RSDavis
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Ron Paul Roundup (03-03-08)
by RS Davis
Hello Freedomphiles! Sorry for the delay on this. Work has been crazy and taking up a lot of my time. But I am back with a vengence, and this is going to be a huge edition of the Roundup. Let's start with TX-14, which is really getting a lot of press lately.
Mark Anderson of American Free Press writes that Paul is refocusing his energy in Texas on the local race:
- In a last-minute twist, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) bowed out of a big Houston energy forum to focus on his congressional reelection in the short time remaining before the Texas primary March 4. If he prevails in the Texas primary and becomes the Republican nominee to return to Congress, his burden will be much lighter, enabling him to rededicate himself to the presidential race, where media-preferred frontrunner Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is rocked by scandal amid Republican Party displeasure with his left-leaning views.
Paul is being challenged for the GOP nomination by Friendswood City Councilman Chris Peden, who Paul describes as a "slick" politician who used to say supportive things about him but now is spreading lies.
Lies and the lying liers that lie, eh? The Austin American Statesman reports about Ron Paul's two-front battle:
- U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, this week declared his continued commitment to fight for the Republican presidential nomination in Texas, Ohio and beyond. Yet Paul's most consequential fight might be back home in southern Texas.
Paul plans to spend much of his time leading up to the Tuesday primary in his congressional district, but will be doing some presidential campaigning in Texas as well, campaign spokesman Patrick Semmens said.
Friendswood City Council Member Chris Peden is challenging the 10-term incumbent in the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives seat. He has received the endorsements of the Galveston and Victoria newspapers, which both questioned Paul's efficacy representing District 14.
The Galveston Daily News reports that Ron Paul doesn't have much to worry about from Peden:
- Paul, a Republican from Lake Jackson, leads Friendswood City Councilman Chris Peden in the District 14 race for Congress by a margin of 63 percent to 30 percent, according to a poll released Thursday by Public Policy Polling of Raleigh, N.C...
...The last time he ran, Paul was unopposed in the Republican primary. But this year, Peden mounted a challenge with the backing of many mainstream Galveston County Republicans.
However, if this week's poll is even close to accurate, Peden could face an impossible challenge.
But David Benzoin of The Lone Star Times doesn't think those numbers will pan out:
- First, PPP is a Democratic leaning firm. That doesn't mean they are intentionally distorting results (in fact, I'm confident they aren't), but it is healthy to wonder how well they know how to survey a GOP primary.
- For instance, according to my quick look, PPP got the GOP Presidential primaries wrong in Florida (said Romney would beat McCain 35/28; in fact McCain beat Romney 36/31), in Georgia (said Huckabee would come in behind McCain and Romney with only 27%; in fact The Huckster came in first with 34%), and in Tennessee (had Huckabee losing to McCain by -6 points; in fact Huckleberry beat McCain 35/32).
- These are "robo-polls", i.e. "If you are voting for Ron Paul, press one; if you are voting for Chris Peden, press two"; I don't trust 'em much, for a variety of reasons too esoteric and boring to go into here.
- All of the calls were made on a single night–February 27th. That's just freaking crazy, and introduces all types of potential biases into the results. (I'd feel more confident if the calling had been done over three nights, with at least one being either a weekend or a week night, i.e., Sat/Sun/Mon or Sun/Mon/Tue; or even three weeknights Tue/Wed/Thu; but just one night? Nuts.)
- Not real clear what their methodology was for weighting results.
I think that's a little wishful thinking. Maybe the numbers aren't completely accurate, but that gap is huge enough to withstand statistical anomolies.
Speaking of numbers, though, Ron Paul (along with another love of mine - the UFC) was among the most gambled-on things in 2008. Gambling911 reports:
- American Idol leads the pack and Ron Paul betting comes in second. Much of the Ron Paul (US Presidential candidate who is still in the race) hoopla occurred during the month of January. Since that time he has toned down his campaign and traffic (and betting) has pretty much dried up. There is still a chance for a resurgence should Ron Paul become more aggressive with his ad spending or if something were to occur where GOP frontrunner John McCain is forced out of the race. Anything is possible.
