Video: Christopher Horner on The Liberal War on Transparency

I spoke with Christopher Horner, author of The Liberal War on Transparency: Confessions of a Freedom of Information "Criminal", about EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson's efforts to thwart access to public records. Horner talks about the lawsuits that he and his employer, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), have filed because the EPA has not been responsive to their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Horner has alleged that Lisa Jackson is using "alias" email addresses including one under the name "Richard Windsor". I ask him about the evidence he has to show that--two senior EPA employees are his sources.

Jackson has called Horner's FOIA requests "criminal". I ask Horner about that. We also discuss what Horner describes as "cyber bonfires". He alleges that the EPA has engaged in policies and practices that have led to the destruction of public records. He details some examples during this interview and refers to his recently released book, The Liberal War on Transparency, for additional examples.

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• Lisa Jackson: Working the EPA's Graveyard Shift (rebootcongress.net)
• No More Secrets (freebeacon.com)
• House committee probes administration's secret e-mails (dailycaller.com)
• IER Renews Keystone XL FOIA Request, Cites Lisa Jackson Alias (canadafreepress.com)
• EPA admin's alleged secret email account found in previously released emails (dailycaller.com)
• Obama's EPA: Transparency for thee, but not for me? (hotair.com)
• Only the deceit is transparent [Reader Post] (floppingaces.net)

Book: Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom

Reason TV interviews Rebecca MacKinnon, author of Consent of the Networked, about internet freedom and authoritarianism:

"Authoritarian systems evolve," says Rebecca MacKinnon, author of Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom. "Authoritarianism in the Internet Age is not your old Cold War authoritarianism."

Reason TV's Nick Gillespie sat down with MacKinnon to discuss internet freedom in the U.S. and abroad, touching on topics such as whether or not China can successfully manage the flow of information and control the internet, what the anti-SOPA movement means for the future of the internet in the U.S., and whether or not the internet is indeed a net gain for liberty or just another tool to be utilized by authoritarian governments. "

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• Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom [BOOK REVIEW] (abdelxyz.wordpress.com)
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Tea Party on Safari: The Hunt for American RINO

Greg Fettig and Monica Boyer are the heroes of the coalition of Indiana Tea Parties that defeated Dick Lugar (R-IN). Under the united banner of Hoosiers for a Conservative Senate, Fettig and Boyer led the grassroots effort that saw Tea Party favorite Richard Mourdock win the Republican nomination for US Senate this past May. Their role was pivotal because it enticed other people and organizations to help Richard Moudock's campaign.

From my observation of  Indiana's Republican primary for US Senate, I believe that the strategy to get a conservative candidate elected boils down to three steps. These three steps are driven by the candidate:

1. Get the backing of the party
2. Get the backing of the grassroots
3. Get the backing of well funded PACs (FreedomWorks, Club for Growth, etc.)

Richard Mourdock accomplished step 1 when he announced his candidacy in February of 2011. Over 70% of Indiana's Republican county chairmen endorsed Mourdock's bid for US Senate when he announced. Winning the support of the grassroots is step 2 and Fettig's book--Tea Party on Safari--details what happened in Indiana. It's a messy, almost ungovernable process fraught with treachery and ankle-biting time wasters. If the grassroots can coalesce around a particular candidate, then the money to push that candidate across the finish line should be available from PACs--step 3. In Mourdock's case, steps 1 and 2 effectively cleared the field so that the race was always Lugar v Mourdock. Lugar couldn't ignore the competition as Roy Blunt did in Missouri when he ran for Senate in 2010.

With those steps in mind, here are my observations about a couple of the primary races decided this past Tuesday here in Missouri.

In the governor's race, Bill Randles had overwhelming support from the grassroots, but he never really had the backing of the party. As a result, his campaign never attracted the money it needed to boost Randles name recognition with radio and television ads. Fred Sauer's entrance into the race split the vote ensuring that Dave Spence would win and that neither Randles or Sauer had a serious chance in the primary.

