by Aaron Biterman

Emily Mills provides a commentary on “Dissent Within the Ranks” but comes to remarkably different conclusions than me about the state of the Republican Party in Wisconsin. That’s to be expected since Ms. Mills and I come from opposite ideological perspectives.

Mills cites Dick Leinenkugel’s quick exit from the U.S. Senate race and a former College Republican Chair’s exit from the GOP as flags that the Republican Party needs to run away from the Tea Party.

Tea Party of Hope

I couldn’t disagree more. In fact, I believe the Tea Party — a movement of independent thinkers with core values which correspond to our nation’s Founding principles — offers the primary hope for Republicans in Wisconsin to succeed.

The Tea Party has inspired tens of thousands of disgruntled Americans to get off their couches and participate in the ugly game of politics with the hope of booting out the incumbent politicians that have deeply damaged our country.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin Republicans are not taking advantage of this unique opportunity, as evidenced by the recent coronations of candidates in competitive primaries at the Statewide Republican Convention.

At the Convention, the party elevated Scott Walker to be the gubernatorial nominee and Ron Johnson to be the U.S. Senate nominee. These candidates now will gain hundreds of thousands of dollars designated for Republican Party-building activities to defeat other Republican candidates — in this case, Mark Neumann and Dave Westlake. What a disgusting use of donor funds. Republican Party of Wisconsin donors did NOT intend to have their money re-directed to defeat a fellow Republican candidate!

GOP Endorsement Process Slaps Tea Party in the Face

The party endorsement process is a pathetic disservice to Wisconsin voters.

There should be no party nominating process at all. Voters should be allowed to choose the Republican nominee without party influence and candidates should never be given extra resources from any party to win their primaries.

After all, isn’t any free and fair election about voter choice, and how can voters make a real decision when party resources are being directed to one candidate to the disadvantage of another candidate?

I cannot think of a bigger slap to the face of the Tea Party than what the Republican Party of Wisconsin just did in picking the candidates they believe the Tea Party should support. Please don’t be surprised when Tea Party activists and voters pick the candidates NOT selected by the State Republican Party.

The Republican Party of Wisconsin Still Missing Core Message

In her article, Mills notes that the Republican Party has “nearly perfected the art of closing file and staying on message” for decades. She must be watching a different Republican Party than I’ve been observing. What I saw was a Republican Party that won elections but had disgusting principles that allowed for bailouts, Keynesian economics, and endless foreign intervention.

The Republican Party establishment apparently agrees with Ms. Mills that the message of the party was on point for decades because they invited Karl Rove to be their featured speaker at the Convention.

Mr. Rove is heralded as a brilliant and infallible strategist — a knight in shining armor who has come to rescue Wisconsin Republicans with a message of … and that’s where you lose me. The message.

The Republican Party used to advocate for the principles of free enterprise, individual liberty, and less government intrusion.

These are the principles the Tea Party stands behind and the principles that were firmly rejected by the Republican Party of Wisconsin when they nominated their candidates at a clubby Convention of insiders.

During the Bush years (a terrible time for our country), the Republican Party advocated bailing out private enterprise on the taxpayer dime, invading foreign countries pre-emptively (a wholly unAmerican idea), and further increasing the size and scope of agencies like the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.

I wasn’t at the Republican Party of Wisconsin Convention, but I imagine Karl Rove received a standing ovation, gave a speech promoting his own brilliance, and then worked the crowd to sell his book. Karl Rove is neither brilliant nor is he someone Wisconsin Republicans should look to for guidance. His strategy failed our country and failed our party. George W. Bush governed as a neoconservative, a bankrupt philosophy focused on elitism and government intervention. And paved the way for Barack Obama.

It’s time to return to the core principles of our nation, which means Wisconsin Republicans should reject the Big Government message of insiders like Karl Rove and dump the insider gaming of Party Conventions choosing candidates at the expense of voters.

Ms. Mills doesn’t believe the Republican Party should embrace the Tea Party. If recent Party Establishment choices at the Republican Party of Wisconsin Convention are any indicator, the Party hierarchy agrees with Ms. Mills.

Regardless of the mistakes the Republican Party Establishment continues to make, the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin will continue to advocate for our nation’s founding principles.

