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Brian Doherty on Ron Paul's Revolution

Thu, 03 May 2012 01:00:00 EDT

"Ron Paul invented the notion of a populist, activist, modern movement thats transpartisan" says Reason's Brian Doherty

Brian Doherty sat down with ReasonTV to talk about his new book and how Ron Paul has changed politics in America. Doherty wrote about the evolution of the libertarian movement in his 2007 book "Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement". He has been following and writing about Ron Paul and his movement since then. Doherty examines Ron Paul's influence in a new book out May 15, "Ron Paul's rEVOLution: The Man and the Movement He Inspired".

Brian Doherty "documents the meteoric rise of Paul from relative obscurity to national prominence, and examines the fanatically devoted political movement that has arisen around him."

Doherty spoke with ReasonTV in January while covering the Iwoa caucus to talk about Ron Paul's campaign and the movement that has been built around him primarily over the past four years.

Approximately 3:30 minutes.

Produced by Sharif Matar

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Kennedy, Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch Talk 2012 Presidential Race

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EDT

"Could Gary Johnson be the Ross Perot of 2012?" asks Reason Contributor Kennedy.

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie and Reason's Matt Welch joined Kennedy for a discussion about the future of the "libertarian moment," now that the Presidential race has come down to "two guys who love to spend money."

Other topics discussed: the Obama Administration's "strong suggestion" that private companies drug test their employees, income inequality in the wake of the Buffet Rule's failure, and Sen. Richard Lugar's "fantastic legs."

About 6.30 minutes.

Produced by Anthony L. Fisher. Camera by Josh Swain, Meredith Bragg and Jim Epstein.

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"Romney is an echo, not a choice when it comes to Obama" - Nick Gillespie on Freedom Watch

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the love/hate relationship Republicans has with Mitt Romney and whether Ron Paul can challenge the future status quo of the GOP. Air Date: February 13, 2012.

About 3:47 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Talks Insider Trading Laws and Bernanke's "Do No Harm" on Freedom Watch

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo joined Freedom Watch to discuss the effectiveness of insider trading laws and Ben Bernanke's most recent statement to Congress regarding monetary policy. Air Date: February 3, 2011.

Approximately 7 minutes.

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Jacob Sullum Talks 'Dangerous' Newt on Freedom Watch

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum appeared on Fox News' Freedom Watch With Judge Napolitano to discuss why he thinks Newt Gingrich is a dangerous candidate for the Republican nomination for president.

Air Date: December 21, 2011.

Approximately 4:55 minutes.

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Peter Suderman Talks Light Bulbs, Debt and Spending Cuts on Freedom Watch

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST

Associate Editor of Reason Magazine Peter Suderman appeared on Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano to discuss new light bulb regulations, debt and how spending cuts can be deceiving. Air date: 12/19/11.

Run time approximately 5:37 minutes.

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Peter Suderman Discusses a Possible QE3 and Congress's Lowest Approval Ratings on Freedom Watch

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Peter Suderman appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the recent call for stimulus in the form of QE3 and what the lowest approval ratings for Congress mean for Obama and 2012 elections. Air date: 8/10/2011.

Approximately 7.42 minutes.

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3 Reasons Why The Debt-Ceiling Debate is Full of Malarkey

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EDT

All anybody in Washington can talk about these days is the debt limit or debt ceiling – the total amount of money the federal government is authorized to borrow at any given time. After a decade in which spending increased by more than 60 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars and the debt limit was raised no fewer than 10 times, the government is about to max out its $14.3 trillion credit line, leading to fears that Washington is going to default on its bonds, stop cutting Social Security checks, and destroy the economy more than it already has.

But the current debate over the debt ceiling is full of malarkey for at least three reasons.

1. August 2 is a phony deadline. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has pushed back the drop-dead date when the U.S. finally reaches its limit a bunch of times already: March 31, April 15, May 31 were all cited as deadlines before August 2 was inked in as Armageddon. But this time, he means it, man, really.

