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Matt Collins
07-21-2009, 02:06 PM
Here is the response to an attack by a national and local reporter on myself, Ron Paul, and the liberty movement:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=22231

erowe1
07-21-2009, 02:09 PM
Here is the response to an attack by a national and local reporter on myself, Ron Paul, and the liberty movement:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=22231

Well done. I'm honestly impressed both with this response and the blog post you refer to that was misquoted by that journalist.

Matt Collins
07-21-2009, 02:09 PM
In response to the attack upon the liberty movement and myself at the following locations:
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-voices/post-politics-real-revolution-requires-restraint
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/07/20/keeping-it-real-real-dumb/
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/07/20/how-not-to-start-a-revolution



A.C. -
First and foremost you misquoted me. I never stated Representative Wamp was a "traitor to the Constitution" and for you to put it in quotations was intellectually dishonest. To read what I actually stated the original blog post can be read here:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=21733


Secondly I would think that you would be above name calling by labeling an entire political movement as "crazy Paul types" but apparently not. And, while being necessary to an open and free society, I welcome debate and even criticism, I am however disappointed you resorted to such a disparaging statement.


But third, my encounter with Congressman Wamp (http://www.house.gov/wamp/) needs to be put into perspective. Let's say you live in a fairly nice neighborhood. And one night you are asleep and someone knocks on your door. You go to answer it and it is your neighbor from down the street accompanied by the police. Your neighbor leading the way, they barge into your home without asking, restrain you, and begin to take valuable items from your house. All of your cash, your wife's jewelry, any investment certificates, and your kids' college fund. Then they turn around tell you "by the way it's legal because we say so" and also mention "this money isn't for us, we're going to give it to our buddies". (http://www.mahalo.com/emergency-economic-stabilization-act-of-2008) Then a month later you get another knock on your door during the daytime. It's your thief of a neighbor again. He says it was a mistake to do what he did (http://digg.com/politics/Congressman_Zack_Wamp_Apologizes_for_Bailout_Vote) , but that you can't get your money back, however he is running for the chair of the neighborhood association and would appreciate your vote (http://www.zachwamp.com/). The audacity! Most human beings would feel anger and betrayal towards this neighbor; not shaking their hand nor voting them to chair the neighborhood association is indeed the minimum action many would take.

So my quesiton is would you shake the hand of someone who robbed you? Would you support this person for the chair of the neighborhood association? Would you elevate this individual to a higher position? Would you want to give this person more power over you and your life? Would you trust this individual? If one is prudent to the ideals of freedom and liberty, then I think not!



You also claim that the "liberty movement" and the call for limited Constitutional government is marginal. If the movement is marginal why are we growing in numbers every day? If we are marginal then why is our legislation (http://thomas.loc.gov/home/gpoxmlc111/h1207_ih.xml) getting introduced (http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HJR0108) and passed (http://wapp.legislature.state.tn.us/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=SB1610) in both state and federal legislatures? If we are marginal then why are our ideas and our leaders receiving more mainstream press coverage (http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/07/pollsters_put_ron_paul_in.php) than ever before? If we are marginal then why has the Republican Liberty Caucus seen an increase in new chapters (http://www.rlc.org/about/chapters/)? If we are marginal than why has the Campaign for Liberty (http://www.campaignforliberty.com/) encompassed hundreds of thousands of members since the 2008 primary (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25109_Page2.html)? If we are marginal then why do we hold 5 officer positions within the Nashville Republican Party (http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/04/06/libertarian-republicanism-the-wave-of-the-future/)? If we are marginal then why did we completely "take over" the Los Angeles Republican Party (http://www.therightperspective.org/2008/12/29/ron-paul-supporters-take-over-la-gop/)? If we are marginal then how did we cause a cataclysmic split within the Nevada GOP (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=152153&highlight=nevada+republican+party)? If we are marginal then why is the Florida GOP attempting to exorcise us (http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2009/07/rpof-accused-of-witch-hunt-purges.html)? If we are marginal then why did the Louisiana GOP use questionable tactics against us at their state convention (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/01/paul-alleges-bo.html)? If we are marginal then why did the RNC enforce Draconian rules against Congressman Paul during the '08 convention? If we are marginal then why did a liberty candidate receive 25k votes in North Carolina while the difference between McCain and Obama was only 14k votes (http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2008&fips=37&f=1&off=0&elect=0)? If we are marginal then why is our rhetoric being echoed by more and more mainstream talking heads (Beck (http://jimunro.blogspot.com/2009/01/glen-beck-becoming-libertarian.html), Hannity (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=188523&highlight=hannity+libertarian), Dave Ramsey (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=182067&highlight=dave+ramsey+libertarian), Michael Savage just to name a few)? If we are marginal then why has the modern Tea Party concept, an idea that originated in the Ron Paul 2008 campaign, become a national sensation? If we are marginal then why is it we are beginning to influence the political discourse (http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/are-republicans-going-galt.html) within this country?


