me. host: we want to tell you about the program coming up tomorrow, sunday, may 6 on the "washington journal." a former cia bin laden unit chief will be talking about west point as a center talking about that its retreat from the raid and the center. we will also be talking with trade grayson from harvard institute of politics, talking about a nickel of rigid talking about a poll of 18 to 29-year- old. and we will talk with the mayor of charlotte, north carolina, and he will discuss his state as a battleground state and preparations the city is going through to get ready for the democratic national convention that is coming up in september. we want to thank everyone for participating in this edition of the "washington journal." we will see you again tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern time. [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> next from the libertarian party national convention in las vegas, a debate between their presidential candidates. at noon eastern, live coverage of the balloting process and nominations and later, president obama rhee opens his a lot -- reelection campaign on the campus of a college. gary johnson says he would abolish the irs and education department at the were president. the former new mexico governor was involved in the debate.

he ran in the republican presidential primary before dropping out in december of 2011. he is expected to be chosen as the libertarian party boss presidential nominee on saturday >> good evening. welcome to the delegates of the 2012 libertarian national convention. welcome to our friends in the c- span audience and all support the cause of human liberty. this is the presidential nominating convention of the libertarian party. tonight is the final candidates debate. only two candidates have survived a rigorous process to qualify for this debate. and they are coming onstage, mr. lee wrights. [applause] he hails from burnett, texas. and our second candidate, gary johnson. [applause]

i think you all know gary is the former governor of new mexico and he is currently a resident of telson, new mexico. taos, new mexico. each candidate will have a three minute opening statement in which they can tell you just about anything they would like to tell you. after that, we will have questions and each candidate will have 90 seconds maximum to answer the questions that are posed. there is a possibility of rebuttal if something comes up in one man's response. that is 30 seconds. then the concluding statement. we have in front of us a timer. to help us keep order.

delegates also have had the opportunity to submit questions. we have some of those. i will try to present those, perhaps paraphrasing to fit better into this format. with that introduction, i would like to begin. we will alternate in the response time. that seems fair. mr. johnson, will you begin with your 3 minute opening statement? >> government in this country needs to occur under strict adherence to the u.s. constitution. the bad news is that this country is in really deep trouble. we are going to experience a collapse in government.

we are going to experience a monetary collapse given the fact that we are borrowing and printing money to the tune of 43 cents out of every dollar. that is the bad news. the good news is that we can fix this. we went to the moon. we can fix this. we need to stop printing money. we need to slash spending and do that now. [applause] as president of the united states, i am making three promises. first promise -- i promise to submit a balanced budget to congress in the year 2013. [applause] that is not promising a balanced budget because congress will have to go along with that. but i will submit a document with a $1.40 trillion reduction in federal spending -- a 43% reduction in spending. [applause]

second promise, i promise to veto any expenditures that exceed revenue. as governor of new mexico, i may have vetoed more legislation than the other 49 governors in the country combined. i have no aversion to be going -- vetoing legislation. [applause] i suggest to you that under those -- with those promises kept, that spending will be lower than any other possible scenario you can come up with. lastly, i promised to advocate on throwing out the entire federal tax system. no income-tax, no corporate tax, no tax withholding. abolish the irs. [applause]

replace it with a consumption tax which i think from a libertarian standpoint sets the stage for zero attacks. i think the pressure will be on the consumption -- i think the pressure will be on that tax to reduce it, reduce it, reduce it to the point where we do not have taxes and the longer. at a minimum, it is a improvement over what we currently have. it is cost neutral. the gives america competitive edge when it comes to exports. it is the answer when it comes to exports and when it comes to china and when it comes to jobs in this country because in a zero corporate tax rate environment, at the private sector does not create tens of millions of jobs, then there is no environment under which that will happen. thank you. [applause]

>> mr. wrights. >> thank you for having me. i feel like i am at a family reunion. [applause] i wish america could be in this room with us to feel what we have here. something that is so different from the politics of america today. i am running for president. this is for you, america. so i can leave you alone. [applause] the greatest problem we have in this country right now is we have learned to seek our solutions from government. what makes us different is we learned that he government is not the solution. government exacerbates all the problems that we have. my campaign promise, my main campaign promise is when i

become president, the first act i will perpetrate is i'm going to declare peace. [applause] i am not just talking about the foreign interventions we are involved in which are way too many. i am talking about the wars we have right here at home. the most devastating wars we can have are bringing us economically and morally. i reminded 60's -- of the 60's. president johnson. a war on poverty. no more poor people. the war did not work. president carter gave us the federal education department. he knew how hard it was for us to raise our children. wipe it out. been turning out functional illiterates ever since.

the most devastating war this country has ever known, the war on drugs started by president nixon, has got to stop. [applause] we have done the research. what we have learned is war does not work. it does not solve the problems. you do not teach people it is wrong to kill people by killing people. [applause] you do not teach foreign countries it is wrong to bomb people by bombing other countries. [applause] that is why i'm glad to be here tonight to be able to offer libertarians and americans rational alternatives and true choices. something be so sorely needed. join me in saying i am not at war. it's enough of us say it, they cannot have them anymore.

[applause] >> we're going to go into the question and answer portion. i have a couple of questions to begin with which i think will be of particular interest to the delegates of the libertarian party convention. my first question is to you, mr. wrights. tell us about your discovery of the libertarian party and what brought you to join it. >> i discovered the libertarian party in the latter part of the 1990's. that is when ashley join the party. my journey was different than other people. i do not know that my father has ever voted. i am not sure he even knew what the war -- a word libertarian meant but he raised a libertarian. someone that knows how to mind

their own business when they are supposed to, be helpful to your neighbor but keep your nose out of their business when they do not need it. to be responsible for yourself. this is a live tour is, ladies and gentlemen. it is more than a political party and more than the people like dental this room. -- in this room. we have made a personal choice to live responsibly for ourselves, not to seek help from government agencies in but to be sufficient on our own. so just the natural way i was raised as a child brought me to the libertarian party. in 1976, i was a brand new voter. i lived in north carolina and there was no libertarian party at the time. even then, i cannot bring myself to register as a democrat or republican gary the only thing i have ever been registered besides a libertarian is an unaffiliated voters.

[applause] libertarians have the answers to the problems of this country. we can give to them now. [applause] >> in 1971, i got a book handed to me that said here is what it is to be libertarian. it was a very short reed and it said after you have read this, please pass this book on so that others might share and understand what it is to be a libertarian. when i read that book, i quickly recognize that i was a libertarian and i had been 1 cents. basically i came -- once since. basically i came away with the notion that he will always be able to predict where a libertarian stands on all of the issues because a libertarian will look at freedom first. everything has its bases in freedom. as long as that freedom does not impose on others, then you should be free to exert that

freedom. i passed that book on. i remember attending a congressional debate in new mexico in the early 1980's. there were democrats, a republican and a libertarian. the discussion afterwards was who won the debate? everybody. the libertarian won the debate but who are we going to vote for because the libertarian will not win. that has been the course of the libertarian party. arguably, i got to serve eight years as governor of new mexico as a libertarian governor under the guise of being a republican. [applause] i have come out of the closet and i hope -- [applause] and i hope i am the first, if

not the first of millions to do the same. [applause] >> thank you. mr. johnson, from my own past experience, i know there are a couple of questions that always come up to libertarian candidates. so i will present them one at a time. what is the libertarian party? >> what is the libertarian party? the libertarian party is a party that is going to stand up for personal freedom. the libertarian party is that party that will advocate on the government's absolute responsibility, the notion to protect us against individuals, corporations and groups that would do us harm. the libertarian party

encompasses the best of both the donkeys and elephants. that is the notion that the donkeys have released the up historically -- stood up historically for civil liberties. i do not think they have done so well as of late. republicans historically, the party that's the up for dollars and cents. i do not think they have done so well of that as of late. i do not know if they have ever done well by that. so i am telling people that the libertarians and, as the best of both parties. the notion of fiscal responsibility and the notion of social tolerance. [applause] that is where i stand. i think the majority of americans stand. that gets your foot in the door. what are the problems facing this country, the solutions to

those problems? as someone running for president of the united states, do you have a resident to suggest you can actually carry out what it is you're talking about? [applause] >> mr. wrights. >> the libertarian party to me personally is my family. [applause] what it should be to everyone is a home, just like for us. the libertarian party is america. americans. everyone of us. the realize the problems we face in this country are caused more times than not in the government that is supposed to be serving us. we end up serving the government instead of the other way around. we understand that, we realize that and this is our way of defending ourselves against the

aggression of democrats and republicans that care more about corporate interest, banking interests, special- interest lobbyists than they do the people they are supposed to represent. [applause] i will yield the rest of my time. [laughter] >> we will see if we can make good use of it. the second of those ever- present questions to libertarian candidates is -- what is libertarianism? >> i went into that and the bit earlier. libertarianism is a life choice. we decide that we want to make our own decisions without anybody being in involved in that -- involved in it. decisions about our marriage and who we will spend the rest of our lives with. the most intimate questions we

need to resolve the in our lives should be solved by us, not a set of bureaucrats hundreds of miles away more interested in somebody else than they are about me. [applause] libertarianism realizes it is ok to be different. a government that cannot protect us at the mall when we are able-bodied cannot take as we take care of us in our old age. these are all things that make up the libertarian party. knowing that we are better to make our own decisions that to make those decisions in -- put in those decisions in the hands of someone else. every time i put decisions into the hands of someone else, my fate becomes uncertain because i have gifted them the power of -- over me. libertarians no better than to do that.

we know the importance of that and that is why i am here. [applause] >> mr. johnson, what is libertarianism? >> just do not tell me what to do. [applause] and of course if i am going to put others in harm's way, or do harm to others, yes, government needs to be involved. libertarianism is individualism. the power of the individual, the power that i have as an individual -- what is the best thing that i can do for others surrounding me to affect their lives in a positive way?

it is to be the best that i can possibly be. i think that the libertarianism, the freedom to make choices for ourselves. those choices in the context of not doing any harm to others. [applause] >> this one will go to you first, mr. johnson. do the libertarians really want to end the federal government's war on drugs? would doing so leads to excessive drug use and crime? [laughter] >> 40 years ago when the libertarian party was founded, what were people saying at as a whole? that is the crazy party that wants to legalize drugs. that was 40 years ago.

40 years ago when i heard that, i wanted to understand what that meant. it did not take long to understand how much better it would be to decriminalize legalized drugs. i came to that understanding. we should be able to make our own choices when it comes to drugs. let's legalize drugs. control it, regulate it, tax it. libertarians 40 years ago talked about legalizing drugs. now in this country we are at a tipping point where 50% of americans now support legalizing marijuana. that has never happened before. who deserves credit for that? the libertarian party deserves credit. [applause]

so i think there is an opportunity here with the liberty union -- libertarian party. we have been talking and that the issue. we understand it. what else is the libertarian party talking about? i think there is an opportunity here to change the world and i am talking about the libertarian party changing the world. [applause] >> well, there is a drug problem in this country, a horrible drug problem, and it is called the drug war. [applause] now, i have heard it all, i have been around a long time. libertarians want your children to get high all the time. we do not. we want to stop killing. wars are people killing each other. our kids killing themselves over drugs? no, they're killing themselves over the money that can be made,

and exorbitant product because we have prohibited it. america needs to take a lesson from her own history. [applause] we had a little prohibition problem in the last century. we prohibited alcohol. how did that turn out? we created one of the largest criminal organizations the world has ever known. the mafia was little more than street gangs, unorganized, petty crimes. day out on alcohol and turned it into a criminal enterprise that is still -- they outlawed alcohol and turned it into a criminal enterprise that is still going today. we need to learn from our own history. the wars don't work. stop sending people to prison. send them to treatment. [applause]

>> where do libertarians' stand on the question of whether individuals have the right to own and carry guns? >> [laughter] well, i don't know about the rest of you all, but it is not a good idea to crawl in my window after midnight. [applause] i do not dial 911. [laughter] the founders knew exactly what they were doing and i have often said that the only mistake they made in the bill of rights is that the second amendment should of been the first. without that, without the ability to defend ourselves, all the other rights go away, folks. it can be taken away easily. the founders of this country did not institute the second

amendment because they were afraid of their neighbors. they knew they needed them to protect themselves from government. now remember, the american revolution was kicked off when the british marched to take away their guns. [applause] they tolerated everything else, the taxes, but when it came to take their arms away from them, this country went into revolution. make no mistake. i believe in gun control. that is why i use both hands. [applause] >> mr. johnson. >> i think government needs to occur under strict adherence to the united states constitution.

