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Sen Ted Cruz Wins RLC Straw Poll at CPAC

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SAINT CHARLES, MO — U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas won a presidential preference straw poll conducted by the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) this weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Missouri.

Cruz topped a long list of potential Republican candidates with 38 percent of the first place votes, just edging Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who finished second with 35 percent.

“The American people, and especially Conservatives, are starving for leadership,” said Matt Nye, Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus. “Both Senators Cruz and Paul have proven they will speak truth to power – that they are willing to stand up for the American people against an out-of-control White House administration.”

The straw poll conducted by the RLC is a non-scientific measure of preference. Attendance was estimated at 1,000 conservatives from across the Midwest, with almost 200 casting ballots for their first, second and third preferences.

Cruz’s victory comes on the heels of his historic 21 hour filibuster-like speech in opposition of Obamacare. Likewise, Senator Rand Paul won a straw poll conducted at the 2013 RLC National Biennial Convention in May after his filibuster on the use of drones on American soil a couple of months earlier.

“Of note in our poll is that the two most identifiable liberty candidates – Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul – pulled a combined 73% of the vote at a CPAC event,” Nye said. “President Reagan said he believed ‘the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism’, and I think this type of result at CPAC speaks to that sentiment.”

Rick Santorum pulled 6 % of the vote, with Ben Carson, Mike Pence, Rick Perry and Marco Rubio tied at 2.1%. Of the top three vote earners, only Santorum was a speaker at CPAC. Complete poll results are below:

Name
Votes
Percent
Ted Cruz   
70
 38.40%
Rand Paul
64
 35.10%
Rick Santorum
11
 6.00%
Ben Carson*
4
 2.10%
Mike Pence
4
 2.10%
Rick Perry
4
 2.10%
Marco Rubio
4
 2.10%
Paul Ryan
4
 2.10%
Chris Christie
3
 1.60%
Jon Huntsman
3
 1.60%
Justin Amash
2
 1.10%
Jeb Bush
2
 1.10%
Sarah Palin
2
 1.10%
Newt Gingrich
1
 0.50%
Gary Johnson*
1
 0.50%
Mike Lee*
1
 0.50%
Condoleezza Rice
1
 0.50%
Allen West*
1
 0.50%
    * Write In
     

RLC of Maine Still Committed to Working Within the GOP

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Recently, several members of the Liberty Republican wing of the GOP in Maine quit the state party and changed their voter registration to unenrolled. While we respect their individual decisions of conscience, we do not agree with their decision to leave the party.  

Members of the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) espouse many of their beliefs, and find many of their points valid. However, the RLC was formed in 1991 with the explicit mission to work within the Republican Party to bring about changes for smaller government, lower taxes and increased individual liberty. Participating within the Republican Party is an obvious prerequisite to achieving this mission.

According to Maine RLC Chair Vic Berardelli, the Maine RLC intends to stay engaged as a voice within the GOP.

“Our slogan is that we are ‘The Conscience of the Republican Party,’” Berardelli said. “We will continue to speak out against the abuses of the national and state party when appropriate. We do not expect to win every battle but we believe that if we act with civility and reason, we can express our views and try to bring the party back to its founding principles.”

RLC National Chairman Matt Nye concurs.

“Grassroots activists across the country lament the fact that establishment elements within the party would rather cling to internal power than make the substantive changes necessary, regardless of the GOP’s losses at the polls in the last two presidential cycles,” Nye said. “Many voters and party activists are leaving the Republican Party because of the actions of the RNC, but I urge all of our members to understand the task of returning the party to its roots is a monumental one, and it will not happen overnight.”

“Members of the RLC must commit to fighting the battle with patience and believe in time rational people will see and accept the principles for which we stand,” Nye said. “Our mission is not to divide the party, but to make it stronger by bringing fresh faces into the party who believe in, and can effectively articulate, those principles.”

The core of RLC beliefs are summed up in The Liberty Compact, which RLC endorsed candidates are asked to sign. It reads:

“I pledge to the citizens of this State, and to the American people, that as their elected representative I will work to: restore liberty, not restrict it; shrink government, not expand it; reduce taxes, not raise them; abolish programs, not create them; promote the freedom and independence of citizens, not the interference of government in their lives; and observe the limited, enumerated powers of our Constitution, not ignore them.”

