One reviewer, the author noted, called it “the first Tea Party book” because of what McCormick identifies as its themes.
“It’s all about integrity of leadership,” she told the Charlottesville Libertarian Examiner in an interview early in 2011, while she was attending the national convention of the Republican Liberty Caucus in Arlington, Virginia. ‘Founding principles’
“All the themes are centered around the Constitution, the founding principles, and what we need to do to be a better republic.”
The reason she published the book, McCormick explained, was that she had been asked to write about her experiences as a member of the Wisconsin Assembly, where she served three two-year terms beginning in 2000. She later twice ran for Congress, seeking the Republican nomination in Wisconsin’s Eighth District in 2006 and 2010.
It was while she was serving in the legislature, representing about 60,000 constituents in and around the cities of Appleton and Oshkosh, that McCormick discovered she was a libertarian.
“I didn’t even know that I was a libertarian Republican,” she explained, “until somebody had actually watched my work and said, ‘You know what? You believe in the constitution and free market.”
‘Core values’
To McCormick, that seemed just like common sense.
“I had a set of core values. I readily knew what they were: opportunities, free market systems, and I actually believed the constitution should apply to everybody.”
When it was pointed out that her statements and the legislation she sponsored manifested libertarian values and ideas, she “thought, ‘So that’s where I fit!’” Up to that point, she admitted, that she “didn’t quite know” what a libertarian was, or that she was one herself.
Running for Congress after her self-imposed term limits ended her time in the legislature “was interesting,” McCormick said, noting an odd paradox:
“When I ran for the state house, I was recognized as having ideas and [people] wanted me. When I ran for the U.S. House, I was recognized as an individual with ideas and therefore people didn’t want me.”
Legislative achievements
Prior to her first election to the Wisconsin Assembly, McCormick had worked with various civic groups and drafted the state’s first charter schools law. She helped form a group that lobbied for the law’s passage.
Once elected to office, she chaired the economic development committee, which became her platform for regulatory reform efforts.
Challenging entrenched interests in Madison, McCormick said she “took on the [state’s] capital investment company. In order to have more capital investment readily available, I wrote the small business regulation reform act.”
Her achievements, she added modestly, came about “just by listening to others and working with them.”
Publisher's note:This article was originally published on Examiner.com on December 20, 2011. The Examiner.com publishing platform was discontinued July 1, 2016, and its web site went dark on or about July 10, 2016. I am republishing this piece in an effort to preserve it and all my other contributions to Examiner.com since April 6, 2010. It is reposted here without most of the internal links that were in the original.
Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson has established himself as the Republican presidential candidate who won't play by the rules.
He did this by refusing to sign the so-called "Family Leader" pledge foisted on GOP candidates in Iowa by Bob Vander Plaats, who seems to fancy himself as the Wayne B. Wheeler of the early 21st century.
In a statement released by his campaign on July 9, Johnson called the pledge "offensive and unRepublican," saying that its rhetoric "gives Republicans a bad name."
“Government should not be involved in the bedrooms of consenting adults. I have always been a strong advocate of liberty and freedom from unnecessary government intervention into our lives. The freedoms that our forefathers fought for in this country are sacred and must be preserved. The Republican Party cannot be sidetracked into discussing these morally judgmental issues — such a discussion is simply wrongheaded. We need to maintain our position as the party of efficient government management and the watchdogs of the “public’s pocket book”.
“This ‘pledge’ is nothing short of a promise to discriminate against everyone who makes a personal choice that doesn’t fit into a particular definition of ‘virtue’.
Republican presidential candidate Gary Johnson thinks the pledge that an Iowa Christian conservative group is circulating is offensive because it condemn gays, single parents, divorcees, Muslims, women who choose to have abortions “and everyone else who doesn’t fit in a Norman Rockwell painting.”
Johnson's feisty stance against intolerance within the Republican Party and conservative movement is getting kudos across the Internet.
