The Freeman's Burden:

Viva la R3LOVution

2009-01-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

The continues...with you!

I am proud and excited to announce a new project designed to continue, expand and improve on the work of the Freeman's Burden. On Monday, January 12th, 2009, I will be launching R3volutionConsultants.com.

This site is designed to give liberty candidates the tools and resources that they need to run successful campaigns. I will also use it as a platform to advance libertarian and constitutionalist ideas and network with other liberty-minded activists. The R3volution Consultants Blog will, therefore, be replacing the Freeman's Burden. I invite everyone to check out this new site and, if you're considering running for public office, don't do it alone. Put the R3volution Consultants to work for you!

The Anti-American Century in Latin America

2008-12-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Dec. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Latin American and Caribbean leaders gathering in Brazil tomorrow will mark a historic occasion: a region-wide summit that excludes the United States.

Almost two centuries after President James Monroe declared Latin America a U.S. sphere of influence, the region is breaking away. From socialist-leaning Venezuela to market-friendly Brazil, governments are expanding military, economic and diplomatic ties with potential U.S. adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran.

“Monroe certainly would be rolling over in his grave,” says Julia Sweig, director of the Latin America program at the Council of Foreign Relations in Washington and author of the 2006 book “Friendly Fire: Losing Friends and Making Enemies in the Anti-American Century.”

The U.S., she says, “is no longer the exclusive go-to power in the region, especially in South America, where U.S. economic ties are much less important.”

The End of Dollar Hegemony

2008-12-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

Just as the Fed is signaling its intention to lower interest rates to near zero, we can see from the graphs above that the inevitable results of the print and spend orgy that has now been going on for several months. This trend will continue to strengthen in the coming months as the multiplier affect further adds more cheap dollars to an already deteriorating situation. Now is the time to get out of dollars!

More pics from the R4tR After-Party

2008-11-23T12:16:00.001-08:00

Rally for the Republic After-Party

2008-11-21T17:47:00.000-08:00

Outside the Lone Tree Annex

Before the show

Marc Scibilia warmed up the crowd with a great acoustic set

John Tate, Matthew Hawes and Debbie Hopper enjoying a much earned moment of relaxation

Dr. Paul worked the crowd

Wow, I DO have a big mouth. As you can see they were letting
all kinds of rabble-rousers into the VIP

Just thought this was a cool shot

Jimmie ripped it up and then Aimee Allen jumped on stage and showed us her blues chops

The crowd upstairs got to enjoy a once in a lifetime intimate show while the folks downstairs got to see it all on strategically placed monitors

Costa Rica Fears Iran's Interest in Region

2008-03-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

In other words, America's aggressive, hostile foreign policies have made Iran and Latin American leftists sympatico despite the fact they have no other common interests. But, as an American, if I question our foreign policies and the consequences they produce, I am called a peacenik, anti-American, a coward and a terrorist sympathizer. Just another day through the looking glass in the neo-con's "new normal."

Costa Rica Fears Iran's Interest in Region

From: Gambling 911

Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and potentially Ecuador (which has been at odds with neighboring Columbia in recent weeks) appear to be solidifying ties with Ahmadinejad.

At first glance, Iran seems to have little in common with Latin America. Trade and economic relations are rare, and the two regions have different cultural and religious traditions, a report in Friday's AM Costa Rica suggests.

But Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has found common ground with leftist leaders critical of the United States and its policy goals around the world.

Ron Paul on Kudlow explains why the Fed should be taken out back and shot

2008-03-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

Dirka, Dirka, Mohammed, Jihad

2008-03-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Koran forbid Muslims from portraying Mohammed in characture?

Outrage at Cartoons Still Tests the Danes

By MICHAEL KIMMELMAN

AARHUS, Denmark — “I think this is safe house No. 5,” Kurt Westergaard said the other day, and it was clear that he genuinely had lost track.

