Gov. Gary Johnson at the Stop Watching Us Rally in Washington, D.C.

FYI - Gov. Gary Johnson at the Stop Watching Us Rally in Washington, D.C.

#LiveFree

#PushBack

#LeftLibertarian

#ProgressiveLibertarian

#ClassicLiberal


-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

The Libertarian Party on Restoring the Fourth Amendment

FYI - From The Libertarian National Committee/Libertarian Party (www.LP.org).

#LiveFree

#PushBack

#LeftLibertarian

#ProgressiveLibertarian

-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

Gov. Gary Johnson on Scandals: Politicians need to look in the mirror!

FYI - From Rob Nikolewski/NewMexicoWatchdog.org and Gov. Gary Johnson.

#LiveFree

#PushBack

#ProgressiveLibertarian

-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"



Gary Johnson on scandals: Don’t let Obama (or Congress) off the hook By Rob Nikolewski

(In light of the recent scandals involving the IRS targeting conservative groups and the Obama administration’s Justice Department seizing phone records from journalists, New Mexico Watchdog asked former two-term governor of New Mexico and 2012 Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson to offer his opinion on the controversies. Here’s Gov. Johnson’s response:)

 

By Gary Johnson │ Special to New Mexico Watchdog

 

For the past couple of weeks, the politicians in Washington, DC, have been engaged in their beloved sport of chasing “scandals.”

 

First, they were handed the gift of an Internal Revenue Service admission that certain non-profit organizations have been singled out for outrageous degrees of scrutiny and harassment.

“POLITICIANS NEED TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR:” Former Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson speaks out on recent Capitol Hill scandals.

 

And almost simultaneously, it came to light that the Department of Justice has been secretly spying on journalists — obtaining phone records, reading emails, and even tracking some of those journalists’ movements.

Congress is holding hearings as fast as they can schedule them, and the demands for “heads to roll” are growing every day.

 

Let me be clear: I don’t disagree that IRS harassment — targeted or otherwise — is scandalous. Nor do I disagree that it is, indeed, chilling that our government is spying on journalists. I certainly agree that heads should roll.

 

But … while the frenzy over these scandals is perhaps appropriate, we cannot let Congress and the politicians off the hook as they stumble over one another trying to get in front of the TV cameras.

 

The IRS did not appear out of nowhere. It is entirely a creation of decades of law-making and special interest politics that have produced a federal monster with almost 100,000 employees armed with 74,000 pages of rules and regulations. What do those regulations do? They enforce laws designed with remarkable elegance to reward, punish or manipulate almost every aspect of our lives and businesses.

 

It is not even a little shocking that a government given that much power and that many tools will abuse that power. If a parent hands a teenager the keys to a car with a case of beer in the back seat, should that parent be outraged when the kid gets a DUI or hurts himself or someone else?

 

Don’t forget. It was President Obama who stood before Congress in a State of the Union speech and decried the unfettered influence of non-profit advocacy groups. Now, he is flabbergasted that his 100,000 person IRS is making life difficult for some of those same groups.

 

The same goes for the “shocking” revelations that the Department of Justice is secretly obtaining citizens’ phone records, emails, and other personal information. Yes, when they do it to journalists, the stakes are raised a bit and legitimate concerns about the First Amendment come into play. But when we see members of Congress and Senators expressing their outrage, shouldn’t we be asking if they voted for the Patriot Act or any of the other laws that authorized DOJ to go forth and do those outrageous things?

 

In the frantic post 9/11 rush to “protect” us, both the Administration and Congress enacted laws and issued directives that, in a nutshell, said: “Do whatever you have to do, even if it means trampling on a few of the very rights we are supposed to be preserving.” Yes, at that painful juncture, a great many Americans were OK with that. But today, we are still living with those decisions — and those same politicians are somehow surprised that the behemoth they created is getting out of hand?

Perhaps Congress and all the outraged politicians should take a step back from the TV cameras and find a mirror. Raking bureaucrats over the coals when something goes awry is easy.

 

The hard part is facing the reality that those bureaucrats didn’t create the bloated government and the over-reaching authority that not only allows, but encourages, abuse.

 

If they truly need scapegoats, the mirror is the place to look.

 

(Gary Johnson is the Honorary Chairman of the Our America Initiative.)

Gov. Gary Johnson on the IRS, Goverment Spying on Jornalists, and the Patriot Act.

FYI - From Our America Initiative/Gov. Gary Johnson.