i do not know how the second amendment could be any clearer. i will tell you, running for governor of new mexico the first time -- and i have run for two political offices in my lifetime, this being the third, but governor of mexico and reelection governor as governor of new mexico, what was really an issue was concealed carry. it was the issue of the day and i had many republican opponents in the primary, all of whom were very well established, but when it came to the question of concealed carry, everybody was singing to tap dance. when the question came to me, i said you know what? that sounds like a really good idea. it sounds like you would actually reduce gun violence, not increase in violence. [applause] and that ended up as headlines

in the paper the next day. i am not the guy who is going to sign off on legislation or promote legislation as the number of bullets in the clip, the size of the gun or the caliber of the weapon. [applause] >> mr. johnson, you get the first crack at the next one. what does your party want to do about the problems associated with illegal immigration? >> illegal immigration, then thing. legal immigration, a good thing. i think we should make it as easy as possible for somebody who wants to come into this country and work to get a work visa. not a green card, not citizenship, but a work visa that would entail a background check and the social security cards and other applicable taxes would get paid. now, if we implement a fair tax, taxes are not an issue of all, whether you are legal,

illegal, a visitor, a u.s. citizen, you're not going to be able to avoid paying a fair tax. with regard to the 11 million illegal immigrants in the country right now, we need to setup a grace period by which we can document those in legal immigrants. what is the reason we have 11 million in illegal immigrants? it is the unintended consequence of reagan setting up his amnesty in the 1980's and putting government in charge of quotas, matching a businesses with potential employees. that was a breakdown from day one. if you want to come into this country and work, you can i get a work visa, and yet you know if you come across -- you cannot get a work visa, and yet you know if you come across the border, you can get a visa. that is the phenomenon that has occurred. the other problem is violence around the border. that is drug-related and

prohibition related. legalize marijuana and arguably 70% of the drug violence in mexico goes away. this is a prohibition phenomenon. [applause] >> this is a good subject, particularly for libertarians because illegal immigration is an area where we can truly show how the government has made things worse. how many of you watch stossel? he did a report a couple months ago, and it turns out that if you are a ph.d. and you live in india and you want to immigrate to this country, it takes to between five-seven years. that is a reasonable amount of time, most folks would say. [laughter] wait. it gets better. if you are an unskilled laborer from south of the border, it

takes to 131 years. i do not know about you, but i do not know too many 131-year- old people running around. the reason we have a problem is because we have made it impossible for people to follow the law. if you write a law that can be followed, nobody is going to [applause] i mean, we have literally, literally made it easier to swim the rio grande then to climb mount bureaucracy. that is the problem. [applause] >> the social security program does not appear to be sustainable as currently constituted. what would a libertarian president do about that?

it. libertarians believe in contracts. we believe in the sanctity of those contracts, individual contracts. that is what we base our -- the other. social security is a contract. our government has made a contract with each one of us individually and a promise to take care of us. good lord. [laughter] what i propose to do about social security is honor the contract that we have our team made but stop making new contracts that we know are bad. let's stop lying to young people in this country and telling them the money is going to be there when it ain't going to be there. [applause] america. stop telling people they're going to get something when they know that they are not. they are already bankrupt. honor the contracts we are made

and stop making new bad contracts. let people keep their money and plan for their own retirement. you take better care of yourself than the government can never take of you. [applause] >> social security is a problem that has really paled in comparison to medicare. social security is absolutely stable, if you will, and it happens through the following way. it is a system that needs to take in more money than it pays out. to reform social security, raising the retirement age, coming up with their means testing, at changing it from the wage index to the inflation rate and then perhaps having an often/opt out provision. if we adopt a fair tax, it does away with withholdings from your payroll check. so no more contributions to social security.

no more employer match. that would come out of the proceeds of the fair tax. by comparison, social security, a very flexible. it is money that we have all paid in. it has been paid into the excess of $3.50 trillion to date, more than what has been paid out, but of course, the government has spent that $3.5 trillion. i would suggest that this is very fixable, very doable, and this is a problem that pales in comparison to medicare, medicaid, and perhaps we could argue the reduction of spending when it comes to the military. [applause] >> interesting you should mention medicare and medicaid since that is my next question. we of federal medicare, medicaid and obamacare, maybe, depending on the supreme court.

how will libertarian president deal with the problems of providing medical care for america's underinsured, elderly and poor? >> as governor of new mexico, i ever saw the reform of medicaid in new mexico. we took it from a fee-for- service model to a managed-care model. ed we saved hundreds of millions of dollars and improved health care in the state. at that time, i believe if the federal government would have block granted the state of new mexico 43% less money for health care for the poor, done away with all the strings for the mandate, than i could have overseen delivery of health care to the poor, those truly in need. i believe that health care for those over 65, which is the same phenomenon, would have occurred if i had been given oversight of implementation of the delivery of health care to those over 65.

the federal government, which is always been a federal program when it comes to medicare, if it were to make medicare a safe program, a block grant the state's 42% less money or have the states never send it to washington in the first place, but i maintain that with 50 laboratories of innovation and best practice, the states, that we will actually come up with some fabulous solutions for health care delivery for those truly in need and those over 65. but the notion that washington knows best, washington top-down has the answers, that is what has us in a state of bankruptcy at the moment. [applause] >> as far as medicare goes, it is not just a matter of money. it is not just a matter of budgets. we're talking about lives,

ladies and gentlemen. we're talking about care being rationed once you get too old. the government gets to decide if you need to extend your life and not. that's crazy. it is not about money. it is about saving lives. knowing that we're better off taking care of ourselves, let me keep my money and purchase my own doctor. i can do a better job and i do not want anybody in the way when i'm sick between me and that doctor. i do not want an insurance company telling me you cannot do such and such riney to go to another doctor so i can get any. i do not need a bureaucrat telling me i'm going to take care of you. they have lied to you too many times. they have lied to all of us. [applause] if you removed everything, and i mean literally, everything, from the federal budget except for social security, military budget and medicare, we would still be putting our

grandchildren into debt. we have got to stop these programs that feed this crazy spending indiction that we seem to have. if you have a crack addict, you do not give him more crack to get him off of it. if you have a spending addict, you do not keep giving him money to make him stop spending. we have to stop government. get it out of the way. let us take care of ourselves, please. [applause] >> there was a major financial collapse in 2007-2008, leading to what some call the great recession, and leading to a federal bailout of large companies, including banks. what would you have done in those dismal economic circumstances? >> no one company is too big to

fail. no one. [applause] why did they take our money and give it to the corporations? why? corporations are getting people elected, aren't they? who is going to give you a bailout when you need it? the government says they will, but then they say they are sorry, this is regulation. you don't cut it. i do not hear that when i'm in trouble. i want to figure out a way to get out of it. i don't expect my neighbors to come over and bail me out, and i certainly do not want to

bailout carmakers, banks that going to fail, fannie and say, all of them. let them fail. [applause] >> capitalism on the way up, communism on the way down. [applause] look. there were some incredibly bad decisions made by wall street. they should have been rewarded for these four decisions by being allowed to fail as opposed to as billing amount -- poor decisions by being allowed to fail as opposed to us bailing them out and on top of that giving themselves bonuses. there was an incredibly bad decision making that was allowed. and the point that he the one of the rules and regulations that played a role -- let me point out to you that one of the

rules and regulations that played a role was as a result of an iran. congress came up with sarbanes oxley. -- a result of enron. congress came up with sarbanes oxley. i thought wow, this is a rule and regulation that makes total sense. it turned out that on december 20th, there was $180,000 transaction and a multi trillion dollar mortgage derivative markets, and because of the law, everybody had to mark their assets down from $1 to $0.50. that was a huge price of butter of the collapse. -- precipitator of the collapse. [applause]

>> since the 1930's, the federal government has provided subsidies and loan guarantees to farmers. as president, what would you do with regard to these programs? >> do away with the department agriculture first of all. [applause] we need to get farmers back to farming. the biggest program that the department of agriculture came to farm. i cannot understand how that helps farmers, frankly. do not do what you know how to do. do not do what you've learned how do. do not do what your parents have learned how do. we will pay you not to do it. at one time, that might have seemed pretty attractive to me. don't get paid to do nothing. that's not a hard job. the problem is, everybody else

is paying for it, me, you. i do not want to pay everybody not to work. it does not make sense. and yet the largest thing they have done is pay people not to work. it is crazy. do away with the department of agriculture. that is what i would do. [applause] >> i am promising to submit a balanced budget to congress in 2013. included in that budget is a 43% reduction in farm subsidies. if there's any way to line out subsidies for ethanol, that is something i would completely line out, believing that it takes more energy to produce ethanol than it produces. [applause]

>> mr. johnson, the president has the power to issue executive orders directing power from the executive branch. what, if any, executive order would you issue in your first week in office? >> i will tell you that i had no aversion to implementing executive orders as governor of new mexico. one of the things i did as governor was issued an executive order for the reform of welfare in new mexico. the notion that if you could work, you would work. the notion that if somebody was making $100 from the government, how about if the government reduce that to $70, but then if you worked and made $70 you could make the 70 and

take the 70 or the 100 40's as opposed to -- i am using this as an example, but the point is if you could work he would work. it was an executive order. it was challenged immediately by the legislator that it was unconstitutional that i was doing this by executive order as opposed to legislatively. i will tell you that all of the help wanted signs in new mexico went down. they all came down. everybody the could work was working. it worked. [applause] the supreme court ruled after about a month that when i had done was unconstitutional. the help-wanted signs went back up and the legislator never cottoned to law -- never codified into law something i had proven had worked.

controlling all the agencies, controlling all the rules and regulations, do not underestimate the power of that when it comes to change. i have seen positive change from the standpoint of reducing the time in the amount of money that it takes to comply with government. [applause] >> mr. johnson won over by about 20 seconds. >> that's all right. >> i had about a minute left from the previous question. >> do we have a banking role? >> we have to be careful. we are having too much fun now. >> anyway, this is about the executive orders he might issue. >> i can only think of wine, and that is to repeal all previous executive orders.

-- can only think of one, and that is to repeal all previous executive orders. [applause] i want a government that fits inside of this. [applause] if you cannot see it, this is a cato pocket constitution. look how small it is. huh? i would repeal every one of them that has come before me. >> the next question is somewhat of a follow-up to that one. the united states has 14 non-

defense cabinet level departments. as president, are there any of these you would work to eliminate? >> those are the first ones to go. [laughter] our problem again, we have so many government bureaucrats and regulators doing nothing. i learned something i was in the service. it bodes well for me from time to time. i found it if i walked around with a clipboard in one hand and a screwdriver in the other, they left me alone. [laughter] i could go get a cup of coffee. i have my clipboard. i have my screwdriver. he must be doing something. leave him alone. [laughter] we have government agencies doing that right now. act busy. act busy, they will leave us alone. and they are right. they acted busy and we left them alone. it is time not to leave them alone anymore. let's do away with all this

nonsense. we have to reduce government. we have to reduce spending. that is the only way to return america to the prosperity we deserve for ourselves and our children. [applause] >> mr. johnson. >> i am promising to submit a balanced budget to congress in the year 2013. that is a 43% reduction in current federal spending, unprecedented. slashing federal spending by one $0.40 trillion. i'm absolutely open to debate -- to one $0.40 trillion. -- to $1.4 trillion. i'm absolutely open to debate about what to eliminate. [applause] the time specific about our housing and development, education, homeland security. [applause]

homeland security being incredibly redundant, education. i don't think that america understands the department of education was established in 1979 by jimmy carter. i do not think americans understand it when it comes to education, when the federal government gives each state about $0.11 out of every school dollar that every state spends, it comes with $0.16 of strings attached. it is really a negative to take federal dollars. [applause] return education to the states. 50 laboratories of innovation and best practice. that is exactly what we will see. we will see some fabulous success the kids and elated. -- that gets emulated endwe're also going to see some spectacular failure the gets avoided because we are so competitive. [applause]