Third Party Watch reports that Ron Paul was asked the third party question once again:
- Interviewer: And finally, just to confirm, you said you're not dropping out of this race and you're not going to break out as a third party?
Paul: No plans to do that, whatsoever. We will be in this race. And as long as the supporters want me to do it and more join us every day, which they do—and they continue to send in the money…
Here's the entire interview, if you are interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iti14BUEDQw
WLOX13 out of Mississippi is reporting on some vandalism from anti-Paul people:
- But he says the 2 large homemade signs he's had knocked over, aren't the only sign of yard campaign sign shenanigans in South Mississippi.
"Now the ones down here are gone, and the ones I put down there are gone. And I'm out of signs now."
He'd like to think all the signs that have gone missing found new homes, with other Ron Paul supporters.
"It could be people just taking them and taking them home," Fountain said.
He just hopes who ever is taking them and knocking them over will also take home the Ron Paul message.
"Whenever he gets out of a van instead of a limo, that impresses me," says Fountain of his candidate. "That's the way he wants to run the county. Slim it down. Lets take care of American people first."
Longview News Journal is reporting that some relatives of Ron Paul are out campaigning for him in Texas:
- A brother and sister-in-law of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul came to Longview Thursday night to share personal stories about the presidential candidate and encourage his supporters to vote and caucus for him election night.
"You're efforts between now and Tuesday will make all the difference," Wayne Paul told the crowd of about 35 supporters at the Summit Club.
Paul spoke about his brother's political platform, which he said has remained the same since it was written in the 1970s. He said Ron Paul still believes the government should not interfere with the private market or with the private matters of its citizens.
Donna Paul, Wayne Paul's wife, said the Paul family was raised in a modest home, and the Paul children worked on a dairy farm. Their upbringing instilled Christian values and a strong work ethic on the five Paul brothers, she said. Donna Paul added that Ron Paul's work ethic was evident in his work as an obstetrician/gynecologist before he became a congressman.
The husband and wife lamented what they said was the lack of exposure Ron Paul has in the national media.
So, Ron Paul sent a "Dear collegue" letter to everyone in the House of Representatives, asking them to back three new bills designed to "address the dangers created by federal gun free zones." Fort Bend Now reports:
- The three bills Paul is sponsoring are HR 2424, the Citizens Protection Act; HR 1897, the National Park Second Amendment Restoration and Personal Protection Act and HR 3305, the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The Citizens Protection Act provides for the repeal of provisions of the federal criminal code that prohibit the possession of a firearm in a school zone. The National Park Second Amendment Restoration and Personal Protection Act would prohibit any federal regulation from restricting any individual from possessing or carrying a firearm if that restriction is based upon the fact that the individual is in a unit of the National Park System.
The final bill, the Anti-Terrorism Act provides that no federal agency shall prohibit an airline pilot, copilot, navigator, or law enforcement person specifically detailed for protection of an aircraft, from carrying a firearm.
"Gun laws do not disarm criminals, but instead make easy prey out of Americans who obey them. Criminals and terrorists should be afraid of law-abiding citizens, not the other way around," Paul said. "The government has no right to prohibit you from defending yourself."
Fuckin A, Dr Paul. Things like this remind me why it is important to have people like you in Congress.
Media With Conscience writes that Ron Paul works:
- There is only one candidate that broadly reflects the values and ethos of the American people. That man is Ron Paul. Ron Paul's message is in reality the voice of America's subconscious. It is as if the average American's persona and modus operandi has been incarnated into the candidacy of Ron Paul. Ron Paul is the American Avatar. Ron Paul's common sense approach to matters global and local directly reflects the approach that we as Americans have in our every day lives. Ron Paul's live and let live policy is that very same live and let live policy practiced by millions of us every day. Ron Paul's trust and confidence in the integrity and dependability of the American people is the same that we have in each other. We know as a people that we can handle our concerns and issues equitably in a manner consistent with who we are as Americans. Ron Paul recognizes that as well. That is why Ron Paul works. That is why Ron Paul works for me. That is why Ron Paul works for America.