Many prominent members of Congress and the Maine Legislature have signed this Compact and have served admirably to advance those principles. RLC members and endorsed candidates will continue to show by example that principled people and candidates can wave the Republican flag for the good of the nation and the people of the State of Maine.

“We are here to stay and will continue to fight for what we believe is right,” Berardelli said. “We will continue to blow the whistle when we believe that Republicans stray from the core values of the party or act in an improper manner. But we are registered Republicans first and we expect to be treated with an equal place at the table of ideas and in the management of the party organization.”

Attorney Mark O’Mara to Receive Jefferson Cup Award from RLCCEF

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MELBOURNE, FL – Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) activists from throughout the Sunshine State will converge Sept. 14 on Brevard County for the 2013 Biennial RLC of Florida State Convention. The convention will culminate in the RLC of Central East Florida’s Fifth Annual Constitution Day Dinner, which will feature keynote speaker Michael Boldin of the Tenth Amendment Center, and special guest Mark O’Mara, defense attorney for George Zimmerman, who will receive the group’s coveted Jefferson Cup award.

“We give the award to someone for what they have done, stood for or accomplished and we thought Mark would be very deserving of the award this year,” said Bob White, Chair of the RLC of Central East Florida. “Frankly, it was the post-verdict press conference that Mark conducted where he challenged the media but also the judicial system itself. Those of us who watched that news conference said ‘Now there is a guy who spoke truth to power’ and we began to get the idea that perhaps he is somebody that we should honor with the Jefferson Cup for the way in which he took on the legal profession where he makes his living.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus is the oldest continuously-operating volunteer organization of liberty Republicans in the country. The national organization was chartered in 1991 here in Florida at a meeting in Naples. This past May, Floridian Matt Nye was elected National Chair at the RLC National Convention in Austin, TX.

“The RLC has a long tradition of supporting and promoting those brave candidates and individuals who are willing to stand for the principles of less government, lower taxes, more personal liberty and protection from government intrusion in to our private lives,” Nye said. “Elected officials like Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Justin Amash exemplify the RLC’s values, so we are pleased to have the opportunity to recognize a private citizen like Mr. O’Mara for standing up for the rule of law and calling out the media for the manner in which they covered the Trayvon Martin case.”

Prior to the RLCCEF Constitution Day Dinner gala, hundreds of RLC members representing chapters from all parts of the state will convene the morning of Sept. 14 at the Holiday Inn Viera Conference Center for the 2013 RLC of Florida Biennial State Convention. State officers will be elected and delegates will participate in activist training to prepare for the 2014 elections. The RLC of Florida has eight regional chapters representing North West, North East, North Central, Central, Central East, Central West, South East and South West Florida.

The RLC of Florida State Convention is open to the public but only dues-paid members who are delegates may participate in deliberations or vote. Details for the convention can be found at www.convention.rlcfl.org. Tickets for the pre-dinner VIP Cocktail Hour are $20. The dinner tickets are $65. Tickets can be ordered at www.constitutiondaydinner.com. The Holiday Inn Viera Conference Center is at 8298 N. Wickham Road in Melbourne, just off I-95.

About the Republican Liberty Caucus:

Founded in 1991, Republican Liberty Caucus is a nationwide grassroots IRS Section 527 political organization registered with the Federal Election Commission, made up of libertarian-leaning Republicans who work within the party for policies which promote smaller government and individual liberty.

RLC Joins Forces with Ben Swann’s Truth in Media Project

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Matt Nye, Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) was interviewed by Ben Swann recently about the state of the media, the Republican Party, and why the RLC is supporting Ben’s Truth in Media Project.

“An unbiased media is absolutely crucial to the success of the liberty movement, and that is something we just don’t have right now,” RLC Chairman Matt Nye said in a statement Friday. “As one of the few journalists that covered the rules changes at the Republican Party National Convention last year, Ben has shown he has the talent and drive to get the truth out on stories others would prefer to see ignored.”

“The RLC is proud to support Ben’s Truth in Media Project, and we look forward to great things from Ben in the future,” Nye said. “We encourage everyone to donate to Ben’s KickStarter campaign, so the liberty movement is assured a fair shake in the new age of digital media.”

RLC Elects Eight New Regional Directors

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I am pleased to announce that pursuant to our bylaws, the elections for Regional Directors were completed last week, and the National Board is now fully constituted.

