Turnout was light, so I only managed to collect 82 petition signatures.

Around the 8:00 pm closing time, Governor O’Malley came by. He was chatting and having pictures taken, mostly with poll workers. I went up to him:

Robert Glaser: (shaking hands) Hello, Governor!

Governor O’Malley: Hi!

Robert Glaser: Do you believe in competition?

Governor O’Malley: Yes, do you?

Robert Glaser: Absolutely. Would you be willing to sign a petition for the continuation of the Libertarian Party in Maryland?

Governor O’Malley: No Way! (Laughing) But I appreciate you’re trying!

The very first thing I did when I got home was wash my hands.

 He hasn’t changed. In 1995, when O’Malley and my husband, Lorenzo were both running for Baltimore City Council in the third district, other canidates signed Lorenzo’s ballot access petition, but O’Malley refused in pretty much the same way.

Lorenzo Gaztañaga and Laurie Luedtke (on the phone)

L to R: Gubernatorial candidate Susan Gaztañaga, Bill Buzzell, Mike Linder, and 7th District Congressional candidate Scott Spencer

2nd District Congressional candidate Lorenzo Gaztañaga

L to R: Bill Buzzell, Steve Boone, Scott Spencer, Mike Linder

The summer campaign seasaon started with a booth at the Chesapeake Pride Festival in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore City. 

I had a wonderful trip to Garrett County this past weekend. Lorenzo and I started our journey around 10:30 Friday morning. As we entered Allegheny County, we stopped to view the spectacular scenery at Sideling Mountain lookout. 

We passed through Cumberland and the quaintly named Accident. 

I received a warm welcome at the McHenry Visitors’ Center. 

After dinner, I sent a press release to the Cumberland Times-News and headed out to the fair. The Modified Tractor and Smoker Pull was scheduled for 7 p.m. It was the first time I had seen anything like it, and it was really exciting. As I handed out my fliers to the spectators, I attracted the attention of county employee and former construction contractor Dave Sines. Whenever I go out campaigning, I try to do as much listening as I do talking, to find out what people in different parts of Maryland are thinking. Mr. Sines was critical of the county government for spending $7.5 million on a swimming pool for Garrett County College when there was a bridge that was badly in need of repair. My husband, Lorenzo, took our picture, and promised that it would be up on this website “within 48 hours.” Hi, Dave. Here’s your picture. 

Libertarians do not believe in the initiation of force to attain political or social value. We call this “The Non-Aggression Principle.” Another way of putting it is that the ends do not justify using aggressive force as the means. The purpose of any government (Libertarians say, the only purpose) is to protect the rights of all people. Any power government may exercise that does not have the consent of the governed is unjust.

Libertarian philosophy was eloquently expressed in 1776 in the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men* are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

The Declaration of Independence is as revolutionary today as it was in the eighteenth century.

Could you be a Libertarian? Take the “World’s Smallest Political Quiz” and find out.

http://www.theadvocates.org/quizp/index.html

Here’s a video clip in which I explain Libertarian philosophy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir96gHWC5qQ

As the Pyramid of Power below illustrates, there are various levels, or degrees of aggression-through-government—all of them unjust and unconstitutional.

[I will recreate this graphic as a jpg in Adobe Illustrator if you want to use this version of the website]

* We understand this to mean both men and women.