Posted by PatArmstrong on 02/08/10

I have been a C4L State Coordinator, up until recently, and feel that the C4L is a valuable tool for the grassroots Liberty effort. The recent Buck ad in CO has raised a flurry of questions from several different forums on the interwebs. Some of these questions have been around for a while, others deal specifically with the Buck ad. This is a compilation of questions from various sources, some questions have been reworded or combined for clarity.

If you have not seen the ad, here's the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R87D8DCgJcA

Article from local CO writer, dated 1-26-2010 @ 2:34 am
http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/...for-ken-bucks/

Article is posted to rpf's on 1-27-2010 @ 3:30 PM.
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=228504

Mr. Tate's response, dated 1-29-2010 @ 2:03 PM and updated on 1-29-2010 @ 2:22 PM
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/bl...ew=31963&cpg=2

Statement from Ronnie Paul, Ron's brother, dated 2-1-2010 @ 4:18 PM:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=32090

Jesse Benton's interview 2-2-2010:
http://libertypulse.com/article/4009

Michael Nystrom's comments about his conversation with Ron Paul posted 2/02/2010 @ 21:06:
http://dailypaul.com/node/123735

C4L page where you can find information on the survey:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/ca...y.php?state=CO


Some feel that all of the questions have been answered to their satisfaction. If you feel that all of your questions have been answered, that's great, but please respect my (and others who feel the same way) right to ask questions and expect answers.

Others, myself included, feel that the questions we have asked have not only not been answered, but have been replied to with deflection and in some cases outright lies, intended or not.

It has been stated, several times, by several people, that if the C4L had issued a statement early in this dustup, stating that they were looking into the situation and would be issuing a formal statement soon, many people would have been more patient.

Please do not feel that I am attacking the C4L as an organization or any particular member of the board of the C4L, or for that matter any member who feels that all their questions have been asked and answered. I'm not. I just want a few answers from the organization I joined and worked so hard to help it grow.

I will post answers to these questions, if they come from other forums /sites /private emails /pms when they come in.

1) I sat in on Mike Rothfeld's seminars in MN and in Atlanta, the seminars in Atlanta were much more confrontational than the ones in MN. Please tell me why someone who is so obviously anti-third party and is openly pro war is the best the C4L can find to teach us about how to target voters for money and support? Who brought him in to teach us? (**Note Deb H. has begun to answer this question. **)


2) There are some that do not feel that John Tate fully subscribes to Ron's message, does he?

---A) Why do the mailings (signed by John Tate,) asking for donations, citing that one or more initiative may need to be dropped from the list of important C4L missions, not include "non-interventionist wars" anymore?

---B) Why did it take so long for any word from Mr. Tate on the ad/survey and why was his response so off-target?

---C) Why were we made to feel disloyal if we questioned the actions of the C4L or Mr. Tate?


3) Will you please explain how the C4L board got involved with the ad/survey situation in CO?

---A) Who watched the ad before it was aired? Which lawyers reviewed the ad?

---B) Can we please see the FULL survey as a scanned copy with the answers by Ken Buck, including the written portion?

---C) In what manner, and employing what behaviors, will the C4L hold candidates who answer the survey accountable?

---D) How/why did the board think that the ad was a good idea and not expect to receive criticism?

---E) Did anyone dissent, and if so, who?

---F) If the Buck ad was tactical (in regard to C4L being a POLITICAL organization), then it was NOT mis-worded or mis-made. IOW, we seem to have two conflicting excuses here. One excuse says that the ad was made wrong and did not actually intend to come off like that - and actually intended to mean something else. The other one says that the ad was a tactical maneuver. The two excuses are mutually exclusive - by nature. IOW it can't be both. If it was a tactical maneuver, its surface appearance was intentional. So which explanation is the right one?

---G) How did a group of unknown people (to the state and national C4L organizations) manage to organize and quietly raise more than a quarter of a million dollars to buy and make a TV ad in support of a survey (more specifically a specific candidate's response to the survey) that none of the older members or CO state leadership had even heard about?

------a) What is the connection between these donors and the National C4L?

------b) Why did they choose to funnel the money through an organization that they have practically no relationship with?

------c) Why wasn't the CO state leadership included?


4) What is the National C4L's EIN? Where are the 990's?