So the big question is this: Why in a country that is allegedly "for the people and by the people" do we have a government that functions in a matter completely opposite to the character of the people? The answer is obvious: The current U.S. government is not "for the people" nor is it "by the people".
Fortunately, the blue print of a government for the people and by the people is available to us. That blue print is called the U.S. Constitution. The fact is elected officials take one oath and one oath alone. It is an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution. This means that the only oath our leaders take is to a government for the people and by the people. Yet a majority mouth the oath yet in reality serve the interests of corporate entities that are in the legal guise of citizens. These pseudo-citizens demand and receive privileges and rights that are hostile to the liberty of the true citizens of the Nation, it's people. Ron Paul loudly and boldly declared his commitment to the Constitution when he stated "I take my marching orders from the U.S. Constitution." With this statement Ron Paul made it obvious that he is the only US Presidential Candidate committed to the America of the people. In other words, no matter the alleged benefits of an agenda, if that agenda is not accord with the US Constitution Ron Paul will never support it.
No other candidate can equal Dr. Ron Paul's commitment nor track record as a public servant. He has sworn to serve the Constitution and takes his oath to heart. Thus the people of America have an authentic representative in Ron Paul. Ron Paul is the only candidate that is dedicated to the restoration of a good and authentically American form of governance. Ron Paul is committed to a form of governance that is reflective of who we are as a people and thus a Ron Paul administration would function naturally in tune with the reality that is America. That in essence is why Ron Paul works. That is why Ron Paul is working for us and for the restoration of the Republic.
Right-libertarian Gary Wood writes on The Nolan Chart that Ron Paul and his message are still "viable:"
- Many events were marked by the large crowds waving Ron Paul signs and showing support for their candidate of choice. John McCain mentioned the abundance of Paul supporters as did Rudy Giuliani who had more Paul supporters show up to one of his events than his own supporters. There were record setting fund raising days, many the brain child of Trevor Lyman, known as "money bombs" that surprised the masses and even had the mainstream media take serious notice. The volunteers nicknamed Dr. Paul's campaign as a revolution, altering slightly the spelling to emphasize the word love and this banner could be seen along highways across the country. Just this past Saturday an enthusiastic crowd estimated to be near 7,000 gathered in Austin to listen to Grammy-award winning artist Jimmy Vaughn play and Ron Paul speak.
His message is grounded in his commitment to his oath of office, defending the U.S. Constitution against enemies both foreign and domestic. With an unwavering focus on the importance of liberty and personal responsibility the great-grandfather, veteran, and OB doctor inspires young and old alike. His appeal to younger Americans is one of the most enjoyable aspects in watching his campaign. Many have claimed Dr. Paul is directly responsible for ending their apathy regarding politics. Yet, with all this excitement overall voting averages linger in the single digit percentile making some pundits believe he has not been a viable candidate.
And Shaun Booth writes on Political Lore that Ron Paul is still relevant, but still ignored:
- He told Bernanke that fiat money systems always come to an end and unless the switch is made to a solid currency, the value of the dollar is doomed. He went on to reiterate something that he has told Bernanke before, that the careless devaluing of the dollar is stealing money from those in this country that have saved.
Nobody in Washington seems to want to take responsibility for the mistakes of the past that have lead to the dollar's plunge but rather most in Washington are willing to charge ahead and not allow a responsible, yet painful transition period to occur on their watch. So the answer continues to be extremely short term stimulus by way of rebate checks.
And therefore the country is faced with a national debt that is approaching 10 trillion and a stock market that is plummeting.