2. Reaching the debt ceiling is NOT the same as defaulting on our debt – which would indeed be catastrophic.

Think about it: You can max out your credit cards but as long as you keep paying the minimum amount due each month, your creditors don’t go crazy. Interest on the debt is a small fraction of total outlays and the government has a series of tools – from using cash on hand to selling assets to scrimping on nonessential payments – to make sure interest payments are made and seniors aren’t put on an all cat-food diet.

3. Legislating-by-Panic is no way to run a country. The reason we’re in this mess is because government can’t stop spending. And the government can’t even pass a budget on a year’s notice. But we’re expecting them to come up with a good plan for the country’s borrowing in a couple of weeks? Trying to force through an expansion of the country’s credit line by promising cuts in spending down the road is exactly why we’re in this situation to begin with.

It makes far more sense to do something like sell some TARP assets -- the government is sitting on $320 billion in outstanding direct loans and equities investments -- to cover interest payments through the end of the fiscal year than to force Congress and the president to come up with a budget that cuts spending -- and borrowing -- for real, next year, not is some distant future.

For more information, check out Nick Gillespie's 5 Uncomfortable Facts About the Wonderful, Horrible Debt-Limit Debate and Mercatus Center's Jason J. Fichtner & Veronique de Rugy's The Debt Ceiling: What is at Stake.

About 2.35 minutes.

Produced by Nick Gillespie and Meredith Bragg, edited by Joshua Swain.

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Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) has represented the Diamondback State's sixth congressional district since 2001, cutting a pro-immigration, pro-trade, limited-government, anti-spending path that contrasts sharply with the mainstream of the Republican Party.

Flake's campaign against "earmarking," or larding up bills with giveaways for legislators' home districts, brought national attention to this issue and inspired some important rule changes. He has been a lonely voice in the House calling for an end to the U.S.-imposed travel ban on Cuba . And in a state that has shocked much of the country with its intolerance toward both documented and undocumented immigrants, Flake has consistently argued for reducing obstacles to legal immigration and establishing more effective guest worker programs.

Now Flake has his eye on the Senate seat being vacated next year by the retiring Republican Jon Kyl. While there's plenty of competition for his House job, Flake is so far alone in the race for Arizona's junior Senate seat.

A former head of the Goldwater Institute and practicing Mormon, Flake is a leading voice for freer markets and more personal freedom within the Republican Party.

Late in June, Flake sat down with Reason Senior Editor Tim Cavanaugh to discuss these matters and more.

Approximately 28 minutes

Shot by Zach Weissmueuller, Paul Detrick and Alex Manning. Edited by Meredith Bragg.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses the Debt Debate on Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Director of Economic Research at Reason Foundation Anthony Randazzo appeared on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss the White House's push to increase the debt ceiling and the politics of cutting the debt. Air Date: April 29, 2011.

Approximately 8.09 minutes.

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The Tea Party Goes to Washington: Rand Paul on the intellectual bankruptcy of both major parties

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EDT

Rand Paul (R-Ky.) took an unusual path to his seat in the United States Senate: Though his father, the libertarian Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) has spent decades in office, Rand Paul had never previously held public office before winning in 2010. Throughout his campaign, Paul fils identified more with the Tea Party than with the Republican Party, and he ran against the hand-picked candidate of one of the most powerful Republicans in America, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). After trouncing both his primary challenger and the Democratic nominee, Paul did not mention the GOP once in his victory speech last November, saying instead, "Tonight, there's a Tea Party tidal wave."

Since entering office, the freshman senator has quickly proven himself to be the most interesting and radical voice on Capitol Hill, proposing immediate budget cuts 500 percent steeper than anything else Republicans have contemplated, speaking eloquently against the PATRIOT Act and runaway defense spending, and going bonkers against nanny-state regulations in the home. He's even taken on the sainted 19th-century Kentucky statesman Henry Clay ("the Great Compromiser") in a speech that caused McConnell to leave the room. And this all happened just in Paul's first two months in office.

