July 2010 Edition

Welcome to the second edition of the quarterly newsletter of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin (RLCWI)!

The RLC was formed in December to promote candidates and issues related to protecting individual liberty, limited government, free market economics.

These traditional Republican ideas have long fallen out of favor with those running the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Now is the time to restore these cherished principles.  The vehicle to do so is not the Republican Party Establishment, but the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin — which provides a voice for limited government Republicans in our state.

Please contact us to volunteer or visit our website at http://wi.rlc.org/.  If you have not yet joined us, please join us today.  Dues are just $30.

Please become a fan of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin on Facebook.

Below is an update from our Wisconsin RLC chapter.  Wisconsin RLC Chair Michael S. Murphy has done a tremendous job moving the RLC forward in our state.  We owe tremendous thanks to Mr. Murphy for his efforts.

As always, keep up your work to promote liberty in the Republican Party!

Republican Liberty Caucus Endorses Mark Neumann for Governor, Dave Westlake for U.S. Senate

Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed candidates are dedicated to upholding the principles our country was founded upon: individual liberty, less intrusive government, and free-market economics.

The Wisconsin RLC Board chose to endorse Mark Neumann to lead the state forward as Governor and Dave Westlake to fight for limited government in the U.S. Senate.  At our article explaining the endorsements, we had the following to say about these candidates.

On Neumann:

“Mark Neumann’s issues page indicates that he is a strong supporter of the Tenth Amendment, is in favor of ethics changes that will make government work better for Wisconsinites, and will slash government spending and bureaucracy … He also scored well in the Republican Liberty Caucus Liberty Index when he was in Congress, scoring inside the Libertarian quadrant in three of the four years he was scored.”

“We feel that Mark Neumann has the type of experience that a Governor needs. Scott Walker has served in government his entire adult life. His record of service is exceptional and we respect him for his efforts. However, Mr. Neumann has government service and a career of private sector experience. Neumann also kept his term limits pledge and worked diligently for balanced budgets while he was in Congress.”

On Westlake:

“Dave Westlake would be a very good Senator. He listens to people’s concerns and is interested in hearing ideas from them. His campaign is grassroots, not driven by the media or fueled by large donors. This people-focused approach to politics will allow Westlake to serve the people of Wisconsin rather than the special interests.”

“Dave Westlake’s issues page discusses the importance of state sovereignty (Tenth Amendment), the limited role of the federal government, term limits, and simplifying the tax code. His primary opponent Ron Johnson supports the REAL ID Act and the USA Patriot Act, both of which Westlake opposes.”

State Republican Party Excluding RLC-Backed Candidates

According to Barry Orton, a Professor of Political Science at UW-Madison, the Republican Party of Wisconsin called him on July 18 to ask him about issues and candidates.

When asked which candidate he was supporting in the Governor race, the choices were Scott Walker or Tom Barrett.  When asked which candidate he was supporting supporting in the U.S. Senate race, the choices were Ron Johnson or Russ Feingold.

Voters are not going to be bullied by Party Bosses to support the candidates they are told to support, so I suggest the Republican Party of Wisconsin end its bully tactics immediately.

Excluded from the poll were RLC-endorsed candidates Mark Neumann for Governor and Dave Westlake for U.S. Senate.

Call the State Party and Chairman Reince Priebus

Please contact the Republican Party of Wisconsin today at at (608) 257-4765 or gop@wisgop.org and ask them why they are excluding Republican ballot-qualified candidates from their polls. Better yet, contact Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reice Priebus via email or phone him at (414) 225-2746.

As the state GOP Chair, he should be interested in hearing from Wisconsin Republican voters.

The level of insider deals and unbalanced powergrabs continue to hurt the Republican Party of Wisconsin, so much so that it’s time to withhold any support from the state Republican Party until their leadership does not permit pre-primary endorsements and treats all candidates the same.

The state party’s efforts show that they are desperate to propel their candidates to victory in the September primary.  Silly us, but we thought primaries were decided by VOTERS, not political party bosses!

Join the Wisconsin Republican Liberty Caucus

The RLC is a grassroots, member-based organization.  We had our first meetings last December (see picture above) because it became clear that the Republican Party did not want to support candidates who offered a traditional vision of the purpose of government.

Since we are a new organization and rely entirely on the support of our members, we ask you to become involved.

The best ways to become involved are to contact us to volunteer or to join us (standard dues are just $30/year).  All dues paid to the organization are re-directed to our activities to change Wisconsin politics in the direction of less government.

Republican Liberty Caucus Reaches Out at State GOP Convention

From May 21 to 23 in Milwaukee, the Republican Liberty Caucus made a concerted effort to reach new members and introduce GOP delegates to the organization.  All of the RLCWI Officers were present to engage in conversation, support RLCWI candidates, and distribute literature.

