The Liberty Papers

Writing in the New York Sun, Liz Mair wonders if there is any hope for libertarian minded Democrats in 2008. Unfortunately, the results are not encouraging. As Mair points out, all three of the current front runners are far from what you would describe as libertarian:

First, we have Senator Clinton, master of the big-government welfare state, with its price tag to be paid for with tax increases. Despite all her positioning as a centrist Democrat, she’s voted against repeals of the death tax and deficit reduction bills, as well as free trade legislation. She’s anti-gun with a vengeance and has an F rating from the NRA (a big no-no in the pro-gun West). And, of course, any libertarian voter who was paying attention during the 1990s still remembers and fears HillaryCare.

Then, we have the former senator from North Carolina, John Edwards. During his Senate days, he was one of the most fiscally conservative Democrats. But, since then, he’s jumped on the loony-Left bandwagon, bashing Wal-Mart, personally leading a new War on Poverty, and championing tax hikes and large-scale redistribution of wealth. He’s also no friend of gun owners, with his 2002 and 2003 77% ratings from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

And, finally, we have Senator Obama, the man who has served a grand total of two years in the Senate and in that time has voted against every notable bill that would cut taxes. He said during his 2004 campaign for Senate that he would roll back the Bush tax cuts. And, during that same campaign, his opponent blasted him for voting for hundreds of millions of dollars in tax increases and pushing costly new government programs. He also shares the distinction with Mrs. Clinton of an F rating from the NRA.

The one interesting candidate is someone who hasn’t officially announced yet, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico:

Mr. Richardson scored third best of any Democratic governor for overall current-term performance on Cato’s 2006 Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors. He earned a better grade than 37 other Governors, including 20 Republicans, in part because, during his tenure, New Mexico’s top marginal income tax rate has dropped a remarkable 35%.

Mr. Richardson also brings good credentials where immigration, guns, and social issues are concerned. He declared a border emergency in his state in 2005 (so he’s no immigration softie), and he voted against the Brady Bill and other gun control initiatives while in Congress. Yet, Mr. Richardson also has solid, moderate, pro-choice credentials, and is not a proponent of constitutional bans on gay marriage or civil unions.

Mr. Richardson’s record and his views could resonate with libertarian Democrats, and that’s something that should give Democratic Party bigwigs pause for thought.

I don’t know much about Richardson, but this sounds encouraging at least. Of course, while he might do well in the West, I think he’d have a harder time in the Northeast and Mid West. And then there is the possibility that there could be some skeltons in his closet. Nonetheless, Richardson strikes me as interesting.

H/T: Vodkapundit

Let’s say you are a candidate for President in 2008 and you’ve been criticized by a leading pro-growth organization. I would think that you’d attempt to make some in-roads with a very disenfranchised group of voters.

But not Mike Huckabee, who is looking to Congressman Don Young to rally support in Congress:

At a time when congressional support is hard to come by, including support for candidates like John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, Huckabee is surely eager to count on any support he can get within the halls of Congress. Is Young’s support worth it?

While Young praised Huckabee as a “hell of a speaker” and one who could lead a “reawakening of the conservative values that make our country a land of opportunity,” the House’s resident Alaskan has had trouble keeping his own conservative credentials intact.

Young, known for his handiwork as the former House Transportation Committee chairman, tried to stick U.S. taxpayers with a bill of almost $500 million back in 2005 to fund bridge projects in Alaska.

The project, known as the “bridge to nowhere,” would have connected Ketchikan, a town of 8,000, to the airport at Gravina Island, which had a population of 50. The other project was to link Point MacKenzie, which at the time had a population just over 100, with Anchorage.

(The Ketchikan/Gravina Island route has ferry service and Alaskan officials announced two weeks ago that within two years ferry service between Point MacKenzie and Anchorage will begin.)

Conservatives in Congress removed the earmarks for these tax-wasting projects, but they weren’t the only pork projects Young tried to steer to his state.

Stephen Spruiell, writing for the National Review, pointed out that Young, with help from other Alaskans in Congress, has “steered” numerous special projects to the northernmost state, which include: “$1.8 million for berry research; $1.8 million for sea-otter recovery; $10 million for a psychiatric-treatment facility; $48 million in subsidies for the timber industry; and $500,000 to paint a giant salmon on an Alaska Airlines jetliner.”

Young does not try to hide his love for pork; in fact, he openly brags about directing millions of taxpayers’ dollars to his state. He is neither the poster boy for fiscal restraint nor conservatism, yet Huckabee doesn’t appear to be worried about his newly established link to one of Congress’ big spenders.