E.D. Kain reposted Johnson's statement on the web site called "The League of Ordinary Gentlemen," prefaced with this comment:
Just another reason to support Gary Johnson in 2012
It's an absolutely unnecessary and offensive covenant, yet at least two GOP presidential hopefuls, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum, have already signed onto the vow, which also claims black children were better off in 1860, slave days, and that homosexuality is a choice.
But Gary Johnson, a libertarian Republican candidate, refuses to follow suit, and yesterday described the document as "offensive to the principles of liberty and freedom on which this country was founded."
The Family Leader, who is positioning themselves as the gatekeeper to the Iowa evangelical right, has already pulled back on their language that they say could have been "misconstrued" to imply African Americans were better off under slavery. They have said nothing about the covert "quiverful" code language embedded in their pledge.
Stephen Haynes, at a blog called "Truth and Justice for All," says self-effacingly:
As comprehensive and adequate as may have been my own denunciation of the FAMiLY Leader’s “Vow” yesterday, more important is that one Republican Presidential hopeful actually said it better.... Good stuff!
Former 2-term New Mexico governor and presidential candidate Gary Johnson says that the Christian right’s anti-gay “family leader pledge,” which other GOP White House contenders are jumping to sign, “gives Republicans a bad name.” Too bad the media refuses to take Johnson’s presidential bid seriously (unlike, say, Herman Cain, with no government experience), but he doesn’t fit into their political narrative.
is one guy that I might want to hang out with! He's the first (and I wonder if any more will join him) GOP candidate to speak out against against this piece of hate speech titled "The Marriage Vow – A Declaration of Dependence upon Marriage and Family."
John Cole titles his post on Governor Johnson (on Balloon Juice) "Good for Gary Johnson," while Fred's Humboldt Blog's headline is the encouraging, "GO Gary Johnson." Another widely-read blogger, Joe.My.God., simply calls it "Quote of the Day - Gary Johnson." (For what it's worth, the headline Fox News commentator Alan Colmes uses is the wordy "Gary Johnson Would Take The Republican Party To A Much Healthier Place.")
Good for him!! I have always said that the only way that the Republicans will be able to win in the next election is to focus exclusively on economic and fiscal issues, rather than the divisive social issues that rile its base. As Johnson aptly point out, independent voters overwhelmingly reject the radical positions of the social conservative element of the Republican party. Sadly, Gary Johnson's words will most likely fall on deaf ears, for instead of opening itself and becoming an inclusive "big tent" party, it is running in the opposite direction to pander to its radical base.
Rule #1 of American politics - appease your base while at the same time attract independents. Without independents, a presidential candidate will NEVER be able to win an election.
Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson has a bit of an unusual position in the candidacy for Republican presidential nominee. Although as a two term governor he is probably the most qualified candidate, he is not as well known as some of his more colorful opponents.
Kincaid then adds:
... it is of immense value to have Gov. Johnson respond to the blatantly and unapologetically homophobic “marriage pledge” proposed by anti-gay activist group Family Leader.
And he concludes:
I’m impressed. This goes far beyond “i don’t sign pledges” or even “this might be offensive to some”. He even uses the b-word.
Several web sites and blogs mention that Johnson's campaign, on the heels of his outspoken criticism of the social conservatives' totalitarian temptation, also released a low-key video entitled "Gary Johnson 2012: 'Tolerance is American'."
The one-minute video can be seen here:
Under the video on YouTube, one finds this text in the info-box:
https://donate.garyjohnson2012.com It's not American to give rights to one group, but not to another. It's not American to stir up irrational fears about other Americans' religious beliefs. It's not American to discriminate against others for the way they were born. It's not American to use the federal government to override the decisions of the states. Tolerance is American. Gary Johnson 2012.
Read aloud against the musical backdrop of "America the Beautiful," those are stirring and, sadly, controversial words.
