If Root had advance inklings of this, it supports my theory that Root was looking to use the LP to build his "libertarian creds" so he could leverage that into a book deal and/or radio/TV show. When one ship is burning, it helps to have another waiting nearby.
I received this via email, on January 10th. Only now got around to posting it:
"Wayne Root Reportedly Closes Shop Countless reports have indicated to Gambling911.com that former US Libertarian Vice Presidential running mate and sports handicapper, Wayne Root, has shut down his sports service call center in Las Vegas this week.
'Nobody has answered the phones since Sunday,' one sports handicapper told Gambling911.com. 'This is unheard of during an NFL Playoff Weekend.'
This individual also told us that three of his employees had approached a car dealership about employment over the past few days.
'The story I hear is that he (Wayne Root) came in, told everyone he was closed, get there stuff together and leave,' according to one poster on the MajorWager website.
It was not immediately clear how many customers, if any, were affected by the apparent closure or if Root planned to open back up this weekend. The Super Bowl is traditionally the largest revenue day for sports handicapping services.
On May 25, 2008, Root made it to the fifth ballot at the 2008 Libertarian National Convention before being eliminated and endorsing Bob Barr, who went on to the party's presidential nomination. In the third round of voting, he was successful in the race for the vice presidential nomination, beating Steve Kubby.
In September 2008, Root offered to give up his VP slate on the Libertarian ticket to make room for Ron Paul, as the LP received feelers that the former Republican presidential candidate may have been interested in getting on a strong third party ticket, as there remained a strong following behind him. Paul declined the offer, and denied any intention of running on a third-party presidential ticket.
-- Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com, Publisher"
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Massachusetts LP Chides LNC for Angela Keaton Witch Hunt
Libertarians around the country remain upset by the LNC's witch hunt against Angela Keaton.
The following was sent out by George Phillies, Treasurer of the Massachusetts LP:
"The Massachusetts LP State Committee, having read in detail of events at the December LNC meeting, has passed a resolution responding to the LNC actions. The resolution was drafted by a committee of the whole, and passed without objection.
"The resolution as passed reads:
'Whereas, the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts and five other state affiliates of the national Libertarian Party urged the Libertarian National Committee -- in the words of the Libertarian Party of Nevada -- to drop its vendetta against Angela Keaton and -- in the words of the Libertarian Party of Tennessee -- turn its attention to proper and necessary Libertarian Party business such as membership growth, finances, campaigns, advancing public policy in a libertarian direction, and increasing awareness of Libertarianism, and,
'Whereas furthermore, the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire categorically and unambiguously informed the Libertarian National Committee that the charge against Keaton related to New Hampshire was totally false and devoid of merit, and
'Whereas furthermore, the Libertarian National Committee took no notice in its meeting of these recommendations, and
'Whereas furthermore, the actions of the Libertarian National Committee drove National Committee At-Large member Angela Keaton to resign from the Committee, and
'Whereas furthermore, the Libertarian National Committee passed a new budget providing nothing for Affiliate Support, Ballot Access, Brand Development, Campus Outreach, or Lobbying, and next to nothing for Candidate Support, therefore
'Mindful of its historical leadership role within the libertarian movement, a role readily traced back to the battles of Concord and Lexington and the abolitionist movement, not to mention Massachusetts's record as the first state to abolish slavery, legalize gay marriage, and its recent success in decriminalizing marijuana possession, the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts therefore resolves:
'First, we counsel the Libertarian National Committee that, for the good of the Party, the Libertarian National Committee should ensure in appointing Keaton's replacement that the replacement is as anti-war and as socially liberal as Ms. Keaton, so that the balance on the National Committee between the party's various factions and interests is not altered and continues to reflect the mixture of votes cast at the most recent National Convention, and
'Second, we urge supporters of the libertarian political movement to respond to the Libertarian National Committee's actions by redirecting your future donations away from the Libertarian National Committee. Donate instead to libertarian groups that do real politics and political education, such as your state Libertarian Party, and national groups such as Freedom Ballot Access and the Advocates for Self-Government.' "
The following was sent out by George Phillies, Treasurer of the Massachusetts LP:
"The Massachusetts LP State Committee, having read in detail of events at the December LNC meeting, has passed a resolution responding to the LNC actions. The resolution was drafted by a committee of the whole, and passed without objection.
