“We need a libertarian Che Guevara,” says libertarian activist Starchild, who makes a living as an erotic services provider.

Reason.tv’s Tim Cavanaugh sat down with Starchild, who recently ran forSan Francisco School Board as the Libertarian candidate, at the Libertopia 2010 conference in Hollywood. Their discussion covers topics such as the history of the libertarian movement, why San Francisco actually is a very libertarian city despite being named Reason.tv’s Nanny of the Year, why libertarians need to look to groups such as the Black Panthers as models for political activism, and how Starchild managed to convert Tim Cavanaugh to libertarianism.

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Just outside the DC Beltway, in Maryland’s sprawling first congressional district, an electoral battle is underway that exposes unique ideological fault lines beneath America’s political landscape.

The campaign pits freshman “Blue Dog” Democratic congressman Frank Kratovil in a rematch against Republican Dr. Andy Harris. Given the political tilt of the district, coupled with the Tea Party tsunami gathering force this year, one would think that this race should be a slam dunk for Harris.

A tall, affable family man, Harris is an anesthesiologist, Navy veteran, hardcore free-marketer, and constitutional conservative. By contrast, Kratovil, a former attorney, tries to portray himself as an “independent” who distances himself from Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic majority. However, the Washington Post reports that “Frank Kratovil has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 84.6% of the time during the current Congress.” Among his least popular votes since taking office: support for the “cash for clunkers” program, for the near-trillion-dollar “stimulus” spending orgy, and for the hugely expensive “cap-and-trade” energy bill. Plus, of course, his vote to elevate the widely reviled Pelosi to the Speaker’s position.

Yet, despite all that, a recent poll finds Harris holding only a statistically insignificant three-point lead over Kratovil. This, while other GOP candidates are faring much better even in usually “safe” Democratic districts.

What’s going on here?

One of the most infuriating spectacles this election season is supposedly “Republican,” “conservative,” and “pro-business” individuals and groups supporting entrenched liberal incumbents against free-market, limited-government challengers. For many special-interest “insiders,” even on the right, philosophical convictions are far less important than sharing a “seat at the table” with the politically powerful.

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If you love the Constitution, Robin Carnahan thinks you are sheep to be led to political slaughter. If you listen to Glenn Beck, she believes she can use that against you to get herself elected.

In this leaked tape made at a fancy, high dollar campaign fundraiser in Santa Fe (a real woman of the people in Missouri, huh?), she explains her cynical election strategy. She espouses an elitist notion that there are enough rubes in Missouri who will vote for anything that says the word “Constitution” such as a Constitution Party candidate.

Another embarassing revelation is the notion that she can help leverage Glenn Beck followers to go along and be part of the 6% she needs. She is clever enough to know that getting 50% of the popular vote is nearly impossible for a hard leftist, especially in a red or swing state heartland state like Missouri. So her path to victory actually relies on 6% of Missourians from Beck supporters to strict Constitutional adherents to vote third party, for her, or not at all so that she can sneak away with the anti-Constitutional remainder of the vote. She elaborates in the tapes that her strategy is to invite debates with the third party candidates to build momentum for their followers to vote for them and chip away at Roy Blunt’s wide margins.

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Earlier this week, Big Government reported that the Alaska Libertarian Party, after initial opposition, was open to reversing itself and welcoming Lisa Murkowski has their candidate this November. Now, Alaska Dispatch reports:

A new poll has U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski beating Joe Miller by six percent if she runs on the Libertarian ticket. The bigger news? The Alaska Libertarian Party isn’t as opposed to the idea as it sounded a few days ago. The party’s candidate for senator, David Haase, said he would support Murkowski if she agreed to certain Libertarian principals.

“If Lisa Murkowski will take up the banner of the people’s bailout, then she’ll have my support,” said Haase, 68. “But with sincerity and for real,” he added, chuckling. “I’m not going to buy a pig in a poke here.”

For Murkowski to run on the Libertarian ticket, Haase would have to step down and the party’s executive board would have to approve Murkowski. According to the party’s chairman, they are willing to sit down and listen to Murkowski.

“We are open to a sit-down chat with Lisa, anytime,” said Scott Kohlhaas, the party’s chairman and a candidate for House District 20 in Anchorage. Kohlhaas didn’t rule out the possibility of Murkowski running on the Libertarian’s ticket, but he did offer two reservations.

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Tonight, Sen. Murkowski conceded the “Republican Nomination” for the U.S. Senate. She did not endorse Joe Miller. She did not take questions at her press conference. Also, she did not concede the overall election.

Sources in Alaska confirm that her campaign is in talks with the Libertarian Party in Alaska. Big Government originally broke the story that the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party voted to deny her their ballot slot. Big Government, however, has learned that some members of the Libertarian Party are discussing “options” with Sen. Murkowski. (Tells you everything you need to know about the Libertarian Party.)

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Since her election night loss to conservative Joe Miller, Sen. Murkowski and her political allies have floated the idea of her switching to the Libertarian Party to continue her run for reelection. Apparently, Sen. Murkowski is fairly flexible in her political loyalties and inclinations. (Her past support for libertarian policies has certainly escaped us.)

Yesterday, the 5-member Executive Committee of the Board of the Libertarian State Party meet in an emergency session to consider Sen. Murkowski’s bid for the party’s nod. After a contentious three-hour meeting, the Board voted unanimously to deny Sen. Murkowski the party’s nomination.

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Census 2010: overreaching and out of bounds. Intrusive. Harassing. I have now received two Census forms and thirteen or fourteen notices from the Census Bureau, and they are still coming.

For the past month I have been called, harassed and visited numerous times by a Pamela Childs of the Census Bureau, who was pursuing me for an interview. Knowing my rights under the law, even under the current Obama coup, I did not respond. I filled out my form — that which is required by law — but still received calls, visits, and notes. Daily.

At one point, I left a message saying I would not speak to her. Period. Mind you, I already filled out and sent in my form the day after I got it.

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Today, in 1971, the Libertarian Party was founded.  Almost every year, for nearly 40 years, we’ve been told that we’re on the cusp of a “libertarian moment.” Alas. Saying it doesn’t make it so. Still, it was a good idea: