*Written by Rob Rimes.

I’m finally back home and have enough time to actually sit down and write. The drive back from Orlando last night, immediately after the debate was insane! Drivers on Interstate 4 are beyond awful and they have no regard for the written and unwritten rules of the road. I nearly died a few times and by the time I got home, I just needed to chill out with some rum and watch ‘Firefly’ on Netflix. I intended to write this immediately after the debate but it just wasn’t possible. Between the lack of sleep the night before, the traveling and the two days of heavy discussions and debate, I was a vegetable. Thank God for my own bed and a bottle of Cruzan Black Strap rum as I feel much more alive this morning.

To start the day, I rolled out of bed at 7:30, which was pretty hard considering I was up late writing and drinking the night before and I just couldn’t get to sleep in a strange bed. I’ve always had trouble sleeping on the road. In fact, the only hotel that I’m comfortable in is the Hampton Inn across the street from the New Orleans Convention Center. Hell, I even have a hard time sleeping in Vegas without a ton of alcohol as a sedative, which is still partially ineffective, as that oxygen they pump through the vents has me wide awake pretty quickly.

So I woke up, got ready and suited up for my day, packed my suitcase and took a few minutes to watch part of the first half of the Liverpool v. Manchester United game before I had to check out. I went downstairs about twenty minutes into the game and ate breakfast with my friends from the Libertarian Party of Collier County. Shortly after this, we headed into the banquet room for the Libertarian Party of Florida’s business meeting. I’m not going to discuss the details but the meeting was informative and entertaining. Like one would expect, peering behind the scenes of politics at any level, the meeting had it’s fair share of heated debates between different factions all vying for control of the Party. Don’t take this the wrong way, this isn’t a bad thing, it is a very healthy way of addressing issues and concerns. All in all, it was a cool experience to see how the Libertarian Party operates in Florida.

At around 11:30, we split for lunch and I took that time to go upstairs and meet with Gary Johnson one last time before the debate. It was your typical meet and greet but there were more people present at this one than the two that I went to on the previous day. I listened in for awhile but I didn’t really interject myself this round. I asked a lot of questions the day before and I felt it was only fair for those who missed out on the earlier meet and greets to have their chance at asking Governor Johnson whatever it was they wanted to know.

I left after about a half hour, as the subjects being covered were already addressed at the previous meetings. Plus, my claustrophobia was kicking in as ten to fifteen people in a small hotel room is too many. I went downstairs, had some killer buffalo wings and spoke to congressional candidate Calen Fretts. If you live in the Florida panhandle, you should vote for Mr. Fretts. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and is a true representative of liberty. I think that may have been an endorsement. Anyway, we all headed back into the banquet hall at 1:00 for the second part of the business meeting. At 3:00 the debate officially started.

Contrary to what I wrote before, Roger Gary was not a part of the debate. Also, Leroy Saunders, a candidate from the State of New York joined the debate. I don’t know much about Mr. Saunders but his involvement added some energy to the event. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a Facebook page or anything else on the social networking level and that can only hurt his campaign, in my opinion. He does have a decent website however. The other candidates were mentioned in an earlier article, they are Gary Johnson, R.J. Harris, R. Lee Wrights, Bill Still and Carl Persons.

Before the debate, those of us who are members of the Libertarian Party of Florida were asked to write down any questions they had for the candidates. Two of my three questions were used in the debate and in fact, they were the first two questions used after the moderators were done asking theirs. The first question, which I asked in an effort to give a boost to Bill Still, went directly to Mr. Still first – how’s that for luck? The question was “What’s your plan to bring about economic recovery? Is it as simple as abolishing the Federal Reserve, returning to a gold standard and significantly cutting spending?” The reason I wanted this question to go to Still is that he takes the stance that a gold standard isn’t the answer. I wanted to give him the opportunity to explain his position, which he did by stating that the majority of the gold is held by the elite, so it isn’t a good way to give control of money back to the people and that throughout history, the gold standard hasn’t been as great as many economists claim.

