The Hiller Instinct: Howell for Senate

She has signs, supporters, even a slogan...

Carla Howell, US. Senate Candidate
"Small government is beautiful, nice, thank you very much."

Gov. Paul Cellucci, (R) Massachusetts
"Isn't there a libertarian candidate running?"

The governor wondered, after Jack E. Robinson erased any chance the GOP might have had against Ted Kennedy:

Hiller, 7 News
"You are the alternative."

Carla Howell
"And it's a great one."

The differences between Carla Howell and Kennedy couldn't be greater. For example, she wants Washington out of healthcare:

Carla Howell
"Federal government's involvement in healthcare has made things worse. The federal government gets a failing grade in education."

And she tells a group at a gun club, out of gun control

Carla Howell
"Carla Howell puts the second amendment first."

Most dramatically, she wants to kill the income tax. "What I propose is that we make the federal government so small we don't need an income tax. "

You may not know her, but Carla Howell is a proven candidate: In 1998, she ran for State Auditor and received enough votes to qualify libertarians as a major party in Massachusetts. In 2000, she has hope, but no illusions:

Carla Howell
"I and anyone who runs against Ted Kennedy is a long shot against him but there's a possibility of winning"

Enough of a possibility so that she has already received over $150,000 in campaign contributions and seems certain to collect the signatures she needs to get on the ballot. You must admire her. Even if she is on a political kamakazi mission, she intends to enjoy it.

Carla Howell
"I'll tell ya, running against Ted Kennedy is a lot of fun."

Carla Howell has every reason to smile, because she's not only a candidate, she's also an advertisement for the Libertarian party. So she can lose this senate race, and still win something very important: increased recognition and wider support for other Libertarians. And you know what? That's probably exactly what's going to happen.