Please Don't Kill the Freedom Movement

In the 1990s, I truly felt that the liberty movement was making inroads.


During the Clinton Administration, we had seen successful welfare reform, some deregulation and a decrease in deficit spending.

Personally, I think the famous "balanced budget" was more of lucky combination of circumstance than political skill. At the height of the dotcom boom, the economy grew faster than the CBO had predicted. Balancing a budget during an economic boom is not a monumental challenge.

If you had an expected ten percent bonus from work, would your budget be balanced for the month?

I had felt confident that the freedom movement had made its point and I was happy to see the Republicans take full control of the House, Senate and Presidency in 2000.

The suddenly the Republican establishment turned on the freedom movement and silenced it. Bush dramatically increased healthcare spending. He started no-child left behind, and issued a tax cut without corresponding spending cuts.

It was sheer insanity.

The president is the head of the party. During Bush's rule, he put a kibosh on the free marketeers, and the freedom movement lost all of the momentum of the 1990s.

In the 2012 election, we are being told by the Republican establishment that we must vote in a progressive candidate to have a chance to beat Obama.

As I look back on 2000, I realize that the momentum of the Tea Party will be lost if Republicans fall for that line again and vote in a progressive.

Wake up America!

Do you even remember the Tea Party of 2010?

Don't you see how it has all but disappeared in one short year?

Just as the freedom movement was pushed underground under Bush, the Republican establishment will stifle it under Romney.

PS: I actually care more about the people than I do about the candidate. My primary concern in the election is the effect candidates will have on the public debate.

I actually like Bush as a person. I like Obama as a person and Romney as a person.

Anyway, before voting in the primary, I ask that people put the candidate's personality aside for a moment as ask what effect the candidacy will have on the people.

I love the Tea Party, the Campaign for Liberty and Health Freedom movement. These are the things I care about.

The president's organization will control the party for the next eight years. I see this organization putting the iron boot down on all the parts of the freedom movement that I cherish if we make the mistake of putting a progressive Republican in power.