David Carlson, 30, a Marine veteran of three combat tours in Iraq, has just decided to seek the GOP nomination to oppose liberal Sen. Amy Klobucher (D-MN). State Rep. Kurt Bills won the party endorsement at the GOP convention. Bills is a prominent leader of the Ron Paul Revolution and is often described as a radical libertarian. 26 candidates for the state legislature are also Paul supporters. Carlson decided to enter the race because he did not want the GOP to nominate candidates who are to the left of Barack Obama on defense, foreign policy and trade issues. Excepts of Carlson's remarks appear below:
Over the past four years I witnessed firsthand the extremely calculated, effective and efficient takeover of the Minnesota Republican Party by diehard supporters of Congressman Ron Paul. Many of these activists are patriotic and love our country, just as do I.
However, many are also blatantly anti-military, loathing the very idea of military service, and have been openly vocal in this opposition. Seeking the GOP Senate nomination this year were two well qualified veterans, both whom would have been excellent candidates. If either of them had won the GOP endorsement, I wouldn’t be speaking to you now.
They didn’t win though. In fact, many delegates felt these veterans were greatly disrespected by the disciples of Ron Paul, Minnesota’s new kingmaker, by way of Texas. Not only were the veterans tossed to the side, but the behavior of the Paul backers was disturbing. A conservative delegate used his one minute speech to advocate support for Israel. He was appallingly booed off the stage in a shocking display of disdain and anti-Semitism. I have never seen Minnesota Republicans act this way in the past.
Ron Paul values are not Minnesota values. My opponent always describes himself as a “Kurt Bills Republican.” To know what a Kurt Bills Republican is, one must only understand the Ron Paul Republicans. It’s more than just fiscal responsibility and money bombs. Ron Paul is the only Republican in the House and Senate who opposes the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He would have done nothing about slavery, segregation or the holocaust.
President Ron Paul would look a lot like British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Under President Paul, a black veteran wanting to eat in a restaurant could be forced to leave. A restaurant owner would have the right to blatantly discriminate in Ron Paul’s America. Paul supporters believe state and individual rights trump everything. In World War II, Ron Paul says “Saving the Jews was none of our business.” The world could have been divided between Nazis, and anyone else—if we even survived, under a President Ron Paul.
Representative Kurt Bills has obtained the Republican Party endorsement because of his devotion to Ron Paul. Kurt Bills is not a veteran. He has no military experience or foreign policy experience. He advocates a budget plan that unfairly targets our military, veterans and their families. Bills advocates closing one-third of our strategic military bases around the globe. Essentially, under Kurt Bills and Ron Paul, America would be in retreat. We would create a dangerous power vacuum America’s enemies will only be too happy to fill.
Along with many other Minnesota Republicans, I feel the serious issues facing us are being minimized and dumbed down. We are told by the Paul supporters that the answer to our problems involves nothing more than high school economics.
They claim many conservatives do not understand basic economics. We are told they are going to fix all our economic woes. What we lack is leadership, and Kurt Bills is not what we need in Minnesota or the United States Senate.
I never supported the GOP endorsement process. There should be great debate and competition among our elected officials, ensuring we have the best choices for victory in November. A few thousand fringe Libertarian activists wanted to decide amongst themselves who the more than five million Minnesotans will nominate and elect. It doesn’t sound very American to me. I am not a party person. I don’t owe anyone in the Minnesota House or Senate, nor Washington D.C. I’m not owned by any Wall Street Conglomerate, union, or kingmaker.
Minnesotans want an independent senator that will keep the best interests of Minnesota families close to them when they make the critical decisions that will come to change the course of our nation for better, or for worse. I want to ensure the “shining city on the hill” my little girls receive is better than what my generation and I are receiving.
Just as we don’t need a Senator that votes with her party on 91% of everything the President says or does, we also don’t need a Republican Senator having to text Ron Paul from the Senate floor when he needs guidance. We deserve leaders who actually stand for something, and I hope to earn the people of Minnesota’s trust and confidence, that if sent to Washington, I promise to do all I can to accomplish the policies that will lead our state and country forward.
