It’s hard to believe, but even after having their asses handed to them in the last election, Republicans still haven’t gotten the memo on the issue closest to the hearts of America’s fastest-growing group of voters: immigration. With Tea Party extremists still throttling conservative common sense, it’s time for President Obama and the Democrats to seize the issue and own it. A clear and just pathway to citizenship must be at the center of the push for immigration reform.

Progressive immigration policy is not only politically wise; it is just. Undocumented immigrants and their children contribute to our economy and have earned the rights of all Americans. A reform plan without citizenship would create a new Jim Crow reality: They’d have the right to live here—but only as second class citizens. That would be wrong and completely at odds with American values.

This is a country of immigrants, and as long as it leads the world in freedom and opportunity, it always will be. It is also a rapidly changing society. The only way to ensure that our hard-won progress toward greater freedom and tolerance is embraced and carried forward by new citizens is to allow them to personally experience its benefits themselves.

For Immediate Release

AN OPEN LETTER FROM LARRY FLYNT TO MARK SANFORD: “I WILL NEVER DIVORCE YOU.”

(May 2, 2013 – Beverly Hills, CA)

Dear Governor Sanford,

In a vain gesture to achieve respectability, your refusal to accept my endorsement and financial contribution of $2,600 for being America’s great sex pioneer has hurt my tender feelings.

First, you threw your wife overboard. Now you have tossed me aside. I will support you in spite of your hopeless posturing. Nothing can deter me. I came in to save you, like a member of SEAL Team 6, after the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) left you as road kill.

I would remind you Governor, that beggars cannot be choosers. While you have treated me like you have your former wife, you embrace Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and proudly brandish his endorsement. But now the intelligent voters of South Carolina’s 1st District are asking whether or not you support Sen. Paul’s positions in favor of legalizing marijuana and deploying drones within the United States. Is there anyone you wish to target on Hilton Head?

Regardless of your answers to these and other questions, however reckless, dangerous or euphoric, I will always remain your staunchest supporter for the blow you have struck against traditional values.

I will never divorce you.

Sincerely,

Larry Flynt

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For press inquiries, email Media@LFP.com or call (323) 651-5400.

SANFORD OPEN LETTER 05-02-13

(May 1, 2013 – Beverly Hills, CA) HUSTLER Founder and Publisher Larry Flynt has announced his endorsement of Republican candidate Mark Sanford for U.S. Congress. He has also sent a maximum contribution of $2,600 to the Sanford for Congress campaign and extended a personal invitation to Sanford to meet with him and shake his hand.

Sanford, who gained national prominence in 2009 as governor of South Carolina when he abruptly abandoned his duties for a secret rendezvous with his mistress, is currently running against Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District seat. The election will take place on May 7.

In a statement released today, Flynt calls Sanford “the sex pioneer of our time.” In Flynt’s eyes “no one has done more to expose the sexual hypocrisy of traditional values in America today. Sanford’s open embrace of his mistress in the name of love, breaking his sacred marriage vows, was an act of bravery that has drawn my support.” Chastising the Republican Party for not backing Sanford following his run-off victory, Flynt declared: “I am willing to step in and stand erect for Mark Sanford.”

Flynt further elaborated: “My endorsement has not been an easy decision for me. Even though Mark Sanford has emerged as the leader against sexual hypocrisy in American politics, he is a liar. He lied to his gubernatorial staff. He lied to his wife. He lied to his children. He lied to the people of South Carolina and to the press. Despite his journey down this Appalachian Trail of deceit, I support him not for his character, but for exposing the hypocrisy of traditional values. The liar has exposed the greater lie.” Flynt also commended Sanford’s supporters for “tossing aside lifelong convictions” and “teaching their children the invaluable lesson that traditional values are nothing more than a scam.”

Watch Larry’s Video on YouTube

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For press inquiries, email Media@LFP.com or call (323) 651-5400.

Some people think I stir up trouble just for the hell of it. But the truth is, I never looked for controversy for controversy’s sake. There’s always been a principle at stake.

Twenty-five years ago I was in major-league trouble. I had picked a fight with preacher Jerry Falwell by making fun of him in a 1983 parody ad in this magazine. He claimed libel, and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court. Did anybody think I could win it? Hell no. But in 1988 I did—and by unanimous decision.

I learned a few things back then. One: Free speech is not something you can take for granted. Two: Starting trouble is worth it if your cause is just. And three: The bigger the enemy, the messier the fight.

I’m proud of what I did, but I know you don’t always win. Will Wall Street stop being driven by greed because thousands of troublemakers occupied it? No, but they showed that even in our cynical time, people still give a damn. Are you more likely to win your case if you flip off the judge? No, but it shows that the independent human spirit is alive and kicking. That, ultimately, is what justice in our country is measured against: the independent human spirit striving for freedom.

Keep in mind that starting trouble can be a lonely business. When I took my free-speech case to the Supreme Court, I was on my own. Now everyone’s reaping the benefits of my victory. Sometimes it may seem like you don’t have a chance of winning, but you sure as hell won’t if you don’t try.

Not a lot of people have gone looking for trouble as much as I have, and I have the scars to prove it. Everything I know I learned the hard way. Why didn’t I ever learn my lesson and shut the hell up? Because life may be a bitch when you’re fighting for freedom, but the other option is worse.

My greatest hope is that the next generation will look at what I’ve done and realize that sometimes there’s no greater honor than being a righteous pain in the ass.