The second question I asked that was used was “Is there ever a time when U.S. military intervention is necessary?” Most of the candidates said “no”. Gary Johnson however pointed to the Afghan War and said that he was for us going over there and wiping out Al-Qaeda but that we should have come back six months after going to war, as we sent the “evildoers” running for the hills. Leroy Saunders pretty much agreed with Johnson and added that if we are attacked, we have the right to go after the attacker and seek justice but other than that, we need to stay out of the business of all these other countries, except for trade – which should be free.

My third question “How would you curb the Supreme Court from making unconstitutional decisions?”, wasn’t asked. In fact, there was nothing asked about how they would work with the judicial branch, which was unfortunate. This is a subject I don’t hear libertarians discuss very often.

While watching the debate, I noticed that there weren’t a lot of philosophical differences between the candidates. They had different ways to achieve certain goals but for the most part, everything they said, I found to be correct and pretty on point. It’s hard to do a proper critique of the content, as these men know their stuff and were all pretty damn effective at expressing it and hammering their points. It’s really different when you have a debate where the candidates aren’t idiots and they don’t have to constantly explain their stance to an idiot crowd. Libertarians are cut from a different cloth and they typically educate themselves on a variety of topics. They are a group that is constantly in the know and on top of things. I’m not trying to toot my own libertarian horn here but those who truly represent our beliefs, don’t need to have everything explained to them. They are the self-educated minority and have reached a higher plane in their political philosophy that one can’t get to by blindly following mainstream ideas and not questioning what they’ve always been taught.

In the end, I felt that Gary Johnson did a solid job and articulated himself well. Bill Still did really good when the questions were economic based but needed to say more on some of the other subjects. R. Lee Wrights was great and really won me over. Even though I hope Johnson gets the nomination, I’d love Mr. Wrights as VP. R.J. Harris did alright but I was expecting a little more thunder, especially after hearing all the positive things my friends and colleagues have said about him. I wasn’t disappointed by my expectations of him but I wasn’t really impressed either. Leroy Saunders did a pretty good job but often times went on some tangents. He needs to get his talking points down and sharpen his skills. He’s a young guy though and he has a lot of time to get it right, just not in this race. Carl Persons had some sharp insight but he just didn’t bring the fire. I honestly can’t see him as a leader, which is unfortunate, as I did like the things he had to say. Truth be told though, I would take anyone of these guys over Barack Obama or the GOP contenders minus Ron Paul.

After the debate, I immediately left and drove home. I wish I could’ve mingled some more and gone to the Libertarian Party dinner but I really needed to get back. All in all it was a great weekend, I got to spend a lot of time picking Gary Johnson’s brain and I met a lot of like minded people from all over the country. It’s not everyday that an average joe can sit down with a presidential candidate and ask them questions face-to-face. I got to do it twice in one day.

*Written by Rob Rimes.

*The picture is of Libertarian Party presidential candidates Gary Johnson and RJ Harris.

Sitting in my hotel room at the Orlando Airport Embassy Suites, I am trying to write about what has happened today, since I last left you. I’m currently distracted by Erin Burnett and her guests pontificating about taxes on my large hotel room flatscreen. Also, I am on my eleventh straight glass of cheap Canadian whiskey and sour mix. Technically it is a whiskey sour but it doesn’t really taste like one. Then again, I’m not used to having them made with rye-based whiskey. It could be that all the Labatt Blues I drank affected my taste buds. It’s all good – I’m not complaining, I’m just probably sharing too much of my inner dialogue right now. While I’m at it though, the steak I had at the bar was phenomenal! Okay.. okay, let me get to the point of this post, as I light up a Padrón 1964 and hope that the hotel staff doesn’t notice that I’m smoking out my non-smoking room. Crap, that reptile man James Carville is on T.V. now, I’ve got to hit the ‘power’ button and focus.

So I took a shower and threw on a three piece suit and made my way out to attend the small meet and greet with Gary Johnson that I was invited to. As soon as I opened my hotel room door, Gary Johnson was there pacing on his cell phone. I then realized that the room that the meet and greet was in was just a few doors down but the magical appearance of my second favorite candidate right outside my door caught me off guard. I had a million questions prepared in my head and I’ve never talked face-to-face with a presidential candidate before. Well, I did talk to Herman Cain in October of 2010 but that was way before he announced that he was running for the highest office in the land. Also, I didn’t really know much about him at the time.