"The resolution as passed reads:
'Whereas, the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts and five other state affiliates of the national Libertarian Party urged the Libertarian National Committee -- in the words of the Libertarian Party of Nevada -- to drop its vendetta against Angela Keaton and -- in the words of the Libertarian Party of Tennessee -- turn its attention to proper and necessary Libertarian Party business such as membership growth, finances, campaigns, advancing public policy in a libertarian direction, and increasing awareness of Libertarianism, and,
'Whereas furthermore, the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire categorically and unambiguously informed the Libertarian National Committee that the charge against Keaton related to New Hampshire was totally false and devoid of merit, and
'Whereas furthermore, the Libertarian National Committee took no notice in its meeting of these recommendations, and
'Whereas furthermore, the actions of the Libertarian National Committee drove National Committee At-Large member Angela Keaton to resign from the Committee, and
'Whereas furthermore, the Libertarian National Committee passed a new budget providing nothing for Affiliate Support, Ballot Access, Brand Development, Campus Outreach, or Lobbying, and next to nothing for Candidate Support, therefore
'Mindful of its historical leadership role within the libertarian movement, a role readily traced back to the battles of Concord and Lexington and the abolitionist movement, not to mention Massachusetts's record as the first state to abolish slavery, legalize gay marriage, and its recent success in decriminalizing marijuana possession, the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts therefore resolves:
'First, we counsel the Libertarian National Committee that, for the good of the Party, the Libertarian National Committee should ensure in appointing Keaton's replacement that the replacement is as anti-war and as socially liberal as Ms. Keaton, so that the balance on the National Committee between the party's various factions and interests is not altered and continues to reflect the mixture of votes cast at the most recent National Convention, and
'Second, we urge supporters of the libertarian political movement to respond to the Libertarian National Committee's actions by redirecting your future donations away from the Libertarian National Committee. Donate instead to libertarian groups that do real politics and political education, such as your state Libertarian Party, and national groups such as Freedom Ballot Access and the Advocates for Self-Government.' "
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
On Angela Keaton and Ron Paul
My editorial in the January 2009 issue of California Freedom, which subscribers should have received by now:
Some of our best libertarians -- our most principled and productive libertarians -- are outside the party. For instance, Ron Paul. And joining him now, Angela Keaton.
* Angela Keaton
Angela Keaton resigned her At-large seat on the LNC shortly after their December meeting, during which she was subjected to a silly and unimportant disciplinary hearing, orchestrated by LNC Region 4 Representative Stewart Flood. Michael Seebeck reports on the meeting on page 1 of this issue, along with links.
Most of the charges against Angela were of her publicly criticizing the LP and its leaders, with her usual irreverent wit. She'd also joined a Boston Tea Party Facebook account, thus lending support to a competing political party. (Whereas Bob Barr only contributed millions of PAC dollars to GOP candidates running against LP candidates, while he sat on the LNC. Small potatoes compared to a Facebook account.)
Yes, Angela speaks freely and doesn't care if she offends. She can be abrasive and blunt and impolitic. She does not easily tolerate fools. She asks tough questions of LP leaders, and demands strict adherence to principles. A no-nonsense nun, ever ready to smack mushy-headed libertarians with her ruler. Or with a funny zinger.
I wasn't at the LNC meeting, but like others, I followed it live on IndependentPoliticalReport.com. IPR eyewitnesses reported that, as Flood presented his "evidence," attending activists began to laugh. So did some LNC members. Flood grew ever more irate, which increased the laughter, which further incensed Flood.
Judging by the laughs, the funniest exhibit in Flood's case against Angela was a photoshopped image of her and LP Treasurer Aaron Starr, posted on Angela's Anarchist Bitch blog, captioned: "Luka Skywalker meets her father, Darth Herr Vader."
In describing the event, Thomas Knapp said: "Stewart Flood's presentation of 'charges' and 'evidence' against Ms. Keaton came off as the clown show it was. Accounts from on the spot describe open laughter from the audience and a public near-nervous-breakdown on the part of Flood himself. Keaton acquitted herself quite well, speaking in her own defense... She denied the LNC's authority to dictate what opinions she would express or how she would express them,"
Flood's resolution moved to suspend Angela's LNC membership, to be rescinded upon her submitting a letter, for publication in the LP News, apologizing for a laundry list of alleged misdeeds.
Rather than suspend or clear Angela, the LNC sent the matter to committee for further investigation. To which Angela replied: "I will under no circumstances submit to any committee investigation."
Angela resigned a day or so later. She cited health reasons. Eric Garris, her boss at Antiwar.com, issued a letter saying that Angela's LNC work was interfering with her duties at Antiwar.com, and she must choose one or the other.
I've heard rumors that Garris was merely offering Angela a gracious excuse to exit. One longtime Los Angeles LP officer opined to me, "I think Angela just got tired of all the petty b*llsh*t on the LNC, and said 'to hell with it.' And I don't blame her."
Angela Keaton will now devote her full time to Antiwar.com and the cause of world peace. The LP's loss is humanity's gain.
* Ron Paul
On December 13, 2008, the California Secretary of State issued the official results for the 2008 presidential race, write-in votes included. They are:
Barack Obama ..... 8,274,473
John McCain ..... 5,011,781
Ralph Nader ..... 108,381
Bob Barr ..... 67,582
Alan Keyes ..... 40,673
Cynthia McKinney ..... 38,774
Ron Paul ..... 17,006
Chuck Baldwin ..... 3,145
James Harris ..... 49
Frank Moore ..... 36
The top six names appeared on the California ballot as candidates for the Democratic, Republican, Peace and Freedom, Libertarian, American Independent, and Green Parties, respectively. The latter four were officially certified write-in candidates.
Most Californians were unaware that Ron Paul was a certified write-in candidate and that votes for him would be counted. Even so, Paul pulled over 17,000 votes -- without appearing on the ballot, without a current campaign, without the public even knowing that he was a viable option.
Imagine how many votes Paul would have won had the public known that write-in votes for him would count?
And how many additional votes had Paul been on the ballot?
Even many Libertarians were unaware of Paul's official write-in status. Some told me after the election: "I'd have voted for Paul, had I known my vote would count."
Chuck Baldwin was the Constitution Party's write-in candidate. The American Independent Party (which had been the CP's California affiliate) split over the war issue. Baldwin supported the CP/AIP's traditional noninterventionist position. Alan Keyes was the choice of the pro-war faction. A California court ruled that the Keyes faction was the legitimate AIP representative, so Keyes's name appeared on the ballot.
James Harris ran on the Socialist Workers Party. Frank Moore ran on the Just Makes Sense Party. Moore has been described as a "performance artist," so his campaign might have been an extension of that, rather than a serious political endeavor. His running mate was cable access TV "sex therapist," Dr. Susan Block.
Curiously, both Harris and Moore received under 55 write-in votes. One must obtain signatures from 55 pledged electors to be a certified write-in candidate in California, so it seems that even their electors didn't want to "waste their votes" on Harris and Moore.
On December 14, the Constitution Party's Bill Lussenheide reported on IndependentPoliticalReport.com: "There were three counties in California that did NOT count the write in votes for either Chuck Baldwin or Ron Paul. [And presumably, not for Harris and Moore.] Their totals should not be considered complete. [They are] Del Norte County, Mono County and San Benito County."
So it seems that Paul received more votes than recorded in the state's "official" report. Which is somehow poetically appropriate, considering the candidate and the state.
As Joseph Stalin reputedly said: "It's not who votes that counts. It's who counts the votes."
* LP Conventions
I congratulate the LNC on one good decision. The 2010 LP national convention will be held in St. Louis. Good choice. A cheap locale for most povertarians, conveniently situated in the middle of the continental U.S., and not in some pricey state like Hawaii, or on an expensive cruise ship. Room rates are $109 a night.
The LPC state convention will be held this April, in Visalia, California. That's near Fresno.
Some of our best libertarians -- our most principled and productive libertarians -- are outside the party. For instance, Ron Paul. And joining him now, Angela Keaton.
* Angela Keaton
Angela Keaton resigned her At-large seat on the LNC shortly after their December meeting, during which she was subjected to a silly and unimportant disciplinary hearing, orchestrated by LNC Region 4 Representative Stewart Flood. Michael Seebeck reports on the meeting on page 1 of this issue, along with links.
Most of the charges against Angela were of her publicly criticizing the LP and its leaders, with her usual irreverent wit. She'd also joined a Boston Tea Party Facebook account, thus lending support to a competing political party. (Whereas Bob Barr only contributed millions of PAC dollars to GOP candidates running against LP candidates, while he sat on the LNC. Small potatoes compared to a Facebook account.)
Yes, Angela speaks freely and doesn't care if she offends. She can be abrasive and blunt and impolitic. She does not easily tolerate fools. She asks tough questions of LP leaders, and demands strict adherence to principles. A no-nonsense nun, ever ready to smack mushy-headed libertarians with her ruler. Or with a funny zinger.
I wasn't at the LNC meeting, but like others, I followed it live on IndependentPoliticalReport.com. IPR eyewitnesses reported that, as Flood presented his "evidence," attending activists began to laugh. So did some LNC members. Flood grew ever more irate, which increased the laughter, which further incensed Flood.
