David Larkin, RIP

On October 19, Kit Maira reported that longtime libertarian and former Los Angeles County LP Chair, David Larkin, died on or around October 8, 2008, apparently of natural causes.

I knew David to be one of the good libertarians. Principled, friendly to all, generous, helpful, without ego or malice.

He was a Vietnam War veteran who last year spoke of his war experiences and how he became an antiwar libertarian.

David was about 60 years old. He was overweight, led a sedentary lifestyle, and had long suffered from diabetes. I expect those were contributing factors to an all-too-early death.

Like the late Samuel E. Konkin III, David died all too soon. He will be missed by his many friends and compatriots.

Details on his memorial services pending.

Good-Bye National Review

Chris Buckley, son of National Review founder William F. Buckley, has endorsed Obama and left National Review.

I beat Chris Buckley by six and a half years. I canceled my National Review subscription in Spring 2002, after they turned into war-crazy neocons.

(Some may say they were already walking that road, but they actually resisted nation building while Clinton was president.)

I'd been a loyal subscriber for about 15 years, but it was time. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan: "I didn't leave National Review. National Review left me."

Wayne Allyn Root Says He's Like Sarah Palin

The Ventura County Star quotes Root as saying:

"The Republicans aren't stupid... They went out and got the female version of Wayne Root to be vice president."

In which case, why not just vote GOP? If Root and Palin are the same, you may as well vote for the one who can win.

Ron Paul Endorses Constitution Party's Chuck Baldwin

Ron Paul had earlier endorsed "any third party." The Bob Barr campaign and Libertarian Party admonished Paul for remaining neutral.

Paul has responded to the LP's admonishment. By endorsing the Constitution Party's Chuck Baldwin.

Paul writes:

"The Libertarian Party Candidate admonished me for "remaining neutral" in the presidential race and not stating whom I will vote for in November. It's true; I have done exactly that due to my respect and friendship and support from both the Constitution and Libertarian Party members. I remain a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party and I’m a ten-term Republican Congressman. It is not against the law to participate in more then one political party. Chuck Baldwin has been a friend and was an active supporter in the presidential campaign.

I continue to wish the Libertarian and Constitution Parties well. The more votes they get, the better. I have attended Libertarian Party conventions frequently over the years.

In some states, one can be on the ballots of two parties, as they can in New York. This is good and attacks the monopoly control of politics by Republicans and Democrats. We need more states to permit this option. This will be a good project for the Campaign for Liberty, along with the alliance we are building to change the process.

I've thought about the unsolicited advice from the Libertarian Party candidate, and he has convinced me to reject my neutral stance in the November election. I'm supporting Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party candidate."

Full article here.

Ralph Nader for Ron Paul

Ralph Nader has issued a statement of support for Ron Paul's principles. Nader claims he is not for Big Government.

This was in response to a joint press conference attended by Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, the Constitution Party's Chuck Baldwin, and the Green Party's Cynthia McKinney.

The Libertarian Party's Bob Barr had been invited to attend, but was a no-show. Why this is so remains a matter of controversy.

Libertarian Party Demands U.S. Exit Afghanistan

While convening in Washington D.C. during the weekend of Sept 6 - 7, 2008, the Libertarian National Committee passed the following antiwar resolution:

WHEREAS the government of the United States should return to its historical libertarian tradition of avoiding entangling alliances, foreign quarrels, and military adventures; and

WHEREAS the stability and security of Afghanistan lie outside the jurisdiction of the government of the United States; and

WHEREAS the Libertarian Party recognizes that the only legitimate role of the military is to defend America against direct attack or the imminent threat of attack;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Libertarian National Committee calls on the government of the United States to withdraw the armed forces of the United States from Afghanistan, without undue delay.

Ironically, only a few weeks before the LNC passed this resolution calling for a troop pullout from Afghanistan, LP VP candidate Wayne Allyn Root called for a troop surge in Afghanistan.

Aaron Passman, interviewing Root for the Jewish Exponent (August 14, 2008), reported: "'I felt Iraq was always the wrong war, and if there is such a thing as a right war, Afghanistan was [it],' said Root. He said that he had supported the surge in Iraq, and that the government should 'do the same thing in Afghanistan, and make plans to get out quickly.'"

Although Root now says that he'd "always" felt that Iraq was the wrong war, less than two years ago, he'd reportedly supported the Iraq War. (One year ago, he'd opposed the Iraq War, but supported an Iran War.)

Whatever Root's new position, the LNC's resolution makes it official: the LP opposes a "troop surge" in Afghanistan.

Bob Bar to Step Aside for Ron Paul?

This has got to be an idiot internet rumor.

The Economic Policy Journal is speculating that Chuck Baldwin and Bob Barr will step aside for Ron Paul next week, allowing Paul to run on both the Libertarian and Constitution Party lines.

What wrong with this rumor?

1. It's not on any LP officer's radar. The LNC just had its meeting this weekend, and no one knows about this, or was discussing it.

2. Barr's campaign people are aggressively working on Barr's campaign -- and not for Paul's sake.

3. I can't imagine egos as big as Bob Barr's, much less Wayne Allyn Root's, stepping aside for anyone.

4. I don't know that the LNC could order a substitution. Or would even want to.

5. I don't know if state laws would allow it. The LP is having a hard enough time substituting George Phillies with Bob Barr just on the Massachusetts and New Hampshire LP ballots.

6. I know less about matters at the Constitution Party, but I imagine there'd be similar problems. Their California affiliate (American Independent Party) just got through a court case over whether Alan Keyes or Chuck Baldwin was the rightful nominee.

7. Ron Paul has repeatedly said, for many months, that he will not run third party. He's kept his word, eschewing both the LP and CP nominations when they were his for the asking. Why would he change his mind now?