>> mr. johnson, according to the constitution, the president as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. if elected, how would you exercise that power with respect to the deployment of u.s. armed services personnel? >> in a non-interventionist. i do knocked -- i do not want to use american military might anywhere. [applause] but i think it is one of the primary responsibilities, if not the primary responsibility of the president of the united states to be vigilant about military threats coming from anywhere. to my knowledge, right now there is no military threat anywhere, of the to say that we should not be vigilant to what may in fact be military threats, absolutely. we talk about preemptive strike. well, pre-emptive strike is the notion that if the trigger is cocked and the trigger is going to get pulled, i think we want

to have a president that is going to be vigilant and will have the intelligence to make those decisions and be on top of this decisions. but that would be also -- submitting that to congress for a declaration of war for any military conflict anywhere. [applause] non-interventionist. let's stop using our military, let's stop with the unintended consequences that come along with our military might. i ran. i ran, to my knowledge is not a military threat. we should be vigilant to the fact that it may be, but it is not. unintendedand consequence of us having taken out iraq. [applause]

>> if i was commander in chief there would be no more deployments. [applause] folks.ious about this, i will declare peace. [applause] let's be clear -- i am not a passive. -- i am not a pacifist. if we are attacked, i will go to war. we will put an end to it and go right back to being at peace. we will not occupy someone for 10 or 12 years and keep our men and women dying for no reason. if we will bring them home. [applause] we're not going to deploy troops anywhere. we will bring a work -- our military home and we will let them meet their fathers and mothers and get to know them. [applause]

have enough people not died in this world already? no more double imus. let's bring the troops home and do it now. [applause] -- no more deployments. quickly andr -- with this. i was in hawaii at a state convention and stayed with a friend of mine in every morning he listened to npr which drove me crazy. i went along with it. this morning they had a spot about this young man that was going off to war. they said how he was in the third great when 9/11 happened and how this young man had waited his whole life to go to war, just hoping it would not and so he could get a f in toray and i'm sure he's not alone. we should not be raising children like that, folks. nobody should have to grow that

way. [applause] >> mr. wrights, you get the next one as well. it is somewhat of a follow-up -- in a broader way, can you summarize the foreign-policy, the overall foreign policy that you as a libertarian president would attempt to put into place? >> that is a lot, some -- that is odd because someone told me before i got appear that i should not talk about foreign policy. i said i could not help that. our foreign policy creates more enemies than it does anything else because our foreign policy [applause] our foreign policy is what i like to call a nosy neighbor policy. think about it -- what is worse than somebody moving next door

to you and you never met them and right away they are in your business all the time? they might say that tree in your backyard doesn't look right and i will come over with my chain saw and cut it down. ottawa. should to don't worry, i will take care of it. it makes you want to go to war, doesn't it? [laughter] [applause] what would be worse than that is that nosy neighbor lived in the next street over or maybe did not even live in your town, maybe a lid on the other side of the world and is still in your business everyday. [applause] our foreign policy grease the problems we face now and that is why we have so many enemies and that's why we have to be afraid. starke -- stop being a nosy neighbor, start being a good neighbor, that is my foreign- policy. [applause] i don't know what they're worried about. that is not so bad. >> mr. johnson, in your

response, you will have an extra 30 seconds if you require it. want any man or service women to lose their lives while i am president of united states. i really want to put it thank you out there to all of you better. my father is here. dad, raise your hand. [applause] my dad is here. my father paratroop to into normandy the day before the d- day invasion along with 24,000 others in the 101st airborne division. father withbayonetted at the battle of bastonne. i don't want to see any other

american undergo this. i am completely opposed to foreign aid, the notion that we are borrowing 43 cents out of every dollar and turning around and giving it away to a foreign country. i think that is crazy. [applause] we should follow a policy of non-intervention but i would like to also distinguished that between isolationism. i think we want to take part in debate and discussion and diplomacy. we want to be a part of mutual benefit for all. balanced budget, i promised to submit a balanced budget to congress in 2013 and that will entail a 43% reduction in military [applause] ] it is reducing nuclear warheads from 23 hundredto 500, it is the

military footprint we have on the globe currently, removing ourselves from the current conflict we're involved in, it is research and development, is intelligence, is the military uniform and civilian support staff that goes along with that. the biggest threat to our national security is the fact that we're banged. [applause] -- that we are bankrupt. [applause] >> mr. johnson, you get the next one, right? two choices, tough -- since 9/11, the federal government has given us the department of, and security, the transportation security administration, and the national defense authorization act. how would you approach the problems of domestic security? >> i vetoed 750 bills while i

was governor of new mexico. i had thousands of line-item vetoes and only two or overturn that amid a difference when it came to billions of dollars worth of spending and make a difference when it came to laws passed that would have just added time and money for us to have to comply with government. i have no aversion to vetoing legislation. how does that apply to the president of united states? if i would have been president of united states, i would have vetoed homeland security. don't do it! [applause] incredibly redundant. these activities were already taking place. they gave mexico money for a homeland security department. it became an added title. there was nothing added when it came to homeland security or the federal government.

i would have never established the tsa. i would have left the airport security to the airline's coming municipalities -- to the airlines, the municipalities, and the state. it would be as safe and less interest. the national defense authorization act, i would have vetoed it. [applause] >> i can honestly say i would do all of that. [applause] homeland security, there is no more redundant department then that -- than that. we have had the national department of defense and that is the way it should stay. tsa has been in existence for 10 years. there's only one thing they have

never confiscated, a terrorist. [laughter] [applause] they had gotten your pocket knives and combs and big bottles of water you cannot have on an airplane. they have all that stuff but have never caught one terrorist. what good are they? they just make me late for my plane most of the time because i do not like going through. i remember the first time i had to go through the scanners. i had to do my little -- [laughter] i stepped out. there was a guard that was trying to be pleasant. i said i was fine until i had to go through that damn thing he launched into an explanation of why i needed to do that. he had a trainee beside him. i said, i know why you are doing it. he said to tell him why.

i said, because somebody told you to. [applause] theater. that is what it is. i am sure the trainee reprimanded because she reacted the same way y'all did. [applause] >> what would you say are the essentials of a libertarian domestic economic policy? >> the essentials of that are getting the government of the way. [applause] we get the question all the time. i hope i am not spoiling one of your questions. if i do, i apologize. we have been asked many times what the president can do about creating jobs. i looked into that. i have found there is a way the president can create jobs -- by firing people.

[applause] i know it sounds funny, but it is true. we have done the research for every regulator and your credit loses their job, 150 private sector jobs are created. this is not going to be hard. you are fired, 150. i know, it sounds crazy, but that would be my answer to it, start firing people. [applause] >> mr. johnson? >> about a year ago, they came out with a report on who had the best jobs record when it came to their time in office. i have the best record when it came to jobs. [applause] my response to that was the same

as my response to that when i was governor of new mexico. i did not create one single job as governor of new mexico. the private sector creates jobs. [applause] but do not underestimate the power of the executive when it comes to appointing the heads of all the agencies, all boards and commissions, in essence controlling all rules and regulations. do not underestimate that. i will tell you that in new mexico, rules and regulations got better on a daily basis. they got better from the standpoint of taking less time and money to comply with what it was government wanted. in new mexico, i am going to argue that businesses went to bed knowing with certainty that things were not going to get worse because johnson was not going to let them get worse. he was always going to be advocating on the part of free-

market spirit i really believe -- advocating on the part of free markets. i really believe in taking the money out of politics. i believe implementing the fair tax would give great pain to half of washington lobbyists. in the zero tax rate environment, if the private sector does not create tens of millions of jobs with the zero corporate tax rate, there is no environment in which that will happen. [applause] >> mr. johnson, what is the proper role of the federal government with respect to education? what would you do to implement that role? >> i think answered that early from -- earlier. i would abolish the department of education, believing that if we give education back to the

states, innovation and best practices is what we will have. no governor was more honest doubt -- outspoken than me regarding school tours. i believe the only way to improve education in new mexico was to bring about school choice. [applause] are proposed for six straight years a full-blown voucher system that would have brought about competition to public education. in this environment of giving education back to the states, if i am still governor of new mexico and one of the governor's given control of how education gets run and reformed, i am going to advocate on the part of bringing competition to public education. [applause]

>> mr. wrights? >> i too would abolish the public education department because i do not believe in child abuse. [applause] what could be more important than educating our young people? too important to turn it over to any government agency. [applause] education should be taken out of the hands of the federal government. i would go further and say it should be taken out of the hands of the state government. [applause] education belongs in the communities where those children will be educated, where the families get together and hire teachers and are able to keep an eye on how well their education progresses, not to have all the

strings that come from state and federal involvement that has caused us to churn out so many functional illiterates. when my second daughter started school, i did the research. it cost $9,000 per student to educate our children and give them a copy education. north carolina was 47 in the country at the time. my daughter went to private school for $3,000 a year. she got a great education for 1/3 of the price. that is a classic, real-world example of how we can do it better than government, folks. [applause] it is my turn. [laughter]

>> when is it going to be my turn? [laughter] >> the housing situation is in the doldrums with many homeowners under water on their mortgages. what if anything should the federal government do about that? >> get out of the way. for crying out loud, i hate to sound like a broken record, but here is a perfect example. has anybody been paying attention? freddie mac and fannie mae gave loans to people that should not have had them. now they cannot afford their home. they could not afford it in the first place. let's bring some common sense back to government. let's bring common sense back to america. let's think about these things and not just turn it over to the government and say i do not have to worry about it anymore. i have never been more worried than when the government is involved in something. [applause]

>> government absolutely. responsibility for making loans available at interest rates and terms that were completely unrealistic. individuals involved in taking the loans have personal responsibility to understand whether or not they could afford what they were buying. i just think the mortgage market for housing would have been allowed to collapse, if the free market would have come to bear, we would have seen a market bottom. we would have seen it quickly. for a lot of people who saved their entire lives, they would have found that $180,000 home they had been saving to buy was now available for $70,000 and they would have been able to

purchase that. this is the land of opportunity. if you look at the market collapse, this would have been the opportunity for millions of americans who were not given that opportunity. the government step in and has created another bubble with regard to real estate. it has prop it up. we still have not seen a market bottom. it is an artificial comeback of the real-estate market. government does bear responsibility, but so do the individuals that to count alums. [applause] -- but so do the individuals that took out the loans. [applause] but the internal revenue code is a complex monstrosity. compliance costs individuals and businesses billions every year, in addition to the actual taxes

they're forced to pay. what would you propose to improve the situation, mr. johnson? >> i propose abolishing all federal tax, income tax, corporate tax, abolish the irs. [applause] i know a lot of you do not want to have anything to do with taxes. i do not want to have anything to do with taxes. as governor of new mexico, not one penny of tax went up over the years i was governor. that never happened. [applause] the key is slashing spending, something that has never happened before. i am advocating on the part of the fair tax. it is supposed to be revenue- neutral. by many analyses, it is a tax

reduction. it is a good thing. i think as start and improvement is to get rid of the irs. let's get rid of income tax and corporate tax. [applause] >> mr. wrights? >> i agree we need to abolish the irs and replace the income tax with nothing. [applause] the government has no right over your money. there is no such thing as a fair tax. [applause] nothing fair about a tax that allows the government to collect as much money as it is now and get no break to the american people. there is nothing fair about that. it might be fair to government, but it is not fair to us. we do not need a sales tax. we need tax cuts and to slash

the spending. that is where prosperity comes from. there will be no economic boost by replacing one talks with another. that does not work. we have to cut taxes and stop spending the money. we have to stop borrowing 43% of the money we do spend and stop printing bad money not worth the paper it's printed on. this is a favorite subject of most presidential campaigns. the democrats and republicans especially say, i will cut your taxes. the president cannot cut or raise your taxes. the president cannot do when your taxes. only congress can do that. if i were president, the things i would advocate for the strong this is to remove the stain from our constitution and abolish the 16th amendment. [applause]