The writing is on the wall and if you cannot see that then you are blind. Those of us who are conservative/limited-government Republicans are tired of being tricked by those who claim to be conservative but yet vote for bigger government (http://educate-yourself.org/cn/patriotact20012006senatevote.shtml). We are tired of being tricked by Republicans who vote for reduced liberties (http://educate-yourself.org/cn/patriotact20012006senatevote.shtml). We are tired of being tricked by Republicans who vote to take our money (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00213#name). We are tired of being tricked by Republicans who vote to increase spending (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/24/mccains-bailout-vote-cruc_n_128844.html). We are tired of being tricked by Republicans who ignore the Constitution (http://www.eff.org/issues/nsa-spying) and trample respect for property (http://www.gopbloggers.org/mt/archives/001776.html).


And whether you know it or not you also confuse the "right-wing" with genuine (limited-government) conservatism [otherwise known in academic circles as classical liberalism (http://mises.org/etexts/classical.asp)]. If the GOP leadership and elected officials adhered to these principles of less government, instead of mimicking big-government Democrats, they would win more elections across the country. Both the Cato Institute (http://cato.org/) and the National Taxpayers Union (http://www.ntu.org/main/) have demonstrated why in this video: http://www.rlc.org/2008/06/15/introduction-to-the-rlc/


But it appears you, like many others, are still stuck in an overly simplistic, obsolete, currently false paradigm of the "right vs left" 1-dimensional spectrum. If you want to fully understand modern politics and the direction which we are heading I would suggest you study the Nolan Chart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Chart) as well as reading Brink Lindsey's (http://www.cato.org/people/brink-lindsey) work entitled "The Age of Abundance - How the Culture Wars Made us More Libertarian (http://www.brinklindsey.com/)" (Cato Press). It is no longer "left wing vs right wing", but instead it is "supporters of big government vs supporters of limited government". For further books on the subject feel free to sift through this list: http://www.amazon.com/wishlist/21RMJJRMN70ZX


Your assumption that those of us who value Constitutional and limited-government conservatism are only on the scene to make a symbolic statement is incorrect. We are here to influence the direction of the Republican Party, and ultimately the nation, by restraining our government, by standing solid on principle and refusing to compromise our principles in exchange for political power. We are holding big-government Republicans accountable for their actions which the GOP rank-and-file should have done years ago. In fact if someone is a Republican and supports big government, then they need to ask themselves if they are indeed in the correct Party and should consider following Arlen Specter's lead (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/28/specter.party.switch/index.html). It is time to publicly call those out who purport to be conservative when in fact they are not. It is time to publicly call those out who infringe on our liberties. It is time to publicly call those out who take our money and our property. It is time to publicly call those out who make the government bigger.


Now is NOT the time for moderation, now is the time for bold outspoken actions. We do not restrain our government and hold others accountable, even within our own Party, by attempting to pander. Just imagine if more voters begin to shun those elected officials who did what Representative Wamp did to us (http://www.wbir.com/money/story.aspx?storyid=65592)? It is also worth remembering that the Founders were not so polite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarring_and_feathering) to those fellow Britons who were complacent in the abridging of their liberties either.