Now the freshman senator has a new book out, The Tea Party Goes to Washington, that discusses his political journey, the intellectual bankruptcy of both major parties, and the urgency of our clear and present fiscal crisis. Reason's Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie interviewed Sen. Paul in his temporary Senate office in March 2011.

Interview produced by Meredith Bragg with Josh Swain and Austin Bragg.

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Countdown to Disappointment: Don't expect the new Congress to cut spending

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST

Is it too soon to declare the new Congress a failure?

Ever since their midterm election triumph, Republicans have talked tough about cutting spending. Here’s hoping they make good on those promises, but they spouted the same tough talk after their 1994 election triumph and look what happened.

Back then the GOP revolutionaries targeted more than 200 programs for complete and utter elimination. They scored some minor victories (adios helium fund!), but a decade into their “revolution” (and after they gained a Republican president) inflation-adjusted spending on the combined budgets of the 101 largest programs slated for elimination actually increased by 27 percent. And since then total federal spending has continued to soar, so why should we take Republicans seriously this time?

The countdown to disappointment starts now.

Approximately 82 seconds.

Written and produced by Ted Balaker. Music by Ambient Teknology (Magnatune Records).

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Porkers of the Month for December 2010: Sens. Lisa Murkowski and James Inhofe!

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:24:00 EST

Reason.tv presents Citizen's Against Government Waste’s Porkers of the Month for December 2010:

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and James Inhofe (R-Okla.)!

After a lopsided election with a strong emphasis on fiscal responsibility, Senate Republicans agreed on a two year moratorium on earmarks. These two refused to go along with the plan, which isn't terribly surprising when you look at their earmark history.

Congratulations Lisa and James, you are Citizen's Against Government Waste's Porkers of the Month for November, 2010!

"Porker of the Month" is written and produced by Austin Bragg. Approximately 1 minute.

For more info on Citizens Against Government Waste and the Porker of The Month, visit cagw.org.

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Kurt Loder Discusses Congressional Gridlock and Censure on CNN's Parker Spitzer

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Magazine's contributing film critic Kurt Loder joins a panel on CNN's Parker Spitzer to discuss political deadlock and censure in the post-election Congress. Airdate: December 3, 2010.

About 7 minutes.

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3 Reasons This Election Didn't Change A Thing

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 01:00:00 EDT

There's no question that the Republicans painted the map red during the 2010 midterm elections, picking up control of the House of Representatives, gaining share in the Senate, and picking up a good chunk of statehouses seemingly all over the place.

The Republicans won big due to huge voter displeasure with the state of the economy, President Obama's policies of the past two years, and (especially) the Democrat-controlled Congress. But does the shift in power matter? Here's three Reasons the GOP wave won't change a goddamn thing:

1. We're still on the fast track to the poor house. When the GOP ran the show with George W. Bush, they spent like drunken sailors (apologies to drunken sailors). Things have only gotten worse since 2008 but the GOP's much-ballyhooed (at least by themselves) Pledge to America only pledges to spend the least bit less than the Dems.

The Pledge conspicuously exempted defense and entitlements from spending cuts, thereby taking more than 60 percent of outlays off the table and making it impossible to seriously cut spending. Triumphant GOP spokespeople sounded the same message on Election Day, generally refusing to offer up specifics about spending cuts.

2. Nobody's talking about foreign policy and ending the warfare state. In constant dollars, defense spending has basically doubled since 2000 and is projected to stay at levels hundreds of billions of dollars above what it was before the Cold War ended. Perhaps more important, neither President Obama nor his party's leadership has even begun a meaningful conversation about foreign policy. The same goes for the Republicans, who constantly exempt defense spending, one of the very largest annual items in the federal budget, from serious scrutiny, much less significant cuts. President Obama is following George W. Bush's painfully slow withdrawal plan from Iraq and has tripled down in Afghanistan without clarifying U.S. goals and leaving lots of wiggle room when it comes to supposed deadlines for leaving. The only folks more hellbent on maintaining an unexamined status quo than the president are the Republicans.

