http://www.ballot-access.org/…

On June 30, the chair of the Maine Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in state court, to remove the only independent candidate for U.S. Senate from the November ballot. The case is Knutson v Department of the Secretary of State, Kennebec County. The Secretary of State had determined that the candidate, Herb Hoffman, has 4,000 valid signatures. The lawsuit argues that the Secretary of State is mistaken. The specific dispute includes whether a signature is valid if the signer gives a Post Office Box address, and whether certain signatures were properly witnessed.

Hoffman is a former Democrat who supported Dennis Kucinich for president. Hoffman became disillusioned with the Democratic Party, partly because of how Kucinich was treated, and partly he disagrees with the stances of the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate on foreign policy. If Hoffman is removed from the ballot, there will only be two choices remaining on the Maine ballot in November for U.S. Senate.

Can’t give people a choice. They may not choose correctly. Maine residents, it’s for your own good, really.

I don’t know how this slipped through the libertarian blogosphere but this is pretty hardcore. Looks like it was on 3/13/2008 and the blog is from 6/15/2008.

http://politicalinquirer.com/…

STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 51st Legislature (2008)
HOUSE JOINT
RESOLUTION 1089 By: Key
AS INTRODUCED
A Joint Resolution claiming sovereignty under the
Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States over certain powers; serving notice to the
federal government to cease and desist certain
mandates; and directing distribution.
WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States reads as follows:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”; and
WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and
WHEREAS, the scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and
WHEREAS, today, in 2008, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and
WHEREAS, many federal mandates are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and
WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has ruled in New York v. United States, 112 S. Ct. 2408 (1992), that Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and
WHEREAS, a number of proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from Congress may further violate the Constitution of the United States.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE OF THE 2ND SESSION OF THE 51ST OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE:

THAT the State of Oklahoma hereby claims sovereignty under the
Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all
powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal
government by the Constitution of the United States.
THAT this serve as Notice and Demand to the federal government,
as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates
that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated
powers.

THAT a copy of this resolution be distributed to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate of each state’s
legislature of the United States of America, and each member of the
Oklahoma Congressional Delegation.

http://www.okhouse.gov/51LEG/Leg_Votesxx.aspx?include=okh01983.txt
http://www.ok-safe.com/files/documents/1/HJR1089_int.pdf

And as other sovereignty issues arise like with Real ID hopefully the states can exert enough pressure to cripple the federal government. At least slow its march toward total national control.

My recommendations for those Republican and independent voters of New Jersey.

For Member of the United States Senate: Murray Sabrin

For Delegaes-At-Large To The National Convention: Constitutional Republicans Protecting the Liberty Platform

The delegates which make up that group are: Donna Ward, Fernando Powers, Jammes J. Valencia, Ron Brittin, Stacey Sperbeck, Girard Falzon, Charles G. Ward, Marc Mingle, George Ajjan, and David Wallace

All other positions have only one person running under the Republicans for Responsible Government banner. Most if not all of which are big government Republicans, RINOs.

You can learn more about Dr. Sabrin at MurraySabrin.com and the Constitutional Republicans Protecting the Liberty Platform here.

For those who may not be aware Murray was endorsed by Ron Paul earlier in the campaign.

Sabrin may not be a good libertarian (securing the borders with fences?), he’s not as good as Dr. Paul, but he’s definately better than Dick Zimmer, Joseph Pennacchio and Frank Lautenberg.

http://www.reason.com/…

Lately, Barack Obama has been quoting John F. Kennedy: “The world is changing. The old ways will not do.” For a few hours the other day, I was starting to think he really meant it.

On Thursday, The Washington Times reported that in 2004, as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, Obama came out for decriminalizing marijuana use. That usually means eliminating jail sentences and arrest records for anyone caught with a small amount for personal use, treating it more like a traffic offense than a violent crime. But in a show of hands at a debate last fall, he indicated that he opposed the idea.

When confronted on the issue by the Times, however, the senator defended his original ground. His campaign said he has “always” supported decriminalization.

It’s a brave position, and therefore exceedingly rare among practicing politicians. Which may be why it didn’t last. Before the day was over, the Obama campaign issued a statement saying he thinks “we are sending far too many first-time non-violent drug users to prison for very long periods of time” but “does not believe that we should treat offenses involving marijuana with a simple fine or just by confiscating the drug.” Recently, he had told a New Hampshire newspaper, “I’m not in favor of decriminalization.”

This episode reveals that as a candidate, Obama is more fond of bold rhetoric than bold policies. But it also proves the impossibility of talking sense on the subject of illicit drugs during a political campaign. That course of action would mean admitting the inadmissible: that the prohibition of cannabis has been cruel, wasteful and fraudulent.

It would also mean he has a backbone and is for real change and not tinkering with the status quo. A friend tried to get me to support Obama. Said he had a real chance of getting elected and was second best to Ron Paul. I very sternly let him down by telling him not a chance in hell. Obama’s looking to in the least continue the same old Washington bullshit while giving lip service to “change” at at worst will grow our federal government to even more. I don’t care about youth, speaking ability or race. I surely don’t care about a new Camelot or a weak policy on the drug war.

http://epw.senate.gov/…

Over 400 prominent scientists from more than two dozen countries recently voiced significant objections to major aspects of the so-called “consensus” on man-made global warming. These scientists, many of whom are current and former participants in the UN IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), criticized the climate claims made by the UN IPCC and former Vice President Al Gore.

This blockbuster Senate report lists the scientists by name, country of residence, and academic/institutional affiliation. It also features their own words, biographies, and weblinks to their peer reviewed studies and original source materials as gathered from public statements, various news outlets, and websites in 2007.

Many of the scientists featured in this report consistently stated that numerous colleagues shared their views, but they will not speak out publicly for fear of retribution. Atmospheric scientist Dr. Nathan Paldor, Professor of Dynamical Meteorology and Physical Oceanography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, author of almost 70 peer-reviewed studies, explains how many of his fellow scientists have been intimidated.

“Many of my colleagues with whom I spoke share these views and report on their inability to publish their skepticism in the scientific or public media,” Paldor wrote.

I’m a skeptic of everything… especially of those things which “everyone agrees” on. It has always bother me that the counter evidence and research in regard to global warming or global weather change or whatever they like to call it has been not only ignored but often hostilely dismissed and ridiculed. There has been this whole culture that was created around “global warming denial.” You show an ounce of skepticism about the whole thing and people jump down your throat. People seem to willfully ignore the data and refuse to hear it. They believe the headlines and Al Gore and not the meat of the research. They fail to understand the impracticality and dangers of knee jerk reactions to the supposed issue.

What really drives me nuts however are those who don’t want to make any sacrifices for what they believe to be for the benefit of the planet unless the government forces them to do so. Like that guy I fought with in a local Thai resturant who wanted people to stop driving gas guzzlers but wouldn’t get rid of his SUV until the government mandated it because it wasn’t fair otherwise. Or replace his incandescent bulbs because he preferred the light they gave off.

Well he will probably get his wish. The Congress passed and Bush signed a new energy bill with aims to counter global climate change. It’s all kinds of bad but the worst are the phasing out of incandescent bulbs and ethanol subsidy increases. The ethanol increases will push up the cost of food, cost tax payers more in taxes or future tax payers in loans, and ethanol actually gets less miles per gallon and some say pollutes more in some ways than gasoline so the mandatory increase in gas millage will be that much difficult.