Slate Magazine: David Weigel: Brian Schweitzer Interview

Source:The New Democrat  

The libertarian Reason Magazine posted the link for this Slate interview of Brian Schweitzer. Who happens to be just one of my favorite Democrats and a real Liberal Democrat. And I mention that for the simple reason that Reason called it, “Brian Schweitzer the Libertarian Democrat?” Well if you look at state of the current libertarian movement you know why Libertarian and Democrat tend not To go together. And yes Libertarians and Liberals tend to agree with each other on social issues and personal freedom related issues.

But Liberals and Libertarians are very different when it comes to economic policy and on foreign policy. Libertarians tend to sound more like the Far-Left social democratic Dennis Kucinich wing of the Democratic Party. Than they sound like Center-Left Liberal Democrats. Brian Schweitzer the former governor of Montana which recently at least looks like a very Democratic state. At least at the state level and why the governor and the two U.S. Senators are Democrats. The one U.S. Representative isn’t, but Montana is a state that appeals to both liberalism in its real sense and libertarianism as well.

And Governor Schweitzer who was governor of Montana from 2005-13 has been labeled as a Moderate, a Conservative Democrat, a Liberal and apparently by Reason as a. Libertarian. And if you look at where Governor Schweitzer is on civil liberties and personal freedom in general like privacy, homosexuality, speech, the 2nd Amendment which by the way is also a personal freedom issue but, then look at the fact that he’s a Democrat which should be a pretty good clue that he’s not a Libertarian.

And where Governor Schweitzer is on economic policy. Like on things like infrastructure, and energy where he would like to see us use all of our natural resources. And Montana produces a lot of them and not just oil and where he is on immigration and supports a comprehensive approach. His liberal politics are pretty clear, but he’s a real Liberal whose Center-Left. And doesn’t want big government in our economic affairs either.

When I saw the Reason headline, “Brian Schweitzer the Libertarian Democrat?” I almost laughed and got me thinking maybe The Nation magazine a more socialist Far-Left magazine will have a headline something to the effect, Susan Collins the U.S. Senator from Maine a Moderate-Conservative lets say, “Susan Collins the Socialist Republican?” Which would be pretty difficult to take seriously if you know anything about Senator Collins or socialism.