3. The only people worse than liberals on social issues are conservatives. President Obama and the Democrats spent more time hectoring Americans to eat our vegetables than they did repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," pushing immigration reform, or ending drug prohibition. But don't look for the new crew in D.C. or your state capitol to push social tolerance anytime soon. If anything - and despite all the limited-government rhetoric - they'll be even worse when it comes to expanding individual autonomy and increasing lifestyle choice.

The one up side to the midterms? Only that we don't have to worry about another election for two woefully short years.

"3 Reasons This Election Didn't Change a Thing!" is written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie (who also hosts).

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Club For Growth's Chris Chocola: Cutting Spending is a Team Sport

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EDT

If Republicans take control of the House of Representatives in November, Chris Chocola of the Club for Growth worries they'll "go Washington" like they have in the past. Chocola's D.C.-based group is working to change the "gene pool of Congress" by funding candidates who want to cut spending, lower taxes, and promote free markets.

A two-term GOP congressman from Indiana (2003-7), Chocola used to worry that "people weren't interested in good government" or the nitty-gritty of public policy. But the rise of the Tea Party. widespread anti-incumbent fervor, and candidates such as Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Sharron Angle, give him hope that serious change is not only possible but probable. The next two elections, he says, are "an inflection point," whose results may well determine whether the U.S. economy recovers anytime soon.

Chocola talked with Reason.tv 's Nick Gillespie about the midterm elections, whether the Republicans are ready to cut spending, and if his kids needle him about losing his seat in Congress.

Approximately seven minutes. Shot by Jim Epstein and Meredith Bragg. Edited by Josh Swain and Epstein.

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Porker of The Month for August 2010: Rep. Hal Rogers!

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv presents Citizens Against Government Waste's Porker of the Month for August 2010: Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)!

Conservation or nepotism? Since 2007 Rogers has been promoting a bill which would provide federal grants to overseas wildlife protection for lions and cheetahs. Surprise! Rogers' daughter is the grants administrator for the Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund, and has been since—you guessed it—2007.

Congratulations, Hal!

"Porker of the Month" is written and produced by Austin Bragg. Approximately 1.2 minutes.

For more info on Citizens Against Government Waste and the Porker of The Month, go here.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Congressional Conflicts of Interest & Transparency on CNBC's Power Lunch

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:40:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on CNBC's Power Lunch to discuss Congressional conflicts of interest and whether politicians should be allowed to invest in industries they regulate on June 16, 2010.

Approximately 4.23 minutes.

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Pork Party House

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:30:00 EST

First Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) surrenders his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee amid an ethics investigation. Now Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) proposes an idea that she hopes will help her make good on her promise to help lead "the most ethical Congress in history"—a party-wide ban on earmarks. Will it happen? Don't bet on it. Reason.tv's "Pork Party House" helps explain why neither party can resist the pull of pork.

If you're a politician, lobbyist, or insider and you're in the mood to party, check out a Washington D.C. mansion called the Sewall-Belmont House. Party with senators and celebrities at thousand-dollar-a-plate fundraisers! You might even get to ride a mechanical bull! The Sewall-Belmont House hosts so many A-list events, you might be surprised to find out that your tax dollars help fund this hotspot for Washington insiders. "Over the last 10 years, the Sewall-Belmont House has gotten over $3.4 million in earmarks," says Leslie Paige of Citizens Against Government Waste.

Reporters often highlight the most ridiculous examples, but politicians have learned how to make their pork projects sound uncontroversial, even appealing. Just say your project will help children, senior citizens, or—if you really want to slip under the radar—direct taxpayer dough to a museum.

"Museums are one of the biggies because they sound so good," says Paige. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) used that angle to direct a million-dollar earmark to the Sewall-Belmont House (after the Senator received an award from the Sewall-Belmont House). Turns out Landrieu was just getting warmed up, because her recent $300 million "Louisiana Purchase" shot her into the ranks of pork legends.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, laments Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), one of Congress's few legitimate pork busters. Flake tells Reason.tv that despite pork-laden scandals that stuck some members behind bars—remember Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.)?—and promises from Barack Obama to reform earmarks, spending on pork continues to swell in the giant pork party house called the U.S. Congress.

