It all started as a "typo" on one of my political blogs, which quickly stirred up my inquisitive nature and led to an interaction that brought about a pondering of my own personal beliefs and stance as it relates to “liberty”. This past month, I had the privilege of interviewing the folks from the Republican Liberty Caucus of California (RLCCA), exclusively for Blogcritics.
Because of our very own Blogcritics writer and editor, Dave Nalle, I am somewhat familiar with the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC), but I wanted to get acquainted with the pulse of the RLC in my home state of California. And no better way than from those leading this grassroots organization –– Chairman of the RLCCA, Matt Heath with the assistance of RLC Secretary Parke Bostrom. My thanks!
Matt Heath with Ron Paul, September 2008 at the Rally for the Republic in Minneapolis
In summary, the RLCCA is the officially chartered California chapter of the RLC (founded in 1991). They work to advance the ideals of individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the State of California and the Republican Party.
Considering the 2010 elections are a hot topic in the political arena these days, let’s first talk about the California primary coming up next month. So far the RLCCA has endorsed three Congressional candidates: Gary Clift, Clayton Thibodeau, and John Dennis, who is in the high-profile race against Nancy Pelosi. Do you have any inside information on how this race is going and what are your predictions for the outcome?
Given the size of the Bay Area media market and the fact that Nancy Pelosi is a polarizing figure nationally, a tough, hard-hitting campaign by John Dennis will help every Republican candidate in our region. John is already generating interest and enthusiasm in San Francisco with his small government, pro-liberty message. His race will likely be a key factor in boosting Republican campaigns throughout Northern California. His campaign is going very well, and I predict that John Dennis will do better than any Republican congressional candidate has done in San Francisco in recent memory.
Additionally, for us in the RLC it is very exciting to see Dennis receive the pre-primary endorsement of many establishment Republicans in San Francisco. It shows us that we should be trying to find and recruit strong candidates rather than engaging in political debates with other Republican activists.
As you know, I had mistakenly reported that the RLC had endorsed one of the three California Senate candidates and your very astute Secretary Parke Bostrom corrected my blog. Is there a reason that the RLCCA has not endorsed Chuck DeVore, Carly Fiorina, or Tom Campbell? And do you have a personal favorite?
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Article comments
1 - Arch Conservative
Hey Christine, do you wanna start a pool on how many seats the Demokrats are going to lose this fall?
I wonder how siding with illegals over dead Arizona ranchers and high school students wearing the American flag will go over.
2 - Christine
Hey Arch: I hope the Dems lose a lot of seats!
3 - Arch Conservative
I hope they lose a plethora of seats.
Can't say that I'm overly happy about those seats being taken over by a party that views John McCain and Sarah Palin as people to be taken seriously.
4 - zingzing
archie: "I wonder how siding with illegals over [...] high school students wearing the American flag will go over."
who's condemning the students? got any names? or just making shit up?
5 - Doug Hunter
"who's condemning the students? got any names? or just making shit up?"
No one. One school administrator made a poor decision and I believe his story that the concern was safety. I get the impression that the US flag wearers were intentionally being antagonistic towards immigrant students, something I don't support; although it (antagonism, baiting) is a favorite tool of protesters everywhere and a protected right.
As for the article, I like the ideas the Republican Liberty caucus is bringing forward, liberal social policy and classic liberal economic policy. We need to be slashing government and at the same time trying to find ways to increase tax revenue without killing the economy. This music's going to stop on this game of debt musical chairs one day and we going to find out there's alot more butts needing seats than there are seats to be found. The private debt debacle is chump change compared to the tinderbox we have with government debt.
6 - Doug Hunter
Note on above: total amounts of private debt are higher than public debt, but there is no backstop for public debt.
7 - zingzing
wow, doug and i actually agree on something. the world implodes in 3, 2...
8 - roger nowosielski
The public debt has become "socialized," Doug, a distinction without a difference.
Read Les Slater's comment (#1) on Kenn Jacobine's article.
9 - El Bicho
Good interview, although since there's only one speaker, there's no need to identify every time he speaks.
I do wonder why he, like similar folk, only offers generalities about what his group wants to do but never specifics.
"We work to recruit and support candidates who will reduce the size of the federal government, and also the size of state and local governments."
Sounds great in theory, but he offered nothing about how to accomplish it, so why should a voter think they will do anything once in power.
10 - Christine
Ah, El, did I mess up the format?
11 - Dave Nalle
EB, when the alternative is a candidate who has not the slightest interest in reducing the size of any element of government - and usually the exact opposite - you might want to roll the dice and see what solutions the person who at least has the right intentions will come up with.
Dave
12 - El Bicho
As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. If someone is running for office, they should have solutions in mind before getting the job not afterward. The latter course signals they have no confidence they will get the job.
13 - STM
Republican liberty. Isn't that an oxymoron?
And is that a ponytail Matt appears to be wearing in the pic with Ron Paul???
I could understand if it was white and powdered, tied with a ribbon, with rolls at the side and held in place by a three-cornered hat, but beyond that ...
14 - El Bicho
btw, if this was done "exclusively for Blogcritics Magazine", why is it posted elsewhere online?