Johnson put his phone away, said “hello” and reached out to shake my hand. I gave him a solid shake and immediately asked him how the Libertarian Party primary process worked. I kind of knew the answer but this just immediately popped into my head. He explained that all the states have their own votes and that the final vote and selection would happen in May at the Libertarian Party National Convention in Las Vegas. Johnson explained that the selection process was essentially like that of a brokered convention. The host of the get-together then led Gary and I inside the room and we were soon followed by a few others who were also invited.

The discussion started with Johnson talking about economics with one of the other people there. They discussed interest rates, housing and all sorts of stuff. I was distracted because I was trying to think of things to ask, as my million or so questions I had in my head on the drive up to Orlando, were seemingly nowhere to be found in my memory banks. In any event, I had four drinks at this point and they were really starting to set in, making me less nervous and causing me to start throwing questions around.

First, I asked Mr. Johnson if he had a strategy to bring in the Ron Paul supporters after Dr. Paul was eliminated from the race, assuming he doesn’t win the Republican primary – which isn’t looking good at this point. Gary said that he is a Ron Paul supporter and that he knows that Paul supporters are smart people that are already aware of him and the fact that his message is pretty much the same as Ron Paul’s. He doesn’t feel that he needs to do anything, as that support will shift towards him. Honestly, I disagree with this, as I know how most of us Paul supporters are feeling right now. We’re disenfranchised and so sick of the political system that if Paul isn’t on the ballot in November, many of us either won’t vote or we’ll write “Ron Paul” on the ballot. In fact, I know that a lot of people are planning to give Paul a write-in vote come November and because of that, Johnson will have lost people that he could’ve attracted if there were a real effort to grab those people and give them a second chance of hope. I think that rounding up the Paul supporters is essential if Johnson wants to come close to winning. I’m already on board and will give Johnson my vote, if Paul doesn’t get the Republican nomination.

I also asked Johnson if he was a Libertarian Party member for life or if there was the possibility of him running as a Republican candidate again, somewhere down the line, if he were to not win the presidential election in November. Johnson told us a story that he had bought a Libertarian Party shirt earlier in the day and that he was proud to wear it. He said that he never bought a Republican shirt but was given thousands of them for various groups and organizations over the years. He said that, regardless of owning many, he has never once worn a shirt promoting the Republican Party. He said that the reason was because he was never comfortable doing so because people typically have hostile reactions towards Republicans. He says that he feels it is due to their stance on most social issues, I agree. He said that as a Republican he was always expected to make excuses for the GOP in defense of many common criticisms of the party on social issues. He admitted that he was never able to wholeheartedly do this, as he more often than not agreed with the criticisms of the Republican Party on social issues. He finished by saying that he has never been more comfortable in his life at wearing a party’s banner. He said that he was always a libertarian and that he is focused on bringing the party to the next level.

Expanding on that, I asked him how he could bring the party to that next level. He pointed out that if he could get just 5 percent of the vote in the November elections, that it would bring in $90 million for the Libertarian Party. He explained that the Democrats and Republicans set the system up to be a two-party dominated game, as the money given to parties, is based off of how they perform in the presidential elections and for a party to get a substantial amount of cash (that being $90 million), they need to get at least 5 percent in the general election. So if a third party can generate the difficult amount of 5 percent against the ultra-rich powerhouses, they are entitled to get paid. Now with a third party getting $90 million with just 5 percent of the vote, imagine how much the Democrats and Republicans get regardless of how they finish! This is how they stay in power and dominate politics and this is what Johnson wants to fight against by getting at least 5 percent of the vote. He pointed out that he is currently polling at around 9 percent head-to-head-to-head with Obama and Romney. Gary Johnson can truly alter business in Washington and throw a wrench in the machine of tyranny, as far as the two-party system goes.

