For our especially strong Libertarian candidate, we have an especially weak Republican opponent, Senator Emmett Hanger. Conservative Republicans are furious at Hanger for his failure to stand up for property rights and against tax increases. I’ve heard the man speak and he comes across as a duplicitous used car salesman. Our Libertarian, however has a humble, honest, and decent manner about him.

Sime has already received some impressive print and television media coverage.

I think it is time for the Libertarian Party to start focusing our time, money and energy on a very small number of select local races such as this one. We have been trying to put the few eggs we have in far too many baskets, for too long, without success. Let’s face it, we don’t have the hundreds of millions of dollars required to win federal and gubernatorial level positions. We do, however, have enough resources to win a couple state legislative races each year. Once we begin building our base at the state and local level, then we can consider going gubernatorial or national. Until then, let’s stop trying to put the cart before the donkey.

The Green Party is much younger, yet already has at least one elected state legislator, with one more expected today. The Constitution Party is also likely to win one or two state seats. Additionally, the Progressive Party is even expected to win five or six seats.

It’s time for the “third largest party” to live up to it’s name. It’s time for Sime, and maybe a couple others.

Sad, but true. Courtesy of Phil Maymin.

Bell is also running the following television ad on these cable channels:

CNN News
Fox News
History Channel
ESPN2
TBS
Weather Station

Good luck Rex!

Phil Maymin, candidate for U.S. Congress in Connecticut’s 4th District, will appear on Tucker Carlson’s show on MSNBC, Wednesday at 4pm EST. Tucker played Maymin’s “I Approve This Massage” ad on his show a couple of days ago. Watch
the clip.

Note: The clip is best viewed with Internet Explorer.

Previous coverage of Phil Maymin here.

Update: For those of you that live in Maymin’s district, be sure to vote for him on this online poll.

Update2: Maymin’s interview on MSNBC here. (best viewed with Internet Explorer)

“We’ve gotten a great response from the first spot,” states Guthrie’s campaign manager Travis Wright, adding, “people have been emailing and calling to tell us that they loved seeing a political commercial that was funny and to the point.” The campaign hopes these ads will help tip undecided voters or those who might otherwise skip this election in favor of Bruce Guthrie.

Guthrie’s campaign began airing the new commercials today.

Third video after the break.

Philip Smart is a CPA who, along with running as a Libertarian candidate twice in the last two years has been asking questions of local officials and carrying out his own investigation of local corruption. He probably should have made sure in advance that he had a support network but he is something of a loner although he has been working and supporting issues for a number of years now. He most probably did not realize how vulnerable he might be when he became a target himself.

Today he has been in jail in Ellis County, Texas for three weeks. He is being denied access to essential medications and yesterday the system nearly killed him. His mother received an emergency call for the list of prescriptions he has not had for three weeks because the same system refused them to him. Now is condition seems to be stabilizing.

His incarceration is illegal now and has been on every occasion in the past. His home has been ransacked, he has been accused of being a terrorist before because of his collection of antique guns. It is possible that those in power in Ellis County will attempt to use the cancellation of Habeas Corpus to justify holding him without due process now and previously making this case a test for whether or not Americans still have the protection of the 4th Amendment.

Here are a few facts.

Phil Smart is a Certified Public Accountant who runs his own business in a small town in Texas in the Dallas area. He runs his business out of his home, which is out in the country, allowing him the freedom he wants to indulge in his hobbies. In his hours away from the computer and pencil and paper Phil likes to restore old cars, his pride and joy is a Capri from the 60s but he also is proud of owning one of only seven Edsels still in existence.

Phil Smart loves animals and has for years rescued abandoned dogs and cats, feeding them himself and finding loving homes for them.

Smart graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas with degrees in business and psychology, going on to get another degree that allowed him to practice his profession. Phil is a quiet kind of guy except when he attends debates and forums. He started getting interested in politics several years ago and then two years ago decided to run for County Commissioner as a Libertarian to better carry the message.

