The Daily Show investigates…

April 27, 2005: Fire Hazard

More after the jump.

The Daily Show airs Monday through Thursday at 11pm / 10c.

March 16, 2004: Interview – John Stossel

June 4, 2007: Interview – Ron Paul

February 19, 2003: Banned Aid

June 7, 2005: Guns for Tots Revisited

October 21, 2008: Interview – Christopher Buckley

July 26, 2005: Summer of the Backpack

June 5, 2000: Interview – Penn and Teller*

^{* Okay, so they don't really talk about libertarianism in this clip, but they're pretty much the most vocal libertarians in entertainment, so it seemed wrong to leave them off the list.}

December 7, 2006: 10 F#@king Years – The Second Amendment and You

August 18, 2009: The Gun Show – Barrel Fever

April 3, 2001: A Shot in the Dark

June 2, 2009: Money Shot

November 13, 2008: Baracknophobia – Post-Election Edition

August 18, 2004: A Round of Shots

July 23, 2009: Crossfire – F-22s and Concealed Weapons

October 17, 2002: Ballistic NRA vs. World

May 1, 2003: Guns for Tots

June 7, 2005: Guns for Tots Revisited

The Republican congressman from Texas, whose libertarian insurgency enlivened the 2008 presidential race, is the inspiration behind the new Web dating service RonPaulSingles.com. "We put the LOVE in Revolution," the site proclaims.

Yes, you just read that. And now you're going to read it again. Because, well, you don't often get to read sentences that awesome…

The Republican congressman… is the inspiration behind the new Web dating service RonPaulSingles.com.

Did you get that? A Ron Paul-inspired dating site. A place on the Internet where young people can go to meet like-minded anarchists, smoke some pot with one another while lamenting its illegality, trade stories of Black Block protesting, talk lovingly about a 73-year-old doctor who does not believe in evolution but does believe that George Bush planted bombs in the World Trade Center, and then have sexual intercourse. That is now a thing that exists in the world in which you live!

"I never thought I'd speak to crowds of 5,000 college kids chanting 'End the Fed' and burning Federal Reserve notes, so I guess nothing surprises me that much anymore," Paul wrote to [some reporter or something]. "I suppose it's all about Freedom bringing people together — spiritually, politically, and now, romantically… And, I've always been sympathetic to the slogan 'make love, not war.'"

First of all, puke.

Second of all, you do realize that in 3.2 million years, when squid-people biologists manage to pinpoint the exact moment when the species Homo Libertarius branched off from the human race, it'll be attributed to the fossilized remains of that website, don't you?

(via Slog)

Yeah, that right! According to the Missouri Information Analysis Center, it's militia-joining time!

"Due to the current economical and political situation, a lush environment for militia activity has been created," the Feb. 20 report reads. "Unemployment rates are high, as well as costs of living expenses. Additionally, President Elect Barrack [sic] Obama is seen as tight on gun control and many extremists fear that he will enact firearms confiscations."

MIAC is one of 58 so-called "fusion centers" nationwide that were created by the Department of Homeland Security, in part, to collect local intelligence that authorities can use to combat terrorism and related criminal activities.

You don't have to pitch to me anymore of your silly fearful plan to spy on U.S. citizens. 'Cause I'm sold! I'm joinin' up one of them there militias you speak of.

Let's see… I've already got the unkempt beard and festering misanthropy. What are some of the other requirements?

People who supported former third-party presidential candidates like Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin and former Georgia Rep. Bob Barr are cited in the report, in addition to anti-abortion activists and conspiracy theorists who believe the United States, Mexico and Canada will someday form a North American Union.

"Militia members most commonly associate with 3rd party political groups," the report reads. "It is not uncommon for militia members to display Constitutional Party, Campaign for Liberty or Libertarian material."

Oh, bummer. I was hoping to join a group of disaffected guerrilla soldiers living in the woods, arming myself against imaginary threats and gleefully defecating into freshly-dug holes in the ground.

I didn't know I'd have to hang out with crazy people.