Last month the Danish police arrested two Tunisians and a Dane of Moroccan descent on charges of plotting to kill Mr. Westergaard, one of the 12 cartoonists whose pictures of Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten sparked protests, some of them violent, by Muslims around the world in 2006 and put bounties on the heads of Mr. Westergaard and his editor, Flemming Rose. Mr. Westergaard (he drew Muhammad with a bomb in his turban) has been in hiding ever since.

Americans, for whom the presidential election seems to have become a delirious, unending sport, preoccupying their attention, turn out not to be the only ones who preferred to forget about the cartoons. So had many Danes and fellow Europeans. They were shocked by the arrests.

Continue reading...

Don't let the Commodity Sell-Off Fool You

2008-03-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

From silverseek.com

The financial problems revealed at Bear Stearns that may exist at other firms as well has inspired a general deleveraging of investments of all kinds to pay back loans and lower the level of leverage from ridiculously high levels. This has resulted in the selling of everything, whether it is gold and silver, commodities, or stocks. When you can’t sell what you want to sell than you have to sell what you can sell, and normally what tops that list are your winning positions. Gold, silver, and oil are among the few things that have done well for several months and their much anticipated correction came today. The only question now is how long will it last before their bull markets resume? With more financial problems evidencing themselves so frequently it can’t be long before people return to the only real money of gold and silver, and that is just one of many reasons driving them higher.

I wish I had better news

2008-03-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

90 day US Dollar

"It is unsettling to watch the world's reserve currency disintegrate. Commodities from gold to oil and wheat are taking on the role of safe-haven "currencies". The monetary order is becoming unhinged." - Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Read the entire article here.

It's Time for America to Take its Medicine

2008-03-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

The AP article about gold breaking $1000 that is featured prominently on today's Drudge Report comes tantalizingly close to getting to the root cause of this historic milestone before copping out with a false analogy about 1980 gold prices in inflation adjusted terms and then stopping short of saying it like it is.

The intentional debasement of the US dollar by the Federal Reserve is causing a flight of wealth out of dollars and into the safe harbor of real money.

What is real money? It's anything that has intrinsic value and can be used as barter to procure goods or services. The US dollar is not, by definition, money. Its value is not inherent, it does not represent any tangible asset. It only has value based on perception and supply. If the supply increases (and it does everyday as the print and borrow orgy in Washington continues unabated), then the value goes down.

History is replete with examples of the perceived value of currency collapsing into a pile of worthless paper as it is printed without regard for the simple economic principle of supply and demand in mind, namely that the more of something there is, the demand and, hence, the value of it, is diminished.

There is a precedent for this in our own history. You may have heard the term "not worth a continental." The continental dollar was the first national currency in these United States. The founders estimated that there was about $10 million worth of precious metals in the colonies at the time and proceeded to print notes that reflected that estimate. Unfortunately, as war debt mounted, the natural inclination was to print more currency to cover the costs. Soon the colonies were awash in more than $50 million "worth" of continentals. The currency was so debased that people were using them as kindling as they were now less valuable than dry sticks. Hence the term and a valuable lesson learned.

After the war, during the continental congress, it was agreed that only gold and silver could be used as legal tender, a hedge against a future "continental" debacle. Although this remains the constitutional law of the land, the creation of a central bank, the Federal Reserve, in 1913 and the severing of the dollar from the gold standard during the Nixon administration, has once more exposed our wealth to the inflationary trajectory of a pure paper economy.

With US troops in 130 countries, 2 wars ongoing and 2 more looming, massive new federal spending, out of control entitlements (social security and medicare) along with the mal-investment and inflation caused by the fiscal practices of the Fed and the Bush administration, in the last year alone, the dollar has lost 17% of its value relative to a basket of other currencies and a stunning 43.8% of its value relative to gold.

Without a radical reform program that will divest the Fed of the power to print money through control of interest rates and a return to some sort of value-based currency such as the gold standard, there is little hope that the dollar can be saved. With its demise, the savings and retirements of millions of Americans will be wiped out. It has already begun, but we have only seen the beginning of this catastrophe.

MTV Calls a Spade a Spade

2008-03-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

We're winning in Iraq, huh John?