>> an american audience listening to both of you on the tax question will come up with the next question, which is, how will you pay for the essential functions of government if we eliminate the income tax? >> if we just had the essential functions of government, it would not be that hard to pay for. the problem is we have government doing everything it is not supposed to. we could fund this country on the terrace and excise taxes outlined in the constitution -- on the tariffs and excise taxes outlined in the constitution if it were this small. we would not need all of the taxes. stop paying for golf courses so underprivileged children can learn the craft. you laugh, but it is in there. stop paying for the mating

habits of the tree frogs in oklahoma or whatever. we should examine a budget some time. all the politicians that have to stuff something in there for their constituents, the problem is we're paying for too much. reduce government. get it down to a manageable size. you would be surprised how easy it would be to balance the budget. [applause] >> mr. johnson? >> i think my advocacy of a 43% reduction is unprecedented. we're going to need to have the president able to articulate and take on the debates and discussions of what intel's a 43% reduction in spending. it is unprecedented. it has never happened before. [applause]

that needs to be concentration. that said, i think at a minimum that abolishing the federal income tax, abolishing corporate tax, abolishing the irs, replacing it with the consumption tax is an improvement over what we currently have. i would like for you to know that as president of the united states, i would like to articulate the need for dropping that tax. as opposed to what we have now, which is corporate interest, which is government for sale, both parties with their hands out and taking money to grant an individual or corporation their special compensation, that is what has this country in outrage. i share in the outrage of the tea party, which is that we spend too much money and need to

slash spending. i also share and the outrage of occupy wall street, which is this country is for sale and we are selling it. politicians are selling it. [applause] >> the federal reserve system -- ok, next question. [laughter] the federal reserve system was created in 1913. before that, inflation was virtually non existent. now the federal reserve system is a central bank which in most people's view is essential to our economy. what is your position on the federal reserve system? >> i would argue we had

inflation before the federal reserve was created the was equal to or exceeded any inflation we have seen today, prior to the establishment of the federal reserve. i would abolish the federal reserve if given the opportunity. [applause] but abolishing the federal reserve is not the end all. the end all is to stop printing money. if the federal reserve were abolished, the treasury could still print money and would still print money just like they did before there was a central bank, just like other countries without a central bank print money. the key is to slash spending. abolishing the federal reserve brings about transparency. that is a good thing. in lieu of abolishing the federal czar, let's audit it. let's bring transparency to the federal reserve -- in lieu of abolishing the federal reserve, let's audit it.

let's bring transparency to the federal reserve. we need a strong dollar policy coming from the federal reserve. we need to have competitive interest rates when it comes to the federal reserve. if the federal reserve board to make interest rates competitive, we would be in the midst of a monetary collapse. >> mr. wrights. >> i agree. end the fed. [applause] unfortunately, here we go again. i have stayed true to this throughout the campaign. i am not going to stand up here in front of my family and lie to you and tell you i can do something i cannot do. the president cannot abolish the fed. it was created by congress and congress is dealing with the to do away with it.

i would advocate doing away with it and repealing all when -- repealing all legal tender laws. we would turn competing currencies to the market. soon the federal reserve notes will go away because we all know they are not worth the paper they're printed on. people do not want that money. we do need to audit the fed. we need to know what is going on. we need to do away with them. the quickest way to do that would be to repeal the legal tender laws. let's return precious-metals to the commodity markets. the bad dollars will go away. [applause] >> the congress tends to pass very large, convoluted, complex, multipurpose laws.

some people have suggested that congress pass a one budget at a one subject at a -- want subject at a time act. [applause] would you comment on that? >> congress shall make no law -- stop right there. [laughter] i know that is unreasonable, so we will let them make some. the problem is congress is a legislative body just like every other legislative body. they do not think this law is for me, it is for everybody else. why read it? it is not for me. it is for somebody else. we do not need to know what is in it. they signed the patriot act. that was a law. nobody even could read it. making a constitutional

amendment to require it would be nice, but congress is not following the constitution now. [applause] we can ask the same question -- should we have a balanced budget amendment? that would be nice, but congress don't follow the constitution now. it will be up to the american people to start electing people like libertarians who will go to washington, go to the state capital and do what they say they are going to do and not spend all their time in office paying off all the others in office. -- those who got them in office. [applause] >> mr. johnson, would you comment -- it has been proposed and has supporters in congress -- the one subject at a time act? >> i would support the one subject at a time act. what we need is a precedent

that -- president that is going to veto legislation with earmarks in the legislation. if a bill is 80% something i could support and 20% something i could not support, i would veto that legislation. i have to tell you about my experience in this area. i vetoed 750 bills while i was governor of new mexico. [applause] i want to put this into context. that was more legislation than the other 49 governors in the country combined. that did not happen in a vacuum. there was debate, discussion. the world was. -- going to end2 and tomorrow

because of the bill that johnson vetoed today. i took on that debate and that discussion. i will tell you, 2-1, legislature and was a democrat. a third of the bills or -- were republican because republicans grew government just like democrats. [applause] just so there is no misunderstanding about who is up here talking to you, this is on -- un- official, but i believe i vetoed close to 100 bills where the vote in the legislature was close to 114-0. i vetoed the legislation and the veto stood because of the debate. [applause] >> on a related subject, mr. johnson, many pieces of

legislation, some call it major legislation, are hundreds of thousands of pages long as opposed to the act. -- of proposed federal acts. would you urge congress to pass the "read the bills act?" this is proposed legislation that already has sponsors in congress that would require public reading and the public opportunity to read a bill before it is exercised. >> i would absolutely support the "it read the bills act," but i go beyond that. here is what i did. when i vetoed those of 100 bills or the vote in the legislature was close to 114-0 -- by the way, only two of these bills was -- were overridden. but here was my dialogue -- republicans, i do not think you have time to read this legislation, but i did and here's what it says. i think that it grows

government. government becomes more interested. -- intrusive. it will cost more money and time to comply with this. i am vetoing it. you go ahead and override, but here are my reasons, and that legislation was not overridden. [applause] talking about legislation that has too many pages -- in my first year as governor of new mexico, they said the 400 pieces -- they sent me 400 pieces of legislation. the majority of legislation that its past is legislation that exists prior legislation, okay? -- fixes prior legislation. they sent me 400 bills the first year i was in office. i vetoed 200 of those bills. i always wrote a veto message. on one of the bills, i said this is a 260 page bill. it is too long. i do not have time to read it.

veto. [applause] >> i cannot believe i am going to say this and some of you will not believe it when you hear it -- i finally found a law i kind of like. [laughter] yes, i would support it. i would not have a whole lot of heart of it being followed, but i would support of that. we need to hold our represented is responsible for what they are doing up there. they need to take a lesson from individuals who have to be responsible for themselves. there is nothing worse than someone sitting in the position of authority with no incentive to do the right thing and no recourse for doing the wrong thing.

let's start putting people in jail and see how they like that. [applause] senators andfew representatives to jail for not doing their jobs. [applause] i cannot believemy tongue did not jump out of my mouth when i said i agreed with a law. >> do you agree with citizens in the territories to decide for themselves whether or not they wish to become a state or an independent country? >> absolutely. they are individuals. you cannot pass a freedom in a vacuum. you cannot have a freedom if you do not allow others to the same freedom you have. [applause]

a lot of these territories are acquisitions because the wars we have been in. most of the people who live there now were not even born when it happened. sure, they have a right to decide their own fate, whether they want to be part of our country or not. if not, let's establish trade with them. that is where peace and prosperity come from. it is trade. if they want to be part of the united states, fine. it should be their decision. if they do not, we should start lead them along just like we leave the other countries along. let's stop messing in people of the business where we do not belong. let's listen and respond to people. that is what americans want. they want a politician that will respond to them honestly

and let them make a decision. let's do that. yes. let's let everyone be free. you cannot be free without letting everyone be free. [applause] >> of the territories we have, puerto rico is probably the biggest territory we have. yes, citizens end up making up -- of all the territories we currently have, they are using u.s. currency. they elect governors. they send governors to the national governors' association meeting. clearly the path has been set, if you will, and i think the decision really lies with the individuals in these countries making the decision as to whether or not they want to have status. [applause] >> my next question is about the issue of nullification. this is a concept that states that the people within the states essentially have the

power to nullify laws by the federal government which the states considered to be unconstitutional. would you address that question for us? >> i take it is an exciting notion from the standpoint of getting the federal government back to its constitutional rights, which is the 50-state model. 50 different states determining policy, not getting the federal government out of state, local decision making. the best government is government that rules at the most basic level -- at the local level. i think an occasion is an effective tool to bring this about. i hope it gains significance and understanding and i hope it is a tool that gets used more and more often. [applause]

>> nullification as one of the brightest ideas the founders ever had. [applause] they actually put into the constitution a self-defense clause because they knew by experience that congress, parliament, committee -- whatever you want to call it -- would eventually seize power and become a tyranny over the people. they knew that the people -- us, everyone -- had to be the judge of the law. this is one of the most important things we have. this is one of the most important tools that we have. we are ultimately the judge of the law. if the law is just out to be unjust, we are not bound by it.

that is what the constitution promises us. [applause] i think people nullify all the time. we all do. i do not like to drive 55. [laughter] yes, i speak on purpose. i do not like that. i will nullify it. we all do it. this is the way we explain it to people. this is how we make them understand. we are doing it already. they know it is a self-defense thing. we know how to take care of ourselves better than somebody else. [applause] >> it is said by many scientists and others that there is this phenomenon of global warming and is, at least, in

part caused by human industrial action. what if any role should the federal government play in dealing with the global warming or climate change issue? i think mr. rice, you are up first. >> , first of all, they have to get the science straight. global warming every year is called summer. is it global warming and issue is one that, depending on who you talk to, is it real? is it not? it is not so bad, it is natural. we do not know. i guarantee you this, government getting involved will not help us know any quicker. [applause] if anything, if we let government get involved in global warming, the temperature will go up 10 degrees. [laughter]

>> mr. johnson? >> let's accept the fact that it is happening, that it is man- made. that given, what should we do about it? government should not get involved in this. i am completely opposed to cap and trade. i think it will cripple the u.s. economy. [applause] the best cause of good and normal practices is a good economy. we as consumers are demanding less carbon emissions and guess what, we are going to get it. 50 years from now carbon emissions will be reduced significantly because it is what we as consumers are demanding. today, energy production is cleaner than it was 50 years

ago. this is something we will continue to demand. but if the government gets involved, we will spend trillions of dollars and have no input on the outcome. [applause] >> the question from our delegates -- or one of our delegates -- after this election is over -- mr. johnson, you'll be the first one up -- after this election is over, will you remain an activist within the libertarian party? >> no, first of all, i view this as a job interview.

i really want this job. [applause] and if this turns out to be as successful as i think it has the possibility to be, i would make the commitment to try to be the spokesperson -- again, i am vying for the nomination. i hope to get that nomination. if that happens and it is as successful as i think it might be, i would love to be the same spokesperson in 2016. i think you all are making an investment. i am also making an investment -- one that is long-term. regardless of whether or not i am the nominee, i will return for the rest of my life.

