David Murdock Is A Jerk!...

... and my opponent, State Senator Fletcher Hartsell agrees. He said so last night at the Cabarrus Republican Men's Club meeting.

The club hosted a forum for candidates seeking state offices. The turnout was pretty low but I enjoyed the fellowship and interesting discussions. Other candidates in attendance were State House Reps. Linda Johnson and Jeff Barnhart. Senator Hartsell got there just in time to make "closing" remarks.

Since the turnout was low, it was decided that we would just stay at our seats and talk about our campaigns. I talked about the problem of state government favoring certain individuals and corporations over others. When discussing tax incentive handouts, I happened to mention a certain billionaire who lives part time in Kannapolis (David Murdock) and the special privileges he receives at the expense of others. Linda Johnson was the first to speak up in defense of poor, old Mr. Moneybags. She rehashed the same warm and fuzzy tribute that you would expect from a politician. She talked about all the money Mr. Murdock had raised for Republican candidates and said he was one of "us". Of course, this was merely an opening act for the headlining statist, Mr. Hartsell. He got the last word of the evening. I didn't expect anything less.

Then he said the words I could not agree with more....

"David Murdock is a jerk", Fletcher proclaimed. "He is very difficult to work with", admitted Mr. Hartsell.

Then came the big "BUT"...

Fletcher started his folksy tribute to the savior of the old mill town, telling us how much money Murdock has invested in his own project. He then told us a warm and fuzzy parable, comparing the city of Kannapolis to a island about to be wiped out by a tsunami. A tale rife with "doom" and "despair" but, as you would expect from a seasoned politician,.. a solution; a "silver lining" in a dark cloud of destruction...the wise elders come together to try to save the island. I suppose today's wise elders are Mr. Hartsell, David Murdock and the K-Town bureaucrats.

So the moral of the story is this...the powers that be are wiser than you and we know what's best for you and the community and we won't let issues like equality under the law stop us from building our "vision" of corporate fascism.

And by the way, David Murdock is a jerk...

..but, he is OUR jerk!

Political Philosophy & Motivation...

When evaluating any particular candidate, for any elective office, I believe their philosophy and motivation should be judged first. Issues are important as well, but different issues come and then they go. No matter the issue, you should already have at least an idea of where any certain candidate may stand.

Voters have the responsibility of learning these things before they enter the voting booth. My campaign is based on individual liberty and individual responsibility. I am asking voters to be proactive in defending their own lives..their own liberties, and most importantly, their own responsibilities.

Here is an introduction to my personal philosophy concerning the role of government, at all levels.

I believe our natural rights are endowed to us by our Creator. These rights also come with responsibilities. You cannot have one without the other.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are our natural birthrights. I have pledged my life to defend these rights. I believe that is the sacred duty of any free and honest man.

I believe involuntary taxation is theft. Taxation is merely another term for "tribute". Tribute to Caesar. Tribute to a false mortal god. I find this to be a most vile form of idolatry.

No man has the moral authority to govern me, so long as I remain a peaceable person. The fact that I do not violate the rights of others makes me a peaceable person.

The role of government is to protect our lives, liberties and property. Our founding fathers established the Republic of North Carolina to do just that. How far have we moved away from our heritage!

I believe charity comes from a free and loving heart, given by the graces of Free Will. I believe Free Will may be the greatest gift ever bestowed upon mankind. I believe that gift comes with the highest responsibility. Any abuse of that responsibility is a direct violation of Natural Law.

I trust my neighbors to live their lives as they see fit, so far as their actions do not violate the rights of others.

Like I mentioned before, this is just an introduction to my personal philosophy. I look forward to sharing more of my ideas along the campaign trail.

The Truth Marches On...

Keep those torches and pitchforks at the ready!...

Taft Would Be Proud...

http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justin022008b.html

Justin Raimondo gives us an excellent article regarding the resurrection of the Taft wing of the GOP and John McCain's response to it's heir, the Ron Paul Revolution.

Here is a McCain quote contained within the article...

"One afternoon, McCain talked about his surprise at the resurrection of this element in his party, which has been particularly visible in the candidacy of the libertarian Texas congressman Ron Paul. 'We had a debate in Iowa. I mean, it was, like, last summer, one of the first debates we had. It was raining, and I'm standing there in the afternoon, it was a couple of hours before the debate,' McCain said. 'And I happen to look out the window. Here's a group of fifty people in the rain, shouting "Ron Paul! Ron Paul!"' McCain banged on the table with both fists and chanted as he imitated the Paul enthusiasts. 'I thought, Holy sh*t, what's going on here? I mean, go to one of these debates. Drive up. Whose signs do you see? I'm very grateful – they've been very polite. I recognize them and say thanks for being here. They haven't disrupted the events. But he has tapped a vein."

Yes, Mr. McCain, Ron Paul has most definitely tapped a vein. And I can assure you, Dr. Paul and his army of grassroots volunteers, including yours truly, will keep tapping that vein until the Republic is restored!

Please Count To Ten And Take A Deep Breath...