Conventional wisdom in Washington for sometime seemed to be that this economic slow down is merely a cyclical problem, but finally some are starting to come to terms with the fact that it is a systemic problem, mainly rooted in the international devaluation of the dollar. The game has forever changed with the end of the era that saw the dollar as king. Unless this problem is addressed, the United States economy is headed for an extremely harsh and painful fall.
Ron Paul has been trying to get the point across for some time that the problem can not be addressed unless the country is willing to drastically cut spending. This would mean the move away from empire and the reinvestment with in U.S. borders. There is not a willingness to do this by McCain, Clinton or Obama. Even Obama, who is sometimes mislabeled as the candidate of the anti-war left, would like to increase the size of the U.S. military. Where does that money come from? How long can we continue to borrow? How long can we continue to print? For those willing to listen to the reasoning of Ron Paul, the answer is…not long.
The Nolan Chart's top-diamond libertarian Jeremiah Johnson writes more about the Bernanke exchange:
- You could set off a fire with a match in the room. On one side of the room the Federal Reserve's Chairman and on the other, the defender of the Constitution and the people. Tensions were high as Ben Bernanke braced himself for the expected dose of common sense once again coming from Congressman and Dr. Ron Paul.
Ben Bernanke was stuck between a rock and a hard place when asked about the value of the dollar, and he responded that it was the Treasury's responsibility. But Paul wasn't about to let him slide on just passing off the blame for our dollar's crisis. Paul responded, "And here I find the chairman of the Federal Reserve in charge of the dollar, in charge of the money, in charge of what the money supply is going to be, but (you) don't deal with the value of the dollar."
Then as Bernanke smugly nodded, Paul proceeded to call Bernanke's bluff, "But you do admit you have a responsibility for the prices. But how can you separate the two? Prices are a mere reflection of the value of the dollar. If you want to control prices, then you have to know the value of the dollar. But if you're going to avoid talking about (the value of ) the dollar then all you can do is deal with central economic planning."
Then Paul went on to educate Bernanke on the reasons why central economic planning, even and especially when dealing with the money supply, never works.
"Everybody refers to inflation as rising prices, instead of saying inflation comes from the unwise increase in the supply of credit."
Then Paul put the icing on the cake with, "Their standard of living is going down,... the middle class is being wiped out, and nobody's understanding that it has to do with the value of money: prices are going up. So how are you able to defend this policy of deliberate depreciation of our money?"
Wanna see it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj9KHJRRUbQ
ConnieTalk writes about my friends, the Hotties for Ron Paul and their calendar:
- We received an e-mail today from Juliet Annerino, the Ron Paul supporter and entrepreneur behind the Ron Paul Pinup Calendars we featured last week. According to Juliet, people have been expressing a sincere interest in obtaining reprints of the Hotties 4 Ron Paul calendars, so Juliet has decided to go ahead with a limited second printing (and we're going to pretend it was just because of us).
"I have now decided, though I am quite busy with other projects," Juliet wrote, "[including] musical (touring India April-May with 14 other artists)...as well as political (Peace March, Ron Paul Radio DJ-ing, working with BreakTheMatrix.com, et al...) that yes, I will go ahead with a very limited (just 100 copies) second printing of the 'Hotties 4 Ron Paul' 2008 calendar.
"Unfortunately, the earliest I can get them is March 11th (even with rush shipping1) I know they are going to go fast when I get them, though. To make sure people get their copy (or copies), I am asking that everyone please let me know as soon as possible how many they'd like by dropping me a line at [email protected]."
Doug Mataconis writes on The Libery Papers that if Ron Paul had followed the lead of Goldwater and Bill Buckley, this rEVOLution would be a lot longer-lived:
- Ron Paul could've done this. He could've explicitly disavowed Stormfront and denounced them as racists. He could have disowned Alex Jones and the 9/11 Truthers and scorned them as the kooks that they are. He could have outed the author of his newsletters by name instead of prevaricating.
