Interview with Independent Presidential Candidate Laurence Kotlikoff

The following was originally published as part of the August 2016 edition of Wikinews’ On the campaign trail series

Kotlikoff in 2011.
Image: Hung-Ho Vergil Yu

In August, economist Laurence Kotlikoff, a Boston University professor and former senior economist of President Ronald Reagan‘s Council of Economic Advisers, secured ballot access for his unconventional presidential campaign in Louisiana and Colorado. In addition, he plans to obtain write-in status in 41 more states. Wikinews reached out to Kotlikoff to discuss his campaign.

Kotlikoff announced his candidacy last May. He named Edward E. Leamer, a professor of economics at UCLA, as his running mate. This is not Kotlikoff’s first run for the presidency. In 2012, he sought the presidential nomination of Americans Elect, which ultimately did not field a candidate. He also briefly sought the Reform Party presidential nomination that year.

Sensible Solution to the ISIS Crisis

After weeks of listening to the talking heads brainstorm how to combat ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), it became plainly obvious that no one had a clue.  As they always do, the neo-cons beat the war drum, demanding “boots on the ground” to begin another Iraq War. President Obama laid out a plan to arm so-called “moderate” Syrian rebels; the same rebels fighting the Assad regime alongside ISIS.  Seeing these extremes, I wondered what a sensible solution would entail.  A cursory search online did not uncover anything substantive.  The Libertarian Party’s official press release left much to be desired.  Then, yesterday, a workable solution came to me out of the blue, after seeing an interview with an unlikely source: West Virginia’s Democratic Senator Joe Manchin.

Where Are You Now When We Need You Ross Perot?

Even though he never even intended to cross the border, U.S. Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi has been held captive in a Mexican prison for the past four months.  He is charged with violating that nation’s draconian gun laws, simply because he had guns in his vehicle when he made a wrong turn on a southern California road.  Mum on the entire situation, the White House seems content with allowing Tahmooressi to remain captive in Mexico, despite clear evidence of injustice and reports of severe mistreatment.  With government unwilling to act, private citizens must step up to free Tahmooressi.  Someone with the power to do so should act, as industrialist Ross Perot did 35 years ago in funding and organizing a mission to free two Americans unjustly held captive in Iran at the start of the Iranian Revolution.