Attack of the Robosquirrels

Dear friend of liberty,

This week, the House of Representatives will vote on a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government through September.

Reports indicate the House is already looking for funding tricks so they can cheat on their sequester diet less than a week in.

And, of course, the CR still doesn't cut a penny of actual spending.

It's vital you sign C4L's "Real Cuts, Right Now" fax petition, but first allow me to explain why.

While the Republicans maintain a numerical majority in the House, voting in the 113th Congress shows that a minority of squishy, Big Government Republicans have proven themselves willing to vote with the majority of Democrats to pass unconstitutional legislation.

For years, the GOP leadership adhered to a rule that they would only bring a bill to the floor if it had the support of "a majority of the majority."

This rule worked fine for them when the majority of the GOP caucus were establishment Republicans or fiscal conservatives willing to betray their principles to "go along to get along."

But now, thanks to the hard work of Campaign for Liberty members like you, the GOP establishment can no longer count on lockstep support when they try to pass big spending bills, so they are working with liberal Democrats to pass their statist legislation.

They have already done this three times this year!

First it was the fiscal cliff, then the pork-laden Sandy "relief" bill, and most recently, reauthorization of the Violence against Women Act.

On all three bills, the majority of the GOP was against the legislation for fiscal or constitutional reasons, and in all three cases, a minority of establishment Republicans teamed up with Democrats to pass these bills over their objections, while using scare tactics to get their way.

Zachary, if this continues, I'm afraid it's going to be a long two years of coalition rule by the statists in both parties.

You and I both know there are plenty of cuts to be made in the federal budget.

But since Washington can't seem to figure things out, here are some suggestions:

**** First, the House GOP should not cave in to support ObamaCare and Dodd-Frank (which deepened the government's involvement in the financial system).

This CR funds implementation of both ObamaCare and Dodd-Frank, and a vote for it is as bad as a vote for these bills themselves!

**** Second, every year, Senator Tom Coburn publishes a "Wastebook" - a thorough study of government waste at the federal level.

Last year's "Wastebook" identified $18 BILLION in savings just by eliminating wasteful and duplicative government spending!

One example is a research grant to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for $325,000 to create a robotic squirrel named "Robosquirrel." Apparently, version 2.0 will give us a "weaponized" varmint capable of pelting rattlesnakes with stones.

This highlights an important issue often ignored in Washington: the federal government has no constitutional authority to fund science and technological research!

It's not popular to say things like the NSF are unconstitutional and shouldn't exist, but when Washington, D.C. is running trillion-dollar deficits annually, we need to reexamine government's priorities.

As Coburn's report concluded, "paying $325,000 for a robot squirrel seems a bit squirrelly."

**** Third, Senator Paul's past budgets and legislative proposals show plenty of fat on the federal budget that could be trimmed.

In fact, the first bill Senator Paul introduced last Congress would have cut $500 BILLION in one year!

You should have seen the faces on the political elite in Washington when he brought that up...

Even though cutting $500 BILLION would have only taken care of 1/3rd of the federal deficit!

I can't think of a better example to highlight the disconnect that exists between Washington, D.C. and Main Street, U.S.A.

From the establishment's perspective, every dollar spent by Washington is sacred.

Outside of Washington, however, the reality of the damage out-of-control government has created is settling in more every day.

So please click here to sign your Real Cuts, Right Now petition now and help turn the American people's desire for reform into action.

And if you can, please consider going further by chipping in $10 or more to help Campaign for Liberty reach even more people with the Real Cuts, Right Now message.



You and I sure do have our work cut out for us.

A large minority of House Republicans has shown they are eager to support the status quo on spending.

Even worse, they've proven a willingness to team up with Democrats to continue spending us into oblivion.

You and I must show them doing so will be quite costly.

That's why it's vital you sign your Real Cuts, Right Now petition to urge your representative and senators to find real savings in the budget.

And if you can, please consider chipping in with a donation of $10 or more after signing the petition to help Campaign for Liberty promote Real Cuts, Right Now.

Not next year, not ten years from now - RIGHT NOW!

Allowing the increased spending reductions from sequestration to take effect is just a head nod toward fiscal responsibility.

But it's also a smokescreen for reformers to hide behind and say, "See, we tried!"

Our legislators must be reminded that the $85 billion drop-in-the-bucket cuts are not a stopping point.

It's time for Congress to wake up and end the status quo cycle of tax-and-spend.

The first step is getting the House of Representatives to adopt amendments to the CR that enact REAL Cuts, Right NOW!

In Liberty,

John Tate
President

Congressman calls on Obama to denounce video game that assassinates NRA officials

Wisconsin Republican Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner is calling on President Barack Obama to denounce an online video game that encourages players to shoot and kill National Rifle Association officials.

In a letter to Obama, Sensenbrenner on Tuesday voiced concern about the video game, “Bullet to the Head of the NRA,” which allows players to assassinate NRA President David Keene with a scoped firearm.

“Making threats against public figures who speak out either for or against gun control prevents us from having a reasonable, thoughtful debate,” Sensenbrenner wrote in his letter. “Although we may have strong disagreements on the best ways to reduce gun violence, it is my hope that we can both agree that video games targeting specific individuals who speak out on this issue, is counterproductive.”

The congressman, who boasts an “A” rating from the NRA, urged the president to “publicly denounce this video game and encourage civil discussion on the matter.”

