The following is from the July 1987 issue of "The Illinois Libertarian". Addresses: The Illinois Libertarian Libertarian Party of Illinois 1111 Church Street, Unit 405 P.O. Box 313 Evanston IL 60201 Chicago IL 60690 (312) 475-0391 (312) 299-7564 Libertarian Party Nat'l HQ 301 West 21st St. Houston TX 77024 (713) 880-1776 This material was mailed to LP state chairs by David Nolan. Italicized text is indicated by being bracketed by "="s here. THE ILLINOIS CHALLENGE ---------------------- Nolan's Challenge =Editor's note: Instead of the "Illinois Challenge" put forward in the last issue of the= Illinois Libertarian, =we will make use of a similar survey that David Nolan has already posed to Ron Paul, Russell Means, and Andre Marrou. Nolan's (abridged) introduction is followed by seven questions; each in answered in turn by each candidate. The answers are unedited and were made in written form. This survey was completed in late May.= [David Nolan:] As of this date (May 28) I have not chosen to endorse any of the candidates myself, although I may do so before or at the con- vention in Seattle. I see no reason to jump on anyone's bandwagon at the moment; the longer we keep the nomination open, the more we'll learn! For the moment, I would urge all party members to =ask ques- tions=, send money to any or all of the contenders, and keep the contest as open and amiable as possible. Whoever we nominate will need all the support we can muster! Even more important, however, is the need to line up as many top- quality Congressional candidates as we can, starting =now=. Let's face it: we're not going to win the Presidency in 1988. Indeed, we will do well to surpass Ed Clark's 1980 showing. It will be tough to get our Presidential nominee included in the national, televised debates...but if we have 300 good, strong, ballot-qualified Congressional candidates, it will make our task a lot easier! ...I believe that the single most important criterion we should use in evaluating prospective Presidential candidates is this: =What will he do to build support for our Congressional candidates?= For no matter how committed, articulate, and personable our nation- al candidate may be, he's only one individual. In the long run, we will succeed only by building a mighty cadre of seasoned, locally-known (and respected!) champions of liberty. There is no "miracle cure," no "man on a white horse" who can do the job for us. We must do it ourselves. 1 Every candidate has two or three "core issues" which he or she empha- sizes in his or her campaign. What issues to you plan to stress, and how will you tie them together into a coherent package? [Ron Paul, Presidential candidate:] The abolition of the income tax and the IRS, sound money (and the abolition of the Fed), the free market, personal liberty, and a non-interventionist foreign policy. [Russell Means, Presidential candidate:] The Demo-Publicans' hypocrisy in foreign relations--i.e., opening of trade with the Soviet Union and China, who are half a world away! Then, welding shut the doors of trade with Cuba and Nicaragua who are in our backyard! The Demo-Publicans' hypocrisy with Canada vis-a-vis Mexico. No one fears an invasion from Canada (we have a richer economy, and we speak the same language, for Christ's sake!). We also have a mutually bene- ficial interlocking econonmy. We're attempting to weld the door shut with Mexico! and they have a hell of a lot more oil! This is absolute- ly the logic of negativism! Instead of continually being perceived as the arrogant-imperialist warmongers of the world--we have to become the friends of the world! Our policy of international defense should hold other nations to be re- sponsible for the defense of their own--thereby creating the climate for increased free trade, by lessening other governments' ability to subsidize their industries! Open government! Require all secret agencies such as the IRS, FBI, DEA, CIA, BIA, and the INS to adhere to the Bill of Rights. And, re- quire these agencies to prove the guilt of the people they charge with crimes. In other words, you are innocent until proven =guilty!= Less taxes--defense without offense. Repeal the Price-Anderson Act and force the nuclear industry into an unsubsidized, free, open, and private market. No draft! Social Security should be voluntary! There are IRA plans which are much more beneficial! Bring the gold standard back, and abolish the Federal Reserve Board and Bank! Deregulate and quit subsidizing industry, i.e., the military/indus- trial complex! Abolish the BIA, honor treaties, and allow the American Indian nations the =right= to succeed or fail on their own merits! [Andre Marrou, Vice-Presidential candidate:] I do not have any "core issues" other than the obscene size and cost of government, which leads to interference with private lives. Cutting government as much as pos- sible, as quickly as possible, is my overwhelming concern. 2 Do you have any =disagreements= with any planks in the LP platform? (Check to be sure!) If you do, what will you do when asked about your stand on these issues? [Paul:] Abortion. If asked, I will outline the platform, my own posi- tion, and say that libertarians disagree on this very difficult topic. [Means:] No! Affirm my stance! [Marrou:] So far as I know, I have no disagreement with the current national LP platform. A few years back, there was a plank on children's rights which lead to the silly conclusion that a four-year-old is qual- ified to do everything an adult can do. Although children should have their civil rights protected, the debate as to what constitutes an adult will, I'm sure, continue. As to abortion, I am pro-choice at least up to the point of natural viability--that is, where the fetus can live outside the womb naturally without artificial help. Government certainly should protect citizens of whatever age, but the point at which a fetus becomes a "citizen" will continue to be argued, since it a moral/religious issue. There may be some agreement that government should not be involved during the first six months of pregnancy, approximately the point of natural viabilty. 