My fellow Libertarians,

Today, I filed for N.C. Senate 36. I have entered the Republican primary. Since we do not have ballot access at this time, I have decided to raid the Republican ballot.

Before I continue, please allow me to make some declarations ….

I am a LIBERTARIAN, 100% Top of the Nolan Chart. I am as dedicated to the LP today as I was yesterday.

I am not a Republican. I am not seeking to reform the GOP. It is doomed and I pledge to do my part to push it over the cliff. I am commandeering a spot on their ballot. This is a measure of non violent protest. If they are going to deny my party ballot access, I choose to subvert their dated coronation process, aka the party primary.

I am a precinct leader for Ron Paul. He has asked his supporters to spread the Revolution by running for office. I feel like I owe that to Dr. Paul.

I have no intentions of resigning any of the positions I hold within the LP. I have the blessing and support of my peers in the Cabarrus LP. I also have the blessings of our Ballot Access Director, Bob Ritchie. I believe I can be loyal to the RP Revolution and the LP.

I will continue to support our ballot access via donations and labor. I am using my campaign to highlight N.C. ‘s restrictive ballot access rules.

The primary is May 6th. If I do not win, I will file for Cabarrus Board of Education this summer. N.C. “sore loser” laws do not apply to non-partisan races that have filing periods later than the primary filing period. I have already confirmed this with my local board of elections.

I understand my announcement may shock some of you. Please count to ten and take a deep breath before you start throwing rocks. For what it is worth, I believe I have done my share of the heavy lifting for the LP over the past eight years or so. I plan to continue doing just that.

Feel free to disagree with my tactics and strategy. Please do not question my allegiance to the LP.

Thomas Hill

Op-Ed Calls For Ballot Access Fairness...

http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/editorials/story/933658.html

A nice article in favor of ballot access for third parties. Thanks to Chris Cole for the link.

John McCain? What A Drain!!!

http://nowaymccain.com/

What a hoot! I love watching the GOP die a slow death from a thousand paper cuts! They are going to have their asses handed to 'em this November.

Ron Paul is the only candidate capable of beating Hillary Health Care.

Too bad the rest of the nation has to suffer the results of stupid people voting for serfdom.

Boy, That Was Fun!

I just got home from my alma mater, Central Cabarrus High, after speaking with two classes. The time spent with these young people went by too fast. I made almost 30 new friends today.

They asked great questions and seemed very interested in the libertarian message. A couple students told me they were planning to come to our local Libertarian Party meeting next week.

As I was leaving, the teacher told me some of the students I spoke with last semester are planning on basing their senior projects on the Libertarian Party. She said I should be hearing from the students soon, asking me to be their mentor on these projects.

Wow, what an honor that would be! I certainly hope to hear from them! It looks like a few of those seeds I planted last semester are growing quite well.

Time will tell...

Back To School Once Again...

I am getting ready to head back to my old school, Central Cabarrus High, to talk about the LP, Ron Paul and libertarianism in general. I have the opportunity to speak to Mrs. Allred's classes at least a couple times a school year.

Speaking to young folks is the most fun I have as an libertarian activist. I would literally pay for the honor of having fellowship with America's youth. They are so full of life, with a sense of wonder and passion! They always have great questions and seem to be really interested in libertarianism.

I'll let you know how my day goes....I can't wait to get back to school!

Have Some Flowers You Statist Pigs...

With the rise of John McCain, LP offers sympathy for the death of small-government values within the GOP

Washington, D.C. - Following a solid McCain victory in the Super Tuesday primaries, the Libertarian Party has sent Republican headquarters a funeral wreath marking the death of limited-government values within the Republican Party. The wreath was hand-delivered to the D.C. offices of the Republican National Committee. "We simply felt the need to express our heartfelt sympathy for the Republican Party as they undergo this tough time within their party," says Libertarian Party National Media Coordinator Andrew Davis, who delivered the wreath.

"Given that it has become readily apparent that Senator McCain will soon be the presidential nominee for the Republican Party," reads a card that accompanied the wreath addressed to RNC Chairman Mike Duncan, "we, the staff of the Libertarian National Committee, send our condolences to you upon the death of small-government principles within the GOP."

The note continues:

Libertarians encourage competition within both the free-market and politics. Unfortunately, with the rise of John McCain and the big-spending practices of the Bush administration, the two-party system has emerged as representing only one philosophy - big-government liberalism.

With your loss, the Libertarian Party will continue to move forward to represent those American patriots who still believe in smaller government, lower taxes and more individual freedom.

"McCain's Super Tuesday win marks the death of limited government values within the Republican Party, which had struggled with its principles throughout the Bush administration," says Shane Cory, executive director of the Libertarian Party. "It is a day of mourning for the few remaining small-government Republicans."

For pictures of the wreath and its delivery to the RNC headquarters see below. For more information and interview requests, please call Andrew Davis at (202) 333-0008 during normal business hours, or at (202) 731-0002 during any other time.

The Libertarian Party is America's third largest political party, founded in 1971 as an alternative to the two main political parties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party by visiting www.lp.org. The Libertarian Party proudly stands for smaller government, lower taxes and more freedom.

That Crazy Ron Paul...