Fox News has posted an article called “Libertarian Heroes of 2003” that profiles politicians who took a stand this past year to “limit the size of government, defend our civil liberties, or otherwise uphold the freedom of Americans at the expense of the state.”
A couple excerpts:
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin
Businessman Nagin ran for mayor as his first foray into politics. It shows — and I mean that in a good way. Immediately upon taking office, Nagin took a scouring pad to Crescent City corruption. He raided the Taxicab Bureau, arresting some 80 employees — including his own cousin — and had the bureau?s director marched out of City Hall in handcuffs. When the city director in charge of the bureau called a press conference to criticize the raid, Nagin fired her on camera, and later had her arrested, too. Since then, several other city officials have been fired, indicted, and convicted for fraud, bribe-taking and corruption.
And:
Texas Rep. Ron Paul
Rep. Paul not only makes this list, he is this list. He?s the most consistent defender of freedom elected to federal office in about 200 years. For Rep. Paul, such devotion to principle is easy. When a bill comes up for a vote, he merely asks himself whether or not the U.S. Constitution authorizes Congress to do what the bill asks. If the answer is ?no,? — and it almost always is — he votes no. He is reliably the ?1? when the House passes a bill 434-1. The Washington Post once dubbed him ?Congressman ?No.??