As traumatic as they are, rampage shootings are now a regular occurrence in our country. Many factors have led to that reality: availability of guns, lack of mental-health treatment, abusive environments, violence in popular culture, the list goes on. There’s no specific reason and no specific solution. As President Obama eloquently stated, “No single law, no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society, but that can’t be an excuse for inaction.”

I realize that gun ownership and hunting are a way of life for many Americans. I’m not trying to interfere with that. But let’s be realistic: Too many of the guns on the market are designed for war, not hunting or self-defense. And if you think you need military-grade weapons to oppose the government, you’re sorely underestimating your enemy’s firepower. You may also want to go back and reread the Second Amendment, especially the part that says gun ownership is for the purposes of a “a well-regulated militia.” But even without assault weapons, America will still be saturated with guns, and anyone who wants them will get them.

Other than the fact that rampage shooters use guns to kill, the only thing everyone agrees on is that they have mental issues that weren’t taken seriously enough. This is the key issue that we need to focus on.

When Ronald Reagan entered office in 1981, one of the first things he did was defund the Mental Health Systems Act and dismantle the National Institute of Mental Health, virtually pouring scores of mentally ill citizens onto our streets. Our society has never recovered from that huge backward step.

It is time for comprehensive mental-healthcare reform. We need to revitalize our mental-health systems and fund progressive research toward diagnosing and helping those who need it before it’s too late. It’s a huge challenge, and only the federal government has the fiscal and legislative power to meet it. If we’re serious about protecting our children and society from the deadly combination of loaded guns and mental illness, we have no other option.

(Courtesy of Larry Flynt)

I am Barack Obama. I am the President. I am relevant. I know who elected me. It wasn’t the rich 1%. It was hardworking Americans, union members and minority groups who haven’t gotten the fair shake they deserve. I will keep the promises I made. My word is good.

To the wealth class of this country, let me say this: You supported my Republican rival Mitt Romney four-to-one against me. Now it’s payback time. I will end the Bush tax cuts for top earners and push through comprehensive regulation of our corrupt banking and financial systems. The era of unfettered greed is over.

I will halt unjust home foreclosures, protect Social Security and Medicare and relieve the crushing burden of student debt on our young professionals. I will enact labor-union reforms that will restore bargaining power and fair representation to our working class.

I will push for nonpartisan election reform to end voter suppression and make states abide by fair-voting rules. People will no longer have to wait in line for hours or endure lies and humiliation just to exercise their fundamental democratic right. I will embark on immigration reform and build a clear and just pathway to citizenship for anyone coming here to participate in the American Dream.

The frequency of powerful and destructive storms leaves no doubt that climate change is real and that humans are the cause. The United States must take the lead in moving humanity toward a clean-fuel future. I will say no to destructive fossil-fuel pipelines and drilling, spur investment in green technology and work with the world’s leaders to seal meaningful environmental agreements.

I will create incentives for investment in new industries, such as biotech and next-generation communications technology, that further the cause of scientific progress and keep America competitive.

If you think I can’t do all this with a Republican majority in the House of Representatives, watch me. I’ll be reaching across the aisle—but only to welcome you to my side, not to compromise. I will veto any piece of legislation that comes across my desk that does not have the best interests of the American people at heart.

Or watch at Hulu.com: http://www.hulu.com/watch/431977

You may not think of holiday shopping as a political act. Think again.

I often hear people say they just don’t care about politics, that they’re not political at all. I say to them: You live in a capitalist democracy; just about everything you do is a political act. When you voice your opinions without fear, that’s a political act. When you freely explore your sexuality, that’s a political act. When you read this magazine, that’s a political act. And when you exercise the power of the consumer, that’s a political act. These days, corporate fortunes hold more power than ever over our country’s future. As you do your holiday shopping, be aware of the power that you hold. Does the store, manufacturer or producer you’re buying from share your concern about the welfare of workers, economic fairness and the future of the planet? If not, find one that does.

American capitalism is about competition. Make sure the companies that participate in our marketplace deserve your hard-earned dollars.

As posted in Indianapolis Star

Dear Mr. Mourdock,

I am offering you $1 million in cash, to be deposited in any bank you designate in the United States, Cayman Islands or Switzerland, for proof to substantiate your statement on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, that “even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”

Please be kind enough to verify your claim for a wondering nation. I will accept for purposes of this reward any verifiable transcript of your personal conversations with God; letters, email, text messages or videos from God, or messages addressed to you from God transmitted by any third party, including the Republican National Committee or the Romney/Ryan campaign.

I assume that you would not have made this statement unless you had been authorized by God. No one who believes in God would ever use the Almighty’s name in vain. That would be blasphemy. I am eager to receive your proof and pay my $1 million reward to you. Please send evidence immediately to me.

This offer is valid until 8 P.M. (ET) on November 5, 2012.

Sincerely yours,

If the Republicans have their way during this election cycle, here’s what you will lose:

1. Your job: Assuming that Mitt Romney sticks with the GOP’s austerity program—the drastic cutting of government spending—our economy will head back into a recession if not a depression. Want proof of that? Look at the mess Europe is in. Spain, Italy
Greece and other countries are imposing the same kind of austerity measures on their citizens the GOP wants to impose on you. Plus the GOP wants to gut your Social Security.

2. Your civil rights: The Republicans are against gay marriage, equal pay for women, collective bargaining, legal abortions and contraceptives, not to mention your right to vote. If you doubt me, Google it.

There’s more, of course, but just the foregoing should be enough to convince you to vote straight Democratic this Election Day.