Inside the Beltway: Libertarians kick into gear with LPAC The Liberty Political Action Conference

The ever feisty Ron Paul is the driving force behind LPAC, the three-day Liberty Political Action Conference, which begins Thursday in a lofty Virginia hotel outside Washington, and hosts 800 eager guests. Indeed, Mr. Paul will man the podium, along with Republican Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, plus Reps. Justin Amash of Michigan, Paul Broun of Georgia, Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, Raul Labrador of Idaho, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Mark Sanford of South Carolina. The event sponsors range from the Charles Koch Institute, to the Atlas Society, Reason magazine, the Poker Players Alliance and Accuracy in Media, among many. The Campaign for Liberty is behind it all; the senior Mr. Pauls activist group claims respect for the Constitution, the rule of law, individual liberty, sound money, and a noninterventionist foreign policy as their foundation, their charter notes.

The weekend will bring together liberty activists from all across the country and will feature valuable training that will empower our members to successfully push for liberty at the federal, state, and local levels, the organizations president John Tate assures Inside the Beltway.

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The unfriendly press, meanwhile, is scrutinizing both Mssrs. Paul hoping the son shies away from his fathers traditional Libertarian teachings as the 2016 campaign trail beckons, and the shadow of the Islamic State looms. But hybrid politics are far too fluid these days for a quick hit job. Its complicated. Undecided and independent voters are many in number, as are disenchanted Republicans and Democrats. Most polls continue to suggest American remain more concerned with the U.S. economy than international terrorism, though that could change. Paul the younger along with every other presidential aspirant must all reckon with the same evolving political landscape.

TILTING AT KILTS

Naturally. But of course people are betting on the outcome of the Scottish vote for independence, which takes place Thursday and has drawn keen international interest, along with fears that the price of Scotch will go up. Fox Business Network anchor Neil Cavuto, in fact, will offer four hours of special Scottish coverage in the early morning. The public, meanwhile, has already wagered $81.5 million on the vote, and at least one attuned organization predicts a secession. The latest odds from Paddy Power, a very active Ireland-based betting house:

Were now looking at 3/1 for a Yes vote, 1/4 for a No, notes Paddy prognosticator Aidan Elder.

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THE PERSISTENT MEDIA BIAS

The liberal leanings of the news media have been a cultural force ever since the phenomenon was identified by long time scholar Robert Lichter, who authored Media Elite: Americas New Power Brokers all the way back in 1986. And so the trend continues, almost three decades later. A new Gallup poll finds that 44 percent of Americans say theres a left-ward bias in the press, compared to 19 percent who perceive a conservative bent. Only a third of the public say press coverage is about right.

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Inside the Beltway: Libertarians kick into gear with LPAC The Liberty Political Action Conference