[applause] again, i will argue that i have been a libertarian all of my life. i have just come out of the closet. [applause] >> mr. rice? >> the governor and i have something in common. i want the job, too. [applause] the first thing i am going to do after the election, i am going to sleep for about two weeks. i am going to get up, move the couch, and take a nap. after i have recovered, i am going back to work. this is my home. i do not know how to do anything else. there are no ifs, ands, or buts with me. i am in the libertarian party to stay and to work to make this country a better place. i hope all of you help me and

join me in doing that. [applause] >> let's assume that ron paul -- i think everybody knows who ron paul is -- ron paul was the libertarian party candidate for president in 1988. he is now seeking the republican presidential nomination, but assume he does not get it. would you make an appeal to the ron paul supporters to join the libertarian party and, if so, how would you go about it? mr. rice. >> i have already done it on the campaign trail for instance, when we were in california not too long ago, i took the opportunity one evening to go into west hollywood. i thought i was going to a fund raiser. i ended up at the ron paul meet up. this was not ordinary ron paul

meet up. this was ron paul organizing to take over the republican committee of california. i told those faults the same thing i would tell any other ron paul meet up group. if dr. paul does not make it, you have some place else to go. you have people that agree with you. that agree with dr. paul. [applause] i mean, i have been told i am more libertarian than ron paul, if that is possible. those people have a natural home with us. the republicans are letting them down time and time again. this time, the republican party a store to destroy the ron paul people by not giving them what they want, what they feel like they deserve. you have a home with us. all of you ron paul people out

there, this is your home. come and join us. [applause] >> dr. paul asked for my endorsement in 2008. i readily gave that endorsement. when i dropped out of the republican party, i asked everyone who was supporting me to support dr. paul. i think -- first of all, i think i am speaking on behalf of everybody in this room -- at the heart of dr. paul's support is people with hearts and minds. i do not think they are going to need any persuading or

understanding that there is a real, viable alternative and it is not a step back, but it might be a step forward. maybe i made a consolation in joining the republican party when i am really in the libertarian party -- that is the opportunity that exists here. [applause] and that is really key to this equation. as much as i would like to see dr. paul win the republican nomination, i do not think it is. to happen. when that comes to an end, with open arms, come out of the closet and come to where you have always belonged. [applause] >> now we come to our closing statements. >> already? >> already. [laughter] we are having so much fun.

the closing statements will be three minutes each. i would like each of you to address this question -- how will your 2012 candidacy and campaign benefit the libertarian party and the cause of liberty? mr. johnson, you go first. >> well, look -- i think libertarian's offer the best of both parties. democrats have historically been good on civil liberties. not really. republicans have been good when it comes to dollars and cents -- not really. perhaps libertarians' embraced the best of both of these. i think it is a combination of civil liberties and balancing a checkbook. i do want this job. i view this as a job interview. i will unabashedly make this pitch to you. i think i have it in spades when it comes to civil liberty. [applause] the aclu issued a report card on all the potential candidates

and how they stood on civil liberties, the constitution, the first 10 amendments to the constitution. 24 was a perfect score. rick santorum and mitt romney got zero liberty torches out of 24. newt gingrich got four liberty torches out of 24. president obama got 16 liberty torches out of 24. ron paul got 18 out of 24. gary johnson led the pack with 21 out of 24. i think that is an objective measurement of civil liberties. i think an objective measurement of dollars and cents is my 750 vetoes of legislation in new mexico. it made a difference. i want to tell you, that good government was easy.

it was not hard. easy meant that you look at the issues first and politics last. government was not for sale. i did and npr radio interview yesterday. you are a libertarian governor, mr. johnson. what do you say about helmets and motorcycles? do you ride a motorcycle? yes, i ride a motorcycle, i wear a helmet, and wear protective clothing. what i said as governor of new mexico was wear a helmet, but i do not want to pass a helmet legislation in the mexico because new mexico has a problem that all states have -- organ donor shortages. [applause] you have to elect somebody that can go toe to toe when it comes

to debating and discussing libertarian ideals and how it will make a difference and how it can make a difference. i would just argue that i have that experience. thank you all very much. [applause] >> mr. rice, your last words. >> now for the collective sigh of relief -- the last man speaking. i hope you have enjoyed yourself tonight. [applause] more importantly, i hope you see what i was talking about and what i have been talking about throughout my whole campaign how we are different. you did not see a debate

tonight where the video at actors went after each other before blood. you saw two applicants for a job but of us want. i believe that either one of us would do a good job. as far as my campaign and what my staff and ourselves will do, regardless of the outcome tomorrow, we go to work the next day to continue to do what we have been doing -- trying to build this party, trying to find good candidates. we would use our video techniques and our capabilities to continue to produce tools for the candidates in the libertarian party. tools we so sorely need. i cannot be anything else but a libertarian. i cannot go anywhere because you all here. i cannot imagine that i would ever do anything else except work for the party i love, the family in love. i thank you all for coming tonight, being here, and giving

us the opportunity, the privilege, and the honor to stand before you and even be considered for the highest office in the land. i have never been so honored as i am here tonight, standing next to governor johnson. i thank each and everyone of you for being here and i will continue to do what i do and help you. [applause] >> tomorrow, all of you delegates will take on a great responsibility of voting in selecting one of these two men

to be the candidate of the libertarian party for the office of the president of the united states. my great thanks to both of you, lee rice and gary johnson. thank you. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

>> a live look now from las vegas, nev. were the libertarian party is holding its 2012 national convention. at the convention today, delegates will select its nominees for president and vice president of the united states. those nominees will be on the november presidential ballot and

all 50 states. we will be covering this live today. in the meantime, the president and first lady michelle obama officially kick off the reelection campaign with rallies in ohio and virginia. we will have live coverage of the president's remarks on the campus of virginia commonwealth university. we expect that at 4:35 p.m. eastern. we will have that on c-span. c-span radio, and c-span .org. while we wait for this to get underway, a preview from this morning's "washington journal." host: tell us about the president. he officially kicks off his campaign today. how you define a fishleigh versus some of the other appearances he has been making recently? guest: that is a great question

because it comes as a surprise to no one that he has been campaigning for the last six months or so. his operation in chicago now has hundreds of people. they are mobilized for him and he has got fundraisers and as you know, as republicans have complained, he has really done a lot of these events, including a slew of them last week that really skipped the line between campaign and governance. today, it is the kickoff. we will fly out to columbus, ohio to ohio state university for a big rally and then on to virginia commonwealth university in richmond to conclude that day. today is the official kickoff after months and months of actual campaigning. >> before -- host: before the phones happen, tell us why the

two schools and the two guest: states they represent the two paths to -- and two states. guest: ohio is the old democratic map that really is centered around three swing states or what used to be swing states, ohio, florida, pennsylvania. virginia really is the new kid on the block. you know, obama 18 by 7 points -- 18 by 7 points in 2008, along with north carolina. along with colorado, nev., and the mexico out west. this is the alternate map which has now become the core back for obama. both of the state's third clustered close together today. they represent the two path he will have to go on. old school and new school. -- host: old school and new

school. guest: goes to show the extent to which things have reoriented themselves since the 2006 midterm election. without winning the upper western states, president obama does not stand a chance. i should also mention the fact that for the first time really in a generation, the lead for a college math advantages democrats. so, when you see these polls tightening of naturally, and the president is leading, i believe we will see mitt romney surging ahead at various points, but the are a popularity numbers you see nationally are less important than the map. but democrats and republicans began candidly. the map advantages president obama. > host: we are going to talk to the president of rock the vote. tell us what the obama campaign decided to start off that day or

this weekend in two colleges as opposed to general other sites, maybe labor organizations or places like that. guest: north carolina is the state that represents that. college campuses in 2008 were really sort of the critical point for the presidential campaign for a couple of reasons. the first is, they really formed the army. the volunteer army that created this massive grass-roots campaign in 2008. i recall being in iowa and busloads and busloads of college kids were coming across the border from illinois. overwhelming the clinton campaign in terms of the grass roots. but, just as crucially, the youth vote in 2008 went roughly tt 01. more than td 01. -- more then two to 1. we are seeing in 2012 a different dynamic. in north carolina, a state which

has a tremendous number of universities, particularly in the research area, there has been a sharp drop-off in registration and we have seen more restrictive voter registration laws around the country really crimping the obama campaign. in addition, the polls show that the use of both, while strong for president obama, is not enthusiastic. the recession has hurt young people. they have to solidify their 2008 gains on this campus and create a sense of enthusiasm at a time, or frankly, when young people are not feeling fired up. host: before that, he ran the site of a blogged. he now writes for "politico." last question before we let you go, this marks, for the

president, for the obama campaign, marshaling the troops, is there any coincidence to the fact that he is talking to two colleges at a time when college students are getting ready to leave the campus for the summer break and he is getting ready to send troops into the field? guest: i have never really thought of that. i think maybe people are feeling a little weird and wondering how they will spend their time. in 2008, they certainly started to create this culture. you know, i mean, it was not work for a lot of these kids. it became kind of a social entity in a lot of respects. a lot of relationship started up. i think you are right. there's a " draw upon it to this too. host: i have one more thing. you wrote on may 3rd under the headline "the dangerous new obama book."

host: how does the book redefine the self portrait? guest: there was a book written, a biography of the sitting president. he included damaging revelations about bill clinton's extramarital affairs. this will not be that kind of book. the point of that story is that president obama's 2008 campaign

was largely fueled by a this amazing life story and this biography of himself that he was able to control. being the personification of the american melting pot and a whole new vision for the future. i remember that hillary clinton people telling me they were not running against a man or a resident, they were running against him and more. in the book, -- these are not great in new revelations. but, because of the credibility of the author as a historian, he is able to sort of challenge the vision of obama -- obama has projected of himself as being this organic force. somebody who was above calculation and politics. i think the portrait we saw from initial exurbs -- exurbs show that he was far from it. he was somebody qana -- he was

somebody who was a loose. calculating. and someone with a steely eye on the future. what that is not a game changer, that does bump up against the perception that obama gets -- thinks he is a creation of intellectual and spiritual forces. host: glenn thrush of " political." thank you for speaking to us about the kickoff of the obama campaign. guest: thank you. >> we have live coverage of the president's remarks on the campus of virginia commonwealth university at 4:35 p.m. eastern today be here on c-span, c-span -- c- and c-span.org span.org. the libertarian party is holding its national convention and at

. the nominees for president and vice president will be selected. those nominees will be on the november presidential ballot in all 50 states. it looks like they may be about ready to begin. we will look in now. this is life on -- live on c- span. >> ladies and shumlin, please be

seated -- ladies and gentlemen, let us reconvene to the nominating convention. to start off this morning, we will present some awards and i would like to turn over the microphone to a fellow member and ohio teachair. given your attention, please. [applause] >> it gets quiet, doesn't it? good morning. >> good morning. >> that is more like it. it will be a special presentation now. yesterday, we have the awards for activists and candidates. we are about to step into a new arena for the libertarian party

and the whole liberty. before we begin, i am from the state of ohio. i am the state share from the buckeye state. i am sitting on the lnc ans an at large member. i am so proud that the lnc sauce it is -- saw fit to have these awards. i want to introduce my fellow compatriots on the award committee of the lnc. [applause] dr. james larkin. [applause] bill read path. [applause] i also want to thank the staff

that helped to put this together. this will be an honor to those champions of liberty, those lions and lionesses that came before us. i want to thank the staff who put together video clips. thank you. [applause] these awards are very important. it is important for you state chairs and anybody at the county level to always think those activist. it is extremely important. many of us are volunteering. get out awards. thank people. do that please. so many people have won awards over the past few years with our various awards, but this is for those that actually helped by this party for the 1970's and the 1980's and it is important we remember them. we should never forget our past. history is very important.

history can repeat itself. this party is on the edge of greatness. it really is. do you not agree? [applause] i hope you do. again, i want to thank the lnc for accepting my idea of having the hall of liberty. this all of liberty will be more than just a statuette. it will be on the national website and you will be able to see these people that we will honor at possibly every convention because the list could be analyst to we could put in the hall. right? but, we will go a step further. the hall will also be actually a wall of liberty in the national office. there will be the champions of liberty up on the wall to honor them. what is the hall of liberty?

here is what is your the hall of liberty is a program to honor lifetime -- here is what it is. the hall of liberty is a program to honor the lifetime achievements to the libertarian movement. that is what is about. as we begin, i would like to introduce dr. mary. >> thank you for being here. i am here to interrupt the first nominee. that is david nolin. [applause]

as one of the founders of our party, he is obviously our first honored choice. i was privileged and honored to know him both as a fellow lp member, a colleague on the lnc, and a business partner. one of the things i know that about him was his out of the box thinking. many times, it does not result in something that actually materializes. when it does, it is a home run. my favorite achievements that have brought david forward are the founding of the libertarian party.

[applause] now, we will see a video clip of his accomplishments. >> the democratic party is just pushed through some of the largest new, expensive programs in the history of the u.s. he will not vote to cut spending. john mccain is an honorable man, but he has not done much to contain spending. you'll see more of the same in january. as a libertarian, i will do that.