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Aaron Biterman is a Wisconsin native. He is Vice Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the RLC.

For Immediate Release: May 24, 2010

Wisconsin Republican Liberty Caucus Makes Splash at State GOP Convention

Milwaukee, WI – The Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin made a big splash at the 2010 Republican Party of Wisconsin State Convention. With several thousand in attendance, Chairman Michael S. Murphy, Vice Chairman Chris Ciancimino, and Secretary Paul Sanchez networked with candidates and Convention delegates.  Stacks of literature and business cards were exchanged to promote and build the Wisconsin RLC organization. Murphy and Sanchez were also interviewed by News Reporter Dustin Alexander of Examiner.com.

All in all, the Wisconsin Republican Liberty Caucus was well received by many who attended the convention. Several membership applications were requested and several candidates were excited about filling out the Liberty Compact and Candidate Questionnaire.

For more information on how a candidate can seek an RLC endorsement or how you could become a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin, please visit us at http://wi.rlc.org.

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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the RLC.

For Immediate Release: May 18, 2010

Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin
Contact: RLCStateChapters@aol.com

Republican Liberty Caucus Urges Passage of Raw Milk Bill
Free Market and Expanded Consumer Choice is Best for Wisconsinites’ Safety

MILWAUKEE, WI — The Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin, the state affiliate of a group advocating individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party, is urging Governor Jim Doyle to sign legislation that would legalize raw milk sales in Wisconsin.

“As America’s Dairyland, Wisconsin should follow the other states that have legalized raw milk,” said Wisconsin RLC Chairman Michael S. Murphy of Milwaukee. “There are numerous reasons the Governor should sign the law: expanded consumer choice, a new product to help our struggling Wisconsin economy, and one more tool for small farmers to expand their family budgets.”

If Governor Doyle signs the law, Wisconsin would become the 20th state to allow direct sales of raw milk from dairy farmers to individuals. Another nine states allow retail sales.

“Governor Doyle should sign this legislation into law so small farmers and consumers will have a healthy choice. Additionally, imagine what a positive impact raw milk can have on the economy in our Dairy State,” concluded Mr. Murphy.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin was founded in 2009 to promote individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party. Learn more about the RLC at http://wi.rlc.org/.

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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the RLC.

by Aaron Biterman

Origins of the Movement

I have been active in libertarian circles for more than a decade, so when Ron Paul’s Presidential campaign raised more than $6 million in one day for our Presidential candidate, I was jumping for joy. That was in December, 2007, and was in conjunction with a nationwide “Tea Party” protest of Big Government. At our local event in Georgetown, Ron Paul supporters hosted our own fundraising event in which we wrote “Income Tax”, “Federal Reserve”, and “Invasion of Iraq” on boxes and tossed them out the 2nd story window of the event venue onto the streets of Georgetown.

The “Tea Party” was a nationwide event organized by Ron Paul supporters. Therefore the original concept of the Tea Party was libertarian — in favor of individual liberties (including personal freedoms and the ability to make any choice that does not harm another), limited government, and free markets.

The summer after the MoneyBomb fundraising success, in 2008, I participated in a Revolution March with Ron Paul supporters in DC (that’s me, with the Ron Paul, below right).  The march was quite massive, likely with between 7,500 and 10,000 participants from all across the country. It ended with a concert in front of the nation’s capital which lasted all day.

2009 Resurgence

Things went quiet for a while, until early 2009.  That’s when Rick Santelli drew attention for his remarks made regarding the Homeowners Affordability and Stability Plan in February of last year — from the floor of the CME Group during pre-market hours.  Santelli accused the government of promoting bad behavior and called for a Chicago Tea Party in response. Scattered cheers, whistles and applause could be heard from some of the personnel around the floor.

I participated in my second tea party event when I was asked to speak at the Reston Tea Party (in northern Virginia) on April 15, 2009. My speech focused on an economic issue that I believe important on tax day: repealing the Sixteenth Amendment. In my speech, I discussed how I never was duped into voting for George W. Bush, but that those who did can now redeem themselves by working for liberty in 2009, 2010, and beyond. I was well-received despite the hard rain pouring down on me as I spoke. At the time of my speech, I could tell that a broad coalition of folks were attending the Tea Party, and I surely realized that not all of them would agree with me — especially on social issues. So be it.