#LiveFree

#ProgressiveLibertarian

-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

 

Friends,   If not for the fact that there are very serious abuses of power involved, the congressional outrage we are seeing about the Obama Administration’s IRS targeting of certain groups for scrutiny and harassment would almost be comical.  The same goes for the congressional indignation we are seeing over the Department of Justice’s secret spying on members of the news media.     Don’t get me wrong.  Asking non-profit organizations what they pray for and secretly obtaining and reading journalists’ personal emails are, by any reasonable measure, truly disturbing acts.  But watching, day after day, as congressional committees drag bureaucrats into hearings and Senators and Representatives take to the airwaves to express their shock over such abuses, someone needs to ask the obvious question:  Why is it even remotely surprising, much less shocking, that, when given power, the government will use it to the greatest extent possible?   That’s what government does.   Everyday, hard-working Americans are harassed by the IRS.  That is not new.  People in Congress can express outrage when that harassment ends up on the front page or happens to organizations they care about, but who is holding Congress itself accountable for a tax code they have concocted over the decades that is designed to punish some and reward others?? The legal weapons the IRS is leveling at specific groups were handed to the IRS by Congress.   And the “spying” on journalists?  Well, Congress, YOU enacted and renewed the Patriot Act and other laws that say it’s OK for the government to read private citizens’ emails, secretly obtain phone records and track our movements.  And now you are shocked that the Obama Administration would use that authority against Fox News?   How about admitting that the Patriot Act is a mistake, and repealing it?  That would be a lot more helpful than pretending as though you can’t understand why government abuses the power you gave it.     And if you truly don’t want the IRS to single out certain groups for special “treatment” -- good or bad, then remove the thousands of loopholes, subsidies and other manipulative provisions in the tax code that make the IRS so powerful in the first place.     With the abuses of government power that are coming to light in recent days -- abuses that ordinary Americans deal with all the time, we must not let Congress off the hook.  With the encouragement of Republican and Democrat administrations alike, the politicians on Capitol Hill created the opportunities for those abuses.  We can complain about government exercising the force of agencies like the IRS and the FBI, but it is foolish to believe that, when given power, government won’t use it -- or abuse it.  The real answer is to reduce the size and power of that government.   The Our America Initiative is committed to doing just that: Reducing government’s size, cost, and power over our daily lives.  Your support is the key.  Please go to Our America Initiative today and contribute what you can so that we can hold the politicians accountable for the abuses they have created.   Thanks, as always, for your friendship and support of liberty!     Governor Gary Johnson Honorary Chairman, Our America Initiative   About Governor Gary Johnson: A two-term governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003, Gary Johnson has been a consistent advocate for limited, efficient government and personal liberty. As the Libertarian candidate for President in 2012, he received more votes than any Libertarian candidate in history. An outspoken pro-Constitution libertarian, Johnson opposes American involvement in foreign conflicts with no clear U.S. interest. He opposes the failed multi-billion dollar war on drugs and demands greater transparency at the Federal Reserve. Johnson advocates cutting federal spending dramatically to achieve a balanced budget and make government live within its means without raising taxes. He believes real job creation and economic opportunity can be best achieved through smaller government and less regulation. The National Review rated Johnson as "#1" in job creation as governor. An avid skier and bicyclist, he has reached the highest peaks on five of the seven continents, including Mount Everest and, recently, Aconcagua in Argentina.   ​   OUR America Initiative seeks to broaden the parameters of the public policy debate in the national arena. We look to enlighten Americans about civil liberties, free enterprise, limited government, and the traditional American values of freedom and liberty. It is our aim to increase discussion and involvement regarding all-important issues of the day.     Our America Initiative      |       P.O. Box 1985, Salt Lake City, UT 84110       |       1.800.662.9601

Restore Our Civil Liberties, No War With Iran - My letter to the President.

FYI - My letter to the President.

-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

November 14, 2012

The Hon. Barack H. Obama

The White House

1600 Pennslyvania Ave,  NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

Good morning.  I hope this letter finds you doing well.  I want to start off by saying congratulations on your reelection.  I wanted to take some time to write to you concerning a couple of different topics.

First, I will admit, I am a former Democrat, turned left leaning (Small "L" libertarian) independent voter.  I did support you in the previous election, but I could not in good faith this time.  Instead,  I voted for Gov. Gary Johnson.  I thought long and hard about this choice, but in the end, I did so over civil liberties and foreign policy.  

I ask that you please restore America's faith in your administration by restoring our civil liberties.  A good start would be to ask Congress to repeal the Patriot Act or pass S. 1686, the Justice Act, that was originally introduced in 2011 by former Senator Russ Feingold.  Also, ask them to amend the National Defense Authorization Act, striking out the Indefinite Detention clause.  