Gary Johnson has come out swinging against the intolerant within his own party, recognizing that American voters as a whole are far more accepting of their neighbors' differences than some prominent GOP activists and officeholders are. He acknowledges in voters what Reason editors Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie describe in their just-published book, The Declaration of Independents:
There's also a growing recognition that disagreements about lifestyle, drug use, the role of religion, and more are better hashed out in the marketplace of ideas rather than through the passage of contentious laws. Those pushing for smaller government are not some sort of reactionary John Birch Society recoiling from a world that might pollute our precious bodily fluids. By all indicators, Americans are more comfortable with ethnic, social, gender, cultural, and religious differences than ever before [pp. 32-32].
Everyone agrees that, given the received wisdom that voters in key Republican primary states (with the exception of New Hampshire, some say) are in the thrall of social and religious conservatives, for Gary Johnson not just to refuse to sign the Family Leader pledge but to condemn it is a gutsy move. He risks alienating a core constituency, the pundits say.
Chronologically speaking, I may have jumped the turnstile by posting videos of the dinner speakers at the February 12 national convention of the Republican Liberty Caucus in Arlington. My choice was not random, however; I had already noticed that YouTube views of the speeches by financial analyst Peter Schiff and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson were greater in number than the other videos I had posted from the convention.
The RLC convention lunch also had two speakers: freshman U.S. Representative Justin Amash (R-Michigan), who at 30 years old is (I believe) the second-youngest Member of Congress as well as a longtime RLC activist in his home state, and Georgetown University law professor Randy Barnett.
Amash had also spoken at CPAC (the annual Conservative Political Action Conference) earlier in the week, where he was reportedly well-received. Amash is perhaps the first Member of the House of Representatives to post all of his votes, and the rationale for most of them, on his Facebook page (www.facebook.com/repjustinamash), a practice he carried over from his time as a member of the Michigan state legislature. He says he wants his votes to be subject to public scrutiny and that the new media -- in this case Facebook, but presumably also Twitter, Tumblr, and the rest -- are the easiest way to bring them to light.
Justin Amash represents the Grand Rapids area in Congress, the same part of Michigan once represented by Gerald R. Ford, who went on to become House Minority Leader, Vice President, and President of the United States. (One questioner suggests his hope for a similar career path for Congressman Amash.) He is the youngest member of the congressional class of 2011, who were elected in the wave election of November 2010. He ran on a platform of "limited government, free markets, and individual liberty."
Congressman Amash's remarks are divided into two segments. The first is his more formal address (though it is delivered without visible notes) and the second is a question-and-answer session with the audience.
RLC activist Laura Crockett introduces Congressman Justin Amash at the RLC convention lunch in part one: Part two of Congressman Amash's presentation, a colloquy with RLC members:
After Congressman Amash finished his remarks and his answers to a number of questions, Professor Randy Barnett took the microphone and gave a speech entitled "Rediscovering the Libertarian Roots of the Republican Party."
Barnett, author of Restoring the Lost Constitution: The Presumption of Liberty, The Structure of Liberty: Justice and the Rule of Law, and other books, spoke largely about Chief Justice of the United States Salmon P. Chase, who as a lawyer in the 1840s in Ohio had argued several cases about slavery and the Fugitive Slave Laws. Chase was a founder of the Republican Party after serving in the U.S. Senate as a member of the Free Soil Party. (Chase was also the first GOP governor of Ohio, a Republican Senator for all of two days, and Secretary of the Treasury in Abraham Lincoln's cabinet.)
Barnett makes a strong case for the Republican party's libertarian origins. In the Q&A period, he also discusses the Repeal Amendment that he has proposed, along with the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, William Howell, which is gaining a lot of attention around the United States.
Listen closely to Professor Barnett's remarks for some astute analysis of the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as well as some sharp commentary on the constitutionality of the "individual mandate" in the 2010 health care law (colloquially known as "Obamacare").
Professor Randy Barnett, Part One:
Professor Randy Barnett at the RLC convention, Part Two:
Professor Randy Barnett answers questions (part three):
Still more RLC videos will be posted here. Watch for them soon.
