Dondero: Those Who Joined Rand Paul's Filibuster Are The Senate 'Libertarian Caucus'

[RonPaulFanInGA]

http://www.libertarianrepublican.net/2013/03/those-who-joined-with-rand-is-this.html


James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal reports this morning, "Rand Standing":

Whatever you think of the point he was trying to make--and in our case, that's not much--there's no denying that Sen. Rand Paul's filibuster yesterday was quite a piece of political theater.

As BuzzFeed.com reports:

Paul's nearly 13 hour long filibuster could mark a key turning point not only in the Kentucky Republican's meteoric political career, but for a Republican Party that has struggled to find any footing since November's electoral defeats.

The Washington Post counts seven senators who "joined in his symbolic effort": Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Marco Rubio of Florida, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Ron Wyden of Oregon. Wyden is the only Democrat in the group.

We're not at all surprised here at Libertarian Republican (with one, maybe two exceptions). We were Pro-Rubio, Lee, Cruziac, Moranites and Loony about Toomey long before it was cool.

Ditto Marco. Long before he was a serious contender for US Senate against Republican establishment candidate Charlie Crist, he made it a point to send his top guy to the 2007 Republican Liberty Caucus national convention held in Orlando, to make a pitch for libertarian support. Before that, in the Florida legislature, Rubio had welcomed libertarian lobbyists like FL RLC's Phil Blumel and Tom Walls, to his legislative office to discuss various items. Still, the libertarian purists, particularly in the Libertarian Party of Florida said, "he ain't no libertarian." Once again, his stance on Rand's filibuster has proven us right, and our critics dead wrong.

Fortunately, even the purist wing of the libertarian movement, have agreed with us all along, that Cruz and Lee are pretty consistent libertarian-friendly Constitutionalists. Cruz has enjoyed the support of the hardline Ron Paul faction in the Texas GOP since very early on, and has even won begrudging support from skeptical Libertarian Party folks in the LPT.

A big thank you to Senator Chambliss of Georgia and Senator Wyden of Oregon; two Senators that we typically don't count as "libertarian friendly."

But back to Toomey. We told ya so. It'd be nice if one of you all libertarian purists out there, (Lew Rockwell-heads, Libertarian Party diehards, et.al.) see either Clifford or I at some libertarian function in the coming months, a hand shake, and admittance that you were wrong, would be welcomed. And buy us a beer or two while you're at it.

[cero]

isn't this guy the so called "disgruntled" employee?

[supermario21]

Just leave Rubio out of it. Please.

[rubioneocon]

Just leave Rubio out of it. Please.

Yeah not Rubio . . . that wasn't genuine. Rubio was just trying to ride coattails along for a free ride.

[itshappening]

Why even post Dondero?

Spare us please. We've had enough of him .

[mosquitobite]

Why even post Dondero?

Spare us please. We've had enough of him .

No doubt. The fact that he even mentions Rubio as a LIBERTY candidate shows how pathetic he is!

[Bern]

haha.. Dondero. F that guy.

[supermario21]

I do like Lee, Cruz, Toomey, and Moran though.

[itshappening]

No doubt. The fact that he even mentions Rubio as a LIBERTY candidate shows how pathetic he is!

It really is ridiculous how he is pimping these other candidates (or shilling for them?)

I don't know what to make of it. Rubio's foreign policy is McCain on steroids. He wants endless interventions. Why/How is Dondero endorsing that?

[anaconda]

...

[anaconda]

So this dude that was fired by Ron Paul writes an editorial that first says Rand's filibuster was meaningless (he says: Whatever you think of the point he was trying to make--and in our case, that's not much--) and then goes on to award libertarian status to those that showed up in support, solely for the purpose of saying he was right about something no one cares about? Dude must be unhinged.

[Bastiat's The Law]

Dondero is garbage.

[Christian Liberty]

I haven't been able to find out anything about Rubio's foreign policy. With Republicans*, I assume that they suck at it unless proven otherwise, but I have yet to be able to actually find it. Can anyone show me where he stands?

*NOT saying I assume Democrats are good. They suck too. They just weren't specifically in question here.

[ican'tvote]

Dondero makes Bob Barr look like Murray Rothbard.

[Brian4Liberty]

I don't know what to make of it. Rubio's foreign policy is McCain on steroids. He wants endless interventions. Why/How is Dondero endorsing that?

Dumdero is an Israel-first libertarian. There has always been a contingent in the "libertarian" and objectivist ranks.

[compromise]

Leave Marco out and he's right.

[angelatc]

Dondero was excitedly telling us that Guiliani was the libertarian candidate in 2007, and was all over either Perry or Santorum in the last election. He is a horrible waste of bandwidth, and I always question the integrity of bloggers that I see as friendly with him.

He's got Short Guy Syndrome.

[amy31416]

I've questioned the same, Angela.

And what's with all the love for Toomey? I don't keep track anymore, but I saw very little good come from him while I was.

[supermario21]

I haven't been able to find out anything about Rubio's foreign policy. With Republicans*, I assume that they suck at it unless proven otherwise, but I have yet to be able to actually find it. Can anyone show me where he stands?

*NOT saying I assume Democrats are good. They suck too. They just weren't specifically in question here.


You don't want to find out what Rubio's FP is! :D He's pretty much Dick Cheney's second coming, in fact his chief of staff was a Cheney guy.

[compromise]

I've questioned the same, Angela.

And what's with all the love for Toomey? I don't keep track anymore, but I saw very little good come from him while I was.

Toomey is a fiscal conservative, wants to cut foreign aid and vote for Rand's resolution to stay out of Libya.