He was arrested three weeks before that election and not released until after the vote was in. This election season Phil is running for State Senate, again as a Libertarian. The timing for his arrest is similar this time, a strange and unaccountable coincidence.

His interest in politics caused Phil to ask questions for those in charge of the local government. His background in accounting enabled him to see things that are inconvenient for the powers that be. The pattern of harassment is an attempt by those in power in Ellis County, Texas, to protect themselves from exposure. Speaking up upsets the local establishment. Along with asking questions at forums Phil posts signs and bumper stickers declaring his love for freedom and belief in Libertarianism. This tendency to ask questions of persons in positions of authority is, according to his girl friend, Donna Watson, the reason Philip Smart has been arrested six times in the last two years. Donna is a financial counselor at an Oncology facility in a town nearby and fully supports Phil’s efforts.

On the first occasion Philip was upset that his bank would not give him cash for a CD he was cashing in to pay for an antique car. All the rest of the times the cause of his trips to the local jail have been traffic issues. On one of these occasions a female officer stopped him on his motorcycle, demanding his license. She then searched his motorcycle over his objections, also neglecting to note this on her report. But the motorcycle bears her fingerprints.

They are resorting to this level of harassment because Philip does nothing illegal personally.

On this last occasion Philip was stopped for bringing his car to a stop six inches over the line at the stop sign. The arresting officer, a Sargent Rogers, then insisted on searching Smart’s car, finding the daytimer that holds his medications. Since he had failed to carry these in the bottles that had the prescriptions included he was arrested. The next day Donna offered to bring down the prescriptions. She was told not to bother. Ms. Watson was told by Lisa Moon, the officer staffing the desk, that it is illegal to carry prescription drugs unless they are in bottles that have the prescribing physician, the pharmacy, and the name of the patient. Since nearly all of us do this as a matter of routine this is also a wake up call for how vulnerable me may well be as individuals.

Philip Smart has been incarcerated in the Ellis County Correctional Facility located at Wayne McCollum Detention Center, 300 South Jackson, Waxahachie, Texas 75165. He has no blanket and so at nights he is cold. While you would think that given his good character and the nature of the charges he would be placed with other nonviolent offenders. But instead he is incarcerated with hardened criminals. On the first of these occasions he was placed in solitary confinement, lights on 24 hours a day for two weeks.

Phil Smart lives on a cul de sac street. Last year his beloved dog, Puppy, a Shelty-mix, turned up dead on his lawn, the victim of a hit and run. The neighbors were shocked and believe that Puppy’s death was caused by Smart’s political activism, the activism that so upsets the powers that be in Ellis County. Philip is well liked by his neighbors and has lived in the same place for 20 years.

Now Philip Smart is suffering from the lack of the prescription drugs he needs to survive. His mother, Jesse Smart works at Sak’s; His father, Dr. Don Smart, is an Ophthalmologist. No one knows what to tell Phil’s 16 year old son, who is asking what happened to his Dad. His family is bewildered because they are ordinary people who believe that government intends to do the right thing. They are only slowly understanding that those in government use that structure and power to advance their own agenda.

Far from being a threat to society Phil attends a tiny local church when he does not attend his girl friend’s church. Professionally, Philip refuses to charge more that $100.00 an hour for his professional services and often works for free for people who need help and cannot afford to pay.

Certainly Phil did not expect that running for office as a Libertarian would prove to be so hazardous to his health. But Donna received a call from a consulting psychiatrist who was allowed to view Philip Smart remotely from his office in Gainesville, Florida. The doctor is worried. Philip Smart’s physical condition is deteriorating rapidly and he is shaky and disoriented from cold and the lack of his prescriptions.

Evidently Texas has different rules than other places in America ““ or, as some have come to fear, is Texas and Homeland Security about to declare Mr. Philip Smart, a quiet CPA, a threat to National Security? If that is the case and with Habeas Corpus extinguished Philip Smart may be up for an extended vacation in one of the Homeland Prison Facilities in Texas that are even less attractive that the Ellis County Jail.

