RedStateEclectic

The People Who Like Gary Johnson

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Of course, I know Ron Paul (´s credentials and philosophy) a lot better than Gary Johnson ('s). If I faced an either-or-decision, I would support Ron Paul over anyone else - but this does not mean that I am adverse to Johnson.

In fact, there is much to be said for Johnson, not least that he attracts support from people (a) I admire and (b) personally like - (a) and (b) holding true with respect to Laura, (a) applying to the Coyote, who has this to say in his blog, today:

I decided today to volunteer for Gary Johnson’s independent libertarian run for President.  I have always been a Johnson supporter, and was disappointed that he did not get more attention in the debates and nomination process.

Yes, I know folks will be saying that if Gary Johnson does well, it will just be guaranteeing an Obama victory.  You know what?  Given the choices, I don’t care.  My other choices seem to be the guy who pilot-tested Obamacare and Rick Santorum, perhaps the only person the Republicans could have found with a deeper authoritarian streak than Obama.  You know those 2×2 matrices where one leg is “government intervention in social issues” and the other is “government intervention in economic issues?”  Where libertarians are low-low and Republicans and Democrats are each in one of the low-high boxes?  Did you ever wonder who was in the high-high box?  Well, Obama has moved pretty strongly into that space.  But Santorum staked it out years ago.   He is right out of the John McCain, I-am-nominally-for-small-governemnt-but-support-authoritarian-solutions-for-a-range-of-random-issues school.

In fact, I might argue that freedom and small government would be better served by an Obama second term that the yahoos likely to gain the Republic nomination.  First, there is nothing worse than having statism and crony capitalism sold by someone who is nominally pro-market (see either of the Bushes as an example).  Second, Republicans are much feistier about limiting spending and regulation in Congress when in opposition.  They tend to roll over for expansions of state power when they have a fellow Republican in the White House — just compare spending of the Republican Congress under Clinton vs. Bush.  Medicare Part D, anyone?

The source.

While the cold is giving way to thaw here, people in Amsterdam are skating the frozen canals - enjoy, and nite, nite:

 

Congratulations, Glen Bradley!

Running in a historically Democratic district. Being outspent 5-1. Up against attack ads on television.

Freedom is popular!

 

RSE Endorses David Ratowitz - IL 5

Wouldn't it be awesome if the Republicans could take the district that Rahm Emmanuel once represented? And wouldn't it be simply spectacular if that Republican was a real small government constitutional conservative? 

Well, don't look now, but it just might happen.  David Ratowitz is running in that district, and the Washington Post is calling that district a toss-up.

It's always iffy endorsing candidates with no proven voting record, but I have absolutely no qualms about putting this name on our list.  While I've never met Mr. Ratowitz, I worked side by side with lots of people that have. I have absolutely no doubt that David is the real deal.

There's only a few days left, it is now or never. If you live in or near Chicago, get off your couch and volunteer in his office for a couple of hours,  If you can't do that, send him some money. Really - according to the WaPo link, Ratowitz had raised only $7,000 compared to the Democrat's $327,000. 

HE CAN WIN THIS! DONATE NOW!!!

 

And go check out his web page, David Ratowitz For Congress. 

Justin Amash Just What This Country Needs

Tuesday, November 2nd is shaping up to be an historic midterm election with a dramatic shift in power from the Democratic party to the Republican party (as I predicted in 2008). Also, the rhetoric from the Republican party has shifted in line with the sentiments of the ground swelling grassroots Tea Party movement.

The year 2008 was important for me because it was when my state representative, Justin Amash, was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives. I had met him before the primaries in February and was immediately blown away with his firm command of the Constitution, Austrian Economics, and limited government. I learned of him through my activity with the Ron Paul for president campaign as he was a donor to Rep. Paul's campaign and I realized that he was also running for my state house district. The meeting and the years since are an excellent example of serendipity.

Once assuming office, Amash quickly took an unusual and unprecedented approach to his job as a state legislator. His first press release showed his commitment to the principles of protecting private property by opposing a smoking ban even in the face of his personal disgust with cigarette smoke. I too am bothered by second hand smoke but understand the implications of allowing the government the unprecedented powers of banning things from occurring on private property.