[applause] here to accept the award on behalf of the late david nolin is his widow. i am honored to present this to you. [applause] >> thank you. it is a joy to be here. thank you for honoring davis, his work, and his vision of

building a party of principle. the libertarian party has really expanded the political debate in america. i would like to thank you for your dedication and hard work thank you. [applause] >> thank you. how was that? beautiful. [applause] we are not done. again, i will present the next award. that is to john hospers.

he was born in iowa. where are you? [applause] there you are. hospers frederick from center college and earned degrees at the university of iowa and columbia university. he conducted research and wrote many articles. he taught at the areas of philosophy and ethics. he taught at brooklyn college and university of southern california. he was chairman of the philosophy department at usc. he was an american philosopher. he was a leader and a more first candidate for president in 1972. let us get it -- let us give it up for mr. john hospers. [applause] nigel, run the club. -- clip. >> i realize that she probably

had better things to do with her life but she spent all those hours on me. sometimes fruitlessly. still, she must have enjoyed it because it kept going. she kept inviting me back. i came back again and again and again. and, usually, when we parted at three or four in the morning, she would stand at the door and i would be waiting for the elevator and she would blow me a kiss like this. instead of saying good night, she would say good premises. -- good promises. that has always stuck with me. ♪

[applause] >> john mihill -- may no longer be with us but he is in our hearts. this award rests in the national office. we should be proud of mr. john hospers. thank you. [applause] next, i would like to introduce dr. james lark. [applause] good morning. -- >> good morning. tomorrow, it will be 26 years to the day that i spoke to a local libertarians about the advocates for self-government. my hosts were tony nathan and her husband, charles. i still remember the tremendous kindness and hospitality they showed to us.

it is a great honor to introduce toni nathan. she asserts tore the house of the u.s. representatives and most memorably, as our first vice-presidential candidate in 1972. an event which she became the first woman to receive dela torre votes. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome a truly great champion of liberty in a truly great lady, toni nathan. [applause] >> thank you so much. it is really a delight to be

here and to see so many people i known for years in the party and they are also warm and still inspired by the ideas of liberty and a free society in this country. i had no idea that i would get this on our, but i really -- this honor, but i really relish it. it will mean so much to me and it will start me back into action again. [applause] >> we are going to run the clyburn. >> the first woman to ever receive dela torre but in the --

and electorial a vote in the election. she was on the ticket with john hospers in 1972. the ticket received 3671 counted votes. throughout the years, tonie has served the party in many years. -- many ways. she ran for the senate and congress and press secretary. [applause] >> the next person i would like to introduce is rebecca sink- burris. >> i am presenting the next door

to roger macbride who cast the votes that put the libertarian party on the map. he had continued to put the libertarian party on the map by running as our second presidential candidate. in that race, due to his absolutely tireless campaigning, he brought the party to the point of being the third largest political party in the u.s. we are still there today. [applause] >> roger macbride put himself and the libertarian party into the history books when he became the first electric to cast a vote for a woman. he was one of the up republicans when richard nixon won the vote for his second

term. he voted for the libertarian party candidates, john hospers and tonie nathan. he became a hero. [applause] >> this award reside in the libertarian national office along with a photo of roger macbride. and we will continually remember him and thank him for all he did for our party. [applause] >> thank you, rebecca. last but not least, i would like to introduce mr. william redpath.

>> thank you. the quintessential libertarian candidate was it clark. -- ed clark. [applause] he was a corporate attorney in los angeles in the 1970's and he took a risk to become our candidate for governor of california in 1978. he garnered over 5% of the vote in an extremely important year with the passage of prop. 13. he became our present a candidate in 1980 -- our presidential candidate in 1980. he wrote a book called "a new beginning." he put forth a memorable presidential campaign that people remember to this day. when i am not petitioning in front of the gross restore elsewhere, i mentioned ed clark and people remember him. they remember the television

commercials. he created an impression that will be for everlasting. in the minds of the people in the u.s. and the libertarian party. let us roll the clip on ed clark. [applause] ♪> >> to attend a libertarian party's presidential nominating convention, those who attended had reason to believe that america is on the verge of accepting a major new political movement. we called the politics. >> people did. people basically people. he would have a better society if you allow people to be more responsible and take care of their online succeeds ackley. >> if you want to say no to big government, where the vehicle to do that. we have a much smaller

government. we do that in a responsible way. he went to say no, there is only one place to vote and that is libertarian. [applause] >> ladies and john, i present to you, mr. -- ladies and gentlemen, i present to you, mr. ed clark. [applause] >> thank you. it is a great privilege to be here. i want to talk a little bit about the comparison between 1980 and this year. in 1980, when i ran for

governor, it was a great time for libertarians because people's mines were opened. that was the year of the end of the vietnam war, which discredited government. that was the watergate discredited government. that was an era of terrible 16% inflation that discredited the government and people's mines were opened. -- minds were open. this year, they are open, too. [applause] the last 40 years i was at the first libertarian party convention four years ago, they have been a great trip for my wife -- would you like to stand up? [applause] as a lawyer, i have a few words available but as an organizer, i

have limited talents. she has always been helpful in all of my endeavors. so, looking forward to this year, i think this is a great opportunity for us and all our candidates. i hope that this year, we will exceed my -- the votes i got in 1980. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. what do you think? how did that go? what do you think? [applause] should we continue that? you love it, don't you. i want to thank the lnc. i want to thank the lnc because

we not only can continue this, we will. it is in our policy manual. this program will continue for all those champions of liberty. thank you. [applause] >> good morning. now is the time to select our presidential and vice- presidential candidates. i would like to add a little anecdotal information regarding the presentations. i had the pleasure of meeting john hospers when he came to the

university where i attended college. i said down with him and i decided that i had to vote for libertarian party candidate and i wrote in the name of john hospers in 1972 in california. [applause] one of the things i love about roger macbride when he came to san jose and we all went down to the airport and in those days, you could go out on the tarmac, believe it or not. roger macbride came in on a rented plane named the no force one. [applause] lastly, ed clark -- has this guy not aged in 32 years? [laughter] he is as good looking and ever and has set up here where it counts. he will delight -- he has been a delight to work with. he is continually supportive of

the libertarian party. thank you very much. today, we have some procedures that i would like to read to you to indicate how we will select our presidential nominees. before you do that, please, cell phones? please turn your cell phones off. put them on vibrate mode. it will be very important when you want to address the body to go to the microphone and raise your hand. we to be recognized. i will call the microphone number and jake will turn on your microphone so you can speak. of course, we are being covered by c-span. thank you very much for covering our convention. rule number 7, nomination of candidates, no person shall be nominated for president or vice president unless at least 30 registered delegates to join in the nominating.

no delegate may join in nominating more than one candidate for each office. fixing signatures is affected by the transfer of signature tokens issued by the credentials committee. the party's nominee for president shall be chosen by a majority vote. i've no candidate has obtained a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes shall be struck from subsequent ballots. the procedure shall be repeated after every ballot in which no candidate has received a majority vote until one candidate obtains a majority. each delegation shall encapsulate majority votes, and the chair shall send a written total to the secretary. the secretary shall declare the voting closed one of all delegates have submitted. the announcement of delegation

vote totals shall be made by a delegation chairs in alphabetical order, beginning with a randomly selected designation. the party nominee for vice- president shall be chosen in the same procedure as for the presidential nominee excepted presidential nominee shall have the privilege of addressing the commission for five minutes. at the nominations have been made but before voting has begun with the purpose of endorsing or are objecting to any vice- presidential nominees. nominees for vice president william after the selection of the presidential nominee. one of order, microphone 8 -- are we supposed to get a credential report? >> yes, we will have acreages report. thank you very much. following the nominating and second speeches for each candidate, ~ the limited to the designation as follows. for president, total of 16 minutes. for vice president, the total of

11 minutes. a delegate who collect the required number of nominating tokens may speak up to five minutes in favor foreboding of none of the above. all right, at this point, if you would come to the podium and give us our updated credentials report for today. >> thank you, mr. chairman. good morning. first, before i give my report, i would like to thank the credentials committee who is up here with me. [applause] thank you.

thank you. working hard on your behalf. mr. chairman, as of 8:55 this morning, there were 611 delegates and four alternates registered and credentialed to cast 614 votes. that makes warm 245, majority 306. 2/3, 408, and 7/8, 535. i move to amend the role of delegates to this convention to include these numbers. >> is there a second? is there any objection to accepting this report? hearing none, so moved. >> thank you. in addition, we have five people who have been added to the role of voter. walter, or pennsylvania, a delegate from pennsylvania.

don evans burger, a delegate for pennsylvania. cheryl smith, a delegate for ohio, and jason thompson from nevada, a delegate for missouri. on behalf of the committee, i move to add those people to the role of voters. >> is there a second? any objection? hearing none, so moved. all right, nominations? [applause] all right, is there somebody to nominate a presidential candidate out there? or we could go none of the

above. one of information? -- point of information? it may be eligible to be nominated because of the tokens, but somebody actually have to stand up and nominate them. point of information, microphone 6. >> if both are written in four candidates who did not receive 30 tokens, will the votes be tabulated?

if votes are cast forenames written in that have not received the necessary nominating tokens, will those votes be recorded as the name written in, or four nota? >> for the name is named. >> i nominate gary johnson. >> microphone 5, please state your name and delegation. >> courtney white from utah. i would like to nominate mr. gary johnson from new mexico. [applause] >> gary johnson's name is placed in nomination. microphone 5. >> ronnie coleman, state of idaho. i would like to place in nomination for the president of the united states, mr. li

writes -- mr. lee wrights. >> further nominations? microphone 3. >> maryland delegation. i would like to place in the nomination carl pearson. >> karl pearson has just been nominated. [applause] further nominations, microphone four. >> i would like to suspend the rules to allow the nomination of dr. ron paul. [applause] >> it has been moved to suspend the rules, which requires a 2/3 vote, to consider the nomination. is there a second? it has been moved and seconded. all those in favor of the suspension of the rules, please signify by saying aye. >> aye. >> all those opposed? >> no.

>>fails. microphone 8. >> i nominate jim byrnes. >> jim burns has been placed in nomination. further nominations. seeing no further nominations, nominations are closed. the process that we are going to follow for presentations and nominating speeches is we are going to randomly select, putting on a piece of paper the numbers one through four. the candidates or their representatives will select and number from -- it looks like no one has a hat, so we will put it in the top of our hands. those will be the order in which they are nominated and give their nominating speeches

and seconded. well, we had a bag. that is good. yes, i will one person from each of the campaigns come forward to select a slip of paper, and that will determine the order in which they are allowed to give their speeches. wright will be presented first. [applause]

[inaudible] will be second. jim burns third. [applause] g, and i wonder who goes last. mr. nelson. drumroll. big surprise. governor johnson will go forth. -- fourth. all right. [applause] will the nominators and second years for mr. wright , up to the podium -- nominators and

seconders come up to the pod ium? our timekeeper will flash a five-minute warning to the candidates when they are running low on time and direct them to stop at the appropriate time. >> my dear friends, five years ago almost to the day, the libertarian movement exploded into the public consciousness. as someone who joined the libertarian party more than 32 years ago when our party platform already was committed to marriage equality while the rest of the country, including democrats, were still debating day imprisonment, i can tell you the first 27 years were the hardest.

we had an appealing message of liberty that for some reason just did not catch fire with the public until may 15, 2007, and there was one man we have to thank -- rudolph guiliani. on that day, the onetime 1980 libertarian party for president, who i believe is still an official member of our party, was an attack for expressing the absurd idea that the 9/11 murders -- let's be clear that they were murderers -- were motivated to kill americans because of u.s. military intervention on top of cruel trade sanctions in muslim countries. giuliani, as you know, is a foreign-policy expert because he lives close to the world trade center and wore a hard hat on 9/11.

oddly enough, not only the cia, but the 9/11 commission, agreed with the man attacked. as for the man he attack, anyone look is an advocate of peace, whatever disagreements they might have on other issues, should join me in saying -- god bless you, ron paul. [applause] war is the four-letter word that lets government officials who are mere mortals, almost as human as uni, place themselves of of the rule of law, above due process, above habeus corpus because, of course, all is fair in love and war. war is such a useful concept to politicians that they declare wars on everything. the war on terror, the war on

drugs, ignorance, poverty, pornography, and even trans fats. see, we cannot afford to respect life, liberty, and property. we are at war. drowning people in fear is the key to power, but we also learned five years ago that anti-war is the health of the anti-state movement. [applause] even if we do nothing other than to end all the war's real as well as metaphorical, we will be well on our way to a free society, and millions are ready to rally around that banner, but only one party can be the party of peace, and it is not the republican party, which will only nominate a candidate who passes two tests. first, they must be pro-life. second, they must want to kill lots of foreigners.

