Tag Archives: Republican Liberty Caucus

Featured, Interviews, Opinion, US

RLC Chairman Discusses Rand Paul, Liberty

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On Tuesday, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul announced his candidacy for president. On that same day, the attack ads began.

A particularly deplorable ad ran in several battleground states from Foundation for a Secure and Prosperous America. The spot ends with a mushroom cloud and this message: “Rand Paul is wrong, and dangerous. Tell him stop siding with Obama, because even one Iranian bomb would be a disaster.”

According to the national chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, Matt Nye, the ad is good news.

“From a political perspective, it’s really good news, because for them to go after Rand on the very first day that he announces with a campaign like that, it just goes to show that they’re very concerned about his candidacy,” he explained in an exclusive interview with BenSwann.com’s Joshua Cook.

“Obviously, the ad is pretty ugly. The takeaway though is he is clearly being perceived as a threat by the establishment, and they’re going to stop at nothing to take him out,” he said.

Nye said that it’s an exciting time to be part of the liberty movement. He cites the rise in grassroots activism and growth within the Republican Liberty Caucus, as well.

“You’ve got all of these different grassroots organizations that have really only come into existence in the last 6 to 7 years,” he said.

Nye explained that there is a wave of excitement and interest within the liberty movement, and that should be encouraging.

“Part of my words of encouragement to people who are getting discouraged and are ready to give up is that Washington, D.C. is the ultimate lagging indicator,” he said. “That’s the very, very, very last thing that’s going to change in terms of the political discourse of this country and the candidates that we get elected.”

He said that liberty lovers should be excited for the opportunity to pick between Texas Senator Ted Cruz, another candidate for president, and Rand Paul.

“When was the last time we actually had two good candidates that you had to think about,” he said.

According to Nye, Rand Paul has a leg up on Cruz.

“Rand Paul has been laying the groundwork for this for quite some time,” he said. Paul has been doing outreach to groups Republicans usually don’t, and that has helped his candidacy.

Click here to listen to Joshua Cook’s entire interview with Matt Nye where he talks more about Rand Paul and the presidential election.

 

Election, Foreign Policy, Interviews, Opinion, Politics, US

Exclusive Interview: Ted Cruz Too Hawkish For “Liberty” Republicans?

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In an exclusive interview with BenSwann.com’s Joshua Cook, Republican Liberty Caucus Vice Chairman Ed Lopez considered the electability and relatability of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the first Republican to officially launch his presidential campaign.

“We have a faction that likes Ted Cruz on a lot of things, but may be hesitant on his foreign policy views, which are more similar perhaps to more traditional candidates recently,” explained Lopez.

Lopez said that the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) has only endorsed presidential candidates twice in its near 25-year history. Those two candidates were Ron Paul and Steve Forbes.

“It’s really tough to reach a consensus nationally,” he said. “The RLC is pretty divided, but it’s still also very early. People are still shopping and trying to get a sense of the candidates.”

Lopez said that there is a faction of the organization that doesn’t agree with Cruz on social issues.

“There is still a small faction of the RLC that is still pondering and debating who is an eligible citizen to run for president,” he added.

Even though Cruz is the only candidate officially running, he is definitely not the only horse in the race. “Rand Paul is strong competition,” he said. “There are other candidates that people are pondering too.”

“In my opinion, the GOP has a really good chance of electing a candidate if it’s the right candidate,” he said.

Lopez said that Republican Party will benefit from not being in office the past 8 years. Democrats will have a harder time distancing themselves from the shortcomings of President Obama.

“I think Ted Cruz could certainly appeal to a broader group of people than Hillary Clinton would. I think Hillary Clinton is probably one of the weaker candidates, as much as people say she’s one of the stronger ones,” he explained.

Lopez said that Republicans will also benefit from a strong party platform. “There has to be a more united message,” he said.

He said that the Presidential candidate should align him or herself with candidates for Senate and House. That idea, he explained, would appeal to the sought-after Millennial vote.

“If we elect the right amount of Republicans and a Republican candidate, there will be a possibility of having an impact,” he said.

Listen to the entire interview below.

 

Interviews, US

Exclusive: Interview with The Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry

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Is the Republican Party ready to accept gay marriage?

One group is spearing heading an effort to reform the national Republican Party platform on marriage to do just that.

The group, Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, which started in 2012, has backed ballot measures for marriage equality in four states. Now, the more than 60 members hope to convince state Republicans, especially national delegates, that opposing gay marriage is a losing issue for the Republican Party.

Now the group is touring the Presidential primary states leading up to the Republican National Convention to meet with like-minded GOP activists and elected official to discuss their campaign.

The group visited South Carolina where Ed J. Lopez spoke with BenSwann.com’s Joshua Cook. So far the group has already visited New Hampshire, Iowa and Nevada.