I am a former U.S. Marine and Iraq War veteran.  I'm still serving, now, as a medic in the Army Reserve.  I say that because I care deeply about defending our great nation, and I know that it can be done while still upholding our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Secondly, I ask that you take a different approach concerning Iran.  Simply, I think that your administration should, as President Kennedy did with the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis, deal directly with the Iranian government. There is really no need for other countries to act as "middle men."  There seems to be a lot of propaganda in the media, and sadly, it looks like we are headed down the same path that we were leading up to war with Iraq.  

In closing, Mr. President, I want to, again, congratulate you on your reelection victory, and thank you for taking the time to read this.  I ask that you consider my suggestions as your new term begins.  Any response is greatly appreciated.

Very respectfully,

Aaron D. Yeargan

Gov. Gary Johnson: Repeal the Patriot Act NOW!!!

-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

IS YOUR LIBRARY CARD REALLY YOURS? REPEAL THE PATRIOT ACT NOW! You’ve seen the quote from Benjamin Franklin: “‘Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” The bifocal eyeglasses Franklin created must have been pretty powerful – powerful enough to let him see more than 200 years into the future to the day when Congress would enact the Patriot Act. Though we all can understand that Congress, in the wake of 9-11, felt compelled to do something, I think we have all come to understand that the Patriot Act, rather than providing that safety Benjamin Franklin spoke of, has turned out to be a very real threat to essential liberty. That’s why I took the opportunity last night in remarks to a national conference of the ACLU to call for the immediate repeal of the Patriot Act.  You can read my remarks here: Gary Johnson: Repeal Patriot Act Now. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, were horrific, infuriating and tragic.  Everyone understands that.  But throughout history, the federal government has responded to attacks and threats by saying, “If only we had more power, we could…..”. Ten years later, we can clearly see that the Patriot Act was a perfect example of that classic reaction, and with the exception of the folks in Congress and the Administration, we can all see with equal clarity that this law (as well as some others we could mention) is arguably as great a threat to liberty as were the terrorists who were at the controls of the airliners on 9-11. Where is the patriotism in a law that let’s the government monitor our cell phones because we might know someone who might know someone who might be associated with a group that might be supporting terrorists?? Where is the security in a law that gives the government permission  to keep track of our library visits and book store purchases, not to mention bank transactions??  And where is the common sense in a law that grants powers so onerous the government feels compelled to promise they won’t really use them?? I’ll make a prediction right now:  In the general election campaign for president later this year, you will not hear either President Obama or the Republican nominee talking about the Patriot Act – or the fundamental rights it tramples.  They won’t be talking about it because they WANT THE POWER it provides.  And if, by chance, they do mention it, they will tell us we just don’t understand, that there are secrets we don’t know, and we should just trust them. Right.  If you share my doubts about trusting them, please go Here. Questioning the Patriot Act – and in fact demanding its repeal – is just one of many vital debates that won’t happen in this year’s campaign for President if OUR voice isn’t heard.  Someone has to be on the stage asking the question: Why does the government need more power to intrude on our basic rights? With your help, that ‘someone’ will be me – speaking and questioning on behalf of you and millions of other Americans who really, really care about freedom, liberty and making government smaller, rather than bigger. But I won’t be on that stage without your help.  In the past week alone, I have appeared on Fox, MSNBC, NY1, and numerous other national news outlets pounding the message of liberty.  Today I am in Florida doing the same. I’m delivering the message, and people are listening.  The key is simply to reach more people.  For that, your financial support is the essential ingredient.  We have to reach beyond and around the traditional and elite media to reach real people who are ready to join us if given the opportunity.  They are out there.  Just last night, the room wasn’t large enough to hold the crowd who wanted to talk with me about civil liberties and individual freedom. The next few weeks are critical.  Please offer your support today by going to garyjohnson2012.com and making a contribution.  It will be used carefully to make sure real freedom and real liberty are on the ballot in 2012. Your friendship and support are very important to me.  We have come a long way together – and we have an amazing journey ahead of us!  Thanks,      Gary P.S.  Trivia question: What candidate for president scored better than Barack Obama AND Ron Paul on the ACLU’s 2012 Liberty Watch report ? We need your help to fight for liberty. Please show your support with a generous contribution today.  Donate Here. Paid for by Gary Johnson 2012Contributions or gifts to Gary Johnson 2012 are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. Join us on Facebook       Follow us on Twitter       Make A Contribution

LP Monday Message: On civil liberties, Obama is worse than Bush

Just more evidence of the President's broken promises!

LP Monday Message: On civil liberties, Obama is worse than Bush

Help Strike Down The Patriot Act! Support S. 1686: The Justice Act!

*Disclaimer: Eventhough I am a volunteer for the Cal Cunningham for Senate campaign,
this blog is my personal political blog and does not represent the
personal or political views of Mr. Cunningham or his campaign nor has
it been endorsed by them!