In America today there are evidently no rules we recognize. A group of us are starting a Committee in Defense of the Constitution, and that site will be up soon. Until then contact us through justice42freedom@yahoo.com

Below is the address of the jail where Phil is being held. As Libertarians we need to make sure Philip Smart knows we support him and that we will help him use this train of events to educate Americans as to the danger we all face.

Write to tell Philip you support him!
Philip Smart Cell Block S-C
Wayne McCollum Detention Center
300 South Jackson
Waxahachie, Texas 75165
Telephone: (972) 825-4901
Fax: (972) 825-4941

Melinda has a slightly different version on her website.

Additional background on Philip Smart can be found here, here and here.

Among Decided Voters
Saunders (R) (I) : 35.4%
Bell (L) : 33.1%
Sadler (D) 31.3%

According to state chair Mark Rutherford:

The Republican incumbent is running from a position of weakness. He is increasingly unpopular because of the Republican governor’s low approval ratings and unpopular actions. He is unpopular because of the way he recently handled matters when his son was involved in an alcohol related hit-and-run fatality.

The Democrat challenger is an attorney in New Castle, where he has some name recognition, but 75-80% of New Castle is in another house district. The Democrat challenger does not have name recognition in most of the district.

If you would like to help Rex get elected, the Libertarian Party of Indiana has setup a donation page for his campaign — an excellent idea that I think other state parties should explore.

Way to go Rex!

Update: I just received this from Mark Rutherford:

Rex is using the [donation] money right now to buy more cable tv advertising, radio advertising and newspaper advertising. There are three cable companies, three major newspapers and many radio stations in which he can advertise.

(Seattle, WA) ““ Today, the Guthrie campaign launched a new television ad unlike anything his Democratic and Republican opponents have offered.

The ad is first in a series that feature audio from actual Washington voters expressing their conflicting reasons for supporting their candidate of choice. While this may sound tame, it’s the main characters that make the difference. Rather than using the original video from the interviews, the statements are voiced by puppets – paper bag puppets, to be precise.

Besides adding a dose of humor into an otherwise dry political season, the campaign hopes to sway independent voters to support Bruce Guthrie.

“From our conversations with voters throughout the campaign, it’s clear that many people are voting based on what they believe a particular party stands for, rather than looking at the voting record or campaign message,” explains Bruce Guthrie’s campaign manager Travis Wright. “I think these ads highlight the silliness and futility of voting that way.”

With less than 2 weeks until the election and absentee ballots already mailed, it’s impossible to predict what impact these ads will have on undecided voters and the more than 50 percent of voters who might otherwise sit this election out.

The 30 second television spot will begin airing today and will be available online at www.BruceGuthrie.com and YouTube.com by Friday.

www.nallforgovernor.com

Update:

Article with higher quality video here.

Loretta was also on Fox News. Scroll down to ‘Cleavage Candidate’.

Get your boobs t-shirt here.

Glen Jacobs, aka Kane, is well known for being a champion in wrestling. What is not as well known: he’s also a champion of liberty. He’s a member of the Libertarian Party, and believes passionately in smaller government. He’s proud to endorse Bob Smither for Congress!

SPEAKER: The Honorable Bob Barr (R-GA), former member of Congress
DATE: Saturday, October 28, 2006
TIME: 12 Noon
LOCATION: Sugar Land Marriott Town Square
16090 City Walk
Sugar Land, TX, 77479
No RSVP necessary ““ this event is open to the public.

Barr’s speech coincides with the launch of a new Smither for Congress campaign commercial. The advertisement, which features Barr’s endorsement of Smither, will begin airing on local radio stations in the 22nd District.

In the advertisement Barr acknowledges that Smither ““ the only candidate on both the Special and General Election ballots for CD 22 ““ is the best shot the conservative voters of the district have at defeating liberal Democrat Nick Lampson. Smither is running on a platform of tax reform, reduced government spending, and constitutional integrity.

[NOTE: The preceding is a press release from the Smither campaign.]

