PUBLIC NOTICE: henceforward, I shall be calling the cartridge formerly known as ".40 S&W" by a new name -- ".40 Liberty" -- to disassociate one of the greatest implements of self-defense ever conceived from the cowardly corporation doing its best to eradicate the very concept of self-defense, and to remind everybody to boycott that corporation and interdict its sales to all government agencies.
-- L. Neil Smith

Smith & Wesson Must Die

The Webley Mk VI Revolver

L. Neil Smith Drawn by Scott Bieser

"Thomas L. Knapp" writes:

Ad Hoc Conspiracy to Draft L. Neil Smith

Dear Fellow Libertarians:

I'm reading -- for the second time, to make sure I didn't miss any of the good stuff -- the next LP presidential candidate's campaign book. Or one of them anyway. It's called Lever Action.

That candidate was also the last LP presidential candidate, in Arizona at any rate.

I wrote to L. Neil Smith earlier today to make sure that his offer -- that he'll run for president if those who want him to show up at his door with either the LP presidential nomination or 1 million signatures asking him to run as an independent -- is still valid.

It is.

And we will.

This time, some things are going to be done differently.

As last time, I'm appointing myself acting de facto HMFIC of the Ad Hoc Conspiracy to Draft L. Neil Smith.

This time, I'm also appointing myself treasurer. There's a reason for that, which I'll get to shortly.

The first difference is that we're starting earlier this time.

The second difference is that we have a non-fiction book that is well-suited to promoting a Libertarian candidate, the Libertarian Party and the libertarian idea. That's above and beyond Smith's more than 20 novels, not to mention the two novels slated for release this year.

The third difference is that we're going to raise money, and spend money.

The fourth difference should explain why I am the treasurer:

Awhile back, a friend and I were talking about organizations and their problems, and he mentioned something that caught my interest. It seems that when an organization is set up for political purposes, the treasurer is the one left holding the legal bag for FEC reporting and such. Not the candidate. Not the campaign manager. The treasurer.

So when I, treasurer of the Ad Hoc Conspiracy to Draft L. Neil Smith, send the FEC notice that they can go piss up a rope, it's all on me.

The Ad Hoc Conspiracy is going to raise money. The purpose of said fundraising will be to promote L. Neil Smith as a presidential candidate -- by getting copies of Lever Action into libraries, among other things. I suspect the guy whose friends are trying to talk him into running will be willing, once again, to do talk radio and otherwise promote his ideas, if not a candidacy he isn't seeking.

The Federal Election Commission will NOT receive reports from the Ad Hoc Conspiracy to Draft L. Neil Smith. They won't be told who contributed or how much they contributed. They won't be told ANYTHING -- correction: they will be told, at the very outset and every time they squeal thereafter, that they aren't getting the information they demand. Period.

No guarantees, but the Ad Hoc Conspiracy will also do its best to make sure that we don't even *know* who gave, or how much they gave. The only records we'll keep are how much money came in and where it went ... and those will be kept encrypted to the maximum extent possible. If the treasurer -- that's me -- has to visit the graybar motel, he'll do his level best not only to not tell, but to not be ABLE to tell, even if they pull out his fingernails and make him watch Barbra Streisand concert footage.

This should address the perceived need for a "challenge" to the FEC -- without requiring free use of the LP mailing list, platoons of lawyers to file briefs and dispute standing, or the active cooperation of the LNC or use of LP funds. This is an intentional act of civil disobedience. Why should we go to them? Make THEM come to US.

The treasurer won't be taking a salary from the campaign. There won't be any paid staff. The prospective candidate or his designee, as well as perhaps some interested LP activists or officials, will have as much access to the financial figures as possible so that they can ensure there isn't any hanky panky. That can all be worked out. The treasurer may set up a separate account to which people can donate to help cover his expenses and legal defense costs if necessary, but not one dime intended for campaign use will go into his pocket.

The Ad Hoc Conspiracy, acting through its treasurer -- that would be me -- has already secured the smith2004.org domain name. Right now, all you will find there is an "under construction" banner (actually, you probably won't find even that -- it takes a few days for a new domain name to propagate).

Over the next week or so, the campaign web site will take shape, with the attendant event calendars, online donation utilities, candidate information and so forth. In the slightly longer term, the endorsement scripts will allow for signature collection. There will also be bulletin boards and/or discussion lists, etc.

Lever Action can be ordered online from Mountain Media at:

http://www.thespiritof76.com/leveraction.html

Material on the effort to draft Smith in 2000 is available at:

http://smith4prez.freeservers.com/

Smith's home page is at: http://www.lneilsmith.com/

Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
[email protected]
Acting de facto HMFIC and Treasurer
Ad Hoc Conspiracy to Draft L. Neil Smith

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