Libertarians speak against Obama's War on Poker

WASHINGTON - Following the Obama administration Justice Department's April 15 shutdown of three online poker sites and indictment of their executives, Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle said, "The Obama administration has just trampled on the rights of millions of Americans."

Hinkle continued, "This is also a scary reminder of President Obama's vision of a government with the power to shut down websites it doesn't like, before a trial has even started.

"Even worse, shutting down this peaceful, honest commerce further weakens our economy.

"We Libertarians believe that adults have the right to gamble with their own money. Government has no business interfering. The Obama administration should drop these charges and restore the websites. Congress should repeal the laws that prohibit gambling, whatever the format."

The Los Angeles Times recently reported on the crackdown.

The following are planks from the Libertarian Party platform:

1.0 Personal Liberty

Individuals should be free to make choices for themselves and to accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. No individual, group, or government may initiate force against any other individual, group, or government. Our support of an individual's right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices.

2.0 Economic Liberty

Libertarians want all members of society to have abundant opportunities to achieve economic success. A free and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient manner. Each person has the right to offer goods and services to others on the free market. The only proper role of government in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by government to redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are improper in a free society.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

The Kennedys

A review by Zach Foster

What was a post-production project scrapped by the History Channel was rescued and given a home by the REELZ channel, a cable film network with some behind-the-scenes shows about movies and red carpet affairs.  After seeing the 8-part miniseries The Kennedys, my feelings are mixed.  The show definitely had its high points, but there were certain details that were annoying during the first two episodes that took a while to get used to.

I wasn’t a fan of the pace or the editing.  While I do understand and enjoy flashbacks in film and television, the writers and editors really rode the flashbacks horse and ran it ragged.  In the first two episodes, whose setting is the eve of Election Day 1960, the series covers a few election events and within minutes flashes back to Joe Kennedy’s career as an ambassador, then forward to John F. Kennedy’s 1952 Senate race, then forward to the 1960 election, then back to World War II.  Believe me, it got old FAST.  The editing and pace aside, the content itself kept me with the series, and the best part is that every detail of this complete soap opera was true.

Some of the juicy events within the Kennedy dynasty include, but are not limited to: Joe Kennedy Sr.’s obsession and borderline fanatical crusade in living vicariously through his sons by making them politicians (whether they wanted it or not); the sibling rivalry between JFK and Joe Jr. during the war, which led to Joe Jr. getting killed; Joe Sr. and JFK’s addiction to extramarital sexual conquest; drug use being the norm in the White House; intense rivalries between the Kennedys and members of the Cabinet; Rose’s lobotomy; Frank Sinatra’s secret mobster deals; Marilyn Monroe’s obsession with the Kennedys...  The list goes on.

Tom Wilkinson played a good Joe Kennedy Sr.  Though it seemed as if his Boston accent periodically slipped back to British, Wilkinson successfully portrayed Joe Kennedy’s shrewd and unapologetic manner.  The series was honest about Joe’s flaws and his determination to settle problems by writing a fat check.

Katie Holmes played a decent Jackie Kennedy.  Though Jackie is a major character throughout the series, she remains a static character—always trying to be a good First Lady and doing her best to deal with JFK’s indiscretions—which is too bad, since I like Katie Holmes and wish she’d had a better role in which to shine.

Greg Kinnear surprised me by playing a good JFK.  He had the accent, vocal tonality, and the mannerisms down, and his chemistry with the other actors was excellent.  He was able to portray a loving father, guilty husband, fallible leader, courageous leader, and left me generally pleased with his performance.

Barry Pepper’s portrayal of Robert Kennedy was superb in every way—he nailed the role of RFK.  He had the facial expressions, voice, an outstanding accent, and unlike Kinnear’s solid performance, Pepper’s acting had me genuinely moved and I remained with the series principally to see his performance.  For those who don’t know him by name, he played the sniper in Saving Private Ryan.  His performance carried the series.

After the editing and the pace, which occasionally had me feeling dizzy, I have one major criticism for the writers.  WHERE WAS TED KENNEDY?  It seems as if he would have been an important character, since Joe Sr. also was Ted’s puppet master and had him running to fill JFK’s Senate seat just after the Presidential election.  I know for a fact that some of Senator Chappaquiddick’s drama would have added additional flavor to the series, if only the writers and producers hadn’t pretended that he never existed.

I appreciated the series for what it was: neither an exposé nor an apology, but an effort to take an honest look at the lives and times, including both the good and the bad, of one of the most influential American families and political dynasties that created a legacy and made history time and again.  I rate the series at 6 out of 10.  It’s worth watching at least once.

Have you RSVP'd for President Obama's Facebook town hall?

Tomorrow at 4:45 p.m. EDT (1:45 p.m. PDT) President Obama will hold an online town hall at Facebook's headquarters. RSVP and learn how you can participate in the event by visiting the White House’s Facebook page: http://facebook.com/WhiteHouse.

The theme of tomorrow's event is “Shared Responsibility and Shared Prosperity.” The President will connect with Americans across the country to discuss the tough choices we all must make to put our economy on a more responsible fiscal path, while still investing in the innovation economy that makes America more competitive.

After the event, be sure to stay tuned for our Women and Technology panel with White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and the Startup America panel with Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Austan Goolsbee.

