Archive for February, 2015

Rand Paul Trying to Run for Both President and Senate

Rand Paul is actively looking for ways to run for both president and re-election to the U.S. Senate, something standard in many states, but not legal in his home state of Kentucky. However, the state GOP has some serious concerns about his desired scenario.

Paul wrote a letter last week to the state party hoping to convince its members to create a presidential caucus, over a primary in 2016, the Lexington Herald-Leader first reported and the Kentucky GOP state party chairman confirmed to ABC News. Pauls letter argued it would make Kentucky more relevant in the primary process, but it also deals with the prohibition on candidates appearing on the same ballot twice.

Paul and his supporters have been strategizing a work-around since he announced his intention to seek re-election and is also considering a 2016 run for the White House. Another potential 2016 candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio has said he will not run for both.

In the letter, he cites Rep. Paul Ryan, who lost the vice-presidency in 2012, but was re-elected to his House seat. There are other examples of victories and losses in states where its legal including then-Senator Joe Biden in 2008, amongst others, something Paul notes in the letter writing "My request to you is simply to be treated equally compared to other potential candidates for the presidency.

Steve Robertson, the Kentucky State GOP chairman and executive chairman told ABC News its an option Paul wants the party to explore, but he said his members have a lot of questions about a caucus and the process.

Most pressing, Robertson said, is their concern that its unclear what would happen if they move to a caucus and Paul were to become the GOP presidential nominee. Under state law, there is no way to substitute a candidate on the ballot after the filing deadline. After a hard-fought 2014 battle to keep Sen. Mitch McConnell in office, Robertson said their biggest concern is losing that seat in the general election because they couldnt field another Republican and state law would still prevent Pauls name from appearing on the ballot twice.

Robertson called this question a major league struggle for members of the committee, and something they are very conflicted about, but they also have questions about a caucus since theyve never had one in the state before and whether a caucus could potentially disenfranchise Republican voters from the process. And, he says, its a question of both cost and convenience.

How long does someone theoretically have to drive [to caucus]how is this going to be a process that is open and convenient and accessible to Republicans, including older Republicans? Robertson asked, adding they also wonder how it affects absentee voting for service members overseas and they are worried it could have a depressing effect on the number of people who could be able to take part in the process.

We are very supportive of Sen. Paul, Robertson said. This is a very big decision with a lot of ramifications.

Robertson said the 54 members of the executive committee will get a chance to meet with Paul on March 7 and he looks forward to hearing Paul make his case then and to better understand it. He said it wont be the last conversation on the topic. There are other possibilities Paul has to get around the issue. Last year, the Kentucky Senate passed a bill that would allow Paul to be on the ballot twice, but it went nowhere in the Democratic-led House.

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Rand Paul Trying to Run for Both President and Senate

David Boaz: The Libertarian Mind – Video


David Boaz: The Libertarian Mind
Join Executive Vice President of Cato Institute, David Boaz, just one week after the re-release of his classic manifesto, for a conversation around the libertarian perspective on government...

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David Boaz: The Libertarian Mind - Video

Ortom urges Benue CP to convene stakeholders summit

The All Progressives Congress, governorship candidate in Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, has appealed to the Benue Commissioner of Police, Mr Hyacinth Dagala, to convene a summit for political stakeholders to discuss on how to ensure peace in the state.

He made the appeal in Makurdi on Tuesday after lodging a formal complaint about the series of attacks on his supporters and his campaign offices across the state.

Ortom explained that since the beginning of the year, he had written to the state command to complain about the attacks but lamented that nothing had been done, adding that the most disturbing aspect was the report that the police allegedly provided cover for some of the attacks.

The former Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, said he would make efforts to discuss the development with his counterpart and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, urging the commissioner to convene a roundtable on the issue.

He disclosed that as a Christian, he believed that a man could receive nothing except it was given to him from above, saying there was no need to resort to self help.

Ortom commended the police commissioner for personally visiting his campaign headquarters to assess the level of damage and the other efforts to maintain law and order in the state.

The former minister reiterated his commitment to peace in the state, adding that he would do all in his power to ensure that the situation did not escalate.

Dagala assured Ortom that the police would make concerted efforts to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the arson.

He pledged to consult with the states Resident Electoral Commissioner and convene the roundtable as soon as possible while investigations would be conducted into the allegations of Police providing cover for the attackers.

Ortom proceeded to Gyado Villa, where he inspected two offices in which his supporters were attacked and called for restraint, stressing that vengeance belonged to God.

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Ortom urges Benue CP to convene stakeholders summit

(UPDATED) Gunmen kill Plateau APC chairman, injure wife

Gunmen on Sunday night killed the ward chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Kurra Falls of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Rev. Samuel Doro.

Doro was said to have been killed late on Sunday night by some gunmen, who invaded his compound.

The gunmen were said to have attacked Doro and his wife in their house at Kurra Drong near the spring waters of Kurra Falls.

While Doro died in the hospital, his wife Is said to be receiving treatment at the same hospital.

A source close to the family told our correspondent that the deceased might have mentioned the names of some suspects before he passed on at the hospital.

Police Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Abuh, confirmed the incident, saying the police had swung into action to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing.

He said, We are working round the clock to apprehend the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Serah Ochekpe, has admonished security agencies in Plateau State to ensure that there is peace before, during and after the elections.

The minister, who spoke when she visited the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nasiru Oki, and the Directorate of the State Service, asked security agencies to caution politicians so that they would not continue to heat up the polity.

Ochekpe while criticising the campaign approach of the All Progressives Congress, said the partys penchant to denigrate the office of the President in the name of campaigns, amounted to heaping insults on Nigerians.

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(UPDATED) Gunmen kill Plateau APC chairman, injure wife

Peterside escapes death as gunmen disrupt Rivers APC rally

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, escaped death on Tuesday as unknown gunmen disrupted the partys campaign rally in Okrika Local Government Area of the state.

Peterside was whisked away by security operatives in the midst of the deafening sound of sporadic gunshots few minutes after three explosives went off close to the campaign ground at the Okrika National Secondary School Field.

The initial bomb scare had caused a stampede as APC supporters took to their heels to avoid being hit by three separate explosions which were later confirmed to have been fireworks thrown into the scene by suspected mischief makers.

The party supporters that were dispersed by the three separate explosions immediately reconvened only to be sent out of the campaign venue by the sporadic gunshots.

Security agents went down on the ground after drawing their guns in a bid to spot out where the unknown gunmen were hiding to hit them back.

Details later. . .

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Peterside escapes death as gunmen disrupt Rivers APC rally