" Paul defends asking for special projects" (re:MTP appearance)-- AP/Yahoo

[Stealth4]

front page of yahoo.com - meet the press "RP defends asking for special projects"

what a title. Now people will think he's a slimy politician from the title, when really he's way more honest and fiscally responsible than all the other congressmen.

The article sorta explains it but still.

 

[LizF]

Paul defends asking for special projects
By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer 16 minutes ago

Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul on Sunday defended his efforts in Congress to bring home money to his Texas district, despite his long-held aversion to big government and congressional votes to reign in federal spending.

"I've never voted for an earmark in my life," the Texas congressman said under questioning on NBC's "Meet the Press" about reports that he has requested hundreds of millions of dollars for special projects in his home district.

"I put them in because I represent people who are asking for some of their money back," said Paul, who likened it to taking a tax credit. "I'm against the tax system, but I take all my tax credits. I want to get their money back for the people."

The 10-term congressman and longshot candidate for the Republican presidential nomination added that although he has requested special projects known as earmarks, he ultimately ends up voting against them in the House. Paul is known in Congress as "Dr. No" for his votes against some types of government spending, including a medal for Pope John Paul II and civil rights leader Rosa Parks because of the cost to taxpayers.

For his home state, however, Paul has sought money for water projects, a nursing program, to expand a hospital cancer center and to promote Texas shrimp.

Just last week, President Bush complained about thousands of earmarks in a massive spending bill Congress sent to him.

As the only Republican candidate opposed to the Iraq war, Paul was an anti-war asterisk in the race until his campaign began raising money, most of it over the Internet. He brought in a record $6 million in one day, and $18 million in less than three months, though he still registers in single digits in most polls.

Paul, who ran for president as a libertarian in 1988, was asked whether he'd run as a third-party candidate next year if he loses the GOP nomination.

Paul said that was unlikely. "I have no intention, no plans of doing it, and that's about 99.9 percent," said Paul, a 72-year-old obstetrician-gynecologist and former Air Force flight surgeon.

On other issues:

_Paul railed against the government's anti-drug policy, complaining that federal law overrules state laws that permit medicinal use of marijuana for pain or other symptoms of debilitating illnesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and other diseases. "This war on drugs is totally out of control. If you want to regulate cigarettes and alcohol and drugs, it should be at the state level," he said.

_Paul said he wants to eliminate foreign aid to Israel and other nations. "Why make Israel so dependent?" he asked. "They can't defend their borders without coming to us."


Link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071223/ap_po/ron_paul

 

[RevolutionSD]

yahoo is just MSM scum if you have read any of their usual whopper headlines. I hate Yahoo headlines.

 

[piotr1]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071223/ap_po/ron_paul

 

[0zzy]

1) they didnt explain why he votes against the medals
2) didnt explain israel would not be the only one without aide

blah.
thats all they got out of this interview?

 

[ThePieSwindler]

Why is that a frontpage headline? And why is Ron Paul singled out for earmarks?Seriously, everyone does it, hes just the most public about it.. because he has nothing to hide. Not that its right, but, the fact that he is singled out is absurd. Obviously its because hes a presidential candidate... but still, THIS is the best headline they could muster? They had to have THIS? Yeesh.

 

[jj111]

Bad reporting, incompetent and/or biased.

1. "_Paul said he wants to eliminate foreign aid to Israel and other nations. "Why make Israel so dependent?" he asked. "They can't defend their borders without coming to us.""

Those two quotes are taken out of context and put together like that without the rest of what Ron Paul said on the topic, makes it seems like he wants Israel not to be able to defend their borders.

2. Mentions "longshot"

3. Mentions question as to whether or not he will run as a 3rd party candidate.

Typical MSM BS article.

 

[daikonv]

I thought the article was quite fair. It clears up the allegations that Ron Paul is a bigot in terms of earmarks and explains that very clearly.

 

[undergroundrr]

It's an AP article. I'm fine with their coverage of earmarks. I don't like the VERY incomplete and misleading characterization of his Israel position at the end. Watch AP closely. That organization can do more damage than ANYBODY in the press. They have completely duped the public into believing they're objective. Virtually any of their national stories will be reprinted in dozens of papers.