"Pork Party House" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Producer: Hawk Jensen; Host: Nick Gillespie; Field Producer: Dan Hayes; Associate Producer: Paul Detrick; Additional Camera: Meredith Bragg; Production Assistant: Josh Swain; Music: "Get What You Want?" by Beight (Magnatune Records).

Approximately six-and-a-half minutes. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions.

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And come back to Reason.tv March 15 through March 19 for the debut of Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey: How to fix the "Mistake on The Lake" and other once-great American cities, an original six-part documentary series.

Your Flight Has Been Delayed

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

As the holiday travel rush approaches, air travelers grounded by delays should take a moment to think about why they're stuck in airports or on the tarmac. There's a good chance Washington is to blame.

"The air traffic control system in the United States is technologically obsolete," says Robert W. Poole, Jr., director of transportation studies at Reason Foundation, the nonprofit that publishes Reason.tv. "This model is basically the same model that we have used since the beginning of air travel."

The technology the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses to navigate $200 million jets is less advanced than the GPS technology drivers use to navigate $20,000 cars.

Poole says the system could safely handle more planes if the FAA used modern technology that would provide real-time information about where planes are. But the funding process, overseen by pork-hungry members of Congress, often thwarts technology upgrades.

The only way to get the politics out of our air traffic system is to take the system away from the politicians. Why not let a private corporation manage the skies?

That may sound like a far-out, free-market idea, but Canada doesn't think so.

Our neighbors to the north often take pride in their lavish government programs, yet they allow a private corporation called Nav Canada to manage their air-traffic control system. Canada's approach, often called commercialization, has some surprising supporters in the U.S., including Al Gore, who pushed for commercialization when he was Bill Clinton's vice president.

"Your Flight Has Been Delayed" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Director of Photography: Alex Manning; Field Producers: Paul Detrick and Hawk Jensen. The host is Nick Gillespie.

Approximately 7.28 minutes. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions.

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The Case Against College Entitlements

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

President Barack Obama has declared that his administration aims to make college affordable to everyone by greatly expanding government aid to middle class families. The Washington Post says that Obama's higher education proposals, which include creating a brand new Pell Grant entitlement, "could transform the financial aid landscape for millions of students while expanding federal authority to a degree that even Democrats concede is controversial."

But what if President Obama has it backwards? What if America is sending too many people to college?

A recent study found that "Nationally, four-year colleges graduated an average of just 53% of entering students within six years." If 40 percent of students who enter college drop out before graduation and over 50 percent of students take six years to graduate, perhaps Obama is focusing on the wrong issue.

Reason.tv's Michael C. Moynihan sat down with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and the American Enterprise Institute's Charles Murray, author of the recent book Real Education, to analyze how Obama's higher-education plans will impact the economic and cultural future of the United States.

Scroll down for embed code, an audio podcast, and iPod and HD versions.

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"The Case Against College Entitlements" was produced by Michael C. Moynihan and Meredith Bragg. Approximately 5 minutes long.

Earmarks

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:00:00 EDT

Taxpayers are shelling out over $17 billion for more than 11,000 Congressional earmarks in FY 2008. One such project is a $1.6 million earmark in this year’s defense spending bill. The money is going to the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), a program that searches for evidence of life elsewhere in the universe.

That alien pork project is just one example of how elected officials use earmarks to funnel federal tax dollars back to powerful interests in their districts. While politicians and a few of their most well-connected constituents benefit from earmarks, the costs fall on individual taxpayers. Since 1991, Americans have paid over $271 billion for pork projects.

In this new Reason.tv video, Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla) - who is known as the Senate's "Dr. No" for his aggressive opposition to earmarks - explains how taxpayers are being fleeced by Washington's insatiable appetite for pork.