Now if Johnson can get 15 percent, he will be invited to the national debates between Barack Obama and the Republican nominee. Since he is polling around 9 percent, an increase in 6 points isn’t impossible before the October debates. Truth is, this is very doable and if he was able to participate, Gary Johnson could serve up some hardcore truth to the Democrat and Republican establishment. Gary told me that the rule of having 15 percent was established by both Republicans and Democrats back when Ross Perot ran for president in 1992 as a member of the Reform Party. It is essentially another establishment tactic to try and keep the power consolidated within the boundaries of just the two major parties.

The meet and greet was then broken up and I went down to the hotel bar to meet my friends from the Libertarian Party of Collier County. While waiting for them, I spoke to many of the libertarian attendees over drinks. Nothing really exciting happened other than typical networking jargon and business card passing. I promoted TheSwash.com and most of them either promoted their blogs, their local organizations or whomever candidate they were there working for. My peeps from the LPCC finally arrived and shortly after that, Gary Johnson made his way down to the bar area to chit-chat, providing me with a second opportunity for some deep and insightful discussion.

Kicking off round two, I asked Gary Johnson how he differed from Ron Paul. He said that he didn’t want to build a border fence and didn’t understand why Paul was for the idea. I agree with Johnson on this one, as I always questioned Ron Paul’s reasoning on wanting a border fence, as it will cost a ton of money and it has been proven to be ineffective. Johnson also pointed out that he believes in a woman’s right to choose where Ron Paul is anti-abortion. Gary Johnson also believes in marriage equality for all people, which really isn’t far off from Paul’s stance, so let me clarify this. Ron Paul said that if he was in Congress in 1996, he would have voted for DOMA or the Defense of Marriage Act. The reason being is that he believes that states should have the rights to either allow or prohibit same sex marriage. In a nutshell, the bill’s purpose gave states the power of being able to refuse to recognize same sex marriages performed in other states or countries. I side with Johnson over Paul here, simply for the fact that the federal government needs to stay out of it and shouldn’t be bothered passing such a law to begin with. They should instead, honor the Constitution and especially the 10th Amendment, which gives the states the right to do whatever the hell they want in this case.

I brought up the issue of the gold standard and Johnson said that it was a step in the right direction but added that there were still horrible cases of inflation under the gold standard before. He believes that we need a dollar backed by commodities but that just incorporating gold wouldn’t generate the best results. He also wants to end the Federal Reserve but doesn’t believe that this will fully fix the problem either. He went on to be critical of people who say that the Fed is a private entity. He says that the government owns it and that it is like something that we all own stock in but can’t vote on, so we are essentially powerless to do anything about it.

I asked Johnson about his thoughts on Judge Andrew Napolitano’s ‘Freedom Watch’ being cancelled by Fox Business. Johnson said that it was unfortunate and a blow to liberty and that the movement needs to keep moving forward regardless of losing such an important and honest show for the libertarian faithful. He also added that he will appear on the last episode, as he was asked earlier in the day and said “yes”.

That was pretty much it for round two. I took a step back and let all the other people ask questions, plus I was starving and tired of standing so I sat down at the bar and ordered a steak and whiskey. Bill Still, another Libertarian Party presidential candidate, came down to the lobby but quickly left before I even had the chance to approach him. A few minutes later, someone came over to me and announced that Mr. Still would be at the T.G.I. Friday’s down the street if anyone wanted to pick his brain. By the time I got and ate my steak, a lot of time and liquor had passed and I didn’t feel like drunkenly walking a third of a mile through the rain in the dark in an unfamiliar place was the best idea. I opted to go back to my room and write this article instead.

One thing I want to point out before I end this, is that no other candidate apart from Johnson and in the end, Mr. Still, even made an attempt to come down and mingle with the people who would ultimately be voting for them. Those who hold the fate of the candidates in their hands were only entertained by Gary Johnson and Bill Still, who weirdly took his show off-site. The fact that the lesser-known guys were M.I.A. was odd. You think they’d be out lobbying for support and in all honesty, I’m completely puzzled as to why they weren’t. Maybe they think that opposing Gary Johnson is a losing battle. If that’s the case, drop out, go home and let the big boys play the game.

*Written by Rob Rimes.

