Wolf Blitzer: GOP snubs Ron Paul (Interviews Rand)

[Edward]

Wolf Blitzer asked: "Was that appropriate to tell someone like Ron Paul, 'You can speak but we will edit… we will make sure that what you say is something we want to hear'?" All Rand had to say was, "no, it was not appropriate" or just even "no", but he didn't. Consider this foreshadowing. Those who think the GOP will be different with Rand as a major player are fooling themselves.

 

[wayzupusc]

I just hope upon hope there is something going on behind the scenes and that Rand really hasn't sold out like it sounds like he has. I about stopped watching the video when he rebuked Wolf on the GOP not letting Ron Paul speak because he wouldn't give Romney his endorsement. I mean, c'mon...this is Rand's father, he knows him as well as anyone & knows he's not going to say something he doesn't mean or endorse a man he knows doesn't believe will do what is necessary to fix many of our problems. To Ron, that would be akin to lying I believe, and Rand has to know that...the man hasn't changed in 30+ years, you think he's going to change/compromise for Mitt Romney???

And where was all this love of Ron Paul from Wolf back when the primaries were going on? He was just as much a part of marginalizing Dr. Paul as any of the talking heads in the entertainment news industry...maybe not as bad as some but he was right there with 'em, including the debates.

 

[Smitty]

There's probably somebody in the world with less dignity than Rand Paul,...but I've never met them.

 

[coffeewithchess]

Wolf Blitzer asked: "Was that appropriate to tell someone like Ron Paul, 'You can speak but we will edit… we will make sure that what you say is something we want to hear'?" All Rand had to say was, "no, it was not appropriate" or just even "no", but he didn't. Consider this foreshadowing. Those who think the GOP will be different with Rand as a major player are fooling themselves.

He should have answered, "No more appropriate than CNN's trash reporting and hit piece on my father before the Iowa Caucus that you aired."

 

[coffeewithchess]

yep..pretty much where i'm at.

BTW..Wolf gets big brownie points with me defending Ron like that. Very honorable thing to do. Thankyou Mr. Blitzer.

Don't forget the past. They will talk kindly after the election/voting, before...lucky if they talked about you at all, and were honest when doing so. After the problem has passed though, "Ohhh, he was SUCH a great candidate!"

 

[michaelwise]

The complete and total economic collapse of the USA is already a 100% mathematical certainty. It's simple math.

 

[blazeKing]

I never understood the Rand hate. He is a Republican senator. He has to work with Republicans and make friends to get things done. How is him attacking the party and attacking the RNC, attacking Romney or his colleagues going to win others over to him? How is trashing the party and going his own way going to help him get things done or eventually gather support to become President? If he did what some here want him to do, his money would dry up, his support would dry up, he would have no political future. He's walking a tight line because he has to. He's a member of a 100 person senate, not a 500 person house. You don't kiss a little establishment butt, you're going no where. I'm impressed with how he has handled things and remained mostly true to his beliefs. He's the best we have in the Senate.

 

[Smitty]

You don't kiss a little establishment butt, you're going no where.

Some of us want to inhabit a political organization that isn't driven by ass kissin'.

It indeed may be too much to hope for,...but if it is, I'll accept being apolitical over being an ass kisser.

Dignity has a price.

I'll pay it.

I wish Rand would.

 

[jbauer]

So will his (Rand's) speech be editited?

 

[phill4paul]

So will his (Rand's) speech be editited?

I'm 100% sure it was pre-approved.

 

[blazeKing]

Some of us want to inhabit a political organization that isn't driven by ass kissin'.

It indeed may be too much to hope for,...but if it is, I'll accept being apolitical over being an ass kisser.

Dignity has a price.

I'll pay it.

I wish Rand would.

I wish a new party headed by Ron and Rand would start that garnered enough support to threaten the other two parties. But it's not happening right now. Things aren't bad enough. Rand has to work with Republicans and yes establishment Republicans. Dignity has a price. So does losing power and having no one in politics with many of our beliefs.

Rand can't be some superman and do whatever he wants and be the lone wolf that saves America. He actually does have to work with others and with senior Republicans who have more power than he does in the party.

 

[phill4paul]

Rand can't be some superman and do whatever he wants and be the lone wolf that saves America. He actually does have to work with others and with senior Republicans who have more power than he does in the party.

I dunno. His dad has come pretty far. Just in the last 10 years. He came this far because Americans, some, are starting to get it. He also came this far because of one overriding quality. Integrity. Rand will have to be careful to hold that close to heart. Integrity is what will make or break him. Just like Ron. IMHO.

 

[Working Poor]

Fuck Wolf Biltzer's "I really like your dad..." Wolf had no problem pushing the knife into Ron's back and twisting it on the newsletters, even after the 2007-08 sabotage and all completely explained, Wolf and Communist News Network did it again repeatedly in 2011-12.