Prominent Republican blogger and CEO of Redstate.com, Erick Erickson, is the latest to endorse Bob Smither. In his first post titled “I’m Jumping Ship”, he says:

Folks, you all know me. You know that my philosophy in guiding RedState has always been “conservative in the primary, Republican in the general.”

Well, today I’m jumping ship.

There’s a Libertarian down in Texas that I think we all should support. The Republicans down in TX-22 were, I guess, so shell shocked from losing Tom DeLay, that they found the person with the hardest name to spell and put her up as a write in candidate. She’s polling behind the Libertarian.

Friends, it’s time to help the Libertarian.

Besides, it’d be cool to have someone named “Smither” in Congress. We could all go around talking like Mr. Burns.

Later that morning Mr. Erickson published a second post praising Smither.

GOPProgress.com covered the story and appears to have endorsed Smither as well:

RedState’s Smither endorsement is somewhat of a surprise but is welcome news to Libertarians and libertarian-leaning Republicans. As cited in the post, Smither has publicly voiced support for a Republican Speaker of the House and would caucus with Republicans. Additionally, he has a better chance of winning than a “write-in candidate with a hard to write-in name,” a reference to the GOP’s write-in campaign for Shelley Sekula-Gibbs.

For those unfamiliar with Smither, I direct you here.
Republicans should certainly feel comfortable voting for Smither- a fiscal conservative, supporter of individual liberties including gun rights, and a strong federalist. In the linked questionnaire, he calls himself an “alternative for the rest of us,” saying that changing the path of the country, which as caused people to look to Washington for answers, as his number one priority.

These endorsements are in addition to those already made by:

Bob Barr

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson

Patrick Dixon, City Councilor, Lago Vista, Texas

The verbal sparring between two candidates for Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat didn’t end when the televised debate ended Sunday evening.

Immediately after the lights and cameras shut down, incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin walked to Libertarian candidate Thomas Rankin, who had criticized her for receiving contributions from former House Speaker Tom Delay, R-Texas.

“‘If you weren’t sitting in that chair, I’d slap you across the face,’” Cubin told Rankin, he said Monday.

If anyone can find a link to the preceding debate, please let me know.

Update by Stephen VanDyke: Cubin has offered an official apology, and at the same time tells her version of the remark:

“It was person to person and it was not an attack on the disabled,” Cubin said in a telephone interview from Rock Springs. “In retrospect I was wrong in what I said and I apologize.”

[...] Cubin said she went over to Rankin, challenged his debate assertions and remarked that “if you had said that to anyone else, they probably would have smacked you.”

That sounds like a line of baloney. Rankin has been adamant about what she said to him and has witnesses to support his claim (and considering it was post-debate, it’s very likely some of them were members of the press).

Still, this all stems from her getting campaign money from Tom DeLay (the prince of illegal contributions who resigned in shame after being indicted), so maybe some reporters will grow a pair on this issue and give the glaring ethics issue some much deserved ink.

(Friendswood, Texas) – Libertarian Bob Smither, U.S. House candidate for District 22, signed the “Punch Clock Agreement,” a contract promising District 22 voters that, when elected, he will publish his daily official work schedule on the Internet, including the names of everyone he meets with and the events he attends.

Most working citizens report to their bosses on how they spend their day, and the “Punch Clock Agreement“ similarly holds members of Congress responsible while on the public payroll to report their official activities and associations to their bosses, the citizens who elect them.

With this announcement, Smither is issuing a challenge to his opponents, Democrat Nick Lampson and Republican write in Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, to join him in signing the Agreement, which is available at the Sunlight Network. So far, 34 candidates in the November election have signed the Agreement.

“The more transparent the governing process is, the better,” said Smither. “I promise to work for the voters, not the special interests. This agreement will allow my constituents to see exactly how I spend my day—who I meet with and how I am representing their interests.”

Bob Smither is the only conservative candidate on the ballot in the District 22 race in November. He will represent constituents in restoring government to the wisdom and bounds of the Constitution. He will be an independent voice for the people of District 22, with no ties to special interests.

[NOTE: The preceding is a press release, reproduced in it's entirety, from the Smither campaign.]

Via Bureaucrash.