Driving up from Bonita Springs, FL to Orlando early on a Friday morning can be strenuous, especially during season. For those that don’t know, season is what we Floridians call the time of year that all the “snowbirds” come down to overtake our roads, restaurants and lives. It’s a very annoying period for most of us in the Sunshine State but for those in the tourism or service industries, it is a time for making serious bank. In fact, I remember the days when I used to work to service these often times nasty and irritable snowbirds. I pretty much hated life, as I worked in a few different top notch joints around Naples and Ft. Myers, and even though I busted my ass and made a boatload of cash, often times I had to work twice as hard because the tips were shit. Here I go venting about life a decade ago and getting off track.

Anyway, my trip up to Orlando was full of several near accidents, none of which were caused by me. The problem is that many of these glaucoma-afflicted snowbirds shouldn’t be driving. Additionally, they really shouldn’t be driving these ten ton M1-A1 Abrams tanks around like they own the goddamned road! It’s deadly on I-75 and I-4 with these people, especially when early morning rush hour hits! Funny huh? A libertarian trying to restrict these old birds’ freedoms. Whatever. Between having to dodge these kamikaze tank drivers with no regard for painted lane lines, I was also distracted by the countless billboards up and down the highway. It’s as if Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World and Anti-Abortion groups are in a competition to see who can plaster the Florida Interstate System with the most advertisements. When I was a kid traveling these roads with my dad, we had a better class of billboards. One in particular that comes to mind featured scantily clad women with bad 80′s hair with the words “We Bare All!” I know that these lovely signs still exist but they are seemingly far and few between. Let’s celebrate these hard-working beautiful single mothers and get away from sprinkling the roads with pictures of fetuses and Shamu.

So after three hours of dealing with all this madness, I arrived at the Embassy Suites near the Orlando International Airport; I’m not sure if that is the official name of the airport or not. The reason why I am at this hotel is to experience and cover the 2012 Libertarian Party of Florida Convention and Presidential Debate. Even more importantly than that, I came to meet and shake the hand of Gary Johnson. He doesn’t have the Party’s nomination yet but many feel that the thing is basically a done deal. Regardless of that, there is a debate to be held on the second day of this event, which will feature all of the candidates trying to get the Party’s nomination to run against Obama and whomever the fickle doublethinking Republicans choose between Romney, Paul, Gingrich and Santorum.

Now just because Johnson is known nationally and was even involved in some high-profile Republican debates last year, doesn’t mean he is just going to run away with this thing. There are several very qualified candidates in the hunt. First up is renowned author and documentary filmmaker Bill Still, who is best known for his films ‘The Money Masters’ and ‘The Secret of Oz’. Next is R.J. Harris, who has been building up a lot of steam online. He is an Afghan war veteran and a Kiowa Nation member. There is R. Lee Wrights who is a lifetime Libertarian Party member, as well as co-founder and editor of ‘Liberty For All’, an independent online magazine. There is also Roger Gary who is a former Texas Libertarian Party State Chairman. Last but not least is attorney Carl Person. I must admit that I really only know Still and Harris, apart from Johnson, but after recently reading up on the other three, I am psyched for the debate.

As I arrived at the hotel, not even an hour ago, as I type this, I met a delegate from New York in the elevator and he invited me to a meet and greet with Governor Johnson in his hospitality suite. Now I already had a meeting set up to meet Johnson later this evening with my friends from the Libertarian Party of Collier County but it looks like I will have the pleasure of double dipping and getting two chances to pick the man’s brain tonight.

As I am just over an hour away from the first encounter, I must wrap this up and start to get ready. Plus I’m looking down at the bar from my seventh floor window and it looks like there is a seat with my name on it right in front of an incredibly gorgeous bartender. Looks like it is going to be a whiskey night. Libertarian Party Convention, here I come.

February 10, 2012. Orlando. The Libertarian Party of Florida has scheduled a Presidential debate tomorrow, Saturday, February 11 in Orlando, Florida. It is expected to be the first debate featuring all six official Libertarian Party Presidential candidates. The event will coincide with the state convention of the Party’s Florida affiliate. Also, the debate will be covered by local media and streamed online nationally.