The number of Regional Directors increased from four to eight after the passage of a bylaws amendment at the National Convention in May. The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) National Board now conists of 15 members: the four officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer & Secretary), eight Regional Directors, and three At Large members. All positions serve for a term of two years.

Congratulations to those below who have been elected as Regional Directors, and thanks to the many others who tossed their hats into the ring—we will have plenty of special committee work during the next two years to get even more people involved.

  • NORTHWEST REGION (Consisting of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho & Montana):  Cornel Rasor, Idaho.
  • SOUTHWEST REGION (Consisting of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Hawaii):  Matt Heath, California.
  • SOUTHCENTRAL REGION (Consisting of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi):  Dave Nalle, Texas.
  • GREAT PLAINS REGION (Consisting of Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Missouri):  Tony Kirk, Missouri.
  • CENTRAL REGION (Consisting of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio):  Jason McClanahan, Michigan.
  • NORTHEAST REGION (Consisting of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts): Vic Berardelli, Maine.
  • ATLANTIC REGION (Consisting of Delaware, Maryland, D.C., West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee): Stephanie Butcher, West Virginia.
  • SOUTHEAST REGION (Consisting of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina): Steve Hoffman, South Carolina.

Congratulations again to those elected. We have a very talented and well rounded board, and I look forward to working with everyone as we move into the 2014 and 2016 election cycles.

Sincerely,

Matt Nye
Chairman
Republican Liberty Caucus

RLC Condemns Supreme Court DNA Ruling

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In a statement issued by its National Board, the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) condemned a ruling handed down by the Supreme Court Monday which allows police to collect an individual’s DNA without probable cause.

According to RLC National Chairman Matt Nye, the 5-4 decision in Maryland vs King circumvents the Fourth Amendment, and is another in a long list of assaults on individual privacy.

“This opinion should send a chill down the spine of any American who values privacy,” said RLC Chair Matt Nye. “It flies in the face of our founding principles and the idea we’re all innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

The RLC praised Justice Antonin Scalia for articulating the liberty aspects in the dissent he authored.

“Today’s judgment will, to be sure, have the beneficial effect of solving more crimes; then again, so would the taking of DNA samples from anyone who flies on an airplane (surely the Transportation Security Administration needs to know the ‘identity’ of the flying public), applies for a driver’s license, or attends a public school,” Scalia writes. “Perhaps the construction of such a genetic panopticon is wise. But I doubt that the proud men who wrote the charter of our liberties would have been so eager to open their mouths for royal inspection.”

Elsewhere in the dissenting opinion, Justice Scalia articulated one of the key liberty arguments in writing, “Solving unsolved crimes is a noble objective, but it occupies a lower place in the American pantheon of noble objectives than the pro­tection of our people from suspicionless law-enforcement searches. The Fourth Amendment must prevail.”

Scalia warned, “Make no mistake about it: As an entirely predictable consequence of today’s decision, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national DNA database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason.”

Nye said this Supreme Court decisions is just the latest in a long string of federal actions which gives this government unprecedented powers over its citizens, and called on Congress to develop legislation that will restore the Constitutional protections on privacy and personal liberty.

“It is not paranoia or conspiracy theory to be seriously alarmed at the steady erosion of our privacy and liberty,” Nye Said. “The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) contains a provision which grants the President power to issue executive order for the military to detain indefinitely civilians without probable cause. The Internal Revenue Service has admitted to prying into the associations and activities of citizen organizations which speak out against government abuse. The White House has seized the phone and e-mail records of news reporters who were trying to keep the public informed of government activities. Now we have the Supreme Court giving police power to collect the most personal private data without probable cause. Americans who value liberty should be very, very concerned.”

Board Approves New Region Boundaries

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Delegates at the 2013 RLC Biennial Convention in Austin, TX approved a bylaws amendment that doubled the number of regions from four to eight. The original regions – North East, South East, Mid West and Western – were redrawn and (some) renamed the following: North East, Atlantic, South East, Central, Great Plains, South Central, North West and South West. The map below was approved by the National Board on a special board call Sunday, May 19th.