GIBBS POLLSTER: Yes, this is [name] calling from Southern Research to ask you one question about the November election for U.S. Congress. If the election were held tomorrow would you vote for
- Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, the Republican, or
- Nick Lampson, the Democrat.

brazosriver.com obtained an audio recording of one of the calls where the voter exposed the poll for the fraud that it is:

Listen to the audio here.

It appears hyphen lady is seeking to maintain the Republican Party’s status as the most corrupt in congress.

Full transcript of the call after the break.

VOTER: Hi.

GIBBS POLLSTER: Hello.

VOTER: Hello.

GIBBS POLLSTER: Yes, this is [name] calling from Southern Research
to ask you one question about the November election for U.S. Congress. If the election were held tomorrow would you vote for
- Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, the Republican, or
- Nick Lampson, the Democrat.
-
VOTER: Um, whose calling and who are you sponsored by?

GIBBS POLLSTER: This is [name] and I’m calling from Southern Research.

VOTER: And who is paying the bills for this advertisement, or this poll?

GIBBS POLLSTER: This is Southern Research – I’m calling on behalf of Southern Research.

VOTER: What about the other candidates in the race? My understanding is that Bob Smither is on the ballot also, and that Shelley Sekula-Gibbs is a write-in. And that there are two other write-ins. Is that correct?

GIBBS POLLSTER: I know Shelley Sekula-Gibbs is a write-in.

VOTER: Okay, so. So I’m curious as to who is funding this research because it seems the question you are asking is biased.

GIBBS POLLSTER: Well, I only have two additional candidates here, which are Nick Lampson and Shelley Sekula-Gibbs.

VOTER: Well, and what I’m trying to indicate is, uh, it sounds like your poll is biased. So I’m curious as to who is the, uhm, who is driving this poll.

GIBBS POLLSTER: (Pause) Uhhhm. One moment and let me get that information for you, okay?

VOTER: Super.

GIBBS POLLSTER: Just one moment. (Pause)

GIBBS POLLSTER: Sir. Hello?

VOTER: Yes.

GIBBS POLLSTER: Okay, it’s being funded through Sekula-Gibbs.

VOTER: Ah, it’s being funded by Shelley Sekula-Gibbs. Okay that’s, that’s interesting, and what’s most interesting to me is, you know, how its worded.
Because the way it’s worded is not a scientifically valid poll. So, did, what was the name of your organization again?

GIBBS POLLSTER: Southern Research

VOTER: Southern Research. So does your, uhm, are you a partisan political organization?

GIBBS POLLSTER: Yes.

VOTER: Okay. So you are not a scientific polling organization?

GIBBS POLLSTER: No.

VOTER: I see. So basically this is a political call and not a research call.

GIBBS POLLSTER: Pretty much, yeah.

VOTER: Okay. Well that uh, that basically does answer my questions.

GIBBS POLLSTER: Okay.

VOTER: Thank you for your time.

GIBBS POLLSTER: You’re welcome.

Wood got the most lively response of the evening when, in his closing remarks, he compared Democrats to “scrambled eggs” and Republicans to “poached eggs.”

He then told the crowd, “It’s time for pancakes.”

www.woodforcongress.com

Consumer Advocacy “” “The people of Georgia deserve a commissioner that will be fair and objective. You deserve a commissioner that won’t take campaign contributions from the executives and lobbyists of the utilities being regulated. I have no ties to these industries, and will always look after the best interests of the consumer.”

Competitive Free Markets “” “The best quality of service at the lowest rates is always the product of a free market. As your commissioner, I will continuously seek ways to improve and increase competition in your utilities. Regulated monopolies tend to get bloated and charge rates that pay for excessive top heavy administrative costs. One example of free market competition is cell phones. Over the years, cell phone service has increased, competition increases, and rates have continued to fall. Free market competition is the solution that works.”