5) Can we please have a list of all of the corporations across the country which are affiliated with the C4L and have permission to use the C4L logo including those corps EIN's, the board of directors, and the city and state in which their HQ is located?


6) Will C4L please consider appointing a grassroots liaison on the board of directors that is selected by the grassroots? We understand that Debra Medina was our grassroots representative until she resigned to run for Govenor of Texas. (go Medina!) We would like to choose the next grassroots representative.


7) Re: Jesse Benton's statement--what exactly are the specific details of the customs, usages, practices, policies, procedures, and people involved with this checks & balances system he mentions? In what manner will the existence of this particular checks & balances system prevent these mistakes from ever happening again?


8) Why should people support the C4L and give it money?

---A) Of what specific benefit to my local community and state effort is sending money to CFL national?

---B) If the C4L is now supporting candidates, and I have limited resources to use for candidate support, how can I be sure that money sent to CFL will be used to support the candidates *I* want to support?


I thank everyone who contributed to this list of questions and I look forward to a civil and rational discussion of the answers we receive. Again, if you feel that all of your questions have been answered, that's great, but respect my (and others who feel the same way) right to ask questions and expect answers.

Posted 02/10/10 Tom Rankin sheepdog Morgan City, LA

Mike says it all. Nystrom: What I learned from my conversation with Ron Paul - Part I Copy & Paste: http://dailypaul.com/node/123735

Posted by PatArmstrong on 06/16/09
Last updated 07/05/09

Emails:

Please email Hagan and Burr to cosponsor S. 604,  let them know how you feel about the bill.

The letter below was created by Heather D from Illinois, feel free to use it or create your own.

Petitions:

I went ahead and made my own version of the S604 petition, you may have to edit it a bit when you copy and paste it into your word processing program.  I used the 1207 petition as a template, make enough copies so you can get signitures for both Hagan and Burr--Pat

________________________________________________________________________________
__________

Dear Senator [SENATOR'S NAME HERE],

Please cosponsor and support S. 604, the Federal Reserve Sunshine Act of 2009, introduced by the Honorable Bernie Sanders.

This bill will require an audit of the Federal Reserve, something that has never been done before. During this time of extreme economic crises, the Federal Reserve has been spending taxpayer money at a rate unequaled in history. Trillions of dollars of debt have been created, and financed by the taxpayers without their consent and with no oversight by Congress.

Every citizen in this country is required by law to account for every penny they come in contact with. As the taxpayer is required to pay for all of this spending, it is paramount that the Federal Reserve be required to give us an accounting of where and how our money is being spent.

House Resolution 1207, the sister to this bill, is currently enjoying bipartisan support. 

I am unable to come up with a single reason as to why ANY Senator would refuse to cosponsor and support this legislation.

As recent spending coming from Washington is taxing future generations long before they are even born, you have a Constitutional obligation to demand transparency so that we may know precisely where our money is going.

I look forward to seeing your name added as a cosponsor.

Respectfully Submitted,
[YOUR NAME HERE]

------------------------------------------------------Petition to copy and print out follows--------------------------------------------------------------- 

"Audit the Fed" Petition to

Senator_________________________

WHEREAS:  Congress, the Federal Reserve, and the U.S. Treasury have put

The American taxpayer on the hook for over $12 trillion in bailouts and loans; and

WHEREAS:  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recently refused to tell Congress who have received trillions in these funds from the Federal Reserve; and

WHEREAS:  Allowing the Fed to operate our nation's monetary system in almost complete secrecy leads to abuse, inflation, and a lower quality of life for every American; and

WHEREAS:  Senator Bernard Sanders' S604 (companion bill to Congressman Ron Paul's HR1207) the Federal Reserve Sunshine Act of 2009, would require a full audit of the Fed for the first time in its history and would provide answers to the American people about how our money is being spent;

THEREFORE:  It's time to hold the Federal Reserve accountable to Congress and the American People.  I urge you to immediately cosponsor S604!