I firmly believe that the Patriot Act is anything but patriotic! It is a bill that has greatly set back our constitutional rights and civil liberties! Senator Russ Fiengold (D-WI) has introduced THE JUSTICE ACT of 2009. It's not a total revocation of the Patriot Act, but it's a good start. Please take a look at the below fact sheet and urge your senators to cosponsor this vital piece of legislation!

Thanks,
Aaron

Fact Sheet JUSTICE Act Of 2009

The Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts (JUSTICE) Act would reform the USA PATRIOT Act, the FISA Amendments Act and other surveillance authorities to protect the constitutional rights of Americans while ensuring the government has the powers it needs to fight terrorism and collect intelligence.

Title I – Reasonable Safeguards to Protect the Privacy of Americans’ Records

Sections 101-106 – National Security Letters

The bill rewrites the National Security Letter (NSL) statutes to ensure the FBI can obtain basic information without a court order, but also adds reasonable safeguards to ensure NSLs are only used to obtain records of people who have some connection to terrorism or espionage, and to provide meaningful, constitutionally sound judicial review of NSLs and associated gag orders.

Section 107 – Section 215 Orders

The bill would reauthorize the use of Section 215 business records orders under FISA, but with additional checks and balances to ensure these orders are only used to obtain records of people who have some connection to terrorism or espionage, and to provide meaningful, constitutionally sound judicial review of Section 215 orders and associated gag orders.

Title II – Reasonable Safeguards to Protect the Privacy of Americans’ Homes

Section 201 – “Sneak & Peek” Searches

The bill would retain the Patriot Act’s authorization of “sneak and peek” criminal searches but eliminate the overbroad catch-all provision that allows these secret searches in virtually any criminal case. It would shorten the presumptive time limits for notification, and create a statutory exclusionary rule.

Title III – Reasonable Safeguards to Protect the Privacy of Americans’ Communications

Section 301 – FISA Roving Wiretaps

The bill would reauthorize roving FISA wiretaps, but eliminate the possibility of “John Doe” roving wiretaps that identify neither the person nor the phone to be wiretapped. It would require agents to ascertain the presence of the target of a roving wiretap before beginning surveillance.

Section 302 – Pen Registers and Trap and Trace Devices

The bill would retain the Patriot Act’s expansion of the FISA and criminal pen/trap authorities to cover electronic communications, but would allow pen/traps to be used only to obtain information about people who have some connection to terrorism or espionage. It would impose additional procedural safeguards to serve as a check on these authorities.

Section 303 – Telecommunications Immunity

The bill would repeal the retroactive immunity provision in the FISA Amendments Act.

Section 304 – Bulk Collection

The bill retains the new warrantless authorities in the FISA Amendments Act but would prevent the government from using that law to conduct “bulk collection” of the contents of communications, including all communications between the United States and the rest of the world.

Section 305 – Reverse Targeting

The bill would ensure that the overseas warrantless collection authorities of the FISA Amendments Act are not used as a pretext to target Americans in the U.S.

Section 306 – Use of Unlawfully Obtained Information

The bill would limit the government’s use of information about Americans obtained under FISA Amendments Act procedures that the FISA Court later determines to be unlawful, while giving the court flexibility to allow such information to be used in appropriate cases.

Section 307 – Protections for International Communications of Americans

The bill would amend the FISA Amendments Act to create safeguards for communications not related to terrorism that the government knows have one end in the United States.

Section 308 – Computer Trespass

The bill would guard against abuse of a warrantless surveillance authority in the Patriot Act that allows computer owners who are subject to denial of service attacks or other episodes of hacking to give the government permission to monitor trespassers on their systems.

Title IV – Improvements to Further Congressional and Judicial Oversight

Section 401 – FISA Public Reporting

The bill would require limited additional public reporting on the use of FISA.

Section 402 – Use of FISA Evidence

The bill would apply the Classified Information Procedures Act to the use of FISA evidence in criminal cases, and allow the use of protective orders and other security measures in civil cases, to ensure that courts have discretion to allow litigants access to information where appropriate while still protecting sensitive information.

Section 403 – Nationwide Court Orders

The bill would permit a recipient of a nationwide court order to challenge it either in the district where it was issued or in the district where the recipient is located.

Title V – Improvements to Further Effective, Focused Investigations

Section 501 – Domestic Terrorism

The Patriot Act’s overbroad definition of domestic terrorism could cover acts of civil disobedience by political organizations. The bill would limit the qualifying offenses for domestic terrorism to those that constitute a federal crime of terrorism.

Section 502 – Material Support

The bill would amend the overly broad criminal definition of material support for terrorism by specifying that a person must know or intend the support provided will be used for terrorist activity.