Monday, November 1, 2010

Idahoans for Liberty releases Phil Hart YouTube Video

The activist group, which is located in in Southwest Idaho, has been strongly supporting the embattled North Idaho lawmaker both before and after his troubles became front-page news.

The link to the video is here: http://www.youtube.com/user/Idahoans4Liberty



The group has released a YouTube video entitled: "ADA COUNTY REPUBLICANS SUPPORT PHIL HART -- A message to voters in District 3." The video features both prominent and grassroots Republicans in Ada County who support Phil Hart's re-election and battles with the IRS. Among those appearing are Rod Beck, former Senate Majority Leader and current Region 4 Chair of the State Republican Party, Dennis Mansfield, longtime Christian Conservative activist, Redgie Bigham, President of the Treasure Valley Pachyderms, Jim Thomas, 2nd Vice Chair of the Ada County Republican Party, and Ryan Davidson, 3rd Vice Chair of the Ada County Republican Party.

"The goal of the video is to show voters in North Idaho that Rep. Hart is loved and supported throughout the state," said Ryan Davidson, spokesman for ID4L. "He fought and continues to fight a principled battle against the IRS and the State Tax Commission. His study of the law and the history of the 16th Amendment is nothing short of remarkable. Had the US Supreme Court chose to hear Rep. Hart's case, they very well could have determined that the original intent of the 16th Amendment was something very different than what is thought today. The Supreme Court recently determined in the famous Heller case that the original intent of the 2nd Amendment was something quite different than what legal scholars and federal court judges had been preaching. The Hellar case has led to the repeal of various gun laws. Rep. Hart's case could have led to the repeal of the income tax, had the Supreme Court summoned the courage to tackle the issue."

Rep. Hart's supporters in Ada County also take serious issue with the news stories referring to him as a "timber thief." Rep. Hart studied both state and federal forest law, and spoke with loggers (who he received affidavits from) before concluding that the law on the books at the time (confusing as it was) allowed a private citizen to harvest trees for their personal, non-commercial use. The Sheriff at the time agreed with Phil's reading of the law, but the Attorney General's office did not. A difference of opinion on a poorly written law (which was changed after Rep. Hart's case) does not make one a "timber thief" by any stretch of the imagination.

"We hope that voters in North Idaho, whose opinion of Rep. Hart may have been shaped by negative news coverage, take a second look," said Davidson. "Underneath the terrible headlines they may find a true statesman. It's what we've found."

http://www.youtube.com/user/Idahoans4Liberty