Non-Renewal of Patriot Act a Libertarian Triumph--Damn the Neocons, Abolish the Two DOEs

Russell Berman of The Hill views the failure of the House to renew the Patriot Act as a blow to the GOP:

"The sudden breakdown prompted a round of finger-pointing within the GOP upper ranks...Contrite senior aides acknowledged that Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) had miscalculated the level of opposition from Democrats and from within their own ranks."

Likewise, Steve Bell of Frum Forum writes:

"The cracks became real fissures though when the long-feared reality of budget arithmetic dawned on the fiscal hawks in the party.  As we predicted long ago, finding $100 billion in real deficit reduction cuts in the FY11 Continuing Resolution would prove improbable, despite promises by most Republicans that they would achieve that goal."

Bell didn't do well in microeconomics.  It is easy to find a trillion dollars in waste in the federal budget. It is easy to find two trillion.  Rand Paul suggests eliminating the pointless departments of energy and education. Most government agencies produce no value and can be drastically reduced.  Corporate interests like General Electric's MSNBC object to such steps because the chief beneficiaries of government regulation are corporations like General Electric (disclosure: I own 200 GE shares).

Advocacy of the Departments of Energy and Education is extremism.  They do not contribute to improvement of education or the energy picture. Their advocacy involves extreme commitment to economic decline and subsidization of monopoly power.

David Horowitz at CPAC: Thumbs Up on Education Vouchers

David Horowitz argues that government needs to be taken out of the school business.  Hear, hear.  View the whole thing here (CPAC registration required).

Ron Paul at CPAC: Too Much Bipartisanship

Ron Paul's speech at yesterday's CPAC meeting is excellent.  He speaks about the Patriot Act, foreign affairs, the military, the Fed and the economy.  View the whole thing here (CPAC registration required).

Judge Napolitano on Why the Patriot Act Should Be Repealed

Judge Napolitano on why Bush's and the GOP's Patriot Act should be repealed (h/t Kenny's friend).  Simple reason: it violates the Constitution, it makes us less free and it makes us unsafe.