The National RLC profiled the Wisconsin RLC’s outreach efforts and includes some photos of Wisconsin RLC members and supporters.

At the Convention, Chairman Michael S. Murphy handed RLC literature out to longtime Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner — who seem baffled that some Republicans are interested in limited government across the board –and had a brief conversation with Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Reince Preibus — who thought (wrongly) that our sole purpose is to provide opposition to the state GOP.

Additionally, the Wisconsin RLC received numerous requests for membership applications and talked to candidates who wanted to seek the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin endorsement.

Thomas Woods Coming to Eau Claire

Historian/author Dr. Thomas Woods will be visiting Eau Claire on August 28.  Tickets are limited to the first 300 people, so please get yours today.

Woods’ most recent book is Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century.

RLC Advisery Board Includes Jim Burkee and Yuri Maltsev

The Wisconsin RLC is lucky to have two very intelligent and life experienced Advisery Board members in Jim Burkee and Yuri Maltsev.

Dr. James Burkee, Professor of Political Science at Concordia University in Milwaukee, ran against Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner in the 2008 primary and earned over 20% of the vote against the longtime incumbent.  Jim’s race was an important first step in breaking the entitlement system whereby one person can have tremendous amounts of power simply because of their wealth, gerrymandered Congressional districts, and the bully tactics they employ to scare people away.  It took tremendous courage for Jim to take on someone like Sensenbrenner and we are honored to have a person so focused on political reform and limiting government on our Advisery Board.

Dr. Yuri Maltsev is a Professor of Economics at Carthage College and a Senior Fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.  Dr. Maltsev writes regular articles on the politics and economics of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, United States, and the world economy. Growing up in the Soviet Union, he intimately understands and vigorously defends the importance of free markets and individual freedom.

In June, he appeared on “The Glenn Beck Show” on Fox News to discuss “The Road to Serfdom” by F.A. Hayek.  Watch Yuri’s interview at the RLC blog.

Wisconsin RLC Endorses New Candidates

In addition to candidates mentioned in our last newsletter or above, the RLC has also endorsed the following candidates in 2010:

- Jon Soyring for Senate, District 1 (Green Bay);
- Andre Jacque for Representative, District 2 (Green Bay);
- Jim Steineke for Representative, District 5 (Appleton);
- Evan Wynn for Representative, District 43 (Whitewater);
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt for Representative, District 52 (Fond du Lac);
- Dave Redick for Representative, District 77 (Madison);
- James Maillette for Vilas County Sheriff.

A full list of our endorsed candidates is available at http://wi.rlc.org/endorsements/.  The RLC Board will continue to review new requests for endorsement from candidates throughout the state of Wisconsin.

RLC Commentary: Wisconsin Needs Another Lee Sherman Dreyfus

_______________________________________________
This commentary is from the Republican Liberty Caucus of Wisconsin blog. Please check the RLC blog regularly for news and commentary from a liberty perspective.
_______________________________________________

Where is Wisconsin’s Lee Sherman Dreyfus of the 21st Century?

After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II and completing his graduate studies, Lee Sherman Dreyfus continued to communicate with, and inspire, many people while teaching and managing student radio and television stations at Wayne State University (Michigan) and the University of Wisconsin.

By the time he became Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Dreyfus had mastered the art of public speaking. His skills as an orator and educator combined with the signature red vest he wore to identify himself to students as he walked the campus during the challenging Vietnam era earned him the designation of the students’ Chancellor.

As Dreyfus campaigned for Governor in 1978, it was his ability to communicate that drove his underestimated, underfunded and unorthodox team to victory. He dismissed the traditional political strategies of allying with interest groups and pursuing large contributions. Instead he hopped onto his transformed school bus with the rag-tag band, taking his message to every corner of Wisconsin to let the people decide.

Dreyfus came out of nowhere to win the Republican Party nomination for Governor in September, 1978.  The Republican Party worked to defeat Dreyfus, but he ultimately won the Republican primary and then was elected Governor.  Lee Sherman Dreyfus served as Wisconsin Governor from 1979 to 1983.

Dreyfus believed government’s role should be limited to only three things: “defending our shores, delivering our mail and staying the hell out of our lives.”  He was a fiscal conservative who worked to downsize government intervention in Wisconsin’s economy.  At the same time, he was a social moderate, believing “there are some questions the government has no business asking.”  In 1982, Governor Dreyfus signed the nation’s first civil rights legislation barring discrimination for gays and lesbians in jobs and housing.

He later served as Interim State Superintendent of Public Instruction and on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, before his death in 2008.

Lee Sherman Dreyfus wasn’t concerned about political parties or special interest groups. His focus was on people and on the policies that would improve their lives.

Wisconsin desperately needs a leader like Lee S. Dreyfus in 2010.