[applause] it is not the democratic party, which has rallied around a man who now holds the record for most children killed by a nobel peace prize winner. [applause] and it is not even our good friends in the green and constitution party's, who understand the importance of military non-intervention, but not the equal importance of free trade, which the late libertarian joan kennedy taylor called the necessary foundation for world peace. the libertarian party is the only party of peace. [applause] libertarians love strategic alliances between people -- trade, travel, migration, cultural exchange build both

prosperity and friendship throughout the world. we oppose strategic alliances between governments. they lead to war, terrorism, and a blind eye toward violations of life, liberty, and property by those allied governments. when it comes to politicians, friends don't tell friends to respect human rights, and with friends like that, we create enemies. libertarians believe in a humanitarian intervention by volunteers who are supported by others who volunteer their money. [applause] the most positive image of americans is our personal generosity after natural disasters in other parts of the world. we oppose humanitarian intervention by governments, whose decisions are influenced by what president eisenhower

called a military industrial complex that profits from finding crises, and whose arrogance causes them to fancy themselves experts about another country and culture simply because they viewed the youtube video. of all humanitarian, the u.s. government is the one whose past record of horrible unintended consequences and distorted intelligence has most earned it a timeout in its own corner of the world. it is time for some humanitarian non-intervention. bring all of our troops home from around the world to their families. treat their wounds and stop creating new ones. [applause] this is the unique libertarian message, and it is only one candidate in our party who has

made peace the focus of his campaign. he is a retired air force sergeant who looks a bit like a kernel who made fried chicken -- like a colonel who made fried chicken. before i turn over the microphone to the woman who should have been our 2008 nominee -- [applause] i am proud to voice my support for lee wright of texas. [applause] >> i love you, too. and i'm tired to second the nomination of lee wrights for our presidential candidate -- i'm honored to set the nomination appeared first, i have to be the bad news. in 2008, a our presidential candidate was ridiculed by the national media for not being a

true libertarian because he would not endorse an end to drug prohibition. if we have yet another candidate who is not consistently libertarian, we will endanger our hard-learned brand and confuse the public about what it means a libertarian. [applause] but, now the good news -- with lee wrights at the top of our ticket, we need not worry. he was raised by in libertarian to be a libertarian. he does not know how to be anything else. a vote for lee wrights is a vote for a presidential candidate with a consistent message. it is a vote against the national sales tax. a vote to end the income tax and replace it with nothing. [applause] he understands that our

presidential candidate should be helping our affiliates. his campaign has already made tv and radio spots that are free of charge to any candidate that wants to use them. the spots are put together so each candidate can customize the last 10 seconds. here is an example. >> [inaudible] >> vote lee wrights for president. >> i am lee wrights and i

approve this message. [applause] >> alright, more bad news. in 2008, our presidential candidate was pulling a 6% of the national vote when he gained our nomination. however, he only received 0.4% of the actual vote. the wasted vote syndrome takes over in the ballot box, regardless of what people say before the election. now the good news -- lee wrights is attempting to change that by activating the entire peace movement, which right now has no direct world out what. he is encouraging -- [applause] it gets better. he is encouraging peace lovers to vote libertarian with his million-vote march to the polls as seen in the following tv/radio ad. >> if your vote could stop one or, which one would it be? >> stop the war on drugs. >> stop the war on gay families.

>> stop the war on third parties. >> stop the war on the american taxpayer. >> stop the war on civil liberties. >> for that matter, stop all war. >> join the march were 1 million voters marched to the polls and vote libertarian. learn more and sign up. war breeds war. peace breeds prosperity. >> join the million vote march to the polls on november 6 and a vote libertarian. [applause] >> as you can see, you get more bang for your donated by. lee does not have highly paid staff or a six-figure debt from a gop run. he has done with thousands of dollars what others have done with tens of thousands. if. lee wrights your presidential

nominee, he will make you proud to be libertarian. the lp has always been his first choice. i hope lee will be yours. now, here is lee wrights. then i did you miss me? [laughter] it is wonderful to be here today. i cannot tell you what an honor it is to stand before you and be considered, to represent my family to the american public. we can make a difference in 2012 and beyond, but we have to do that by being different, and that should be easy enough because most of us are different already. different enough to know that the only way the federal

government can create jobs is by firing bureaucrat, different enough to know that the devastating war on drugs has got to be stopped so we can save precious lives in this country. if enough to know that taxes, regulation, government agencies exacerbate our problems rather than solving our problems for us. if enough to know the individuals are added to make their own decisions and to get bureaucrats involved. given enough to know that we can take care of ourselves without any help at all. -- different enough. different enough to know that we can make a difference by being different. [applause] whatever happens today, we're going to go forward, show americans what libertarians are all about your last night was not as much about running for president as it was showing the american people that

libertarians are not the bogeyman that everyone says we are. sometimes the only thing that makes us different from other americans is knowing that relying on government is not the answer to the problems we face in america. so i will ask you once again the same as i have asked everywhere i have been. join me and my family. i am not at war. if enough of us say it, they cannot have them anymore. thank you so much. [applause] them a will denominator -- > >

will the nominator and seconder come up to give speeches for pearson? again, are timekeeper will/five minutes -- our timekeeper will flash five minutes. >> a lot more crowded. carl pearson has been an attorney. . -- all of us are here today because we share a particular ideology, but after today, the real challenge begins. we take our message to voters outside of our party, and then, an ideology wilma the end of -- will not be enough. to appeal to voters outside the party, we must show that our

principles offer solutions to the very serious problems facing our country today but also show them that our principles offer them the chance to help live better, freer lives. that is what carl pearson intends to do. over the course of his campaign, carl has shown that libertarian principles are the key to restoring the public market, helping the private sector get public jobs and ending the foreclosure crisis. carl's message will resonate with voters. because regardless of what we think in this room, the economy, jobs will top the voters' list of concerns. carl's message will show voters that the libertarian is not just party principle but also the party of real solutions for

americans. ladies and gentlemen, carl pearson. [applause] that i thank you for this opportunity. we are at a very important part of the libertarian party, and we could win the election, but i think we have devoted -- focus on the election rather than trying to cater to the libertarians because we're only 1/4 of 1% of the 169 million voters in the united states. the voters are looking for help. they are losing their jobs. they cannot get employment. the cost of jobs are far beyond what anyone could ever pay for. small business is stifled and has been stifled, so along the

idea of small business is where we should be focusing, and that is where i'm focusing. my first business was at nine years old when i had a paper route. i am a high-school dropout. i went to harvard law school. i am magna cum laude. it was tough getting into law school when you are a high- school dropout. i became president of the school body in the year and a half. i have been through a lot of hard knocks. i have done waiting on tables. i have done short order cook, setting up tents at a bowling alley, delivering milk and learning how to carry 10 bottles in two hands and arms. i have been out there and work awfully hard. i still work about 18 hours a day, and i cannot even be here because i had to go the bankruptcy court for a client on a critical mission the other day, so i had to come here late

and sacrifice my own opportunities here because i have professional pride and responsibility. my responsibility, i think, here to the party is to point out where you are going wrong you have got to direct your energy to the 99% and not be selling yourself to the 99% on the principles to which we are all sold already. we will not convince anyone in the room of libertarian principles. we're here because of them. what about the 99%? they have no idea that libertarian principles can provide the answer. i have analyzed what is going on because i have been living it. i created a career field, the paralegal career field. i own a school that was licensed and accredited for 18 years.

i am an attorney in all sorts of fields like taxation, securities, franchisees. copyrights, trademarks, patents, securities. i have been all over the place. i have put it altogether. here is the problem. small business has been regulated out of business. the three main organizations that have been getting jobs are no longer producing jobs. the military, thankfully. government, thankfully. but they are no longer had employers. big business has been giving our jobs overseas, sending them overseas. one area of our economy that could be creating jobs in small business. the voter does not understand the regulations are such that we in small business are not able

to produce the jobs the economy needs. on my website for the past year, i have said we need to allow small business to advertise for capital. nobody in this room had any idea that was illegal since the year 1933. president obama or somebody may have looked at my website because on april 5 of this year, they passed a bill incorporating my demand. we're now allowed for the first time since 1933 to advertise for capital. wow. [applause] to me, that is worth everything i have put into the campaign. i call it the first three are free. we need to have the first three employees of any employer declared free of all regulations. deregulate payroll for the first three people in small business.

any person in small business in this room knows immediately that will create millions of jobs. their 20 million people self- employed. we do not even put ourselves on payroll, but we will hire if the first three are free. we can create full employment in the country. we have got to know what we need to do. we need to have the regulation of payroll. most importantly, i cannot hire somebody who is a college because my alma mater has not changed their curriculum much. if someone comes to me and says there graduate of harvard in history, i say to get out of here because they cannot tell me. i need to have people trained in technology. allowed to train people and technology in america because of licensing laws

related to higher education and vocational programs. it is illegal to set up programs to train people to go to work for small business. small business cannot train people because they leave and we're always in the training business. we have to allow training programs, privately financed training programs to train the people who will go to work as the assistant to the owner of a small business and split that person's business in half. let me do what i can do. let the other person do all the technology that is swamping meet since the advent of the internet. things have changed. i am now a technician. i do not want to be. i need help. the jobs that will be available, 20 million jobs are in the neighborhood of $3,000 a week for someone who will save me 20 hours a week. there is a huge amount of activity economically that will

create jobs in america. we have to deregulate small business. that is my message to you. let the public know that and they will vote for you. if you do not tell them that, they will not have the reason. they will not understand why they should be voting libertarian. we can win the election, but we have to tell the truth. we have to say what needs to be done in the economy. if we do that, i think we will get -- we could get 1/3 of the vote. i thank you. [applause] >> do you have a nominating speech and seconder? i believe we do.

he will be flashing the time down here. >> patrick henry was 39 years old in his prime, and he was one of the best speakers in the world when he spoke the words i am going to speak. i am neither one of those things. the words are so strong that i think he will appreciate them. to set the stage, the year is 1775. the month is march. the location is richmond, virginia. the legislature is meeting in convention. less than a month later, on april 19, 1775, on the green in lexington, mass., was fired the shot heard round the world. then at concord's northbridge,

the american minutemen drawback of forces that were the best in the world. it was the start of the revolutionary war. [applause] back to march. because of the growing threat of growing british armies and navies, patrick henry called for the creation of militia. the opposition pointed to the seemingly positive attitudes of the reception of the british government and that there was no need for alarm on account of the increase of british military. on march 23, 1775, patrick henry answered the opposition. hear the words of patrick henry. no man thinks more highly than i do of the patriotism as well as abilities of the very worthy

gentlemen who have just addressed the house. but different men often see the same subject in different lights. therefore, i hope it will be not thought disrespectful to those gentlemen invite entertain opinions of the characters opposite to theirs. i will speak for my sentiments freely and without reserve. this is no time for ceremony. the question before the house is important to the country. for my own part, i consider this a question of nothing less than freedom. in proportion to the magnitude of the subject thought to be the freedom of the debate, it is only in this way we can hope to arrive at truth and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to god and our country. should i keep that my opinions as such a time through fear of giving offense? i should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my

country and an act of disloyalty towards the majesty of heaven, which i revers above all of lickings. -- above all earthly kings. mr. president, it is natural for man to indulge in the illusions . we are apt to shut our eyes against painful truths and transformed into beasts. is this the part of wise men engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? predisposed to be the number of those having guys who seem not -- having eyes who see not? for my part, whatever anguish it costs, i am willing to know the whole truth. to know the worst and provide for it.

i have but one lamp by which my feet are guided. that is the lamp of experience. i have no way of judging the future but by the past. judging by the past, i wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the british ministry of the past 10 years that justifies those hopes with which the gentleman had been pleased to solace themselves and the house. is it that insidious smile with which the petition has been received? trust is not. it will prove a snare to the feet. suffer not yourselves to be betrayed. ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with the war like preparations that cover our waters and darken our land. are fleets and armies necessary for work of love and

reconciliation? have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? let us not deceive ourselves. these are the implements of war and subjugation. the last arguments to which king's resort -- kings resort. i ask what means this martial array if not to force us into submission. why call for the accumulation of navies and armies? she has none. they are meant for us. they can be met for no other. they are sent over to bind upon us the change the british ministry have been so long forging.