The Republican Liberty Caucus (www.rlc.org) held its biennial national convention in Arlington, Virginia, on February 12, coincident with the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which was being held across the Potomac in Washington, D.C., that same weekend.
The day was full of policy discussions and speeches, punctuated by a business session at which new officers were elected to lead the RLC for the next two years. Dave Nalle of Texas was re-elected as chairman, Aaron Biterman of Virginia was re-elected as vice chairman, Jason Jeff Hellenberg of Florida was re-elected as secretary, and Matt Nye (also of Florida) was elected treasurer, defeating longtime RLC activist Bill Westmiller, who in turn was elected an at-large member of the board of directors.
The evening banquet featured two prominent speakers: investment analyst and 2010 candidate for the GOP Senate nomination in Connecticut, Peter Schiff, and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, who is a potential candidate for President in 2012.
Schiff spoke briefly and was well-received by the RLC members, many of whom subscribe to the theories of the Austrian school of economics that are consonant with much of Schiff's analysis.
With apologies for the dim lighting (something customary in hotel banquet rooms at dinnertime), here is the video of Peter Schiff's remarks:
Schiff was followed by Governor Johnson, who the day before had spoken at CPAC and, we learned earlier on Saturday afternoon, had placed third in the CPAC presidential straw poll (with Ron Paul and Mitt Romney placing one and two and virtually tied with Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, who says he lacks the arrogance to run for President after only one year in office).
The Republican Liberty Caucus also sponsored a straw poll that day, and Johnson took first place in that instance, with more than double the votes received by Texas Congressman Ron Paul (who is still a favorite among libertarian Republicans) and six times the number of votes received by the third-place finisher, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Johnson has been traveling across the country -- including numerous visits to New Hampshire and Iowa -- delivering his message, which is largely autobiographical. He talks about his experience as governor of New Mexico, where the registered voters have a 2 to 1 ratio of Democrats to Republicans, and how he was able to reduce the size and scope of government while vetoing 750 bills, some of which were passed unanimously in the state legislature. Yet only two of his vetoes were overturned. During his eight years in office, he vetoed more bills than all of the other 49 governors put together.
In his remarks, Johnson also pointed out how he had come to believe, during his term as governor, that the criminalization of marijuana is wrong-headed, that it is a waste of money and other resources, and that we need to rethink the drug war. Johnson was one of the few incumbent politicians to come out in favor of legalizing marijuana and he has not backed down from his position despite criticism.
Here is part one of Governor Johnson's dinner speech, which begins after a short introduction by RLC national chairman Dave Nalle:
Here is part two of Gary Johnson's RLC speech:
Early in this segment, Johnson salutes Peter Schiff for his on-target analysis of our economic situation -- more than a polite gesture, the former New Mexico governor shows a great deal of passion about how the federal government needs to cut spending, including in entitlements like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, as well as defense and so-called "discretionary" spending.
Johnson also talks about his opposition to the Iraq War from the outset, and how he thinks the United States should get out of Afghanistan "tomorrow."
The Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia held one of its regular membership meetings yesterday, this time in Williamsburg. (The RLC tries to move these meetings around the state. The next one will be held in conjunction with the RPV state convention in Richmond, and the next one after that will probably be in Charlottesville.) I participated by telephone, which means I'll have to wait for another day to tour the campus of the College of William & Mary.
The biggest news emerging from the RLC-Virginia meeting was the decision to endorse two candidates for Congress: Amit Singh, who hopes to win the Republican nomination in the 8th District and go on to face incumbent Representative Jim Moran (D) in November, and Vern McKinley, who is facing incumbent Representative Frank Wolf (R) in the June 10 primary and who hopes to be the GOP standard bearer in the strongly Republican 10th District in the general election.
Here are the two news releases that were distributed to media outlets earlier today by the Republican Liberty Caucus.
Republican Liberty Caucus Endorses Amit Singh in 8th Congressional District
(WILLIAMSBURG, May 3, 2008) – Members of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia today endorsed Amit Singh, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 8th Congressional District.