[rubioneocon]

Think about it . . .
the final vote to delay had 16 Senators who wanted to stand with Rand . . .
these ARE the Libertarian Constitutional Senate caucus wing of the GOP

as Rand said on Hannity yesterday (paraphrasing) . . .
" Im just a doctor
to have a constitutionalist like Senator Cruz, who clerked for Rehnquist suppport me, . . .

then . . .
the final vote to consent to President BO's appointee to CIA was 63-34 with 3 non votes
with 60 needed and Biden the tie-breaker.

This was much closer than the Rachel Maddow and Chris Mathews MSNBC followers want to admit to you, n'est ce pas ?

[supermario21]

No because I think 70 something voted for cloture, including Rand. Rand voted yes on cloture, no on confirmation because he had a problem with Brennan, whereas he voted no on cloture, yes on Hagel.

[amy31416]

Toomey is a fiscal conservative, wants to cut foreign aid and vote for Rand's resolution to stay out of Libya.

Even to Israel?

He was a warmonger on Iran last I checked--has he changed?

[compromise]

Even to Israel?

He was a warmonger on Iran last I checked--has he changed?

Not Israel (but still Libya, Egypt and Pakistan), and he hasn't changed on Iran, but his positions on these issues are virtually the same as Lee's, Cruz's or DeMint's.

Btw, why does it matter what his position is on cutting foreign aid to Israel? There won't ever actually be a vote on cutting off aid to Israel anywhere in the near future.

[amy31416]

Not Israel (but still Libya, Egypt and Pakistan), and he hasn't changed on Iran, but his positions on these issues are virtually the same as Lee's, Cruz's or DeMint's.

Btw, why does it matter what his position is on cutting foreign aid to Israel? There won't ever actually be a vote on cutting off aid to Israel anywhere in the near future.

Because consistency and integrity are important to me. So is genuine change, not some bullshit "Obama" version of change.

If you're pro-life, you will only move towards war as a last resort.

[compromise]

Because consistency and integrity are important to me. So is genuine change, not some bullshit "Obama" version of change.

If you're pro-life, you will only move towards war as a last resort.

So I'm guessing you wouldn't vote for Lee or Cruz?

[itshappening]

There is only ONE U.S Senator who says "End all foreign aid, including to Israel" and we know who that is.

The rest will never be brave enough to say it including ones that agree with us on a lot of things. Remember these guys need to raise money and satisfy donors in order to stay in office. Rand doesn't need lobbyist cash or the blessing of AIPAC. He's already broke through the matrix and doesn't care.

It's very hard to break through the matrix and only Rand and perhaps Lee and Cruz are "safe" from AIPAC being able to work against them to defeat them... there aren't many.

[erowe1]

Toomey is a fiscal conservative, wants to cut foreign aid and vote for Rand's resolution to stay out of Libya.

When Toomey was in the House he was anything but fiscally conservative. He may have a better record since he's been in the Senate. But the fact that there's a Dem president makes a big difference. If Romney were President, Toomey would go along with whatever he wanted.

[supermario21]

I don't know....he seemed pretty fiscally conservative.

Voted YES on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored. (May 2001)
Voted NO on $156M to IMF for 3rd-world debt reduction. (Jul 2000)
Voted YES on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. (May 2000)
Voted NO on $15.2 billion for foreign operations. (Nov 1999)
Voted NO on $167B over 10 years for farm price supports
Voted NO on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients

More fiscally conservative than Paul Ryan for sure.

[erowe1]

I don't know....he seemed pretty fiscally conservative.

Voted YES on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored. (May 2001)
Voted NO on $156M to IMF for 3rd-world debt reduction. (Jul 2000)
Voted YES on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. (May 2000)
Voted NO on $15.2 billion for foreign operations. (Nov 1999)
Voted NO on $167B over 10 years for farm price supports
Voted NO on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients

More fiscally conservative than Paul Ryan for sure.

Better than I thought. I thought he was a Yes on Medicare D.

[amy31416]

So I'm guessing you wouldn't vote for Lee or Cruz?

Probably would, but I'd have to analyze the situation. I voted for Toomey--makes it more personal. Toomey is, at least, far better than Casey--he ain't something to brag about though.

[rubioneocon]

. . . Rubio's foreign policy is McCain on steroids. He wants endless interventions.
and billions in foreign aid . . .
I only hoped that Rand hadn't backed off a bit from what he told Wolf Blitzer in 2011 . . .

NO foreign aid to anyone . . . none

get it . . . ?
$3billion less for Israel per year and whatever $1billion less for the Pakistans and Egypts too . . .
its sequester time and the foreign nations will understand that . . . US taxpayers dollars now stay at home with Rand Paul

[RonPaulFanInGA]

We're not at all surprised here at Libertarian Republican (with one, maybe two exceptions). We were Pro-Rubio, Lee, Cruziac, Moranites and Loony about Toomey long before it was cool.

But back to Toomey. We told ya so. It'd be nice if one of you all libertarian purists out there, (Lew Rockwell-heads, Libertarian Party diehards, et.al.) see either Clifford or I at some libertarian function in the coming months, a hand shake, and admittance that you were wrong, would be welcomed. And buy us a beer or two while you're at it.

Wonder if Dondero ever said anything about Toomey after his betrayal of the Second Amendment.

[sailingaway]

Dondero is pathetic. Giving him credence just gives credence to his smears after being fired, and he is no libertarian himself. NAP anyone?

[Sola_Fide]

Dondero said George W. Bush was a libertarian.

[anaconda]

isn't this guy the so called "disgruntled" employee?

Yeah. He can't ever seem to get over his firing and move on. I hope he can at some point.

[Bastiat's The Law]

I never understood why this forum continually goes out of its way to highlight and broadcast everything Dondero says like he's some authority on anything. Next person to post his garbage should be banned.