2008-03-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

Lest anyone forgets how completely full of it McCain is...

Death toll rises in Baghdad bombs

The morning after the attack the streets were still awash with blood. Sixty-eight people were killed in twin bomb attacks on a shopping area in central Baghdad, Iraq's interior ministry has said. The Thursday blasts left another 130 people injured, officials said.

Iraqis Protest in Basra Over Security

Thousands of people took to the streets Saturday in Basra, protesting deteriorating security in the southern city where Iraqi forces assumed responsibility for safety last December.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military said that Iraqi security forces had discovered a mass grave in Diyala province containing perhaps 100 bodies.

Police also reported that the bullet-ridden bodies of 13 men were found near the same town.

Also Saturday, two separate bombings in the province northeast of Baghdad left six people dead.

'National crisis' for Iraqi women

A similar survey undertaken by the organisation in 2004 found that despite the fact that none of the women felt their families' most basic needs were entirely met, 90.6% were optimistic about the future.

But in late 2007, the nationwide poll of 1,513 Iraqi women found only 26.9% continued to be optimistic about the situation in their country.

According to the report, 63.9% or those questioned said violence against women was increasing.

This Campaign is Winding Down, but the R3VOLUTION Lives on!

2008-03-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

Dr. Ron Paul announced today that his bid for the Republican nomination is winding down. Needless to say, this is bittersweet for all of us that have worked so hard for all these many months to help him spread his message of peace, prosperity and hope. Although the campaign may not end in the presidency, the movement that this effort has spawned will continue to grow and mature. The genie is out of the bottle and for that, we all owe Ron Paul an eternal debt of gratitude.

While we will continue to work hard to secure delegates and make an impact in St. Paul, this seems like an appropriate time to say thank you to all of the folks that have worked so hard to bring us to this point.

There are so many people that need to be thanked for everything that they have done in the last year that to even attempt to do so would inevitably neglect some who are deserving of praise.

I do want to express to my fellow staff members that it has been an honor to work with and share this experience with such a smart, capable group of dedicated revolutionaries. Together we have endured praise and criticism, shared in victory and defeat, and reveled in the company of so many that share our values, hopes, patriotism and ideals. To say that I am honored and humbled by your talents and your friendship seems trite and insufficient.

Also, let me express my gratitude to our amazing, driven, and committed supporters. Although we, the staff, often found ourselves in the cross hairs of your ire, I never forgot that it was rooted in your profound love for our country, and its future.

Together, we have taken a little known congressman from south Texas and made him a national figure. We have given voice to the frustrations and fears that so many before endured in solitude, unaware that they were part of a larger community of patriots. We have proven the pundits wrong, outlasted 11 of 12 opponents, and lit the fires of liberty in the hearts of millions in this country and around the world.

You have built a movement and have been kind enough to let me come along for the ride. Thank you. May God bless you all, Ron Paul and the United States of America for generations to come.

Don Rasmussen
Special Assistant
Ron Paul 2008

Ron Paul's Statement to Supporters

The Legacy of Ron Paul

2008-03-06T07:18:00.001-08:00

Of course I am honored to have played a role.

From MSNBC:

WASHINGTON - The excitement of Rep. Ron Paul’s unorthodox presidential campaign has faded since last fall. The chances were always slim that Paul would get to go to the White House to collect President Bush’s endorsement, as Sen. John McCain did Wednesday.

But Paul scored a victory Tuesday night, crushing challenger Chris Peden in the Republican primary in his Texas congressional district.

Paul’s victory in his heavily Republican district means the 33-year House veteran will be around for at least another two years to voice his dismay both at America’s overseas entanglements and at Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke’s policies.

Continue reading here

Remembering the Dungeon Master

2008-03-06T05:22:00.000-08:00

A political blog may seem like a strange place to pay homage to America's founding nerd...on second though, no, no it doesn't. Be that as it may, there are few people who have had as profound an impact on my life as Ernest Gary Gygax.

With his passing this week, I found myself reading the praises and personal stories from some of the millions of fans around the world and remembering fondly my own time as a knight of the dinner table.