The Presidential debate is scheduled for 3:00pm EST. The debate participants will include all six official Libertarian Party Presidential candidates. They include; Roger Gary - former Texas Libertarian Party State Chairman, R. J. Harris – Afghan war veteran and Kiowa Nation member, Gary Johnson – the former New Mexico Governor who recently withdrew from the Republican Party Presidential contest, opting to run under the Libertarian Party banner instead, Bill Still – renowned author and documentary filmmaker, attorney Carl Person, and last but certainly not least, Texan R. Lee Wrights – lifetime Libertarian Party member and co-founder and editor of the independent online magazine ‘Liberty for All’.

In a very rare occurrence, local Florida media outlets have expressed their desire to attend and report on the event. It is still uncertain if any stations, cable or TV, will broadcast the entire debate. Undoubtedly, the party will record the event and make it available via online outlets, cable access channels and other vehicles. For those who wish to watch the debate live, it can be viewed via streaming video at USTREAM.tv and LPF.org respectively.

The Libertarian Party was expected to appear on the ballot in all 50 states this November. However some states such as North Dakota have made it virtually impossible for any party other than the Republicans and Democrats to participate in the country’s electoral system. Read the Ballot Access News article, ‘ND Libertarian Party will seek US Supreme Court review of Ballot Access decision’ for the most recent details. The article states that North Dakota’s ballot access law “is so severe, no minor party nominee for state legislature has been on the North Dakota general election ballot since 1976.”

Currently, two Libertarian Presidential candidates are attempting to separate themselves from the rest of the field. Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is by far the most well known of the Libertarian hopefuls. Running for President as a Republican, Johnson was systematically left off polling questionnaires distributed by the major corporate media. Those poll results determined who would be invited to the GOP’s nationally televised debates. Seeing the obvious media bias by listing unknown non-politicians like Herman Cain over a popular and successful 2-term Governor, Johnson left the Republican Party in disgust and joined the Libertarians, a trend that is becoming more popular across the country each day. Read the article, ‘Johnson Rocks GOP with Switch to Libertarian Party’ for details.

Former Governor Johnson spent much of this week personally campaigning in the state of Florida in preparation for tomorrow’s debate and the corresponding state party convention. Speaking to a gathering of Libertarian voters in Ft. Lauderdale, Johnson remarked, “Here, as in other states, there’s a real discontent with the status quo. I’m offering a message that changes the world for a little better.” Gary Johnson is already making noticeable inroads in his quest for the White House. In general election surveys, the candidate is already polling an impressive 9 percent nationally. Read the article, ‘Poll says any Third Presidential Candidate Dooms GOP’ for the rest of the poll numbers.

Another Libertarian Party Presidential hopeful moving toward the front of the pack is R. Lee Wrights. Wrights is a 53 year old Libertarian Party veteran, writer and political activist. He says he’s seeking the Presidential nomination because he believes, “The Libertarian message in 2012 must be a loud, clear and unequivocal call to stop all war.”

In late February, Wrights will start an extended cross-country road trip in which he’ll literally cross the nation twice to attend Libertarian state party conventions in Georgia, California, Mississippi, Colorado, the Kansas/Missouri Heartland Convention, Ohio, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and New York.

“As it has been from the start, this is a grassroots effort, a ‘wise and frugal’ campaign we’re taking to Libertarian activist everywhere. My message is clear and simple: The libertarian promise of peace and prosperity is one Americans are longing to hear,” Wrights said. “We don’t need to soften, refine, modify or craft what we believe to appeal to conservatives or liberals to win votes. Instead, we must embrace our beliefs and wear them proudly.”

“As your nominee for president I’m ready, willing and able to take this bold stand. I’ve never been afraid to speak truth to power,” Wrights stressed. “I’ll take the true libertarian message of peace and prosperity to all 50 states and won’t be ashamed to say in a loud, clear and unequivocal voice: Stop all war!”

Visit the following candidate websites for more information about each person running for the Libertarian Party Presidential nomination:

R. Lee Wrights

Gary Johnson

Roger Gary

R. J. Harris

Bill Still

Carl Person

Source: The Examiner.

Florida’s delegates to the Republican National Convention are getting snubbed in their own house, after the national GOP decided Wednesday to ramp up penalties on the state for holding an early primary in violation of party rules.