Amash took his job as a state representative very seriously reviewing each bill that was on the agenda for either his committees or the house floor. He is probably the only (or one of a few) who actually read all the bills the night before they were expected to vote. This allowed him to quickly become the 'go-to' guy within the state house for other legislators to find out what was on the agenda for the next day. It also allowed him to explain all of his votes which allowed him to do the next unorthodox thing...

... using facebook to post every one of his votes with an explanation of the bill and why he did or didn't support it. A very common situation in the state house (and probably most legislatures) is to substitute or submit bills at the last minute (read Obamacare) and call for a vote. What has been so fantastic with the use of social media is that there are more people now in Michigan who know what's going on in the state house than at any time before because of Justin's posts. Of that I am certain. Amash began posting mainly because he thought a few of his constituents might be interested and that level of transparency has blossomed into a campaign issue for many politicians in Michigan.

Amash as a freshman legislator was voted the most effective legislator after his first year because he has a command of the bills before the chamber, more of his amendments are gaveled through than any other Republican legislator (Democrats outnumber Republicans 66-43), and he works well with members of both parties on trying to change their bills while holding to his base principles. He was never afraid to vote alone either as he cast the single no vote an 60+ occasions. He also didn't rest on just voting no and looked to pull others within his caucus and the Democratic caucus on issues which he succeeded and has been chronicled about here before.

Finally, Justin Amash has been able to hold firm to his principles of limited government, individual liberty, and sound economics because the grassroots has come out in swarms to hold him up as what they want in West Michigan. Here he was at the first Tea Party in 2009 before any other legislators were willing to show up. His message of libertarian or free market politics is peaking at just the right time for him and our country.

Without a doubt, Justin Amash, is not only the best choice for west Michigan's 3rd congressional district, but he has the potential to take the liberty movement to a whole new level on the national scene. He has already changed the dialogue within the Michigan GOP (now they are calling for an end to 'targeted tax cuts' which was not on the radar in 2008). Please join Red State Eclectic and me in supporting Justin Amash for Congress on Tuesday, November 2nd. [You can participate in his money bomb here for Friday and the weekend]

Justin Amash seen shaking hands with retiring Congressman Vern Ehlers. Mastermind Dr. Eric Larson stands quietly in the background with his arms crossed surveying the scene with his daughter Kathryn (aka Tiger Lily).

My Statement at the Health Care Press Conference

US Congressional candidate and current state representative (MI-72) Justin Amash invited me to make a brief statement on health care and the ramifications for the Patient Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Here is a transcript on what I said:

Good afternoon. I’m Dr. Eric Larson, a staff anesthesiologist in Grand Rapids. I’m married to a pediatrician and I have three young children so I have a lot at stake with health care both as a professional and as a father.

I am here today to express my grave concern for the direction health care is heading in this country. I am concerned for my patients, my family, my profession, and my country. I believe that the legislation that has passed last year in the ‘stimulus bill’ and this year in the Patient Affordable Care Act - or Obamacare will be disastrous for medicine.

Let me be upfront that I was not happy with health care before these 2 changes. We had a very expensive system that used third parties to pay for care with very poor incentives to decrease costs and provide superior care.

But instead of moving towards increased patient and physician choice and ways to decrease costs, we instead are left with a system that will reduce choices, cost more, and diminish care.

The new legislation, that was passed with virtually no time for the public to review, will create over 150 new federal regulatory agencies within the executive branch. The secretary of Health and Human Services will have immense powers to dictate how I provide care and what care you are ‘allowed’ to receive.

Through the use of ACOs (accountable health care organizations) the secretary will determine, through regulatory fiat, what level of care you may receive through your government approved insurance provider. Already, the secretary has shown how the law may or may not apply to you depending on if you can get a waiver. If you have the right political or personal connections the law has been shown to be completely arbitrary which makes following the rules almost impossible for physicians.

If nothing is done, physicians will be expected to practice in a highly regulated and regimented ‘one-size-fits-all’ health system. Patients will only be allowed care that is dictated through regulatory bodies not what they and their physicians choose. The new Comparative Effectiveness Research board (page 609 Section 6301) is given the task to determine which treatments are to be allowed and to reduce variations in health care practices.