“We believe that Amit Singh is the best candidate in the race, and he deserves the Republican nomination to face off against the incumbent in November,” said Cliff Dunn, treasurer of the RLC-Virginia. “We encourage other Republican groups to offer their support to Mr. Singh’s campaign.”
The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) is a grassroots, nationwide organization affiliated with the Republican Party (GOP). The goal of the RLC is to elect pro-liberty individuals to office. The RLC was founded in 1990, and now has members in every state. The Republican Liberty Caucus supports individual rights, limited government and free enterprise.
“Amit Singh demonstrates a clear commitment to core Republican principles,” said Dunn. “As a native-born Virginian, he understands the needs of the Commonwealth and of his constituents in Arlington County, Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Falls Church. He is without a doubt the best choice for 8th District voters in this year’s election.”
For more information about Amit Singh and his campaign, visit http://www.amit08.com/. For more information about the Republican Liberty Caucus, visit http://rlc.org/.
Republican Liberty Caucus Endorses Vern McKinley in 10th Congressional District
(WILLIAMSBURG, May 3, 2008) – Members of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia today endorsed Vern McKinley, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 10th Congressional District.
“Vern McKinley not only demonstrates a firm grasp of the issues, he has a fundamental understanding of the core principles of the Republican Party,” said Bert Mueller, vice chairman of the RLC-Virginia. “McKinley is the best candidate in the June 10 primary and he will be a formidable contestant in the general election.”
The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) is a grassroots, nationwide organization affiliated with the Republican Party (GOP). The goal of the RLC is to elect pro-liberty individuals to office. The RLC was founded in 1990, and now has members in every state. The Republican Liberty Caucus supports individual rights, limited government and free enterprise.
“As an economist with vast international experience, Vern McKinley brings a unique perspective to the changing face of the global economy and the challenges faced by Virginians in the 21st century,” said Mueller. “His intelligence, wisdom, and commitment to principle will catapult him to leadership the moment he takes his seat in the next Congress.”
Mueller added: "After 28 years in office, incumbent Frank Wolf seems to have forgotten a great deal about core republican principles and we believe it is time for a change. Mr. McKinley embodies this change. We hope fellow Republicans will support and promote individual and economic liberty by joining us in backing Vern McKinley."
There is a video post of Vern McKinley addressing the March meeting of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia here. When a similar video of Amit Singh addressing the RLC-Virginia becomes available, I will post it, too.
Vern McKinley is a candidate for Congress in Virginia's 10th District. Last Saturday, he came to the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia to seek the group's endorsement.
In this video of McKinley's remarks, he lays out the case for why the RLC-Virginia should endorse him rather than his opponent, incumbent Representative Frank Wolf. (I have incorporated a PowerPoint presentation that McKinley brought to the meeting into the video of his speech; the PowerPoint slides all appear in Part I of the video.)
McKinley points out how Wolf's ratings with the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) have fallen precipitously over the past 13 years, and that Wolf compares unfavorably on several other ratings scales with Congressmen Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) and Ron Paul (R-Texas), who are often cited by RLC members as among the Members of Congress whose positions are closest to the Founders' vision of how a constitutional republic should be governed.
He also shows how Frank Wolf's record parallels that of Maryland Representive Wayne Gilchrest, who was recently defeated in a party primary that focused on many of the same issues that, McKinley believes, make Wolf vulnerable.
The entire video lasts for about 13 minutes, but I had to split it per YouTube's 10-minute-limit rule.
(Part II seems truncated because it is; I ran out of tape just as RLC-Virginia chairman D.J. McGuire was commenting on former state Senator John Chichester's decision to retire last year.)
For more information on Vern McKinley, check out his campaign's Facebook group; for more information on the RLC-Virginia, check out the state organization's blog.
I alluded in an earlier post to a meeting of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia, which took place as an adjunct to the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) Advance and Straw Poll in Arlington last weekend.
It occurred to me that readers may appreciate some elaboration. The purpose of that meeting was to elect officers for the RLC-Virginia and to apply for rechartering by the national organization, as our state charter had lapsed.