Hijacked Tea Party?

But it’s now almost a year later, and the Tea Party seems to be transforming from a libertarian gathering to promote less intrusive government and celebrate our freedoms to a neo-con group promoting War in Iran, criticizing immigrants and div
ersity, and persecuting those with different religious views.

Rachel Maddow and Dave Weigel from The Washington Post have provided excellent coverage of this transformation from the very beginning, interviewing libertarian-leaning bloggers like Stephen Gordon and Jason Pye and even Congressman Ron Paul to gain their perspective on the Tea Party hijack. Maddow was shocked to learn that three so-called Tea Party supporters challenged the inspiration behind the Tea Party — U.S. Rep. Ron Paul — for Congress in his rural Lake Jackson/Victoria area district in Texas.

The “far left media” recently crowned Sarah Palin the new mother of the Tea Party movement. This is problematic for several reasons.

First, Palin is employed by FOX News, which has a history of propping up increased foreign intervention — including the War in Iraq. Second, Palin is closely associated with people who support increased interventionism abroad. In her most recent trip to Hong Kong, she brought a prominent media relations strategist/lobbyist named Randy Scheunemann. Third, there is a correct perception that Sarah Palin is scripted — she’s using talking points from people writing speeches for her rather than sharing what she really believes. (I’m sure she has some core beliefs, but what are they?)

Increased foreign interventionism, bigger military budgets, and sending U.S. troops to more countries abroad is the exact opposite of what the original Tea Parties were all about — so libertarians, paleo-cons, and traditional Goldwater conservatives (Constitutionalists all of them) should be rightful skeptics of the strategists who have put into motion the hijacking of the Tea Parties.

There are several national groups claiming to lead the Tea Party. These include:

* The Tea Party Express, which created a campaign called Our Country Deserves Better. Of the $1.3 million raised for their campaign from July to November, $870,000 plus of it went to a single Republican campaign firm in California.

* The Tea Party Nation, run by Judson Phillips, which organized the recent Convention in Tennessee. Libertarian-leaning groups like Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty and Eric Odom’s American Liberty Alliance decided not to participate after dealings with Phillips and his co-organizers.

* The Tea Party Patriots, which is working with FreedomWorks — headed by former U.S. Rep. Dick Armey.

Be wary of any national group trying to control local Tea Party organizations.

How Do We Proceed?

This is not the first time a libertarian concept has been adopted by others. It was libertarian economist Milton Friedman who developed the concept of school vouchers, but most of the credit was never given. The same is true of the Cato Institute, which developed the concept of Social Security privatization but is rarely credited with it. And who was it that was actively calling the War on Drugs a failure from the early 70s onward? Despite that most people recognize the failure of the War on Drugs, the Libertarian Party rarely receives credit for popularizing what is now plainly obvious: that the War on Drugs has not worked.

The original message of the Tea Party — let’s take our government back! — still rings true. It’s up to us to keep fighting to reclaim our personal and economic liberties — and that includes a humble and logical foreign policy.

I would encourage people who share the Republican Liberty Caucus commitment to limited government to attend local Tea Party meetings to get a flavor for what your local branch of the Tea Party is like. Certainly the flavor of the local Tea Party depends on who is leading it. The local Tea Party objectives should determine if it’s a good fit for you. If it isn’t, start your own Tea Party.

If more libertarian-leaning Republicans were leaders in the Tea Party movement, perhaps the Tea Party movement would have a decisively more libertarian flavor.

Overall, the credit for the Tea Party concept goes to the most innovative thinkers in politics today: libertarians and Ron Paul supporters. The current Tea Party is heading in the wrong direction, but whether it can reverse its course is up to us.

There’s never been a better time to get involved in the movement to change our government to one of, by, and for the people. I challenge you to become active in your area. Joining the Republican Liberty Caucus is a great place to start.

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Aaron Biterman is a Wisconsin native. He is Vice Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the RLC.

Here are some photos of Wisconsin RLC members:

RLC-WI Chair Michael S. Murphy (far left) with members.

Members discussing how to reduce the size of government.

Ed Thompson gives a presentation to members.

Terri McCormick readies to prepare her remarks to the Students for Liberty Conference in Chicago in 2009.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the RLC.