Oh - and for those who are also in the liberty movement and may disagree with my actions it is worth noting what Dr. Ron Paul had to say about his fellow Republican President George Bush:
""I was not going to break bread with people who do those kind of things"
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/rep.-paul--the-reluctant-leader-of-a-still-energized-grassroots-movement-2009-07-20.html

acptulsa
07-21-2009, 02:15 PM
I didn't click all the links, but I like it!

specsaregood
07-21-2009, 02:16 PM
Well worth the wait....

Matt Collins
07-21-2009, 02:18 PM
Thanks to Liberty Eagle for catching a typo!

jmdrake
07-21-2009, 02:24 PM
Wow! Great article. Well thought out and well sourced. Love the "take no prisoners" attitude.

FSP-Rebel
07-21-2009, 02:25 PM
That was a very strong and intellectual defense of yourself and the liberty movement, Matt. Thx for that!

catdd
07-21-2009, 02:34 PM
Kleinheider says his continued livelihood has become co-dependent on his pandering to a diverse group of “Pragmatic libertarians, Yuppie Marxists, Saucy-mouthed Feminists, Evangelical libertarian conservative gun-nuts, and intelligent folks of no discernible political orientation” the likes of whom frequent WKRN and BrittneyG’s Nashville is Talking.

This guy was said to have shown some promise at one time, but became a mainstream sellout. You seem to be a person who could take the fight to him Matt. Keep us updated.

Matt Collins
07-21-2009, 03:20 PM
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/07/21/the-davidson-county-gop-vice-chair-rebuttal

jmdrake
07-21-2009, 03:37 PM
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/07/21/the-davidson-county-gop-vice-chair-rebuttal

My comment on the above blog.

Sean, the bailout was a watershed moment. Politicians have done a lot of dirty things over the years, but that's the first time I personally saw them vote against the American people when 70% of Americans were against it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/15/AR2008121502727.html

This was pure hubris. And rather than suggesting that politics "shouldn't be his bag" you should be applauding him. That is unless you support politics as usual. It's funny that you brought up the Obama card in reference to a story about someone criticizing a REPUBLICAN congressman for supporting a REPUBLICAN president's bailout. Your attitude shows why it's important for honest people within the GOP to stand up and call out those inside the party who have betrayed the free market. That's the only way to have the credibility to criticize Obama et al. If Matt as a member of the GOP only wrote articles criticizing Obama that wouldn't be newsworthy. It would be expected. The fact that Matt applied the same principles to his own party is what is UNexpected. And the fact that such action is unexpected is a sad commentary on our nation.

MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2
07-21-2009, 03:38 PM
Very impressive, thanks.

andrewh817
07-21-2009, 04:00 PM
Damn you pretty much destroyed every aspect of that guy's argument..... wasn't much to begin with but still a great article.

Original_Intent
07-21-2009, 04:01 PM
Great response Matt!

georgiaboy
07-21-2009, 04:07 PM
BANG!

yep, yep.

torchbearer
07-21-2009, 04:22 PM
Matt- I am soooooo impressed!
And proud of a fellow RPFs member!

purplechoe
07-21-2009, 04:27 PM
Great response Matt, it was a pleasure to read it!

catdd
07-21-2009, 04:50 PM
I just quoted them Doc Holiday's famous words when introduced to the corrupt sheriff of tombstone... "Forgive me if I don't shake hands."
Kleinheider has a strong following there but we can beat them.

Mandrik
07-21-2009, 05:13 PM
I love the tar and feathering reference. It's so damn true! Great reply, Matt.