The Republican primary for US Senate in Missouri was fascinating to watch. None of the candidates really had the backing of the party, though I think Akin probably scored better on that than either Steelman or Brunner. Steelman is a bit of a pariah among some Republicans who blame her for damaging Kenny Holshof in the 2008 Republican primary for Governor resulting in his defeat later that year. Akin had much better grassroots support than either of his competitors. Steelman was able to win some key endorsements including Sarah Palin; however, they didn't translate into the sort of primary spending she needed to pull out a win.

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• Video: The Daily Caller Interviews Indiana Tea Party Leader Greg Fettig (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Tea Party Sets Its Sights on the Senate - Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
• Romney Stumps for Tea Party-Backed Senate Candidate Mourdock (abcnews.go.com)
• Mourdock Outraises Donnelly (advanceindiana.blogspot.com)
• Video: Richard Mourdock on Jobs and the Economy (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)

Book: Ladies and Gentlemen by Dr. Gina Loudon

Dr. Gina Loudon's new book, Ladies and Gentlemen: Why the Survival of our Republic Depends on the Revival of Honor, hits store shelves today. From the Amazon description:

Ladies and Gentlemen studies the history of the terms that once elevated the ideal woman and man and illuminates how the structure of Western society established and maintained the virtues. In contrast, the book demonstrates how three movements—atheism, liberalism, and radical feminism—undercut these ideals, especially in the 20th Century. Rather than a dry history lesson, readers will understand the crucial contributions of government, family, literature/media, and churches in producing a culture that either esteems or debases the best of each gender.

Ladies and Gentlemen draws aggressive battle lines in today’s culture war, pressing Christians and conservatives to value all people, cherish manners, humility, and graciousness, and esteem virtue above self. It directly challenges politicians and media personalities to honor and reflect a culture of honor, as well as calling all conservatives to reward public figures who exhibit these traits, while rebuking or rejecting those who do not. The book exemplifies several public figures on both ends of the political spectrum who engender the traits of the lady or gentleman, as well as several who clearly fail.

Finally, Ladies and Gentlemen paints a portrait of modern civility, proving that women can be warriors without burning bras and men can be tough without smoking Marlboros on horseback. It instructs parents how to raise their own children to be ladies and gentlemen. Incorporating Biblical principles and an awareness of modern day challenges, it boosts parents’ ability to navigate the murky waters of today’s culture.

Book: Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul

From the YouTube description:

"Williams was really America's first individualist, the first contradictor of authority, the first rebel," explains John M. Barry, author of Roger Williams and The Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty. While best known as the founder of Rhode Island and for being a leading proponent of a "wall of separation" between church and state, Barry argues that Williams' imprint on America is deeper than most recognize. "When I started writing the book I quickly realized that I was not simply writing about the emergence of the idea of religious liberty, but liberty itself."

Barry sat down with ReasonTV's Nick Gillespie to discuss the book, the enduring lessons of Roger Williams' life, and why he is not yet a household name.

Video: Robert Zubrin: Radical Environmentalists and Other Merchants of Despair

Reason.tv: Robert Zubrin: Radical Environmentalists and Other Merchants of Despair:

"We have never been in danger of running out of resources," says Dr. Robert Zubrin, "but we have encountered considerable dangers from people who say we are running out of resources and who say that human activities need to be constrained." 

In his latest book, Merchants of Despair: Radical Environmentalists, Criminal Pseudo-Scientists, and the Fatal Cult of Antihumanism, Zubrin documents the history of dystopian environmentalism, from economic impairment inflicted by current global warming policies to the Malthusian concern over population growth. "Just think how much poorer we would be today if the world would have had half as many people in the 19th century as it actually did. You can get rid of Thomas Edison or Louis Pasteur, take your pick." 

Zubrin sat down with Reason Magazine editor in chief Matt Welch to discuss his book, the difference between practical and ideological environmentalism, and how U.S. foreign aid policy encourages population control. 