Though Florida is hosting the party’s national convention in Tampa later this year, a Republican National Committee panel voted unanimously to give the state’s representatives second-class access to the whole affair.

Under the resolution, the national party will make sure Florida’s delegates have poor seating and poor hotel options — as in, hotels that are not close to the Tampa Bay Times Forum, the convention venue. According to an RNC official, the delegates will also be limited in the number of guest passes they can hand out.

The Rules Committee voted for the sanctions Wednesday, and the RNC official said no further action is needed to carry out the punishment.

“They will be penalized with reduced guest passes, reduced priority seating on the floor and hotels further away,” the official told Fox News.

A Florida Republican official claimed the national party still has to take one more step to finalize the penalties, but suggested there would be no hard feelings going into November. The official said the state party will “do nothing but (commit) ourselves to making sure that a Republican wins the state of Florida.”

The latest penalties would come on top of the hit the Sunshine State already took to its delegate count.

The state is expected to lose half its 99 delegates as a result of its decision to hold the Republican presidential primary on Jan. 31.

Under RNC rules, Florida was not supposed to hold what’s known as a “winner-take-all” primary before April. That’s a primary in which all the state’s delegates are awarded to the winner, as opposed to one in which the delegates are awarded proportionally.

The very beginning of the 2012 primary calendar is also supposed to be reserved for Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Florida’s decision to get in on the early primary action follows a similar move in 2008, and a similar punishment by the RNC.

Leonard Curry, chairman of the Florida GOP, said in a statement that he’s hoping to move forward despite the new penalties.

“I understand why today’s vote took place and we will continue to work to protect Florida Republicans’ interest at the national convention,” Curry said. “With today’s action, I hope that all Republicans can move together, unified and committed to the most important goal we have — the election of a Republican president in 2012.”

When the state party first announced the date in September, Curry said the early vote “properly reflects the importance Florida will play on the national stage.”

A true swing state, Florida, with its 29 delegates to the Electoral College, is considered essential to win the general election. Barack Obama won the state in 2008.

Source: Fox News.

In John Heilemann’s cover story “2012=1968?,” he wonders whether Occupy Wall Street protesters will do to Charlotte’s Democratic National Convention in the summer of 2012 what demonstrators did to the Chicago DNC in 1968. The North Carolina city, sometimes called the “Wall Street of the South,” is not taking any chances, and is already working to pass an ordinance that would make occupying downtown spaces with tents a “public nuisance,” in addition to banning “noxious substances,” padlocks, and other camping equipment. The fact that it would knock out the city’s current overnight demonstrators is an added bonus.

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx said dubiously last month that the rule, which could be enacted in January, is not aimed at a specific group. “Unlike many cities that have well-developed regulations governing protest activity, our local regulations contain gaps that need to be filled,” he said. But a memo about the ordinance does note, “The recent issues related to camping on city property have further amplified the need to review whether the city wants to regulate this activity during the DNC.” A city councilman added of the current Occupy Charlotte faction, “Once those ordinances go into effect, those overnight stays will end.”

Source: Fox Nation.

*Taken from The Age.

NAURU has ratified the United Nations Refugee Convention, yesterday releasing a photograph of its president Marcus Stephen signing the document to prove the point.

This boosts Opposition leader Tony Abbott’s attack on the federal government over its Malaysia refugee swap, because Malaysia is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention.

Signatories commit to key human rights principles, including not returning refugees to countries from which they have fled.

Mr Abbott last Saturday toured Nauru to argue a processing centre located there would be a ”more humane” option for boat arrivals. The Nauru government released a statement yesterday saying Mr Stephen has signed the instruments of accession to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.

CONTINUED..

My Two Cents: Meghan McCain makes my ears bleed. Talk to someone who knows what they are talking about. Like oh my god, Dick Cheney, like, oh my god! End Two Cents.

My Two Cents: Warning! This video contains graphic images, specifically Skeletor Pelosi and hippies. End Two Cents.

According to Fox’s Chris Stirewalt, Florida’s upset the RNC’s carefully crafted delay of the 2012 primaries by scheduling the state’s primary election on January 31st. Now, other states want to punish Florida by taking away the GOP convention.