The OC Register has a strongly Libertarian bent and their political columnist, Stephen Greenhut, switched his registration this year from Republican to Libertarian after voting for Ron Paul in the Primaries. In today’s paper, Greenhut gives his closing arguments.  They focus on CA-46, Rohrabacher and Cook.  

As a libertarian, I agree with Republicans more often than with Democrats, but I do believe the GOP needs to get its clock cleaned after years of straying from its limited-government principles, pandering to the culturally meddlesome religious right and allowing neoconservatives to drive foreign policy. A Democratic win – especially if the party gains a filibuster-proof Senate majority – will be painful medicine, but the worse the sickness, the more unpalatable the cure.

This is tough stuff in this district, considering that Rohrabacher used to write for the Register. Greenhut did not make any endorsement, but found good things to say about Cook.

Cook is far more liberal than Rohrabacher, but she is intelligent, thoughtful and always game for a political debate. She supported the bailout, although she is not pleased with some aspects of it, and has built her campaign around energy themes.

I was a bit surprised by