Signed:  _______________  __________________  __________________

             &n
bsp;    
           (NAME) &n
bsp;         
             &n
bsp; (ADDRESS)         
             &n
bsp;            (CIT
Y)

__________  ______________________  ___________________________

        (ZIP)            &nb
sp;             (PHONE)               &n
bsp;            &nbs
p;             
 (EMAIL)

Posted 06/16/09 Elaine Prairie City, OR

Here is my version of Audit the Fed letter. Heather's letter is great, but it is sometimes good to word things differently, as some newspapers do a search for the exact letter. So if you choose part of each letter--change some words to personalize, this shouldn't be a problem! Dear Sir, Recently it has come to light that there is little to no accountability to congress or the people on the part of the Federal Reserve. While the citizens of this country are required by law to give an accounting of every penny, the Federal Reserve has never been held to the same standard. During this time of extreme economic crisis, congress and U.S. citizens should be given an accounting. H.R.1207, an effort to audit the Federal Reserve, has been introduced. Currently there are 11 co-sponsors for this legislation, and it has strong bi-partisan support. Your efforts to support this important legislation would prove to your constituents that you not only hold the Federal Reserve to the same standard as you do your constituents, but it would also show that you believe in transparency. Anything less than support for this resolution suggests that you are in favor of secrecy and a lack of accountability to the people who pay the bills. Unlike the Bailout bill that you voted in favor of that had hundreds of pages and little time to study, this bill can be read in less than 5 minutes. I encourage you to take the time to read it, and then move to support it by becoming a co-sponsor. Thank you in advance for your attention on this important legislation. I have every expectation that you will do right by your constituents and support this measure. Sincerely,

Posted by PatArmstrong on 03/09/09

Buncombe County has held the first County Convention in North Carolina for the year 2009.  Here is a short synopsis of what was acchieved:

The State Sovereignty resolution was passed overwhelmingly.

Robert Malt C4L member) has been elected to County 1st Vice Chair.

The newly formed "Liberty Club" (an affiliate with the RLC) was approved as an official club of the County Party.

Several members are now on the Executive Committee and they have a sizeable contingent going to the State Convention.

Congratulations to the Buncombe County Liberty Lovers!  They have a very supportive County Chair and have worked very hard for their success.  Let's hope that we can continue that success across the state!

Pat

Posted 03/09/09 UiNiell Fayetteville, NC

Congratulations. I'll bring up the subject and your victory at the next cumberland county c4L meet

Posted by PatArmstrong on 12/21/08

I am so proud to announce that I have been selected by my NC 12^th District Chair, Marlynn Burns, to be on our State Platform Committee.  I’ve been on the 12^th District Executive Committee at-large for about 5-6 months now

No one was more shocked than me to get the news.  Marlynn had asked me if I would serve on the Rules Committee and I said yes, of course.  She and I have had many conversations on where the GOP has gone astray and where it needs to go in the near future, we think alike on many issues, but we have disagreed on some.  IMHO, she liked the idea that I wasn’t a “yes person” and that I had principles and stuck to them.  Marlynn’s not a C4L member, but I’m working on it!  I feel very lucky to have been chosen for this position, the lesson here is to show up, show up, show up.  I’ve been to every meeting called in the last six months, and it makes a difference.  My husband is active in the party as well; he is a GOP precinct judge.

We’re in for a big battle here in NC, the NC GOP State Chairmanship is up for grabs and there are a few good candidates, I’ll wait till things settle down a bit before I let you know who the players and the factions are.  It’s been very interesting to go to the Executive Committee meetings these past few months.  Now I will be seeing the inner workings of the state GOP.  The bottom line is that the NC GOP is fractured much worse than we may have ever imagined, but there are groups within the party that want us, the GOP, to represent the people again, not the country club set.  I hope we can build on the teamwork we started when we worked together to get Dr. Ada Fisher elected to the National Committeewoman position at the State Convention.

I don't know if I have the right words to describe how I feel about what needs to be done, but I do know, without a doubt, that the quickest way to any sort of "power" in this country; and to be able to do something about what's been done to our country, is to work within the GOP and take it over.  We did amazing things at the state convention last year, this time we will be MUCH better prepared and we will control the convention.

 If you haven’t joined the Campaign for Liberty yet, I would do so and become a paying member and a Precinct Leader as well.....it does help. 