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• INSTAVISION: I talk with Robert Zubrin about his new book, Merchants of Despair: Radical Environmen... (pjmedia.com)
• Alex Epstein: Understanding the Green Menace: Robert Zubrin's Merchants of Despair (junkscience.com)
• Anti-humanists and other Merchants of Despair (thebrightlibertarian.blogspot.com)
• What is an Astronaut's Life Worth?: An Interview with Robert Zubrin (reason.com)
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Video: Simple Rules for a Complex World with Richard Epstein

Libertarianism.org: Simple Rules for a Complex World:

In this Exploring Liberty lecture, Richard Epstein gives a quick outline of his “simple rules”— six conditions that he says provide the groundwork for the emergence of a civilized society.

Epstein's book, Simple Rules for a Complex World, is available from Amazon.

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Books: A Nation of Moochers

Glenn Reynolds: It's takers versus makers and these days the takers are winning:

The problem, Sykes points out, is that you can’t run an economy like that. If you tried to hold a series of potluck dinners where a majority brought nothing to the table, but felt entitled to eat their fill, it would probably work out badly. Yet that’s essentially what we’re doing.

It's a strong argument for small government.

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• PJTV - Nation of Moochers: There are More Takers than Makers. So When Will the Bill Come Due? - Glenn Reynolds (raysrope.wordpress.com)
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• 'A Nation of Moochers': Is the 'Take Care of Me' Society 'Wrecking the USA?' (theblaze.com)

Three Days in August by Bob McCarty

Fellow St. Louis Tea Party blogger Bob McCarty has a book coming out October 19th. Three Days in August examines the unjust court-martial of Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart. The book is available in both Kindle and print editions. McCarty provides this summary:

U.S. Army Special Forces Sergeant First Class Kelly A. Stewart admitted to having a one-night stand with a 28-year-old German woman the night of August 22, 2008. She did, too. Both knew sex was part of the plan when they left the discotheque near Stuttgart. Two months later, however, her story changed and the highly-decorated combat veteran found himself facing rape and kidnapping charges. 

During court-martial proceedings one year later, Stewart faced an Army courtmartial panel comprised of soldiers who had recently returned from a 16-month deployment with the Army attorney serving as Stewart's lead prosecutor. 

Despite a lack of both physical evidence and eyewitnesses to the alleged crimes, it took only three days for the panel to find Stewart guilty of numerous offenses -- including aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping, forcible sodomy and assault and battery -- and sentence him to eight years behind bars. 

Incredibly, the conviction was based almost entirely on the testimony of Stewart's accuser, a one-time mental patient who, with the backing of the German government, refused to allow her medical records to be entered as evidence. 

When several witnesses came forward during a post-trial hearing to reveal startling proof that the accuser had lied several times during the trial, their words were largely ignored by the court and Stewart remained behind bars. 

Today, Stewart's fighting for a new trial so he can shed the "sexual offender" label that will stay with him the rest of his life if justice remains out of reach. 

Based on extensive interviews and never-before-published details taken from the actual Record of Trial, "Three Days In August: A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier's Fight for Military Justice" by Bob McCarty paints a portrait of military justice gone awry that’s certain to make your blood boil.

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• Tune In Thursday Morning for Talk About An Army Special Forces Soldier's Fight for Justice (bobmccarty.com)
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Dana Loesch Interviews Mark Steyn

97.1 FM Talk: Dana Loesch interviews Mark Steyn about his new book: After America: Get Ready for Armageddon.

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Book: The Declaration of Independents

Reason TV: Why is it different this time?

Welcome to Ask a Libertarian with Reason's Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch. They are the authors of the new book The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America.

Watch the rest of Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch's question and answer videos about libertarianism and their new book.

Video: Ann Coulter's 'Demonic'

Pajamas Media: Ann Coulter Gets ‘Demonic’:

She’s as divisive as ever, lobbing red meat to her base while driving the Left to fits of rage. It’s in her DNA. But her tabloid style distracts from a larger truth. Few can illuminate the chasm between Right and Left like Coulter. You just have to endure her baiting prose to see it.

