Have you every wondered just what exactly is in Barack Obama’s massive government spending plan, now estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to end up costing over $1 trillion?

The creators of StimulusWatch.org have taken the Obama proposal and broken it down by project, and the sheer amount of high-cost, low-job creation pork-barrel spending is amazing.

Log on to www.StimulusWatch.org for yourself and browse the bill.

Via IPR.

And that’s what happened on this thread on a Modern Whig Party forum. Basically, it’s a regurgitation of the Obama-isn’t-a-Citizen complaint that’s making the rounds. It’s all factually disproven bullshit, of course. Not that it matters, because no matter what argument is made against this theory, the response is that, well, it’s a conspiracy and if you look deeper, you will find the truth.

Hey, Whigs: You have GOT to keep this conspiracy crap off your forums and blogs. These people do not give a FIG about building your party or its platform. They see the MWP as a forum to spread their fantasies. The more this stuff appears on YOUR forums, the more the public assumes that is what the MWP is all about.

My advice: Delete these posts and comments as soon as your see them. Be merciless. If the Constitution Party and Libertarian Party want these idiots, let them have ‘em.

“Altruism is an illusion when it comes to the government,” said Jim Maas of Rothschild, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin. “Americans are a generous people who donate to many worthy causes. … When misfortune or disaster strikes, Americans help out.

“Government is based on force, and force is difficult to reconcile with any meaningful concept of charity. When a government bureaucrat sends money to someone in need, it doesn’t make taxpayers compassionate and caring persons. It also doesn’t mean that the bureaucrat is a good and caring person, because he is doling out the money that the government has forcibly exacted from American taxpayers, not his own. To be meaningful, we must be free to give to those causes which appeal to us. There should be separation of charity and state.”

Now THAT is a great line.

A case can be made that from a policy perspective, that it makes sense for their to be some sort of safety net in place to keep people from starving and losing their homes during normal business cycles. Hungry and homeless people walking the streets isn’t going to be conductive to the free market because it will lead to more demogogury and more socialism, not less.

But when you have politicians using my money to make their constituents happy and beholden, and to create the illusion that the politician “cares,” then I call B.S.

And I feel the same way about calls for mandatory public service as a condition for graduation or some other service. It’s not public service if you have to do it.

Hat tip: IPR.

A core conservative doctrine is the libertarian idea that we should drastically limit the size of government. In Ronald Reagan’s iconic words, “Government is not a solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

You’d think that few people would believe this anymore, but nearly half the electorate voted for Republican candidates who profess opposition to Big Government. So let us recall just some of the ways we need government.

Yeah. That was Reagan all right. A libertarian. That’s why he turned Ed Meese loose in our bedrooms and started the War on Druge, because he was so concerned about our individual rights.

And before you start, I know full well that this column was written by a Democrat. My point is still valid.

Muscular moderation from our leaders, and a renewed faith among citizens, requires a new American nationalism, with national identity trumping party loyalty. The public’s frustrated yearning for a patriotic and civic revival fueled both Ronald Reagan’s success and Barack Obama’s meteoric rise. Both men captured Americans’ desire for greater faith in their leaders, their country, their system, themselves. The excitement about John McCain’s compelling life story likewise reflects a yearning for simpler, more patriotic times, rooted in self-sacrifice rather than self-indulgence.

We will start reducing the tension and reviving some faith in politics when we have leaders who understand that they must lead from the center, uniting Americans around core values and ensuring that politics are once again about being rooted in community and solving problems, not just rooting for one set of culture warriors over another.

This reminded me of why I’m a small-L libertarian, disenchanted with the Libertarian Party — not to mention others that claim to support a return to Constitutional liberties. The LP and the others attract single issue zealots and crackpots who are perfectly willing to fight and argue ad infinitum over tiny little scraps of philosophy. To do anything else isn’t “principled.”

That’s why I like the idea of a party that borrows the best ideas of both the Democrats and the Republicans.

Hat tip, The Whig.

According to the criminal complaint, Barrett’s wife told a Sauk County deputy sheriff he was sleeping the morning of the primary election when one of his children was making noise in their home near Arena. Barrett charged out of the bedroom saying “that’s it” and the boy said Barrett struck him on the back.

The bail jumping charge stems from a few days later when police say Barrett picked up the car his wife was using from outside a Madison home where she and the children were staying. When he was charged with disorderly conduct, Barrett had been ordered to stay away from his wife and was allowed to pick up personal property only after notifying her in advance and with a law enforcement officer present. That is the routine manner in which domestic dispute incidents are handled.