President Obama recorded a video invitation to encourage you to join, which you can watch on the White House Facebook page:

If you aren't on Facebook and want to participate in the town hall without using that site, we've set up a special page on WhiteHouse.gov with all of the information and a form to submit questions: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/facebooktownhall

If you are on Facebook and can't make the town hall tomorrow, take a moment to "like" the White House. It's a great way to stay current with what's happening in the Obama Administration. You'll find behind-the-scenes photos, videos and opportunities to chat with administration officials: http://facebook.com/WhiteHouse.

Passover at the White House

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama mark the beginning of Passover with a Seder in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House, April 18, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

LP Monday Message: Tax Day Condolence​s

Dear Friend of Liberty,

Today is Tax Day.

Rather than procrastinate by filing my taxes at the last minute, I filed for my extension several days ago.

I find the whole process of tracking, organizing and reporting tax information to be such an unpleasant task. It's not just the labor that goes into it, but the knowledge that the government uses financial levers to manipulate my behavior and complicate my life, as well as take my resources and squander them on wars and government programs that should not exist.

Despite the huge amount of taxes that you and I pay every year (not to mention all the time and expense of filling out the paperwork), the government is still going to run a deficit of somewhere around $1.5 trillion this year. Yes, that's trillion with a T. How is that possible?

It's possible because Republicans and Democrats keep cooperating to spend more, and more, and more money. They just did it again last week when they passed a huge spending bill. They claimed it cut spending, but according to the government bean counters, it will actually increase spending this year by $3 billion. Even when they "cut," spending goes up!

The situation has gotten so bad that the Standard and Poor's rating agency just downgraded its outlook for U.S. Treasury debt from "stable" to "negative"! That's not good!

I have a feeling that Republicans and Democrats are going to join together again this year to raise taxes. They will probably try to disguise it somehow (like "getting rid of loopholes"), but I bet that's what will happen.

That's why it's so important for the Libertarian Party to be on the scene, constantly letting people know what's really going on. We called out the Republicans and Democrats for their bad bargain last week, and we'll be there to cry "foul" when they try to raise taxes. The more support we get from you, the louder our voice will be.

Thanks for your interest and support for the Libertarian Party.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict

Executive Director

Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

Weekly Address: America's Fiscal Future

The President discusses his plan for our fiscal future, a comprehensive and balanced approach to achieve $4 trillion in deficit reduction over twelve years.

Watch the speech at WhiteHouse.gov.

Weekly Update from Representa​tive Denham

Dear Friend,

 

This week was a major indication that the culture of spending in Washington is changing.   On Thursday, Congress passed legislation that will fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year while making $38.5 billion in spending cuts.   The Administration also joined us in this effort to put an end to destructive government spending and get our country back on the right track. 

 

Today, on my 100th day as your Representative, House Republicans passed our budget proposal, "The Path to Prosperity: Restoring America's Promise," through the House.  I voted in favor of our budget which presents common sense solutions that the American people have needed for many years. 

 

The House Republican budget makes some of the largest cuts in history and it offers real solutions to restore certainty in American businesses in order to grow the economy, put people back to work and deliver results that matter in families' daily lives. While our proposals are bold, they represent a necessary, responsible step in the right direction towards addressing health care costs that are growing much faster than our economy.  Many Americans are concerned about Medicare. I assure you, our budget protects and preserves Medicare. There will be no change to citizens above the age of 55, and for those of us under the age of 54, it calls for reforms that will restructure Medicare to ensure these safety nets will still be there for those who need it.

 

I was also very busy in the district and in committee this week. On Monday I was able to welcome the House Natural Resource Committee's Subcommittee on Water and Power to a field hearing in Fresno. With hundreds of people in attendance, we discussed the federal government policies that have created California's man-made drought and discussed actions we need to take to supply the San Joaquin Valley with water. After hearing from fellow farmers and residents in the Central Valley, we agreed that increased water allocation is necessary to put thousands of people back to work, feed the nation, and grow our economy.   It was clear after the field hearing that the environmental policies put in place by the Administration are destroying the Valley and new legislation is needed to rectify the situation. Take a look at the pictures I posted on my facebook!

 

Central Valley farmers and families are also feeling the effects of the skyrocketing gas prices in our district. California families are not only paying more at the pump but farmers are feeling the effects and families are paying more for daily necessities.  On Wednesday, three bills that I cosponsored to increase domestic drilling for oil and gas passed out of the House Committee on Natural Resources. The bills are now headed to the House floor for a vote in hopes that we can put an end to rising prices, decrease our dependence on foreign oil and ease the pain felt on our wallets. 

 

Although I'm busy here in Washington, I had a chance to catch up with many of you on my teletown hall last night. We talked about a wide variety of issues including the 2012 budget proposals, rising gas prices and the cuts that are being made to wasteful Washington spending.   I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from everyone who was able to be on the call. If you were not on the call or I did not get to your question, send me an email through my website and I will be sure to get back to you.  You can also follow me on facebook and twitter and be among the first to hear about my activities in Washington and back the in the district. 

 

I am heading back to California today and I will be traveling all over the district next week. I hope to catch up with you all at one of my district offices or at one of my events.

Sincerely,

JEFF DENHAM

United States Representative