But he didn't. Apparently, the idea wasn't even considered. And, because of that, his candidacy is going to be dismissed by history as part of the kook fringe rather than the beginning of a movement for freedom.
I have mixed feelings about it. I see some truth in what he says, but again bristle at Truthers being lumped in with white supremecists and the authors of those insidious newsletters. Also, I don't know that those things are really going to derail the freedom train, honestly.
Jessica Bernier writes in The Burlington Free Press that Ron Paul is the only dude who gets it:
- We borrow $1 billion to $3 billion a day from Japan and Communist China, and what we can't borrow the Federal Reserve simply prints, causing a threat of massive inflation and the collapse of the dollar. The baby boomers are now entering retirement, and at the rate we are going, the economy and government will collapse. This is the greatest threat to our national security, and the people I have been talking to know it.
For other candidates this seems to be a non-issue. Instead, they are looking to expand the war to Iran (and/or Pakistan) or create universal health care, each costing over $1 trillion more over the next few years. If the U.S. were a business, it would have closed its doors a long time ago. We need a president who will protect our national sovereignty, eliminate the deficit and restore the strength of the U.S. dollar.
Many people dismiss his views because he wants to end the occupation of Iraq and bring back troops from bases in over 130 other countries (which alone costs us $500 million a year) Many people also do not understand his foreign policy, which focuses on free trade rather than policing the world. He wants to follow the Constitution, and he is considered crazy for his beliefs.
Many people I come across believe in his issues, but say they don't want to waste their vote. If every person who said that voted for him, he would win. The primary should not be treated as a horse race. Voting for Ron Paul, even if he doesn't win, sends a powerful message to the GOP in Vermont and America that we need to be financially responsible, spread democracy by example, not by force, and follow the rule of law under the Constitution.
Right-libertarian Jack Morphonois writes on The Nolan Chart that a vote for McCain is a vote for a third Bush term:
- In 2004 I wrote a review of Bush's "Compassionate Conservatism". McCain has rubber stamped, as a US Senator, almost everything that Bush has done. It is easy to predict what a McCain presidency would be like by comparing him to Bush. The new Democrat battle-cry, in reference to McCain, is: "No Third Term for Bush!" They've got a point! A McCain presidency will be a repeat of the same garbage we've had for the past 8 years. Have Republicans forgotten how bad things were/are?
Marc Pavlick writes on Burlington Free Press about how Ron Paul cured him of his political apathy:
- He's the only one shedding light on the implications of this fiat currency and the absence of gold/silver backing. As Congressman Paul, member of the House Committee on Financial Services and former member of the House Banking Committee, has said, "A perfect storm (is) facing America, caused by a federal government that spends, borrows and prints so much money that our dollars are eroding in value at an alarming rate."
These are a couple reasons that former Treasury Secretary William Simon commented, Dr. Paul is the "one exception to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill. He's the only candidate who does not take money from lobbyists, PACs or special interests. Lobbyists do not bother visiting him because he never supports any bill that gives handouts to their bosses, no matter who they are.
He's repeatedly voted against raiding Social Security funds and introduced a bill to stop Congress from borrowing from Social Security to pay for unbalanced budgets. He's opposed to the taxation of Social Security benefits as well. It is said that Congressman Paul introduces more substantive legislation each year than any other member of Congress. Of all the candidates, only Ron Paul has an extensive legislative record opposing the monetary policy that led to the current sub-prime mortgage crisis.
He has never voted to raise taxes, for an unbalanced budget, to raise congressional pay, or to increase the power of the executive branch. He has never taken a government-paid junket, does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program, and he returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. Treasury every year!
He voted against the unconstitutional Iraq war and the Patriot Act, and is opposed to the national ID card, being a strong advocate for protecting our privacy and civil liberties. Thanks to Dr. Paul's campaign accomplishments, we're hearing unfiltered news for once, where millions of Americans are hearing the truth about taboo subjects that the establishment doesn't want us to know about.
Continued...