Even who provides care will be dictated by the government. In the new law, you are not allowed to charge more based on your level of expertise and experience. This means that a highly specialized fellowship trained physician can’t charge more for an office visit than a nurse practitioner. If this is the case, who will commit to the financial and time burden needed to become an expert in say retinal care or pediatric neurology? (Page 42 Section 2706) This will obviously reduce the quality of care.

Instead of expanding reforms that would reduce costs and increase choice like the use of Health Savings Accounts, purchasing prescription drugs across borders, and buying insurance across state lines - the Congress and president chose to limit choice and create a gigantic regulatory system where practice rules will change daily.

We need to scrap the new law and start over with sensible health care reforms that expand choice and encourage cost saving while also increasing portability. I believe representative Amash understands that the prescription to cure our health care woes doesn’t involve more government but a healthy dose of freedom.

Update: Here is the link for the article covering the conference in the Grand Rapids Press. I had an interesting conversation with an independent insurance agent who sells health insurance. Aside from the depressing 20%+ increases in premiums for everyone she noted that Blue Cross/Blue Shield has suddenly changed their agent alerts to basically say that increases in family plans (which are higher because now children up to age 26 are suddenly covered) are not due to the new health care law. This is because Secretary Sebelious threatened the non-profit insurers with their special tax status if they began making it seem as if the health care law was responsible for the increases. You have got to love the heavy hand of government clubbing us over the head. And to think it is only just beginning...

Race of The Day: CA-8

How do YOU feel abut Speaker Nancy Pelosi?  Personally, I’ve never been that keen about her, and my keenness level has diminished since she began her tenure as Speaker.  I cringed when I saw this moment, because while I can appreciate the symbolism, it seemed so very contrived, and fake.

I generally don’t like her patronizing (or would that be “matronizing”?) attitude.  And then I saw this, and frankly, I don’t like her disrespect for the citizens of her district. 

Yes, she’s the Speaker of the House.  And yes, part of the political job that goes with that title is to try and maintain her control on the Speakership by re-winning a majority.  But every Speaker still has to run in his/her own district, and their first duty is that of representative of their district.  Nancy Pelosi doesn’t seem to feel that way.  “Time is money” and she just doesn’t have time to debate her opponent.  She’s forgotten her predecessor (by several years) Tip O’Neill’s adage, that “All politics is local.”  To her, the world seems to be her stage for collecting money and attempting to maintain her power, and (one assumes) she takes her constituents for granted in the heavily Democratic, generally pretty liberal 8th Congressional District of California.  But no smart politician ever takes their constituents for granted, or the constituents will eventually get tired of you. 

Pelosi’s opponent (John Dennis) is—as I was reminded by a friend who knows him—the real deal:

“I have done some canvassing with John, back in our RonPaul2008 days, and he's a really great and trustworthy guy. Nancy Pelosi is a monster.”

But it’s not just the comment from a guy who did some Ron Paul canvassing with Dennis in 2008 that makes me think he’s worthy of support.  John Dennis—on a whole host of issues, is mighty close to where many of us are.  If you like Ron Paul, you’ll like John Dennis.  (In fact, Ron Paul is one of the people who has formally endorsed Dennis.  Others include Barry Goldwater, Jr. A worthy pedigree demanding another look, I’d say).

Dennis has been endorsed by an assortment of organizations, including the Tenth Amendment Center, Log Cabin Republicans and the Republican Liberty Caucus.

The polls still suggest that Pelosi’s seat is safe.  She has been conscientiously avoiding her district as she tries desperately to raise money and rally support for Democrats (so that she can keep her position as Speaker).  But strange things can still happen in this election cycle.  I’d love to see John Dennis pull off a huge surprise.  If that happened…well, I can dream, can’t I?  If that happened, maybe Ron Paul COULD become Speaker of the House (a Facebook Group).

If you live in the San Francisco area, and are tired of Princess Pelosi taking you for granted, vote for John Dennis.  If you believe that liberty is important, vote for John Dennis (and if you can’t vote for him because of where you live, send him a quick donation.  There’s still time for some radio and television ad buys—if the money comes in fast for them.

LLE