Charter Committee – 2013 Regional Expansion Summary

 

Rand Paul Wins Presidential Straw Poll

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Austin, TX – United States Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky won the presidential preference straw poll at the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) National Convention in Austin, Texas. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas finished second and Judge Andrew Napolitano, a Fox News commentator, finished third.

Some 331 convention delegates from 38 states had a list of 26 names compiled from media searches of potential 2016 GOP presidential candidates. They were asked to mark their first, second and third place choices. The scoring system was 3 points for a first, 2 points for a second and 1 point for a third.

Behind Paul, Cruz and Napolitano the top vote-getters in order were Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, former-New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, former-Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman and Dr. Benjamin Carson, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins Medical Center and 2008 Presidential Medal of Freedom winner. All others on the list received one percent or less.

“Much will happen by 2016, but this gives the Republican Party an early indicator of the sentiments of the growing Liberty Republican wing of the party,” said RLC National Chair Matt Nye of Florida.

Nye stressed that the straw poll was not a scientific survey and was a convention fun event. The RLC will not make an official presidential endorsement until late-2015 or early-2016. Under its bylaws procedures, an Endorsement Committee will perform preliminary reviews and interviews and recommend a list of liberty-acceptable candidates to the RLC National Board. The Board will then make a recommendation which must be ratified by two-thirds of the state chapters before it becomes the official RLC endorsement.

“Because our endorsement is important in the 2016 race, our informal poll gives candidates an opportunity to see where they stand and what they need to do to reach out to the Liberty Republican movement,” Nye said.

About the Republican Liberty Caucus

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Are you concerned about the direction our country is going? We are!

Rather than sit back and let our liberty be whittled away, we’re working to shift the Republican Party and American politics back to adherence to the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution.

At Republican Liberty Caucus we believe that less government means more liberty. We advocate the principles of individual rights, limited government, and free enterprise. We work in the Republican Party because we believe it is the best vehicle for bringing about the political changes we want.

The RLC is working to build a grassroots network of citizen activists who champion our country’s Founding principles. By empowering grassroots activists across the country via our national network and state/local affiliates, the Republican Liberty Caucus works to move Republican Party policies and candidates in the direction of liberty. At the same time, we are able to help transform concerned liberty-loving citizens into party leaders and elected citizen-legislators.

With activists in every state, a prominent Board of Advisers, and many elected members working to enact our vision for a free America, The Republican Liberty Caucus recruits and endorses select candidates who support individual liberty and limited government. In doing so, we are able to change the direction of the Republican Party — and shift American policies and politics to once again value our cherished Founding principles.

As you know, the Republican Party is in rebuilding mode. The time for concerned citizens to step up to the plate and join us on our journey to return the Republican Party to the most fundamental tenets of American governance — most importantly, that each of us owns our own life and must have the fundamental right to make our own decisions.

Over the past eighteen years, the Republican Liberty Caucus has endorsed and contributed financially to principled pro-liberty candidates and has encouraged its supporters to become active in their campaigns. In 2008, the RLC endorsed over 230 liberty Republican candidates and launched its new blog.

The Republican Liberty Caucus is leading the Republican Party home, but we cannot exist without your generosity. Please review how you can become involved with our organization as well as ways to support our growing caucus.

All of the RLC’s support stems from individuals who believe that our principles can be implemented through the political process. Unlike other organizations, all of our activity at the national and state levels is through the voluntary actions of our supporters. Please consider joining the RLC or renewing your membership today. You can also contribute to the Republican Liberty Caucus PAC, which directs funds to help elect limited government candidates each election cycle. Thanks for your interest.

After decades of New Deal and Great Society social activism, combined with the rapid decline in civics and American history education in government schools, and mixed with a growing population of ill-informed and apathetic voters, government at every level in this country continues to be too big, too intrusive, and too expensive.

Founded in 1991, the Republican Liberty Caucus exists to promote individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party by:
(a) promoting these ideals among Party officials and its various organizations,
(b) identifying and supporting candidates sympathetic with these ideals, and
(c) promoting Caucus membership among Republican Party registrants, officials, and officeholders.

While rolling back decades of government “nannyism” will require a great deal of public education and grassroots lobbying, the most important means of changing public policy is to change public officials. Therefore, the Republican Liberty Caucus works to elect pro-liberty Republicans to offices at all levels, partisan and non-partisan, in both primary and general elections.