Judging by the laughs, the funniest exhibit in Flood's case against Angela was a photoshopped image of her and LP Treasurer Aaron Starr, posted on Angela's Anarchist Bitch blog, captioned: "Luka Skywalker meets her father, Darth Herr Vader."
In describing the event, Thomas Knapp said: "Stewart Flood's presentation of 'charges' and 'evidence' against Ms. Keaton came off as the clown show it was. Accounts from on the spot describe open laughter from the audience and a public near-nervous-breakdown on the part of Flood himself. Keaton acquitted herself quite well, speaking in her own defense... She denied the LNC's authority to dictate what opinions she would express or how she would express them,"
Flood's resolution moved to suspend Angela's LNC membership, to be rescinded upon her submitting a letter, for publication in the LP News, apologizing for a laundry list of alleged misdeeds.
Rather than suspend or clear Angela, the LNC sent the matter to committee for further investigation. To which Angela replied: "I will under no circumstances submit to any committee investigation."
Angela resigned a day or so later. She cited health reasons. Eric Garris, her boss at Antiwar.com, issued a letter saying that Angela's LNC work was interfering with her duties at Antiwar.com, and she must choose one or the other.
I've heard rumors that Garris was merely offering Angela a gracious excuse to exit. One longtime Los Angeles LP officer opined to me, "I think Angela just got tired of all the petty b*llsh*t on the LNC, and said 'to hell with it.' And I don't blame her."
Angela Keaton will now devote her full time to Antiwar.com and the cause of world peace. The LP's loss is humanity's gain.
* Ron Paul
On December 13, 2008, the California Secretary of State issued the official results for the 2008 presidential race, write-in votes included. They are:
Barack Obama ..... 8,274,473
John McCain ..... 5,011,781
Ralph Nader ..... 108,381
Bob Barr ..... 67,582
Alan Keyes ..... 40,673
Cynthia McKinney ..... 38,774
Ron Paul ..... 17,006
Chuck Baldwin ..... 3,145
James Harris ..... 49
Frank Moore ..... 36
The top six names appeared on the California ballot as candidates for the Democratic, Republican, Peace and Freedom, Libertarian, American Independent, and Green Parties, respectively. The latter four were officially certified write-in candidates.
Most Californians were unaware that Ron Paul was a certified write-in candidate and that votes for him would be counted. Even so, Paul pulled over 17,000 votes -- without appearing on the ballot, without a current campaign, without the public even knowing that he was a viable option.
Imagine how many votes Paul would have won had the public known that write-in votes for him would count?
And how many additional votes had Paul been on the ballot?
Even many Libertarians were unaware of Paul's official write-in status. Some told me after the election: "I'd have voted for Paul, had I known my vote would count."
Chuck Baldwin was the Constitution Party's write-in candidate. The American Independent Party (which had been the CP's California affiliate) split over the war issue. Baldwin supported the CP/AIP's traditional noninterventionist position. Alan Keyes was the choice of the pro-war faction. A California court ruled that the Keyes faction was the legitimate AIP representative, so Keyes's name appeared on the ballot.
James Harris ran on the Socialist Workers Party. Frank Moore ran on the Just Makes Sense Party. Moore has been described as a "performance artist," so his campaign might have been an extension of that, rather than a serious political endeavor. His running mate was cable access TV "sex therapist," Dr. Susan Block.
Curiously, both Harris and Moore received under 55 write-in votes. One must obtain signatures from 55 pledged electors to be a certified write-in candidate in California, so it seems that even their electors didn't want to "waste their votes" on Harris and Moore.
On December 14, the Constitution Party's Bill Lussenheide reported on IndependentPoliticalReport.com: "There were three counties in California that did NOT count the write in votes for either Chuck Baldwin or Ron Paul. [And presumably, not for Harris and Moore.] Their totals should not be considered complete. [They are] Del Norte County, Mono County and San Benito County."
So it seems that Paul received more votes than recorded in the state's "official" report. Which is somehow poetically appropriate, considering the candidate and the state.
As Joseph Stalin reputedly said: "It's not who votes that counts. It's who counts the votes."
* LP Conventions
I congratulate the LNC on one good decision. The 2010 LP national convention will be held in St. Louis. Good choice. A cheap locale for most povertarians, conveniently situated in the middle of the continental U.S., and not in some pricey state like Hawaii, or on an expensive cruise ship. Room rates are $109 a night.
The LPC state convention will be held this April, in Visalia, California. That's near Fresno.