During the 2012 presidential primaries, Lopez served as a member of the Leadership Council at Standing Up for New Hampshire Families and on former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s New Hampshire State Steering Committee. He is also the national Vice Chairperson of the Republican Liberty Caucus, as group trying to influence the GOP to embrace free markets, low taxes and individual liberties.

“One reason I’m really passionate about the issue is that we have found that it is a gateway issue for a lot of people that would otherwise vote Republican,” said Lopez.

He also said that ⅔ of Republicans under the age of 40 support gay marriage. And that 52 percent of Republicans 50 and younger also support the freedom to marry.

“There is movement and momentum in that direction,” he explained. “That’s the bottom line.”

Lopez said that unless the Republican Party follows suit that they’re building barriers in front of new membership.

The problem, he said, with the GOP platform is that its chosen and shaped by very few people. The group hopes to help people become delegates for the national convention, which could help the seachange.

“We’re looking to get new blood in there,” he added. “And making sure that the language of the platform is reflective of what we feel most Republicans embrace or are being to embrace.”

He said the all language that could appear homophobic should be removed.

This issue, Lopez said, is mostly settled in the public eye with more and more states allowing gay marriage.

“If the GOP is not willing to make the change to the platform it may make the GOP irrelevant,” he added.

To listen to Joshua Cook’s full interview with Lopez, below:

Interviews

Exclusive Interview: Stark360 PAC to Air Pro-Hemingway Commercials

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Benswann.com’s Joshua Cook interviews Stark360 PAC’s Aaron Day to discuss current news in the liberty movement. Day gave an update on how he is helping gubernatorial candidate Andrew Hemingway and a new website, AnyBodyButBrown.org, which exposes Scott Brown’s progressive voting record. Watch Pro-Hemingway ads here.

Listen below:

 

Politics, US

Jim Rubens Endorsed By Republican Liberty Caucus In New Hampshire Senate Race

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Concord, NH- United States Senate candidate Jim Rubens, who is running in New Hampshire to win the seat held by Jeanne Shaheen, was officially endorsed today by both the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire and the Republican Liberty Caucus. The RLC and RLCNH are grassroots organizations focused on promoting individual liberty and small government in the Republican Party.

RLCNH Chairman Aaron Day said in the announcement:

“Grounded in the principled belief in constitutionally limited government, Jim Rubens brings the intelligence and experience needed to reverse the damage inflicted by Obama and Shaheen. Jim’s 40-year track record creating jobs and wealth as an entrepreneur, empowering the citizens of New Hampshire as a legislator, and ability to solve complex problems while bringing people together is exactly what is needed in this time of great peril. The Republican Liberty Caucus is pleased to endorse Jim Rubens as the clear choice to replace Jeanne Shaheen in the United States Senate.”

Rubens accepted the endorsement, saying, “I am deeply honored to ​have the endorsement of the Republican Liberty Caucus. Together​, RLC, grassroots ​Republicans and my campaign will ​win elections by showing how we will solve our nation’s most pressing challenges and improve people’s lives without retreating from core Republican values of personal liberty, a free economy, and constitutionally limited government.” 

At the press conference held by the RLCNH, Rubens spoke about major issues plaguing the country, and shamed Senator Shaheen and President Obama for their disregard for the Constitution. “President Obama and Jeanne Shaheen are shredding our Constitution. They have allowed our government to spy on hundreds of millions of innocent American citizens. They have acted to compromise our Second Amendment protections, our ultimate defense against government tyranny,” said Rubens.

Rubens also called out Shaheen for ignoring the deplorable health care services pushed onto veterans. “Congress was informed two years ago that VA hospital administrators have been profiting by falsifying heathcare wait lists and denying vets the medical care we owe them. Jeanne Shaheen’s grandstanding today about how much she cares about vets does not absolve her for her failure to demand and get action two years ago. And if Jeanne Shaheen was acting in vets’ best interests, she would not have backed another Middle East war quagmire with her vote to bomb Syria as cover for President Obama’s rashly-formulated red line.”

“I, for one, am sick to the heart with our heroes coming home in boxes, without legs, and with brain injuries when US national security is not at stake and where regional powers can intervene.”

The wedge issue between many conservatives and Rubens is Rubens’ belief in man-made climate change, which is not a belief widely accepted by Republicans. Rubens looks to the free market to solve climate change, and would intend to end all energy subsidies, including wind and solar: “We can terminate all energy subsidies, tax preferences, and purchase and supply mandates. Our innovators will stop the endless rent seeking in Washington and use all their talent to commercialize the low-cost, clean, and completely abundant energy we need to free America and the entire free world from energy imports from our enemies,” said Rubens.

Rubens’ stance may actually be in his favor: billionaire climate change activist Tom Steyer has said that he plans to spend $100 million to attack “climate change deniers” in the upcoming Senate and gubernatorial elections in several states including New Hampshire.

Rubens is currently running against Bob Smith, Karen Testerman and Scott Brown in the Republican primary in New Hampshire.

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