Press Releases
Tired of Corruption? Give Libertarians a Chance!

(Washington, D.C.) During a recent candidate debate in Connecticut's 4^th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Representative Chris Shays and Democratic challenger Diane Farrell spent considerable time going arguing with each other about how each major political party has reacted to allegations of scandal in the opposition party.

"There have unfortunately been plenty of Democrats and plenty of Republican members of Congress that have been involved in scandals," Libertarian Phil Maymin quipped during the televised debate.  He concluded, "There has not been a single Libertarian congressman involved in any [final syllable(s) not intelligible due to loud applause from audience]."

With new political scandals surfacing frequently and new twists and spins of existing corruption probes hitting the mainstream media almost daily, the American public trusts neither major party to clean up the mess.  While most recent polling indicates that Americans tend to trust the Democrats more than the Republicans this election cycle, USA Today reported "…a Washington Post/ABC News poll found that 75% believed the Democrats would have botched the Foley matter had he been one of theirs."

"From DeLay to Foley to Ney, Republicans are certainly bearing the brunt of corruption charges at the moment.  But let's not forget that when the Democrats were in power, they faced the majority of scandal headlines, too," said Libertarian Party Executive Director  Shane Cory. "We shouldn't forget about Democratic Louisiana Representative William Jefferson of cash-in-the-freezer fame, either."

A primary problem, according to Cory, is that political power is a corrupting influence.  He advocates a return to the days of citizen legislators, as opposed to today's career politicians -- who must begin raising money the day they are elected for their next political race.

"Most Libertarian Party candidates are not career politicians, but own their own businesses or are employed in the private sector," Cory said. "Electing members of 'The Party of Principle' would have a decided impact in reducing the amount of scandal and corruption coming from inside the beltway.  I'd like to encourage the millions of Americans who don’t trust either major party to send a strong message to Washington by casting their first Libertarian vote on November 7." 

The Libertarian Party is fielding over 600 candidates for public office this election cycle, including candidates in Tom DeLay's and William Jefferson's scandal-tarred districts.