The Republican Party of today is an alliance of theocons and neocons that depends on fear-mongering and bribery to win the additional votes needed to win elections. Control of the modern Republican Party rests largely in the hands of the Religious Right, which has grown to dominate the party since the late 1970s. Where once social conservatives hoped to use libertarian means to achieve their goals by liberating families, churches, and schools from left-wing utopian schemes, they now turn to the government as a weapon to wage a cultural war against their enemies: feminists, gays, non-Christians, and even fellow Christians that do not embrace their extremist beliefs. They wish to use the government to impose a top-down policy of mandating school prayer and radical abstinence only sex education. Federalism is ignored in intervening in personal medicinal decisions, be it a woman's right to choose or the right to die with dignity. However, the divide between libertarians and the Republican Party runs even deeper.

Since 9/11, a form of right-wing authoritarianism has developed among the Republican ranks that values unquestionable loyalty to President Bush and the party's leadership. The mindset of a never-ending War on Terror which can be used to justify any action is in many ways an extension of the mindset of a never-ending culture war domestically. This War on Terror has been used to justify unprecedented executive secrecy, an upset of our system of checks and balances, preemptive war with no probable cause, and the use of torture. Questioning the President has become off-limits during this War on Terror, even on domestic issues that to any sane observer would be unrelated. The concentration of power in the hands of the Republican leadership in the House had accelerated in the past few years and spread to the Senate, with plans to use the 'nuclear option' to end the long standing practice of filibustering in the chamber. Only the Democratic take over of Congress in 2006 put a stop to these trends.

Extreme social conservatism is not a message that resonates with the majority of Americans, nor is the destruction of our venerable system of democratic government. To maintain control, the Republican Party turns to two strategies, both antithetical to libertarians. First, fear tactics that demonize opponents and intimidate voters. Rhetoric that exaggerates the danger posed by international terrorism fuels the rise of loyal and unquestioning followers. Second, reckless and irresponsible spending that treats voters as goods that are auctioned off to the highest bidder. From strong-arm tactics to pass the Medicare prescription drug package to Bush's flip-flops on steel tariffs to the record-breaking rise of earmarks, Republicans have abandoned any claim to the title of "small government conservatism."

There is a growing gap between the libertarian rhetoric of the Republican Party and the voting record of their members. I personally began to notice this gap back during the debates over CAFTA, when Congressman Ron Paul and his Liberty Committee urged libertarian activists to contact their representatives to oppose the bill; few members of his Liberty Caucus opposed the bill. A review of the key votes identified by the Liberty Caucus in 2005, and then a later one that incorporated votes from 2006, revealed that so-called "small government conservatives" were MIA in standing up for civil liberties and American sovereignty. Cynthia McKinney, a nutjob, and Bernie Sanders, a socialist, were closer to Ron Paul's voting record. Such a situation reveals how hollow the claims of the Republican party to be libertarian really are.

Far from standing up to the creeping authoritarianism within the Republican Party, many so-called libertarian Republican activists are turning their guns on their supposed ideological brethren. Eric Dondero, a founder of the Republican Liberty Caucus, has attacked Congressman Ron Paul for his opposition to the Iraq War, which he considers a success. Calling Ron Paul a "a stooge" of the "Leftist Media", Dondero went so far as to call for a pro-Iraq War candidate to take out Ron Paul. Such demands for ideological purity on the right are a sign of the rise of authoritarianism within the Republican Party. To Dondero, one need only be opposed to "Islamo-Fascism" in order to be a libertarian; he has spoken out in support of Senator Lieberman for this reason despite his extensive record of supporting the expansion of Bush's warfare state. While individual candidates may be exceptions, the GOP is no longer a welcome home for libertarians.

After the 2006 election, the Democratic Party now has a chance to push through its own legislative agenda. We are not here to be apologists for everything they do. Rather, we are working for the promotion of freedom and liberty within the Democratic Party, which despite its flaws is still a more welcoming home for libertarians than the Republican Party. We ask you to join us in support of libertarian Democrats and the promotion of policy proposals that will unite both liberals and libertarians.