The weakness of the Right has lead to a surge of Right Libertarianism. The Left needs to use it's current strength to launch a surge of Left Libertarianism.

We've had help with Barack Obama's financial advisor being named at least by the press and some bloggers as a Left Libertarian. It is time for us to unite and rally behind this movement.

Daniel Koffler, a writer for Reason Magazine, has published a very interesting article in regards to Barack Obama being a Left Libertarian at Guardian.co.uk. Reason Magazine is a Libertarian right-wing publication who writes favorably in such things as ending the War on Drugs.

Substance, not style is the article that has spawned dialog about Obama being a Left Libertarian in numerous blogs around the world.

On the fold is my own personal reaction and 2 cents on the matter as a Left Libertarian.

The grassroots rebelion which organized around Ned Lamont was a thing of beauty.  It is time for another netroot rebelion.  
I have made so many phone calls regarding FISA that I lost count.  The fake Democrats are counting on us to forget their votes by the time they are up for re-election and most of us probably will forget. Mentally we will move on to outrage over the next Right that they sell off to the highest bidder.  Today's FISA vote is so wrong.  Everyone who voted against the immunity amendments needs to be removed.... but as the ringleader Steny Hoyer should be the first target.  We cannot wait for the next primary.  

The other day, a little bit of a screaming match broke out when I published a diary that poorly articulated how I felt about the practice of abortions and the general debate about them.   Therefore, after some thought, I have decided to refine the explanation of people who share my position.   It sort-of-is and sort-of-isn't a position within the pro-life camp, depending on how you define that camp.   It sort-of-is and sort-of-isn't part of the pro-choice camp.  As some people have pointed out, my position is really the pro-choice  position; and then proceeded to call me sexist.

Why oh why does this man irritate me so?  Now don't get me wrong, John Stossel is probably a nice man.  But for a man who can garner audiences, he is "dangerous" (well not really, but the guy's on TV and he is on the ra-ra free market Right's side promulgating this crap) with his half ass grasp on our economy.   Recently, on Daily Kos's evil twin, he wrote up a piece on how the economy really isn't doing bad.  That it was all media hype.

"Certainly, [US Representative Todd Akin, R-MO] seems as safe as any Republican can be in an otherwise bleak atmosphere for the GOP," writes Deirdre Shesgreen in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "The 2nd Congressional District includes the high-income, reliably Republican suburbs .... Akin won the seat in 2000, squeaking through a five-way GOP primary by 56 votes and then winning easily in the general election. He has coasted to re-election ever since."

Appearances can be deceiving. Todd Akin's seat isn't nearly as "safe" at it looks.

The reasons why we should advocate on Barr’s behalf are obvious and compelling:
• Disguised as Democrats, Republicans trolled with a vengeance on Hillary’s behalf (led by goon’s such as Rush Limbaugh)
• Posing as pro-Hillary dead-enders, they’re still causing mischief on the internets via  blogs and comment threads
• Bob Barr’s success is directly related to Obama’s
• The magic of seeing Obama’s head, on CNN’s election night coverage, juxtaposed with the state of Georgia and a big blue checkmark
• Ralph Nadar

How to Barrvocate across the fold...

Copyright Eyesonobama.com

By Chasing America from Eyes on Obama:

Bob Barr has a record littered with his support of issues that could carry immense appeal with the disillusioned conservative values base of the Republican Party. Barr supported gun rights at every turn and was opposed to lax drug laws. So, Barr has a lot of magnets to attract the Republican voter away from John McCain in November.

Why? Because Bob Barr, or even dead-enders for Ron Paul, can swing Nevada for Obama, big time.

Let me tell you a story.

In January, I traveled to Nevada for three days to Get Out The Caucus for the Obama Campaign. At that time, I was fully engaged in intra-party warfare, so the Republican contest was little more than an amusing sideshow (and what a sideshow it was, am I right?).

While it was supremely gratifying that in the early contests Ron Paul bested Rudy Giuliani, I never thought that his "revolution" would ever pull more than 5%.

Then, as I was coming over the SIerra Nevadas into Reno, I saw a giant mountainside billboard reading "Ron Paul", and I realized that Nevada Republicans are, well, a little different.

How different? Follow me over the jump and I'll show you what I mean.

Ron Paul sort of ends his bid.
Narrative ensues. 'Rift' spoken, all over the place.

Does it have traction? Barr is from GA. How much effect will it have not only on GA, but other States in the Southeast? Obviously, Florida especially is a key part of this question.

http://www.boston.com/...

"Paul, Barr throw each other bouquets"

http://thirdpartywatch.com/...

Ron Paul supporters plan Bob Barr money bomb

http://www.thebulletin.us/...

Paul Gives Barr A Pseudo-Endorsement

http://rawstory.com/...

Ron Paul rejects McCain ‘values,’ praises Libertarian Barr

This snippet from the Washington Post caught my eye:

"The presidential campaign was Phase One," said Jesse Benton, Paul's spokesman. He said Paul is forming a non-profit organization that will tap into the activism and fundraising energy that was created by the Ron Paul Revolution during his bid for the Republican nomination.

Given his plans for a rally at the Republican Convention, this looks to be a major headache for Republicans in the future.

Social Darwininism reared its head last night on PBS' News Hour in the person of John McCain mouthpiece and free-market zombie, Nancy Pfotenhauer. Poor Pfotenhauer seemed oddly out of place in the realtively genteel world of PBS as she sputtered through an economic discussion with Gwen Ifill and Obama Campaign economic advisor Jared Bernstein. Through much head shaking and wide-eyed expressions of disbelief, Pfotenhauer sought to turn aside any talk of corporate responsibility or progressive governance as she distilled the McCain position: you're on your own in the ruthless world of all against all. Indeed, this McCain shill for laissez-faire economics seemed fairly boggled at the thought that anyone could credibly argue that more tax cuts, more deregulation, and more market-based government might not be in the best interests of everyday Americans out there in the heartland.

In this we should not be particularly surprised, for Pfotenhauer is not an economist. Rather, she is in the business of political public relations. Pfotenhauer is just another conservative lobbyist with a "brand" to peddle. Like Bush, McCain and his advisors seem to believe that economic policy is little more than a marketing strategy driven by a few catchy phrases. So who is she and why should we care?

I often hear left-wingers complain about how right-wingers want to privatize social security and lower taxes on the rich, or I hear right-wingers complain about how left-wingers want to allow women to have abortions and allow gays to get married.  But what both of these groups are complaining about is not right-wingers or left-wingers, but libertarians.  Libertarians are people who want individuals to have more freedom and the government to have less, and that's an ideology that trancends left or right, because libertarian values are both left-wing (gay rights, pro-choice) or right-wing (lower taxes, privatization).  
 The opposite of libertarianism is authoritarianism and that too is both left-wing (let's force people to get health care, let's deny people the right to own a gun) or right-wing (let's deny people the right to burn a flag, let's make it against the law to speak out against the government).
 

One of the great joys in browsing the Internet is when you find a referral to a site that you would never in all likelihood have discovered for yourself.  

So it was today, when I followed a link from the Huffington Post to Wonkette, and they had a story up on one of the most wondrous wingnut sites I've ever seen:  Country Above Self

Libertarian Candidate for President Bob Barr is quickly becoming a huge pain in John McCain's ass.

For example, this...

Barr Calls for Debates with McCain, Obama: Include Libertarian Party, Nominee Demands

Our nation faces critical challenges in the years ahead. We can no longer accept "the tyranny of the status quo," says Barr. The American people deserve to know that they have a real choice come November. "Let the debates begin!"
Third Party Watch

Political observers are seeing trouble for McCain.

Does Obama insist on Barr’s participation — as Bill Clinton insisted on making Ross Perot part of the ’92 debates with George W. Bush?

I talked with one strategist earlier today, before this topic came up. He said the Democratic campaign is quickly coming to realize that Bob Barr is Barack Obama’s best friend.

http://www.ajc.com/...

A quick note, since I have to get back to work, but there is some emerging evidence that Libertarian Bob Barr's candidacy may hurt McCain by several percentage points-- enough to potentially tip a couple of states to Obama.

The following is from today's Washington Times:

Oh, please.

You know it's a slow news day when CNN files a brief on South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's chances of being John McCain's running mate, and Sen. Lindsey Graham comes awful close to sounding sensible.

http://tromployal.blogspot.com/