Alternative Energy “” “Georgia’s rate payers and tax payers are being asked to build more nuclear power plants in Georgia. I am not against nuclear power, but I am against the tax payers footing the bill while the power company runs away with the profits. The decision to build these plants and the risks should fall on the stock holders of the power company. In contrast, I think Georgians should be given tax incentives to create renewable sources of energy. Through conservation, bio-mass, and other renewable energy supplies, we can ensure a clean future with low energy rates.”

Cherry’s campaign will be using TV ads to help get the message out. He is the first PSC candidate to run TV ads in this election, and will be among the first Libertarian candidates to run TV ads in the state of Georgia:

James Bell, Kevin Cherry’s campaign director and producer of the ad said it sends a powerful message about the lies, and corruption of the two party system.

“We wanted to compare the electronic voting machines to a slot machine to show how the voters of Georgia feel it’s a gamble to even vote in this state,” said Bell. “We don’t trust the politicians and we don’t trust the voting machines. The Libertarian Party is offering a real choice this year. I hope the 40-50% of voters who do not vote will realize the power they have if they will only go to the polls.”

The ad ends with three cherries rolling up on the slot machine wheels to show a winner. It’s Kevin Cherry! The closing line says, “Pick Cherry for PSC”.

The video can be viewed here.

First, Hayes was featured on the front page of the Thomasville Times-Enterprise. Here’s an excerpt:

Actually, his motive in running for governor is pretty simple.

“I’m tired of watching government grow. I’m tired of government taking more and more of our money and our freedom and doing things it shouldn’t be doing,” Hayes said.

Armed with novel approaches to dealing with taxes, eminent domain, education and immigration, Hayes said his goal is not to play spoiler to either top candidate in this election. He wants to become Georgia’s next governor.

Second, the Hayes campaign has purchased air time for their TV ad. According to Doug Craig:

We plan on running starting next week. I believe we have enough money to run it 700-800 times on cable but we could always [use] more donations. Please call me If you can donate. $18.00 will buy a spot on fox news in downtown Atlanta, $2.00 will buy a spot in Jonesboro on the weather channel. Please call Doug Craig 770-861-5855

Watch the video after the break.

Peirce advertised in a bar and restaurant magazine because of the upcoming ballot issues proposing smoking bans, saying, “I think the owner of the establishment ought to be able to call the shots in his or her business, leaving people to decide what type of establishment to patronize.” Peirce also has committed to ads in the Gay People’s Chronicle, which he believes reaches another group seeking reduced government interference in their personal lives.

Additionally, Peirce’s campaign plans to purchase radio ads during the final days before the election. All of this is in addition to the Taxi ads spotted months ago.

Update by Stephen VanDyke: There are actually 21 billboards currently running until election day, not to mention several 4 x 8 signs that people have put up on their property in high traffic areas (next to freeways and people living on busy streets). Charles has told me that if you want to contribute to put more of just these up, you can make a note with your donation and that money will be tagged for just that purpose.

More video commentary here, here and here.

Interesting written commentary here and here.

In fact, while both Sonny Perdue and Mark Taylor are losing points, Libertarian Garrett Hayes is gaining — big.

They go on to quote pollster Matt Towery as saying:

“This is the first race I’ve ever seen where the Libertarian keeps rising and the other two candidates keep dropping,” Towery said. “I’ve never seen that before in all my years at looking at political campaigns.”

Hayes was polling around 8% prior to a stellar performance at a recent debate, which had at least one local blogger declaring him the winner:

..Honestly, Sonny Perdue calling Mark Taylor “Pinnochio”; Mark Taylor calling Sonny Perdue a dwarf named “Greedy”; and Garrett Michael Hayes talking about liberating Georgia from the Democrats and the Republicans.

You know, if I had to pick a winner, I’d say that Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes won because he was able to stay above the name calling and personal attacks that went back and forth between the Big Guy and the big dwarf.

Other video media coverage of Garrett Michael Hayes can be found here: WSB-TV, 11 Alive, Fox 5

Maymin is currently ranked #2 on the Libertarian Party’s Candidate Tracker and is running in a four-way race against a Green and two mega-party candidates.

UPDATE: Phil Maymin’s closing statement after the jump.

For more videos, click here.