REFERENCE:

BBC News: "New Deadline for Zimbabwe's Vote"

Dear Friend,
Bob Barr has officially launched his campaign for President of the United States.

Speaking alongside his wife Jeri and son Derek at a press conference in Washington DC on May 12th, he announced his candidacy for the Libertarian presidential nomination:
"I've heard from Americans from all walks of life... they want a choice. They believe that America has more and better to offer than what the current political situation is serving up to us.

The status quo has given us the litany of problems that we're all very familiar with. The debt, the deficit, the problems we see in the economy, the trade imbalance, and the occupation of Iraq. These are all children of the status quo.

I will be a candidate precisely to give the American people a voice and give them a meaningful choice so that they do not have to vote for the lesser of two evils.

American voters deserve better. "
Help us to spread this message far and wide to your friends and neighbors. Take a moment to visit our Media Center where you can view Bob's special online announcement and listen to audio of Bob answering questions from members of the press at the event.
With your generous support Bob will receive the nomination and provide a real choice in November. As our campaign plans for the Libertarian National Convention and beyond, your early financial support is essential to building this effort and continuing our revolution.
Now is the time to join together and send the message that Bob presents a clear alternative to the status quo. Please make a generous contribution of $100, $75, $50, or even $25. Every dollar you give will have a huge impact on our immediate goals.
Toward Liberty,

I am writing to encourage you to run as a Libertarian for public office in Florida.

Florida Libertarians have a fantastic opportunity to have a substantial Libertarian influence on their community by serving as elected officials on Special Districts. There are over 1,500 Special Districts in Florida; these act as advisory boards that address local issues like community development, soil and water conservation, transportation etc. (http://www.floridaspecialdistricts.org/).

Special Districts are easily accessible to Libertarians, as there are no ballot access restrictions. To be on the ballot in November for a Special District, Libertarians merely must pay a $25 fee and submit their filing papers by June 20th. Special Districts are often uncontested, and are definitely winnable for Libertarian candidates who promote a positive community reputation. Additionally, campaigning for and serving on a Special District requires only a small time commitment, one compatible with your other obligations.

By serving on a Special District board, you can have a significant Libertarian influence on your community and reverse the increasing encroachment of local government. The difference Libertarians can make by serving on a Special District has been proven by the example of the Libertarians who acquired a majority on the Lee County Soil and Water Board (read the story at ----). These Libertarians eliminated the Special District’s excessively inefficient functions, and then returned its $100,000 budget-surplus to the voters.

Furthermore, serving as a Libertarian candidate on a Special District sets the foundation for future Libertarian candidates running for higher offices. For example, the Libertarians serving on the Lee County Soil and Water Board proved to their constituents that Libertarians are not typical politicians, rather than expanding their power they returned it to the people. In this way, local Libertarian elected officials can show their community that the Libertarian Party is a principled political party, which they should support. Only with the help of individuals like you volunteering for candidacy can we give voters a Libertarian choice, so please, make this invaluable contribution and run for a Special District in your community!
We would love to see many Libertarians on the ballot this November in partisan races, however we understand this may be too daunting for many. If you think you'd like to run in a partisan race under the Libertarian banner, then by all means, give me call as time is running out.
Just last month Libertarian Scott McPherson was elected mayor of New Port Richey. So we are winning races! Perhaps, you'll be next.
If you are interested, and would like more information, please reply to this email or contact me, Karl Dickey at karldickey@gmail.com. We will notify your local Libertarian Party leadership so that they can help you find the best Special District office for you, and complete the filing procedure.
From Florida, we have a vice-presidential candidate running (www.thenewlibertarian.org), a presidential candidate, a state representative (Ben Collard), and many others in Florida that have either announced or already filed to run for public office. Don't watch from the sidelines, participate.

Phillies Reiterates Commitment to Keeping Government out of Abortion Question

Worcester, Mass., May 13: In a statement issued earlier today, Libertarian Presidential candidate George Phillies reiterated his commitment to keeping government at all levels out of the abortion question. "Government, no matter whether state, Federal, or local, has no legitimate right to interfere in your private life or your medical decisions," he said. "You will not hear me talking about making abortion obsolete, banning abortion, or encouraging abortion."
Phillies said that he completely supports a woman's right to choose, but added that he believes the government should likewise respect individuals' beliefs. "Remember, no matter your side on the issue: Once you agree that our government can intervene in these decisions, you have agreed that a future government that disagrees with your stands can compel you to take actions that you find morally repugnant."
Phillies compared the position of those who believe abortion should be decided at the state level to that of segregationists in the last century. "All too often, Republican conservatives talk about handing
decisions over to states... The Jim Crow southern conservative 'state's rights' doctrine was wrong 50 years ago, and it hasn't gotten any better since. Whatever powers states may have, one power they do not have is the power to take away your rights. The Federal government is constitutionally forbidden to take away a woman's right to choose...
"Young people are turning their back on Republican social reactionaries," Phillies added. "Those young people are the future and opportunity of our party, especially the young people who detest high taxes, invasive federal regulations, and perpetual Republican wars…but only if we show that we are a party that supports social liberty. To do that, we have to stand with our traditional libertarian position on
abortion: Government should have no role in this matter."