tsai3904
07-20-2013, 12:14 PM
Michigan’s Amash Quietly Tries to Build a National Brand
The libertarian lawmaker wants to be a known name, whether he runs for the Senate or not.
The young conservative known to Republican colleagues as the most reliable “no” vote in Congress is trying to build his political brand—and collect the campaign cash that comes with it.
Maybe it’s for a Senate run. (Justin Amash still won’t say.) But what’s certain is that the Michigan Republican wants to be seen as the go-to libertarian in the House—a position he’s been trying to fill since Ron Paul left Congress.
"Regardless of what my decision is [on the Senate race], I think it's important to get out there, spend some time throughout the state and try to spread the message that I've been spreading here and in my district—the message of limited government, economic freedom, and individual liberty," Amash said.
Amash, in his second term, has already earned a reputation as one of the libertarian stalwarts in Washington. After the National Security Agency's surveillance programs were revealed, Amash was sought out by reporters and lawmakers alike. When he introduced a bill with Democratic Rep. John Conyers to limit the NSA's targeting of phone records, dozens of members, in both parties, asked to become cosponsors. And last week, as the House considered an appropriations bill for the Defense Department, Amash pushed an amendment to defund the NSA's surveillance.
More:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/michigan-s-amash-quietly-tries-to-build-a-national-brand-20130720
The libertarian lawmaker wants to be a known name, whether he runs for the Senate or not.
The young conservative known to Republican colleagues as the most reliable “no” vote in Congress is trying to build his political brand—and collect the campaign cash that comes with it.
Maybe it’s for a Senate run. (Justin Amash still won’t say.) But what’s certain is that the Michigan Republican wants to be seen as the go-to libertarian in the House—a position he’s been trying to fill since Ron Paul left Congress.
"Regardless of what my decision is [on the Senate race], I think it's important to get out there, spend some time throughout the state and try to spread the message that I've been spreading here and in my district—the message of limited government, economic freedom, and individual liberty," Amash said.
Amash, in his second term, has already earned a reputation as one of the libertarian stalwarts in Washington. After the National Security Agency's surveillance programs were revealed, Amash was sought out by reporters and lawmakers alike. When he introduced a bill with Democratic Rep. John Conyers to limit the NSA's targeting of phone records, dozens of members, in both parties, asked to become cosponsors. And last week, as the House considered an appropriations bill for the Defense Department, Amash pushed an amendment to defund the NSA's surveillance.
More:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/michigan-s-amash-quietly-tries-to-build-a-national-brand-20130720