The next few months will be a trial for some of us that are new to politics, just remember to stick to your principles.  Extend open arms to those who are interested in preserving the Constitution, regardless of their political affiliation.  Show up for all the meetings that you possibly can attend.   Most of all have fun, if we're not having fun while we go forward, no one will want to be a part of what we're doing.  (That's not to say that we’re not serious about saving our country.)

We have a very important job to do between now and the end of January.  We have to convince as many people as possible to switch their voter registrations to Republican and to come with us to the spring conventions. 

We also need to be working on our resolutions.  They must be ready by the county conventions and be similar, if not exactly the same across the state.  That way when we get to the state convention, we will be an organized, overwhelming force that cannot be denied by the powers that be.

I do see the resolutions as being fairly simple and straightforward,  The list needs to be small, and concise.  Here's an idea of what I mean:

1.  We support bringing all our troops home as soon as possible, except those needed to guard our embassies.  The Naval services shall be free to roam international waters.

2.  We support the abolishment of any UnConstitutional function of the Government asap.

3.  We support the removal of any UnConstitutional planks from the NC GOP 2009 Platform.

4.  We support a balanced budget at all levels of our Government

5.  Any NC Republican Party member will be expected to vote or conduct Party business in a way that supports the NC GOP 2009 Platform, as amended by the above resolutions.  (BIG GRIN!!!)

As to #5, we'll have to flesh this out and have a procedure to deal with this behind the scenes before a public censure.  It really pissed me off to find out that the GOP platform was really pretty good, as written, (of course it covered some unconstitutional areas.....) but no one expected any of our elected officials or party officers to actually follow the platform.  I'd like to see the other CFL groups in all of the states working on somewhat the same thing.  Imagine the headlines...............

The next challenge is to convince the majority of the Delegates that if the GOP is going to win elections again; it has to admit its own culpability in drifting from its core principles, and to then return to them, and to actually mean it.  The “Obama Bounce” will be over soon, when that happens, the GOP has to be ready to make a case for smaller government, greater individual freedom, sound money, and all those things we liberty-minded people hold dear to our hearts.  It's our job to remind the real conservatives in the GOP of those core beliefs that gave the GOP so much strength in the past. 

This is for those who have asked me how I got to this place in my life.  I am a libertarian leaning, fiscally conservative republican and strict constitutionalist.  I've been a life long democrat leaning socialist/communist (Don’t taz me bro!!) and I'm a Vietnam Era Veteran. I moved more to the Independent minded voting group in the mid 80's and found out about 8 years ago that I am a libertarian, small "l," by taking the "diamond" test. http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html   

I only joined the GOP so I could vote for Ron Paul.  Imagine my dismay/consternation when I discovered that I actually find myself agreeing with most of the NC GOP Platform    http://ncgop.org/documents/2008_platform.pdf   Ron Paul cured my apathy in the fall of ‘08, and I became involved, no, passionate about politics for the first time since the 60's.  I saw a need to stand up and do something about what was happening to our country and just did it. 

You can too.

Pat Armstrong

Interim Asst NC State Coordinator

12^th District Appointee to the NC State Platform Committee

12^th District Executive Committee At-Large

Southern Mecklenburg County Club Executive Committee

Posted 12/21/08 ChadSweigert Annville, PA

inspiring! keep us informed, its exciting to hear the thoughts of someone actually going into the motion and taking action.

Posted 12/21/08 Caleb Kinley Hot Springs, AR

Wow! That's truly great news. keep up the great work.

Posted 12/21/08 Elaine Prairie City, OR

Very well said, Pat! The RNC showed us that the Republican Party has strayed from ethical political action, and we need to hold their tootsies to the fire! The points you made about expecting elected officials and party officials to actually follow the Republican Platform (and the Constitution) are exactly what we talked about in our latest County Central Committee meeting! We intend to take this same message to our state party officials.

Posted by PatArmstrong on 01/05/10
Last updated 01/08/10

I received this yesterday and felt it said what needed to be said much better than I could...