Don't ever forget Biltzer and the cast of criminals @ CNN don't like anything but paychecks and ratings to keep the money following to themselves. This false dialog of credibility and compasion on Wolf's behalf is 100% bullshit.

Completely boycott CNN/HLN forever

Yep

 

[rpwi]

Oh wow...Wolf Blitzer came off sounding WAY more intelligent and principled than Rand Paul

Something is...off with Rand's responses.

 

[Indy Vidual]

I never understood the Rand hate. He is a Republican senator. He has to work with Republicans and make friends to get things done. How is him attacking the party and attacking the RNC, attacking Romney or his colleagues going to win others over to him? How is trashing the party and going his own way going to help him get things done or eventually gather support to become President? If he did what some here want him to do, his money would dry up, his support would dry up, he would have no political future. He's walking a tight line because he has to. He's a member of a 100 person senate, not a 500 person house. You don't kiss a little establishment butt, you're going no where. I'm impressed with how he has handled things and remained mostly true to his beliefs. He's the best we have in the Senate.

+1
Reality check

 

[Mini-Me]

The complete and total economic collapse of the USA is already a 100% mathematical certainty. It's simple math.

No, it's not...not yet. Ron Paul's budget plan could have easily prevented collapse if adopted, and it wasn't even that extreme. It was actually a pretty moderate and painless budget plan that cut all of the fat from all the right places without demanding harsh sacrifices from anyone in terms of taxes or entitlement cuts...and it would have worked. Four years from now, a similar but marginally tighter budget could work. Collapse might happen at any moment, but it's not a strict mathematical certainty until the annual interest payments on the debt exceed GDP...or at least when they exceed GDP minus basic living costs. Barring unprecedented spending increases, we likely still have some time before it's truly too late. The real obstacle isn't math, it's people.

As far as Rand is concerned, he definitely walks a fine line with his rhetoric and pulls his punches, but we've known for a long time how he works, so I don't see anything productive coming from continually calling him a corrupt, undignified scumbag traitor over the same old thing. I could be mistaken, but I do not think he seriously holds any real trust for other politicians. Instead, I believe he takes his signature understated and "diplomatic" approach to avoid giving Fox News ammunition for later...I'd be a lot more confrontational about things personally, but I can understand where he's coming from as well, and only time will tell how it plays out. Meanwhile, I'll judge him by his record, which to my knowledge is the best a Senator has ever had since - and possibly including - the days of the Founders.

 

[Occam's Banana]

He will let us know through his words and actions.

His actions are all I give a damn about. He can say whatever the hell he pleases.

For time out of mind we've had sunshine blown up our anatomies by braying jackasses who told us what we wanted to hear.

What did it ever get us?

And now we've got a man who DOESN'T tell us what we want to hear - but who DOES what we want him to do.

And all a lot of us can do is bitch & moan about the words he is or isn't saying!?!?

Oh, irony of ironies!!

All Rand had to say was, "no, it was not appropriate" or just even "no", but he didn't. Consider this foreshadowing. Those who think the GOP will be different with Rand as a major player are fooling themselves.

So long as he continues to (1) fight *for* things like sane fiscal policy, preservation of civil liberties, Audit the Fed, Congressional Declaration of War, Audit the Pentagon, etc. etc. etc., and (2) fight *against* things like the TSA, SOPA, CISPA, NDAA, the PATRIOT Act, etc. etc. etc., well, then, Rand could French-kiss Romney & declare him to be the swellest, grandest fellow since Jesus Christ Almighty, for all I care.

 

[KramerDSP]

It's interesting. The Ron Paul strategy is to tell the truth, 100% unfiltered, at all times, even when it is not politically opportune for him to do so. The Rand Paul strategy is to be much more subtle until he actually enters the office of the Presidency and then be gung ho (at least I hope it is).

Someone commented in another thread that Rand Paul could be the greatest boon or the greatest threat to the elites in years and that even the Ron Paul supporters have no real idea of where exactly Rand ends up in the history books. It's fascinating.

 

[rpwi]

I like the direct principled method of Ron over Rand (assuming Rand is a sleeper agent for liberty, which I don't think he is).

Does Ron have a lot of direct political power? No...but look at the support he's gotten and attention he has focused on key issues. Wolf Blitzer is just the tip of the iceberg..who would have thought he would be talking about how wonderful Ron was on TV?? Wolf was even talking about cuts to military spending...these are huge and indirect benifits from Ron Paul's campaign.

Rand on the other hand, is all about power and protocol. 20 years from now, he won't be remembered...what is he doing now to make a difference? Voting against liberty causes with the hope that this will win more support in this way, get more political power and then vote against these same issues? It doesn't work this way.

Lasting change comes from changing the hearts and minds of the population, which Ron is doing, but Rand is not.

 

[Philosophy_of_Politics]

People seriously can't figure out what Rand is doing? Rand is playing politics in order to remain viable to Neocons. He's playing the rogue position. He's telling the establishment one thing, but his legislative records will be the other.