The Republican Liberty Caucus is a 527 political organization. You can learn more about our origins and history. Our program and activities are outlined below. Membership in the Caucus is based on commitment to the Statement of Principles and Positions of the Republican Liberty Caucus. Anyone who agrees with our Statement of Principles should strongly consider joining the Republican Liberty Caucus. We encourage you to contact us and get in touch with your local chapter.

Programs and Activities

The Republican Liberty Caucus has a growing list of projects and programs that enable us to pursue our mission. Through education and outreach for liberty, changing the Republican Party from within, forging relationships with elected officials, and forming coalitions to advance our principles, the RLC has been able to achieve solid results. Here is a brief listing of just some of the activities our Caucus engages in:

• State Affiliates: The heart and soul of the RLC is its members in the states. RLC members, many of whom are grassroots activists, come together to form state affiliates of the organization. Chartered state affiliates develop their own strategies to advance liberty within the Republican Party. Learn more about the charter process here and view a listing of our chartered affiliates here.

• The Liberty Index: The Republican Liberty Caucus maintains a liberty rating system, The Liberty Index, to track and identify the pro-liberty voting records of Members of Congress. The Index began in 1991 and is compiled and distributed annually by the RLC. The Index rates Members’ votes on key pieces of legislation annually from both a social and economic liberty perspective. It is compiled by Dr. Clifford Thies, Professor of Economics and former National Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

• Public Outreach for Liberty: The Republican Liberty Caucus sponsors efforts at state and national GOP events to educate our fellow citizens about our guiding principles and to recruit new members to join the Caucus. RLC members have reached out at numerous Republican Party state conventions, various Young Republican National Conventions, and at local Republican Party meetings. The RLC often uses the World’s Smallest Political Quiz to identify new members of our caucus while educating Republicans about liberty principles.

• Candidate Promotion and Recruitment: The Republican Liberty Caucus has a Political Action Committee, RLC-USA PAC, which provides direct financial assistance to RLC-endorsed candidates. When appropriate, the RLC-USA PAC makes independent expenditures on behalf of endorsed federal candidates. Our members also offer opinion and analysis of elections within the Republican Party (such as elections at GOP state conventions), in contested Republican primaries, and in General Election contests.

• Issue Advocacy: Throughout the country, Republican Liberty Caucus state/local affiliates and members are engaging their legislators on the issues of the day. By forging relationships with legislators, we are able to have our agenda discussed in legislative bodies across the country.

• Liberty Compact: The Republican Liberty Caucus sponsors and distributes The Liberty Compact, a pledge signed by local, state, and national candidates to identify those who support the mission of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

• Monthly Newsletter: The Caucus publishes a national newsletter and works with local activists in all 50 states to restore core Republican principles that we cherish.

• Political Training: The Republican Liberty Caucus hosts, presents and sponsors various training programs for state/local chapters of the Caucus, grassroots activists, party leaders, and candidates across the country. These seminars focus on a variety of topics including voter identification, candidate training, volunteer recruitment, and political messaging.

Additionally, many of our members serve actively in their local Republican Party organizations and several of our members have been elected and re-elected to political office.

Drupal Accessibility Statement

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    As an inclusive community, we are committed to making sure that Drupal is an accessible tool for building websites and that Drupal helps you create websites that are themselves accessible.

    This initiative started with advancements with Drupal 7 accessibility. We have committed to ensuring that all features of Drupal core conform with the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) guidelines: WCAG 2.0 and ATAG 2.0. Where possible we will also update the previous version of Drupal core, version 6, to enhance its accessibility.
    Accessible Features in Drupal

    If you rely on a screen reader or other assistive technology, you will be glad to know that we have built Drupal to encourage and support the proper use of semantic markup. For example, you should be able to use headings reliably for page-level navigation.

    The accessibility team has worked to identify barriers to accessibility with Drupal and worked to resolve them. We’ve identified and resolved a number of issues in the core code of Drupal 7 and raised awareness within the community. We’ve added some additional support for Rich Internet Applications by adding some WAI-ARIA support. There have been many improvements to both the visitor and administrator sides of Drupal, especially:

    • Search engine form and presentation
    • Drag and Drop functionality
    • Color contrast and intensity
    • Adding skip navigation to core themes
    • Image handling
    • Form labeling
    • Removing duplicate or null tags
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