LittleLightShining
07-21-2009, 05:31 PM
Matt- I am soooooo impressed!
And proud of a fellow RPFs member!Me, too! I really like this side of you, Matt :) You're an inspiration.

speciallyblend
07-21-2009, 05:36 PM
hey matt , i know im typo king etc, but i did see some typos in your response? any way to fix them? eating dinner with my wife now but when i get back i can point them out,very minor but i thought i would let you know!

AWESOME RESPONSE:)

Standing Like A Rock
07-21-2009, 05:41 PM
It is no longer left "wing vs right wing", but instead it is "supporters of big government vs supporters of limited government". For further books on the subject feel free to sift through this list: http://www.amazon.com/wishlist/21RMJJRMN70ZX

Is that a typo?

Should it read
It is no longer "left wing vs. right wing"...

speciallyblend
07-21-2009, 05:49 PM
Is that a typo?

Should it read

yeah that was one i saw and there is another a few paragraphs down where it is missing a word!

Matt Collins
07-21-2009, 09:20 PM
Is that a typo?

Should it readYes thank you for pointing that out, it has been fixed.



hey matt , i know im typo king etc, but i did see some typos in your response? any way to fix them? eating dinner with my wife now but when i get back i can point them out,very minor but i thought i would let you know!

AWESOME RESPONSE:)Yes, please do!

speciallyblend
07-21-2009, 10:02 PM
rank-and-file should have done years ago. In fact if someone is a Republican and supports big government, then they need to ask themselves if they are indeed the correct Party

insert in between indeed and the;)

i am at work but i will read thru again in a sec k

Great letter and i think your doing a fine job in TN! Hold them accountable is all i ask;)

Matt Collins
07-21-2009, 10:33 PM
Thanks everyone for your compliments, your comments on the other posts, and the correction of typos!

Matt Collins
07-22-2009, 09:52 AM
Hold them accountable is all i ask;)That's the goal.

Pericles
07-22-2009, 10:28 AM
Great response Matt!
+1

catdd
07-22-2009, 11:29 AM
The Kleinheinder Heads are ganging up on Matt guys. Go make a comment.


http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/07/21/the-davidson-county-gop-vice-chair-rebuttal/#comment-593250

ghengis86
07-22-2009, 12:18 PM
inter tube A-team to the rescue!

posted; keep up the good work matt. if they keep hating, i've got plenty of time to post from my mother's basement, since i don't have a real job and all i do is play warcraft and blog.

Sandman33
07-22-2009, 12:23 PM
Well done Matt....Well done.

Matt Collins
07-22-2009, 12:35 PM
The Kleinheinder Heads are ganging up on Matt guys. Go make a comment.


http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/07/21/the-davidson-county-gop-vice-chair-rebuttal/#comment-593250 (http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/07/21/the-davidson-county-gop-vice-chair-rebuttal/#comment-593250)
Interesting. I did not notice this until now. Thanks for pointing it out.

Matt Collins
07-22-2009, 01:06 PM
Some of the comments:
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/07/21/the-davidson-county-gop-vice-chair-rebuttal/



The Ron Paul people are going to ruin the Republican party if they continue.
Let’s remember that Ron Paul was first a candidate for the Libertarian Party but then joined the Republican Party, apparently to try to gain the organizational and financial support of the party.
Ron Paul needs the Republican Party; we do not need him or his paltry followers.

Feenix566
07-22-2009, 01:49 PM
So you didn't shake the guy's hand. Big freakin' deal.

The following remark from the reporter says a lot about his perspective: "What exactly is the point of joining "the system" just to go spit in the eye of the establishment the first chance you get?"

What would be the point of joining the system if you didn't want to change things? Obviously you're not going to get along well with the people who made the decisions you're trying to reverse.

Good job keeping in the spotlight, though, Matt. You'll gain more notoriety by having a public debate with this reporter than you would otherwise.

Matt Collins
07-22-2009, 01:59 PM
Good job keeping in the spotlight, though, Matt. You'll gain more notoriety by having a public debate with this reporter than you would otherwise.;););););) Thanks

free.alive
07-22-2009, 03:56 PM
I must say, I'm impressed!