It sounds like Demonic is a nice pick-me-up for conservatives. Coulter is always a fun read.

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Video: Grant McCracken discusses Cultural Innovation

 

Reason TV: How Cultural Innovation Happens: Q&A with Anthropologist Grant McCracken:

In books such as Plenitude, McCracken catalogued the explosion of new lifestyles and identities in North America and the developed world more generally. In his most recent volume, last year's Chief Culture Officer, McCracken argues that an understanding of how consumers play with their identities is key to making products that people want. His next book, Culturematic, will be published next year and examines how people create self-replicating cultural experiments that producers and audiences either dig or reject. One example: MTV's invention of reality television in 1992, just as the station's old programming model was beginning to flag. Out of a moment of desperation grew today's dominant form of serial TV.

Kevin Williamson on the Meaning of Socialism

Reason TV: The Meaning of Socialism: Q&A with National Review's Kevin Williamson:

What's the real definition of socialism? How is it distinct from regulation and a social welfare state? Why are intellectuals still enamored of a system that brought us Stalin, Hitler, and more recently Hugo Chavez and Kim Jong-Il? And what can the United States learn from Sweden about free enterprise and capitalism?

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie sat down with Kevin Williamson, who is deputy managing editor of National Review and author of a new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Socialism, to discuss the meaning of socialism in history and the current moment.

About 5.30 minutes.

Camera by Jim Epstein and Anthony Fisher; edited by Epstein.

Go to http://Reason.tv for downloadable versions, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel to receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

 

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Mastermind: The Many Faces of the 9/11 Architect, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed

C-SPAN's Brian Lamb interviews investigative journalist Richard Miniter about his new book Mastermind: The Many Faces of the 9/11 Architect, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. The video above is almost an hour long. It's quite good, so I expect that the book lives up to its 4.5 stars.

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The Secret Knowledge of David Mamet

The Weekly Standard: Converting Mamet:

“If we identify every interaction as having a victim and an oppressor, and we get a pellet when we find the victims, we’re training ourselves not to see cause and effect,” he said. Wasn’t there, he went on, a “much more interesting .  .  . view of the world in which not everything can be reduced to victim and oppressor?”

David Mamet has traveled from the political left to the political right. In his soon to be released book, The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture, Mamet opines on the divisive issues of our time.

Andre Harper Launches His New Book: The Citizen's Guide

Andre Harper met with St. Louis area Tea Partiers at the Friday night launch of his new book: The Citizen's Guide to Defeating the Mainstream Media. In the last video in the playlist above, Harper talks about his book and the importance of fighting the MSM. He gives an outline of the book and then takes questions from the attendees. Chris Arps of Move-on-up.org; Dana Loesch of www.971talk.com, bigjournalism.com, and www.cnn.com; Bill Hennessy of StLouisTeaParty.com, Stacy Washington, and Martin Baker comment on Andre's work and influence in the conservative movement.

Update: Thanks to Gateway Pundit for the link!

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The Citizen's Guide To Defeating The Mainstream Media by Andre Harper

Andre Harper met with St. Louis area Tea Partiers at the Friday night launch of his new book: The Citizen's Guide to Defeating the Mainstream Media. I'll be posting video of Andre and the other speakers this weekend.

How Job Creation Works and Why Government Doesn't Understand It

The Heritage Foundation: In The Green Room: Andrew Puzder on Job Creation:

Andrew Puzder knows a thing or two about creating jobs. As CEO of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of many famous brands including Carl's Jr., Puzder has seen firsthand how government policies can help or hurt job creation. In his new book, Job Creation: How It Really Works and Why Government Doesn't Understand It, Puzder and co-author Dave Newton share what they have learned.

Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World!

In the video above, Lee Doren of How the World Works, talks about Andrew Breitbart's new book: Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World! If you're interested in the recent emergence and evolution of citizen journalism, then this looks to be a good primer.