03-05-04

CONTACT: 979-799-7077

Top Congressional Aide resigns to endorse 3rd Party Presidential

Candidate



Houston – Eric Dondero R., a Senior Aide to US Congressman Ron Paul

(R-TX) has resigned his position to help out Libertarian Party

Presidential candidate Gary Nolan.

"I am still very much a Republican," said Dondero. "But in this

year's election President Bush needs a bit of tough love. While his

foreign policy has been a great success, his domestic policies leave

a lot to be desired. The spending increases and the government

infringements on civil liberties have greatly disappointed

libertarians."

"Many libertarian Republicans such as myself have been supporting

Bush. But lately he has abandoned his few libertarian supporters for

more moderate, centrist voters. I have been one of the last

libertarian Republicans defending him. The latest FCC crack-down on

shock jocks like Howard Stern was the last straw for me."

"As a Republican, I am hereby endorsing Gary Nolan's Presidential

Candidacy under the Libertarian Party banner. I will also help

launch a nationwide effort of Republicans for Gary Nolan."

"I still hope very much, that President Bush wins re-election. Kerry

would be a horrible choice. His policies would put us on the fast

track towards European-style welfare statism/socialism. But I'm

confident that Bush will win easily. Thus, for voters such as myself

who live in safe GOP states like Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Alaska,

Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Nebraska, Kansas, the Carolinas,

Georgia, Alabama and Virginia, why not send a strong limited

government message to President Bush. He needs to know that there's

a serious constituency out there that will not tolerate ever-

expanding government spending and huge deficits. He needs to know

that we libertarians considered his tax cut to be pitifully puny at

best."

"Traditionally, the Libertarian Party polls 300,000 to 500,000 votes

for President each election cycle. Though, LP candidate Ed Clark

pulled nearly a million in 1980. In a few short months Gary Nolan

has proved to be the best candidate for the Libertarian Party since

Clark in the early 1980s. A former nationally syndicated radio talk

show host, Nolan is garnering major media attention, even appearing

on Michael Medved's highly successful Radio Talk Show yesterday."





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"With a well-organized Campaign Team, and a decent fundraising

effort, Nolan appears to be well on his way to busting Clark's 1

million vote total of 1980."

"While personally, I don't think it would be terribly wise for

libertarian Republicans living in Massachusetts, Vermont, Maryland,

Wisconsin or Washington State to vote Libertarian, for those living

in safe GOP states it makes all the sense in the world to send George

W. Bush a message."

"There's been some talk of me seeking the Libertarian Party Vice-

Presidential nomination. I'm mulling it over. The Libertarian Party

ticket needs a qualified VP candidate with real world political

experience. I will make an official announcement later in the month

at the Arkansas Libertarian Party State Convention. But for now, I

intend to grab a clipboard and get out on the streets in Houston and

collect signatures to help get Nolan on the ballot." (Currently the

LP is set to be on the ballot in over 40 states, and most likely will

get on in a total of 45 to 47, more than any other 3rd Party. Texas

is the biggest challenge).

"Over the years, as a libertarian Republican I've been one of the

most vocal critics of the Libertarian Party. I still believe that

the LP has some handicaps and am very much a proud Republican. But I

also realize that every now and then when my Party – the GOP - strays

too far from limited government principles it needs a swift kick in

the ass."

"I'm hoping that Nolan's effort will provide that swift kick and that

in the years to come the GOP will return to it's Goldwaterite/limited

government roots."



*Note – Eric Dondero Rittberg has been a Republican activist in

Florida and Texas since 1989. He has served in many Republican

political campaigns in varying capacities over the years including

the Florida Governor's race in 1990, a winning Florida Congressional

race in 1994 (Rep. Mark Foley), and numerous GOP state legislative

races in Florida, Texas and Michigan. In 1993, Dondero won election

to the Leon County County Conservation Board of Supervisors with

28,105 votes. He was the only Republican elected in Tallahassee that

year. In 1995 he joined Ron Paul's first campaign for Congress

serving as Campaign Coordinator. He then went on to serve as his

Freeport Office as Senior District Aide and Coastal Issues

Legislative Director from 1996 to late 2003. He is a graduate of

Florida State University and an Honorably Discharged Decorated

Veteran of the US Navy. Currently he is an Interpreter for Spanish

and other languages in Houston, Texas, and is the Author of two books

the "Worldwide Multilingual Phrase Book" and "Vacation Spanish."

www.portsidelanguages.com.