with what shall we oppose them? argument? we have been trying that for 10 years. have we anything new to offer on the subject? nothing. we have held the subject up in every light of which is capable, but it has all been in vain. showy resort to in treaty and humble supplication? -- shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? do not deceive ourselves. we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. we have petitioned. we have suffocated. we have prostrated ourselves before the throne in have employer -- implored. -- we have supplicated.

we have been spurned. in vain after these things may we indulge in the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. there is no longer any room for hope if we wish to be free, if we need to preserve the privileges for which we have been long contending, if we mean not to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been long engaged and have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious august of our contest shall be obtained. we must fight. i repeat it, sir. we must fight and appeal to

arms and the god of hosts is all that is left us. they tell us we are weak and not able to cope with such a formidable adversary. will it be strong for the next week or year? will it be when we're totally disarmed and the british car show be stationed in every house? shall we gather strength by inaction? shall we attain the means of resistance by laying on our backs until our enemies shall have boundless hand and foot -- bound us hand and foot. we are not weak if we make use of the means placed in our power. millions of people armed in the cause of liberty and in a country we possess are

invincible by which any force our enemy can send against us. we shall not fight our battles alone. there is a just god who presides over the destinies of nations and who will raise up friends to fight our bottles for us. the battle is not to the strong alone. it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. besides, sir, we have no election. if we were based enough to desire it, it is now too late to retreat to the contest. there is no retreat but in submission and slavery. our chains are forged. the war is inevitable. let it come. let it come. it is in vain to extenuate the

matter. a gentleman may cry, peace. but there is no peace. th war has begun. our brethren are already in the field. why are we standing here idle? what is it the gentleman wish? what would they have? is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased of the price of chains and slavery? almighty god, i know now what choice others may make. but as for me, give me liberty or give me death. [applause]

thank you very much. i am about to take office here peace -- i am about to take hairpiece. sometimes the reflection causes blindness. i can see. -- my name isames james "libertarian" burns. thank you. my friends, jim and i hope you will too. i discovered the libertarian party in 1973. in january of 1974, i was elected chairman of the libertarian party in the bottom. we had 20 members. it was against the law to register as a libertarian.

to change that, we needed to collect signatures on a petition. we could not do it. how do you build the party? my lawyer friend helped me to legally change my middle name to "libertarian." a file to run for congress in the -- i filed to run for congress in the republican primary. my name was placed on the ballot. [applause] the word libertarian appeared on the ballot in nevada for the first time in 1974. we built the party and we got on the ballot. we did what we always did. that is to do a lot with a little. libertarians, i want to say

thank you because you are special. you are special because you are chosen. you are chosen because you made a choice. you chose libertarianism. libertarians believe people should be allowed to live as they choose so long as they do not initiate force, threatened to initiate force, or engage in fraud. libertarianism is adopted, we will in turn age of prosperity and progress. you are special people because of your knowledge. with that knowledge, you are among the only people who can bring us all peace, prosperity, and progress. we're not better than anyone else. we're just people. but because of our knowledge and choices, we have it within our power to bring us all peace, prosperity, and progress. i would like to thank you very much. i would like to say one more thing. i do not like my chances for getting elected president, but i

would like to speak to you again as a v.p. nominee. i need a few more of those token thingamajiggers. if anyone would like to hear me speak, there's still time to put them in a blue thing. thank you, folks. i love the libertarian party. [applause] >> representatives from gary johnson's campaign, please take the stage. >> good morning. i am the current libertarian party treasurer and past chairman. i am here today to nominate for president of the united states a man that no one will mistake for barack obama or mitt romney.

[applause] use a man who knows that economic freedom is the key to prosperity and a man who can actually defend capitalism. a man who will cut government spending to balance the federal budget immediately to avoid a possible economic calamity, the likes of which we have never seen. a man who received the highest rating from the american civil liberties union on matters of civil liberties of any presidential candidate they examined this year. a man who recognizes the pernicious effects of the insane war on drugs in the united states and how it is tearing apart other countries. [applause] while he admits as governor of

new mexico, he did not create any jobs, he did so beforehand as an entrepreneur who built a construction company from a single man operation to a business that employs over 1000 people. [applause] he is an experienced job creator and knows what drives economic growth in this nation and around world. he is an athlete who has been to the highest point of four continents, including mount everest which declined with a broken leg. is a man who joined the libertarian party over 30 years ago. [applause] i am here to nominate a man who has walked his talk his entire life. it is a distinct honor to place into nomination for president of the united states the former

two-time governor of new mexico, gary johnson. [applause] >> i am here to second nomination of gary johnson. [applause] he is by far the best qualified candidate we have ever had to be president of the united states. [applause] he has been a leader in every aspect of life. a tremendous small businessmen. he grew a big business from nothing.

a political persuader, and that is what we need for our libertarian candidates. we need people who can persuade the great unwashed, the non- libertarian majority. that is what we need for candidate. that is what gary johnson has proved he can do. [applause] running a libertarian-type campaign, cutting taxes, eliminating regulations in a heavily-democratic state in two terms is an unmatched feat for libertarian candidate. he not only has been a hard core and understands and practices libertarian philosophy, but he is able to

translate that into real everyday politics and persuasion to people. he has the stature to attach himself to millions of americans but also to crack the media because he is into public policy. the media has to respect that. he has great advantages for us. he is a great individual. i urge you all to vote for gary johnson. thank you. [no audio] -- [applause] >> thank you very much. i want to be the libertarian nominee for president. [applause] a presidential candidate has to recognize the problems that face this country, give the solutions

that go along with the problems , and only the libertarian canada will offer up solutions to the problems we have. [applause] then you have got to have a resume to go along with that. i think i have the resume. i have been an entrepreneur my entire life. i have been an athlete my entire life. i got to be governor of new mexico for two terms. i said no to bigger government. how did that work out any state that was two to one democrat? they did a poll on the favorability of all the presidential candidates running. there was only one presidential candidate running viewed favorably in his or her own state. how did it worked out in new mexico? people in new mexico wave at me with all five fingers, not just one.

[applause] good government was easy. it was not hard. it was easy to look at issues first and politics last. it was nonexistent. people sought it. i do think i have a resume when it comes to civil liberties. i think i have got it in spades when it comes to fiscal responsibility. i base that on the fact i may have been vetoed more legislation than the other 49 governors in the country combined. [applause] all governance needs to occur under strict adherence to the united states constitution. as governor of new mexico, i

made very few promises. i promised to veto any tax increases. i vetoed every single tax increase. not one single penny of taxes increase over eight years in new mexico. that had never happened before. i promised there would be fewer state employees when i left office than when i got there. there were 1200 fewer state employees when i left office. a 10% reduction in state government employees when i left office. that had never happened in the history of the state. i promised to increase as a percentage of the budget the amount of money we spent on education every year, and did that for eight straight years. that gave me the liberty to talk about real school reform, which was bringing competition to public education. [applause]

if i would have promised everything i delivered as governor of new mexico, i would have never been elected because i would have been just another blowhard politician. as president, i unpromising -- i am promising to submit a balanced budget to congress. i am promising to veto legislation where expenses exceed revenue. i am promising to abdicate -- advocate on the part of a fair tax. i am listening. i promised to advocate on the promise of the less unfair tax. [applause] i promise to end the military wars. i promise to end the war -- [applause]

i promise to end the war in afghanistan. i promise to bring the troops home. [applause] i promise to end the costly and ineffective war on drugs. [applause] look, most americans are fiscally responsible and socially tolerant. i fall in that group. i think this is a broad brush stroke of the libertarian party, a broad brush stroke in the government needs to exist to protect against force and fraud. government needs to exist to protect against individuals, groups, corporations, and countries that would do less harm. imagine a libertarian president challenging congress to bring about marriage equality.

[applause] imagine a libertarian president challenging congress to reduce impediments to free markets. three markets means no tariffs -- free-markets means no tariffs. imagine challenging congress to abolish the patriot act and the department of homeland security. imagine a libertarian president challenging congress for meaningful immigration reform. the libertarian candidate for president is going to be only candidate talking about gun rights and gay rights in the same sentence. [applause] the libertarian candidate for president is the only candidate that will be talking about

slashing welfare spending and slashing warfare spending in the same sentence. [applause] the change to me to be in libertarian is not a change. i have always been a libertarian. i pledged to be active in the libertarian party beyond the 2012 election. [applause] make no bones about it. the goal is to win the election. [applause] it has always been about the message. i think the message i am delivering is the same message as that of ron paul.

ron paul has always said he is a messenger. a week ago, he said i am not dropping out of the race because the crowds are growing. this is a growing movement in america today. when ron paul's candidacy comes to an end, where does this message go? it continues. there is an absolute, viable alternative to voting for ron paul. it will be the libertarian nominee. [applause] this is not 2008. i debated bob barr in 2000 at the convention in philadelphia on drug policy. somewhere between that debate

and 2008, he fell out of bed and hit his head and became a libertarian. i am glad it happened. this is not about 2008. i do not have any of that baggage in back of me. i did an npr interview yesterday. the question was, if you are on the torture rack and they're going to kill you, who are you going to vote for? mitt romney or barack obama? my response was that i have climbed mount everest. i know what it is to do what it takes. take this to the bank. i would die. [applause] collectively, there is only one

choice. it is going to be the libertarian nominee for president. i respectfully ask you for that nomination. thank you very much. [applause] gary! [applause] >> i hope the people at home on c-span can feel the electricity in the room. this is really a great afternoon. now is the time to have the delegates cast your votes and pass them to the delgation chairs.

please bring that information up to the secretary. when the announcements are made from each delegation share, -- it chair -- from each delegation chair, there will only be one microphone. when the time comes for each state, please go to the microphone in the center of the aisle. could each of teh state chairs or their representatives come to the secretary and get the ballots?

please come to the secretary to get your ballot.

>> ladies and gentlemen, please see your conversations. we have a point of personal privilege. >> mr. chairman, all of the materials on the table last night were unfortunately thrown away. he has prepared and delivered

charts he fished out of the trash last night. they are available. they are all clean. you can pick them up. they are available at the back corner of the table with the georgia delegation and also with the south carolina delegation on the other side. thank you.

" how many do you have? -- >> how many do you have? do you have 13 votes? you have 13 votes?

>> then me. [unintelligible]

>> you have them right there. go ahead. >> ladies and gentlemen, we have an announcement.

>> state chairs, when you turn in the ballots, make sure you keep a copy of the numbers for yourself. i am looking for the delegation shares -- chairs of iowa, mich., virginia, west virginia. please deliver your ballots.

>> i said my biggest concern is if you get hit by a truck. [unintelligible] bill said, as much as we would like to live for ever -- forever, [inaudible] >> there is a meeting about 1:00. >> i do know that committee is still active.

>> we will have an updated count. there is a local election on tuesday.

>> representatives from west virginia. >> the secretary said west virginia.

>> i am a very straightforward person. i had a lot of questions. >> he answers questions directly. he gets right to the point. >> you want a person of character? personality matters.

it is a blow away for johnson. >> that is what we need. highly principled on workplace safety. >> mainstream americans are going to say i have a choice to make. he got a law degree from harvard. default on million dollar business. -- a full-time million dollar business. the person who built a business -- >> he has lived the american dream. >> absolutely. >> the point is they're supposed to represent who we are.

>> he reduced the spending -- [unintelligible] [laughter] >> it will be the first time in a long time. ironic is moving towards the first ballot nomination? >> they do not even have a

convention. >> for the first time in a while, they might have something resembling it. >> they will not even get the delegates into vote. >> it is a huge opportunity for us. we have to be there to claim it. >> gary is the person to reach out to them. >> i am going to the republican convention. i want people to go with me. i will have signs made outside, huge signs.

>> your delegation? 99%.

>> how are you, sir? good to see you.

>> the next round based on not. -- the next round based on that. i cannot wait. [laughter]

>> 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. one per person. >> gary johnson.

>> by not know about that. i did all right. last night was about showing my family off to america. >> let's do a sum total. total.s do a sub total.s do a sub