Barrett says his wife concocted the story of him striking the child because she was trying to extort money from him. His wife has also been unhappy with the attention he gets for his advocacy of the idea the United States government, not foreign terrorists, caused the collapse of the World Trade Towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

I can see it now: “Your honor, I am completely innocent. You see, the Government is out to get me.”

In other words, when you dismiss the words of rational scientists because it doesn’t conform with your irrational beliefs, you tend to lose credibility.

The lede paragraph of the article makes it out like he was arrested for swatting his child, which I take to mean an open hand across the butt. Slapping a kid on his presumably bare back is, at best, bad aim. And it’s always best to follow the letter of the law when the ex has filed a restraining order. I have no idea how that translates into a bail jumping charge.

Hat tip: IPR.

The Libertarian Party of Illinois (”LP Illinois”) condemns the recent actions of Democratic Governor Rob Blagojevich and calls for his immediate resignation for the good of the State of Illinois.

Blagojevich was arrested on December 9, 2008, accused of scheming to profit from the selling of President-Elect Barack Obama’s senate seat for cash or for a political appointment. Charges against Blagojevich were detailed in a 76 page criminal complaint.

“This type of arrogant, outrageous behavior has become the norm among our elected officials and must no longer be tolerated in Illinois,” said Dave Brady, State Chair of LP Illinois. “The citizens of this state deserve and must demand elected officials who serve honestly and with integrity,” he added.

Brady also emphasized the need for more voter choices in Illinois. “First, George Ryan, a Republican, and now Rob Blagojevich, a Democrat, abusing the public trust in an attempt to enrich themselves,” he said. “I hope this sends a signal to the voters of Illinois and to the media that there really is no difference between the two major parties, and more choices are needed,” said Brady. “We fully expect to provide an alternative candidate for governor who is well qualified, accountable and responsive,” he added. “I challenge all media to provide equal attention to all third parties during the next campaign for governor,” he added.

Anyway, here’s the opening paragraphs of the paragraph posted in LP.org:

Following Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, and the support of the massive bailouts by Republican members of Congress, the Libertarian Party says it has replaced the GOP as the party of free market advocates.

“The Republican Party no longer represents advocates of capitalism and the free market,” says Libertarian Party Director of Communications Andrew Davis. “The GOP’s mindless support of regulatory economic policy indicates it no longer has any philosophical or pragmatic opposition to government intervention in the marketplace. This abandonment of free market principles makes the Republican Party no more opposed to big government than their Democratic counterparts.”

I know! You coulda knocked me over with a feather when I read that.

Feh. I was born and raised in the Land of Lincoln. Honest Abe was no tyrant, and I have no use for anyone who promotes the idea that he was. That kept me from supporting Paul at all.

So, I was king of amused with I saw an article on LewRockwell.com titled: “I’m a Bad Libertarian.” I wasn’t written by Lew or Congressman Ron, but it’s still ironic.

The other problem I have with the Libertarian Free Market is this. I loathe Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buys, MacDonald’s and even Piggly Wiggly. The problem there is corporations result when the market is totally free. With corporations we enjoy… offshore outsourcing of manufacturing. That means some guy in Asia who will work for next to nothing gets jobs that should go to Americans. It also means the death penalty to the mom and pop businesses. How can they compete? Usually they can’t. What happened to Uncle Bill’s hardware and Fishing Supplies? Oh, Home Depot and Sports Chalet replaced that. Bill now works the floor of the Lowe’s in the plumbing department at $9 per hour. He’s surly, doesn’t care and pounds down a six-pack a night. Joe the Plumber didn’t have any openings on his staff for Bill.

I guess I have trouble with the totally free market, not that I have a better solution. But I’m none too thrilled by the strip malls all looking the same and owned by nameless faceless corporations. They have destroyed the American dream and replaced service, adventure and good neighborly shops with Pop Tarts.

Here’s the thing: Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton WAS a mom & pop business owner. He was also a shrewd businessman. He risked his own money to expand his business. He didn’t do anything that any one of the people he competed out of business could not also have done.

Mr. Sam is dead now. Sure, some of his family members are still alive and have a role in the family business. But all them are short-term greed-heads. There is no doubt in my mind these idiots will nick and dime themselves to death and someone will come along and eat their lunch.

And as a free-market guy, I do the mom & pop thing as much as I can. That’s my choice.

One of the hardest things Libertarians face is that concept that’s been ingrained into the brains of Americans: It’s the government’s job to tweak the rules so the outcome benefits them. Or, benefits people they find more deserving.

In other words, when other people are allowed to make choices, sometimes it’s not the choices you would make. It’s price you pay for living in a free society that lets YOU make the choices YOU want to make.

I know it’s frightening, but that’s what being an adult is all about.

So grow up already.