Yesterday at CPAC, the big conservative conference in D.C., Ron Paul supporters and other libertarians in the crowd spoiled a sweet Bush-era reunion by launching a shouting match and protest action. First, Donald Rumsfeld was brought onstage, where CPAC was to present him with, unbelievable as it sounds, its “Defender Of The Constitution” award. Many Ron Paul supporters immediately got up and walked out en masse. When things settled down, the host introduced the presenter for Rummy’s award, former VP Dick Cheney. A majority of the audience stood and cheered but, as Cheney stood at the podium soaking up the love, boos from some libertarians could also be heard, as well as shouts of “Where’s bin Laden?” and “You’re a war criminal!” That led the pro-Cheney majority to shout down the libertarian hecklers with the always-original old favorite, “USA! USA!”
It’s the second time this week that libertarians in the GOP have done something American lefties agree with. Earlier in the week, a startling temporary coalition of liberal Dems and libertarian Republicans squelched the re-authorization of parts of the Patriot Act, in protest of the law’s disregard for Americans’ civil liberties. It’s often been noted that serious liberals and serious libertarians agree on several major issues, including civil liberties and a “take care of America first,” non-interventionist foreign policy. Here’s hoping the two factions get together and find areas on which they can cooperate in Congress. One suggestion: Start work on shutting down many of the nearly 1,000 foreign military bases our government operates at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars every year. Meanwhile, here’s a video of Cheney’s reception at CPAC.
This article appears in Feb 8-14, 2011.
You totally want to become a Libertarian now, don’t you Grooms? I think you’d be surprised by the number of issues upon which both libertarians and liberals agree.
A true Libertarian IS a Liberal, just more extreme than most people who claim to be Liberals.
DLP,
The majority of “liberals” in the power elite do not believe in maximum freedom, free markets, or choice. Liberal as a moniker has become a gimmick, like Conservative. To characterize libertarians as more extreme liberals is inaccurate, although they may agree on specific issues.
rotfl, that is the funniest thing I’ve heard. Rumsfeld getting the “Defender Of The Constitution” award presented by Cheney. Delusional, Perverse, Satire at the CPAC. You just made my week, how funny. Better than the Onion. Thanks for the good laugh. Who ever said conservatives don’t have a sense of humor…..