My expectations for the meeting were more than fulfilled, since almost two dozen members and potential members were crammed into a hotel suite at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. Since I had organized the meeting at the behest of other RLC members, I called it to order and was then selected temporary chairman. As soon as possible, I passed the gavel to D. J. McGuire, who was elected permanent chairman by the group.
Here is the news release that we wrote and distributed immediately after the meeting:
(ARLINGTON, December 1, 2007) --- The Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia was reorganized today in a formal meeting taking place in conjunction with the Republican Party of Virginia’s 24th Annual Advance. Twenty political activists from all parts of the state met to elect a new slate of officers: D.J. McGuire of Spotsylvania County as chairman, Bert Mueller of Williamsburg as vice chairman, Rick Sincere of Charlottesville as secretary, and Cliff Dunn of Newport News as treasurer.
“Today was the beginning of the end for big government in Virginia,” said McGuire, who as the “right-wing liberal” (www.right-wing-liberal.blogspot.com) was one of the first opponents in the blogosphere of HB3202, the omnibus transportation bill passed in 2007. “For too long, Republicans who voted for higher taxes could claim to be friends of limited government. Those days are over. Thomas Jefferson lived, thrived, and died here. His vision has lived and thrived there; we will make sure it doesn’t die here.”
The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) is a grassroots, nationwide organization affiliated with the Republican Party (GOP). The goal of the RLC is to elect pro-liberty individuals to public office. The RLC was founded in 1990, and now has members in every state.
“With the loss of a majority in the state Senate and a shrinking majority in the House of Delegates, it is clear that the Virginia Republican Party needs to re-examine itself and return to its pro-liberty, small-government roots, in the tradition of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan,” said McGuire. “RLC members are Goldwater-Reagan Republicans who will work diligently to emphasize conservative principles and recruit likeminded individuals as candidates and political activists.”
The next step for the RLC of Virginia is to apply for official chartered status from the national organization, which is expected to be granted before the end of the year.
For more information, ... visit the RLC’s national web site at http://www.rlc.org.
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Grabbing the bull by the horns, our new chairman decided to address a current public policy issue. We then wrote and distributed this news release about transportation in Northern Virginia:
Republican Liberty Caucus Criticizes NoVA Transportation Authority
(ARLINGTON, December 1, 2007) --- The newly elected chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia expressed its great disappointment at the decision of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) to start collecting taxes before the Supreme Court of Virginia rules on their legality.
“The NVTA is an unelected body, and as such, it is not allowed to collect taxes or fees, period,” said McGuire, who as the “right-wing liberal” (www.right-wing-liberal.blogspot.com) was one of the first opponents in the blogosphere of HB3202, the omnibus transportation bill passed in 2007 that authorized the taxes and fees in question. “Under Virginia’s Constitution, those taxes and fees are illegal, and to collect them before the Supreme Court rules violates the letter and the spirit of the Constitution.”
The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) is a grassroots, nationwide organization affiliated with the Republican Party (GOP). The goal of the RLC is to elect pro-liberty individuals to public office. The RLC was founded in 1990, and now has members in every state.
“Voters in northern Virginia made abundantly clear what they thought of these taxes and fees on November 6,” said McGuire. “Republicans who supported them lost votes and in many cases lost their seats; Republicans who opposed them – like Delegates Bob Marshall and Jeff Frederick – increased their vote share from previous elections. For the NVTA to do this now is a slap in the face to all northern Virginians.”
For more information, ... visit the RLC’s national web site at http://www.rlc.org.
-30-
At the meeting, Chairman McGuire appointed members to serve on a platform committee, a fundraising committee, and a web site committee. Before we adjourned, we agreed to hold our next RLC-Virginia meeting in mid-January.
"One of the smarter blogs is the libertarian-leaning collection of Charlottesville posts put up by Rick Sincere..." -- Bob Gibson, The Daily Progress, May 8, 2005