Dear Friends of Liberty,   We have an upstanding candidate named Glen Bradley running in NC House District 49 against Lucy T. Allen for NC State House.  Glen is a Constitutionalist first and foremost, and his primary plan is to move the legislature towards asserting the right of State Sovereignty through the 10th Amendment, and to protect our citizens from the unconstitutional overreach of our Federal Government.  Now is the time for us to come together to show our support for one of our own.  Please visit http://glenbradley.net/ for more information and to donate to the campaign.  WE are the hope that we have been looking for, and only WE can create the change that we seek.  Even now, in our nations darkest hours we know that it is always darkest before the dawn.  In this present crisis we have been given an opportunity to turn the tide and restore the Constitutional order.  Will you stand with us and make this happen?   Glen Bradley was responsible in 2009 for drawing the entire NC Republican Party into supporting H849, the bill declaring NC State Sovereignty according to the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution.  Establishment politics as usual prevented that bill from arriving on the House floor for a vote, but Glen will go into the State House and change that.
Glen Bradley is responsible for the drafting of, and for the winning of sponsorship for the North Carolina Firearms Freedom Act, to be introduced by David Lewis during 2010.  Glen seeks in 2011 to introduce for himself the North Carolina Healthcare Freedom Act, which will declare that the individual mandate is both extra-Constitutional and unconstitutional under the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution, and which Act will compel the Governor to employ every available means of financial, political, enforcement, and martial asset to bear within the State of North Carolina to block and prevent Federal interference from demanding or establishing or enforcing an individual mandate amongst the citizens of the State of North Carolina.
North Carolina will reserve all those powers of government available to us in our own Constitution to our State according to the 10th Amendment, and on your behalf, North Carolina will reserve to her citizens all those powers not enumerated in the US nor in the NC Constitutions, according to the 9th and the 10th Amendments to the US Constitution.
Glen will work to repeal our State's ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment, to amend the 14th Amendment section 1 to establish State citizenship as primary and jurisdictional, and will work with the people and with the assembly of NC to repeal or reform the 17th Amendment in order to re-establish the State's seniority over the Federal Government as our Founders intended.
Glen Bradley will do all of these things, but he needs your help.  Glen Bradley is running against a country-club Democrat with fingers in every pie.  She will, without effort, be able to raise the average $100,000 for an average victorious State House campaign in North Carolina.  If we, the Constitutionalist patriots of North Carolina are going to take back our State and our nation for We the people, then we must stand up against the country-club establishment and show ourselves stronger, and more numerous than her big business and special interest backers.  We need to raise $100,000 to to plant the seed that will restore the Constitutional order, and that seed is the election of Glen Bradley to the NC State Assembly.
Are there not 1000 patriots in North Carolina who would each see $100 to change the way our State and our Nation does business?  If there are only 10,000 Tea Party Patriots in the whole State who will give $10, then this campaign will be completely financed.  Where are the patriots and the Tea Partiers who demand that we restore the Constitutional order and reject the old guard and the establishment order?  It is time to step up and help put your fellow Tea Partier and Constitutionalist into the State House.  
It is critical to remember that the issues of our State are even more important than the issues of our nation.  The State House elected in 2010 will be responsible for redistricting.  For nearly a century, North Carolina has been gerrymandered -- as recent confirmed by the United States Supreme Court -- which leads to a condition where the citizens of North Carolina are not fairly represented.  Glen believes that our House and Congressional districts should reflect the local and geographical communities which they contain.  Mis-shaping our districts in order to influence the sort of people they will elect, is a kind of establishment 'loading the dice' against the North Carolina citizens.  We can only be fairly represented when our districts are fairly drawn.  Glen will stand up and fight on the House floor for fair, community based redistricting, that will give the voters the largest voice we have ever had to demand change, when our representatives misbehave.
North Carolina can easily overcome the economic morass that has gripped our nation by encouraging innovation and competition in our State specifically.  We must remove the barriers to entry faced by those inventors and innovators that will compel North Carolina into more perfect future markets.  This will consequentially create many more jobs in NC, and well-paying jobs, than in the other 49 States.  We can attract industry by becoming a 10th Amendment shelter for the free market, encourage competition by reducing the red tape that stymies competition, and produce less expensive, superior quality goods in North Carolina while providing our citizens more high-paying jobs than can be had in the rest of the nation.
North Carolina can become the model for national recovery which the other States will emulate.  This starts with electing Glen Bradley to the North Carolina State House in 2010.
Visit http://nchouse2010.glenbradley.net/ for more information and to donate to the campaign.  Visit http://nchouse49.ning.com/ to volunteer with the Campaign.