The developer of “Bullet” said on an online forum that the game is a response

Read more.

Source: Daily Caller

Jack Hunter: 5 votes against John Boehner

I want to quickly share some news about a few YAL PAC-endorsed candidates from this past week.

As you may have already heard, this past Thursday Congress voted to reinstate Rep. John Boehner as Speaker of the House. Only Twelve House Republicans voted against Rep. Boehner—a vote that takes real guts.

And of those twelve, five were YAL PAC-endorsed candidates (and four more were strongly considered for an endorsement). These five constitutionalists were:

    Rep. Justin Amash (MI)

    Rep. Walter Jones (NC)

    Rep. Raul Labrador (ID)

    Rep. Thomas Massie (KY)

    Rep. Ted Yoho (FL)

Although we didn't have the votes to unseat Rep. Boehner, the good news is we are finally building a coalition in the House that is not afraid to stand up to leadership and vote on principle. For decades, we only had Ron Paul, but now our numbers are growing.

The bad news is the Republican Establishment will not forget these "traitors." No doubt there will be political consequences down the road. For example, even before this vote, Rep. Amash was removed from his committee assignment by Rep. Boehner and his cronies because he didn't vote "with the team" enough.

Ultimately, this is why it's important you and I remain engaged and support these candidates when it comes time for re-election. Not only will they need to defeat a Democratic opponent, but they will face opposition by their own party's entrenched establishment. And you and I know special interest money will not be on their side.

For now, keep an eye out for these constitutionalists in the news, and the YAL PAC will continue to stand on principle—and keep you informed.

For liberty,

Jack Hunter

YAL PAC

Advisory Board Member

Peter Schiff: Congress Avoids the Cliff by Selling Us Down the River

By Peter Schiff

With the possible exception of the New York Times' editorial board (and the cast of The Jersey Shore), everyone on the planet understood that the United States Government needs to cut spending, increase taxes, or both. Instead, after months of political posturing and hand wringing, the Federal Government has just delivered the exact opposite, a deal that increases spending and decreases taxes. The move lays bare the emptiness of budget legislation, which can be dismantled far easier than it can be constructed.

One question that should be now asked is whether Moody's Research will finally join S&P in downgrading the Treasury debt of the United States.  After the…

Read more.

Source: Town Hall

SATIRE: Four Possibilities to Replace John Boehner

The smart money says John Boehner will almost certainly be re-elected speaker of the House Thursday.

That’s not to say he’s done such an outstanding job. But there doesn’t seem to be a credible candidate willing to challenge him.

Nonetheless, some activists have confidently declared the votes are there to oust Boehner; that someone else — though it’s not clear who — will emerge and win the speakership.

And if this savior is not to be found in the House, he or she will be found outside of it. Nothing says the speaker of the House has to be an elected member of the House, after all.

In the unlikely chance that a consensus emerges to boot Boehner on Thursday, The Daily Caller has dutifully come up with a list of possible candidates to lead the GOP in the House in the 113th Congress.

# 1: The Soup Nazi

If House Republicans are looking for someone who won’t cave to President Barak Obama, the Soup Nazi from “Seinfeld” is their man.

First, his soups are irresistible. Think about it for a moment. Be strategic. If he were to

Read more.

Source: Daily Caller

Ron Paul's New Years Message to Congress

By Ron Paul

As I prepare to retire from Congress I’d like to suggest a few New Year’s resolutions for my colleagues to consider. For the sake of liberty, peace and prosperity I certainly hope more members of Congress consider the strict libertarian-constitutional approach to government in 2013.

In just a few days, Congress will solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. They should read Article 1 Section 8 and the Bill of Rights before taking such a serious oath. Most legislation violates key provisions of the Constitution in very basic ways, and if members can’t bring themselves to say “no” in the face of pressure from the special interests, they have broken trust with their constituents and violated their oath. Congress does not exist to serve the special interests. It exists to protect the rule of law.

I also urge my colleagues to end unconstitutional wars overseas. Stop the drone strikes. Stop the covert activities and the meddling in the internal affairs of other nations. Strive to observe good faith and justice towards all nations, as George Washington admonished. We are only making more enemies, wasting lives and bankrupting ourselves with the neoconservative interventionist mindset that endorses preemptive war that now dominates both parties.

All foreign aid should end, which is blatantly unconstitutional. While it may be a relatively small part of our federal budget, for many countries it is a large part of theirs and it creates perverse incentives for both our friends and enemies. There is no way members of Congress can know or understand the political, economic, legal and social realities in the many nations to which they send taxpayers’ dollars.

Congress needs to stop accumulating more debt. U.S. debt monetized by the Federal Reserve is the true threat to our national security. Revisiting the parameters of Article 1 Section 8 would be a good start.

Congress should resolve to respect personal liberty and free markets. Learn more about the free market and how it regulates commerce and produces greater prosperity ever than any legislation or regulation.

Understand that economic freedom is freedom. Resolve not to get in the way of voluntary contracts between consenting adults. Stop bailing out failed yet politically connected companies and industries. Stop forcing people to engage in commerce when they don’t want to, and stop prohibiting them from buying and selling when they want to. Stop trying to legislate your ideas of fairness. Protect property rights. Protect the individual. That is enough.

There are many more resolutions I would like to see my colleagues in Congress adopt, but respect for the Constitution and the oath of office should be at the core of every single member’s of Congress due in 2013.