3 As you may know, I [Nolan] have long advocated that our candidates for President and Vice-President abandon any pretense that they are "running to win," and instead use their campaigns to generate support for our Congressional candidates. What is =your= strategic vision for this campaign? [Paul:] The purpose of the campaign is to spread our ideas and build our party--not to win, except in an ideological sense. [Means:] Enlarge the Libertarian Party with people, vigor, and energy! We have a =movement= for liberty to maintain and enlarge! [Marrou:] As the LP's VP nominee, my main effort will go into building the LP nationwide. While the Presidential nominee is going to the big cities and being on TV, I plan to hit the smaller cities and towns, at- tending rallies and signing up members in addition to raising funds for my campaign and the local or state LP. In so doing, I would seek out the local press--printed and electronic--for interviews to spread the LP philosphy on a local level. Of course, I would participate in whatever available debates among the VP candidates may occur. 4 [a.] Do you have any preferences as to your running mate? [b.] Are there any currently-declared contenders for our national nominations whom you would =not= run with? [c.] Would you be willing to run as the VP candidate if another candidate is chosen for the top spot? [Paul:] I have been impressed with Andre Marrou. But I am devoting my time to preparing for the convention. I'll worry about the VP position if I am honored with our Party's nomination. I would not run as VP. [Means:] [a.] No. [b.] No. [c.] Never! [Marrou:] Currently, I have no preference for running mate between Means and Paul. They both have something to offer, but their attributes are different. That is, they are both good candidates, but for differ- ent reasons. At the Illinois convention [in April], a certain Harry Glenn from Hammond, Indiana declared his candidacy for the LP nomination for President. Him I would not run with. 5 [a.] If you are the LP's Presidential candidate, who will be in charge of your campaign effort? [b.] To what extent will you "clear" your campaign meterial throught the party's Review Committee to make sure it conforms with the party's official positions? [Paul:] [a.] My present staff, expanded. [b.] Thoroughly. [Means:] [a.] The Libertarian platform. [b.] Not applicable. [Marrou:] [a.] My campaign manager is Perry Willis, former National Director of the LP. My treasurer is Robert Bulecheck. Both these men live in Tucson. Other persons have offered support, including Tonie Nathan, Ed Clark, Barbara Branden, Sharon Ayres, Dave Bergland, Murray Rothbard, Michael Emerling, Marshall Fritz, Alexis Thompson, and others. [b.] I was not aware that the national LP required or even suggested that my campaign material be "cleared" throught the Review Committee. That smacks of the fealty oaths so beloved by the Republicans. Although I have nothing to hide, and consider myself as "pure" a Libertarian as anybody, nonetheless submitting my material to someone else is distaste- ful. In fact, in 1984 I refused $1,000 from the LP of Anchorage because they wanted control of my advertising. This holier-than-thou attitude is destructive and somewhat adolescent, amounting to one of the self- wrought plagues of the LP. If anyone should be passing upon the "libertarianness" of any ma- terial, it should be me, since I have explained and defended the philo- sophy under the most adverse circumstances during the last two years in the Alaska Legislature. In addition, I served on the Platform Committee of the Alaska LP for three years, including one year as Chairman. I know the LP philosophy upside-down and backwards. It is natural to me-- I don't have to memorize the platform. 6 Some people have suggested that our candidates might find it appro- priate to endorse other parties' candidates for lower offices in cases where no Libertarian is running, and another party's candidate is sub- stantially in agreement with our positions. Under what circumstances, if any, would you make such endorsements? [Paul:] I can't conceive of doing this, although I would not want to rule it our 100 percent. [Means:] Under no circumstances! [Marrou:] Under no circumstances should the LP endorse candidates of another party, regardless of the situation. If these other candidates are "substantially" libertarian, then they should run as Libertarians. In fact, the By-Laws of the Alaska LP prohibit such endorsements, and the national LP by-laws should too, if they don't already. 7 Why do you think you are the best person for the LP to nominate for the office you are seeking? [Paul:] Because I can do the best and most credible job for the party. Without a principled, effective and well-funded presidential race, I fear for the party's future. I can guarantee such a race. [Means:] =Because of my culture!= [Marrou:] Re qualifications, see attached sheet. [Not reprinted.] =Telphone numbers for more information on the above candidates:= Ron Paul (713) 333-1988 Russell Means (214) 350-3695 Andre Marrou (702) 386-0600