GOP scrambling to remove Gary Johnson from state ballots

In Oklahoma, Libertarian former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is on the ballot on the Americans Elect ticket.

Intent on draining the resources of a competing candidate, the R-money/Ryan campaign, is using some clumsy legal gymnastics in its rush to keep Johnson off the ballot in Iowa, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Spliced from two pieces by Karl Dickey in the The Examiner:

Ron Paul and his supporters have been effectively given 'the boot' by the Republican Party as it continues to manipulate the process channeling the nomination process in Mitt Romney's favor. Jay Kramer, a Mitt Romney campaign supporter from Washington, D.C., filed a challenge on Friday to keep Libertarian candidate for President, Gov. Gary Johnson, from appearing on the Iowa ballot in November.

Governor Johnson is generating a good media buzz. Historian Doug Wead has been an advisor to the Ron Paul campaign: he appeared today with the Political Junkies on NPR's Talk of the Nation where Gary Johnson's name came up.

Johnson needs to poll at a minimum of 15 percent nationally to participate in debates with President Obama and that white Mormon earth hater from Massachusetts. Johnson's blog quotes a recent story from Erin McPike at RealClearPolitcs:

It’s all tied to getting matching funds from the Federal Election Commission to compete in future elections, because the Johnson team is certain once more voters are informed of Libertarian positions, large swaths of the electorate will swing their way.

From Politifact:

PPP polls have shown Johnson at 15 percent in his home state of New Mexico, 9 percent in Arizona, 8 percent in Montana and 7 percent in New Hampshire. A poll conducted by ORC International for the libertarian magazine Reason found Johnson taking 6 percent in Wisconsin.

Now breaking: RNC considering plank that includes unfunded mandatory clitoridectomies. More to come….

Last night, the International Space Station flew over the Galisteo Basin from north to south with a nearly full moon to the wows of at least three lucky witnesses: 3 or 4 minutes probably.