* The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes won't do your research for you. Hey, he won't even do his own research for himself!

* If you think the Bernie Madoff scandal makes you sick now, wait till you experience it in musical form.

* Facebook group "1,000,000 Strong to Strip the Mormon Church of its Tax Exempt Status" only short by about 9,995,000 members or so.

* Reason mag looks into President Obama's War on the Economy.

* Joe Lieberman, just as popular in his home state as you'd expect him to be.

* I almost wrote that Governor Schwarzenegger was planning to terminate thousands of jobs, but then I thought better of it.

* The NYT reports on exclusion of word "gullible" from new edition of OED…

* …follows up by blowing lid off left-wing conspiracy in support of bogus theory of "gravity."

* White House calls out NYT for the blackness of its kettle.

* PZ Myers is rightfully honored to be recognized by Andrew Sullivan as one of the best purveyors of "divisive, bitter and intemperate left-wing rhetoric."

* Will Barack Obama take the oath of office on a homosexual atheist's bible?

* Dick Cheney and Joe Biden need to get a room already.

* Al Franken leads Norm Coleman by even more people than went to see that Stuart Smiley movie.

And their findings are quite interesting.

But, first, here's a cat on a Roomba…

Hahahahaha. That's so awesome. Go, cat, go!

Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh yeah…

Cats are funny.

However, I do think there's a place for libertarian Republicans like him in congress, if for no other reason then to temper the even-more crazies…

The Freakonomics blog asked its readers to send in questions for Paul to answer, which he did…

Q: Who in Congress would you consider to be your closest peer(s)?

A: There are a lot of members who I work with on a variety of different issues. Walter Jones is a good friend and works with me on foreign policy. Often on spending, if there is a 432-3 vote, the other two congressmen voting with me are Jeff Flake and Paul Broun. A lot of times, I work with Democrats on civil liberties issues.

I guess my point is that people from all over the political spectrum can side with liberty and the Constitution. The goal is to get a majority to vote that way most of the time…

Q: Do you think people who relate more to the libertarian ideals of the Republican Party have a role to play in the Republican Party of the moment, and do you see a role for them in the coming (hopeful) rebuilding of the Republican Party?

A: I certainly hope so. The Republican Party has traditionally been the party of liberty and limited government. Republicans like Robert Taft, Barry Goldwater, and Ronald Reagan had very libertarian qualities. If the G.O.P. gets back to its roots, they can appeal once again to liberty-minded Americans.

Q: Do you think the efforts of the libertarian-minded are better spent forming a third party or joining the actual Libertarian Party?

A: I never try to tell people exactly what to do, so that's up to them. However, I think the fact that I have remained in the Republican Party shows where I stand.

Can you even imagine a Republican Party full of Republicans who acted and voted like Republicans? It almost seems impossible, doesn't it?

Then I could just vote against them because I disagreed with their policies, not because I feared for my life.

It seems like some kind of beautiful dream.

So get psyched: it's the third-party presidential debate! It will be held this Sunday. Sure, maybe Obama and McCain won't be there, but plenty of other swell folks will be.

It will be held in a classroom at Columbia University — an Ivy League venue, which is pretty impressive considering all that those "big guys" could muster was Hofstra. And best of all, it will be broadcast on a famous national network that reaches every cable-subscribing home in America! (C-SPAN.)

Needless to say, each of the candidates is expected to spend the bulk of his/her time pandering to Joe the Plumber. Here's each of the participants and their strategy…

* Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate, will promise that Joe will never need to pay taxes again, nor worry about the government intruding on his life by doing things like paving roads and fighting fires.

* Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party candidate, will propose a Constitutional amendment outlawing flag-burning, gay marriage, abortion, the teaching of evolution, and turning down Joe the Plumber when he asks you out on a date.

* Ralph Nader, the independent candidate, will vow to steal enough votes away from Obama that somehow Joe will become president.

* Cynthia McKinney, the Green Party candidate, will offer to punch a Capitol Police officer in the face on behalf of Joe.