A "paleocon" speaks

The current crop of neocon fascist police state loving Republicans refer to people like David Boaz as paleocons. Today Mr Boaz reminds me why I like the old cons a lot better than the new ones.
Libertarians, beware the rigid reign of Rudy

Behind Rudy Giuliani's impressive lead in the polls is one fact that puzzles the pundits: Many cultural conservatives are backing a pro-choice, pro-gun control candidate. But what should be equally surprising is the strong support Giuliani is finding among libertarian-leaning Republicans, who also make up a big slice of the GOP base.

Here's why: Throughout his career, Giuliani has displayed an authoritarian streak that would be all the more problematic in a man who would assume executive powers vastly expanded by President Bush.

Rudy Giuliani has shown signs of being an authoritarian figure throughout his career. Just ask the residents of New York City. Boaz thinks that all those who believe in freedom and liberty should be concerned about a Giuliani presidency.

As a presidential hopeful, Giuliani's authoritarian streak is as strong as ever. He defends the Bush administration's domestic surveillance program. He endorses the President's power to arrest American citizens, declare them enemy combatants and hold them without access to a lawyer or a judge. He thinks the President has "the inherent authority to support the troops" even if Congress were to cut off war funding, a claim of presidential authority so sweeping that even Bush and his supporters have not tried to make it.

Giuliani's view of power would be dangerous at any time, but especially after two terms of relentless Bush efforts to weaken the constitutional checks and balances that safeguard our liberty.

In 1964, Barry Goldwater declared it "the cause of Republicanism to resist concentrations of power." George W. Bush has forgotten that; Rudy Giuliani rejects it.

Boaz is speaking to his fellow Libertarians but it's something that we freedom loving progressives could certainly agree with.