 

[pdavis]

1) they didnt explain why he votes against the medals
2) didnt explain israel would not be the only one without aide

blah.
thats all they got out of this interview?

They did explain why he votes against the medals.

Paul is known in Congress as "Dr. No" for his votes against some types of government spending, including a medal for Pope John Paul II and civil rights leader Rosa Parks because of the cost to taxpayers.

And they also did explain that Israel would not be the only one without aide.

Paul said he wants to eliminate foreign aid to Israel and other nations.

 

[devil21]

Its a decent article. Considering that the last two MTP shows and the AP articles were all about Rudy's scandals and Mitt's flipflopping and religion issues. The most they could come up with is earmarks that even he votes against? haha

 

[Yom]

Here they come again, trying to find some dirt, but instead have to resort to slandering him from not researching and understanding the way earmarks and voting works in congress.

The 10-term congressman and longshot candidate

Won't they ever learn? This sh!t gets annoying after a while.


Come Jan. 3, they'll see how much of a "longshot" he really is.

 

[slantedview]

1) they didnt explain why he votes against the medals
2) didnt explain israel would not be the only one without aide

blah.
thats all they got out of this interview?

sounds to me like they were cherry picking. they must have missed the part where ron stated we give 3 times as much in foreign aid to arab countries, but he would end that as well.

sounds to me like the reporter is either biased, has an agenda or is just too stupid to present the full story on many of the points that were made.

 

[slantedview]

Here they come again, trying to find some dirt, but instead have to resort to slandering him from not researching and understanding the way earmarks and voting works in congress.



Won't they ever learn? This sh!t gets annoying after a while.


Come Jan. 3, they'll see how much of a "longshot" he really is.

yeah, what i'd pay to bitchslap that stupidified look off of those guy's faces on Jan 4th.

 

[TrueFreedom]

I don't know, I think it's a little funny that Ron beats his chest that he is against earmarks, and then submits them in bills that he knows will pass, then votes no to cover his butt. That's wrong. If you are going to be against earmarks, then be against them, but don't say you are against them and take the money from them anyway. The idea that he does it to represent his district is wrong, as a Congressman the courts have ruled that he represents the US as a whole. I love Ron to death, but people will see this as someone selling out their principles to get reelected. He needs to change his earmark position in my opinion.

 

[free.alive]

Not too bad. It is a good day that these are now the types of articles we complain about

 

[devil21]

I don't know, I think it's a little funny that Ron beats his chest that he is against earmarks, and then submits them in bills that he knows will pass, then votes no to cover his butt. That's wrong. If you are going to be against earmarks, then be against them, but don't say you are against them and take the money from them anyway. The idea that he does it to represent his district is wrong, as a Congressman the courts have ruled that he represents the US as a whole. I love Ron to death, but people will see this as someone selling out their principles to get reelected. He needs to change his earmark position in my opinion.

Eh, I call it having the best of both worlds. All about point of view I guess.

 

[PRIEST]

I don't know, I think it's a little funny that Ron beats his chest that he is against earmarks, and then submits them in bills that he knows will pass, then votes no to cover his butt. That's wrong. If you are going to be against earmarks, then be against them, but don't say you are against them and take the money from them anyway. The idea that he does it to represent his district is wrong, as a Congressman the courts have ruled that he represents the US as a whole. I love Ron to death, but people will see this as someone selling out their principles to get reelected. He needs to change his earmark position in my opinion.

Ron would not be re-elected to Congress and thus could not help change the system if he did that.

 

[LibertyForAll]

Have to live within the system until we change it

We have to live within the system. That doesn't mean we don't want to change the system. That's all Ron Paul has done in Congress. Even a 4th grader can see that.
Just because we are against the monetary policy doesn't mean we can quit using the dollar at the corner store. We can't avoid the system until we change the system.

 

[Jeremiah]

Without knowing what the legislation was about, may I suggest that as Dr. Paul said, there were certain projects in his district that needed funds. His constituents pay their taxes like everyone else and he says they deserve some credits, which is what these funds represent. He voted against the bill itself, not the earmarks so presumably it was a bill that did not meet his criteria. My guess is that he only attaches earmarks that are very specific, quite modest and not huge malinvestment pork barrel projects. It is important not to rush to judgement without all the facts. News services, as has been noted, are not renowned for their objectivity and accuracy.