United Liberty

“I don’t even know what they stand for anymore. And they’ve got to realize that they have a problem: ‘Hello, my name is the Republican Party, and I’ve got a problem. I’m addicted to spending and big government.’” - Glenn Beck

During his speech at CPAC last night, Glenn Beck had a message for the Republican Party, one I think most of us would applaud:

[W]hile Beck is clearly no fan of the Obama administration’s policies, he spent more time detailing the problems he sees within the Republican Party.

Beck said he agreed with former Vice President Dick Cheney, who in a surprise visit to CPAC on Thursday, said that 2010 will be a good year for Republicans. But, Beck said, “it’s not enough just to not suck as much as the other side.”

 

A recovering alcoholic, Beck talked about the path of redemption for politicians on the right side of the aisle.

 

“I have not heard people in the Republican Party yet admit they have a problem,” Beck said, adding that he’s waiting for a “come-to-Jesus” moment.

Another story I read this morning noted that Beck said Republicans needed to admit they have a problem just like Tiger Woods.

Beck is, of course, right. That’s something we’ve noted here at UL in the past. The first step to recovery is admitting there is a problem. The GOP has not done that.

Dave Weigel brings us the list of prospective Republican presidential candidates that will appear on the annual CPAC straw poll this year.

Attendees will be able to choose from:

• Haley Barbour
• Mitch Daniels
• Newt Gingrich
• Mike Huckabee
• Sarah Palin
• Ron Paul
• Tim Pawlenty
• Mike Pence
• Mitt Romney
• Rick Santorum
• John Thune

Write-in candidates and undecided will be an option for attendees. Weigel notes that Romney won the straw poll in each of the last three years.

Over at the Washington Independent, Dave Weigel has put up a great profile of Adam Kokesh, who is running for Congress in New Mexico’s Third Congressional District:

“The ground has really shifted away from the neocon agenda,” Kokesh told TWI during a break in his campaign schedule. “There was no influx of young people getting into the Republican Party to support John McCain. By contrast, Ron Paul brought a huge number of young people into the Republican Party. It’s really exciting to see that happening again with my campaign.”

Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State?:

Somehow the Democratic Party is conceived by many as the anti-war party.

Despite a history of foreign interventions occurring during all of the last four Democratic administrations (in which even the Nobel Peace Prize winning President Jimmy Carter armed the Mujahideen in Afghanistan), the overt hawkishness of the Bush Administration has resulted in a perception of the Democrats as doves. This is aided by remarks such as those by Speaker Nancy Pelosi referring to Iraqis as “all God’s children” and the fact that both the current Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, and the chair of the DNC, Howard Dean, opposed the Iraq war from the beginning.

Sources say that Libertarian Party Candidate Bob Barr did not make an appearance at Dr. Paul’s press conference as agreed and is instead having his own press conference, per a flyer being handed out by LP Communications Director Andrew Davis.

As much effort as Dr. Paul put into promoting this press conference, one has to wonder what effect this will have on his relationship with Barr and how Ron’s supporters will respond.  If the reaction at Ron Paul Forums is any indication, missing this press conference was a mistake.

Update:

Reason’s Dave Weigel at Hit and Run is now reporting this-

When Ron Paul was asked by Reason Magazines’s Dave Weigel about write-in ballots, he had this to say-

“I don’t think that’s very productive,” Paul said of a write-in campaign. “They could do it, of course, but in most of the states it won’t count. If they can change the rules in a primary and not count all the votes, imagine what they could do with write-in votes!”