As an angry, socially ill-adjusted teen, my one safe haven from a world that I didn't like and couldn't relate to was in the lush landscapes of my own imagination. Gary Gygax opened that door for me by creating what is to this day one of the most innovative and influential games in history, Dungeons & Dragons.

Although my parents worried, rightly, that I had escaped far to often into that world and, for a time, it became my preference to reality, the skills I developed and friends I made sitting around the kitchen table with my dice, bag of Cheetos and stack of books are ones that serve me well to this day.

As one commenter put it: "Gygax invented a game that promoted co-operation, initiative, memory skills, negotiation, imagination, compromise, planning, foresight, accountability, an awareness of cause and effect, tolerance and attention to detail. Name me an educator who has come up with a better way of introducing these skills to young minds."

In fact, I never quit being a proud D&Der. Until I moved to DC to work on this campaign, I got together every week with Greg, Gavin, Tony, Willie, Ian, Kristen, and a host of others that came and went over the last few years to hurl fireballs and thwart the plans of evil kings.

In the end, it was much more an excuse to spend an evening with friends than escapism, and the memories of those evenings are among my most cherished. For that, I have Gary Gygax to thank.

Bush + More War, Less Jobs = McCain

2008-03-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul wins big in Texas-14 House Race

2008-03-04T23:13:00.000-08:00

With 100% of precincts reporting, the voters of the 14th congressional district of Texas have returned Ron Paul to congress for his 11th term. Dr. Paul won 70.2% to 29.8% over some guy who's name I have already forgotten. I only wish that the American people had been given the chance to get to know Ron as well as the district and I know him. If they had, this would have been the result of the Texas Republican Presidential Primary as well. I can taste The Wonkette's and Eric Dondero's tears and they are oh, so sweet.

Huckabee Ends Presidential Campaign, Blames God

2008-03-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

O.K., he didn't blame God, but he will certainly have plenty of free time to figure out what the life lesson the giant co-dependant in the sky was supposed to be teaching him by lifting him out of obscurity only to crush his ambitions against the rocky crags of John McCain's cheeks.

For my part, I like Mike personally; he is a deceptively nice guy. However, when I began doing opposition research on him, I realized that he was that special kind of corrupt, political whore that only Hope, Arkansas can produce.

That leaves a Republican field that consists of John McCain, Ron Paul, and Mitt Romney. Romney, you ask? Yes, remember that he only "suspended" his campaign, refusing to release his delegates. If McCain falls ill, has a public meltdown, or is immersed in scandal between now and November 3rd, Romney is positioned to sweep in and rescue the party or, more likely, he is positioned to sweep in and get stomped by Obama. Ain't politics fun?

Sanford 2012?

2008-03-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

I must confess that if there is anything that would lead me to consider voting for John McCain, it would be the announcement that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was running as his VP. Of course, I would then slap myself and take a shower, but given the contempt and bile that I reserve for The Little Furher, that is a pretty big admission.

The appeal of a McCain/Sanford ticket should be obvious from McCain's perspective. Sanford is an actual conservative, young, handsome, popular and southern. In other words, all of the things that John McCain is not. It would be a balanced ticket that helps to solves McCain's issues with the base, neutralizes the age problem, the religion problem, the gay marriage problem, the fiscal conservatism problem, the southern state problem...O.K., I could keep listing McCain's problems until the cows come home. The point is that there are many good reasons that the pundits keep bringing up Sanford's name.

The real question is: What is in it for Mark Sanford? It is a matter of conventional wisdom that he is a rising star within the GOP. A conservative constitutionalist with a strong record on cultural as well as fiscal issues, Sanford once famously walked into South Carolina's legislature with a pig under each arm. He introduced the pigs by their names, "Pork" and "Barrel" before releasing them in the chamber and chastising the lawmakers for their reckless spending.

Sanford was mentioned often and early as a possible candidate for the nomination in 2008 and would seem to be a favorite for the nomination in 2012. He is also a shrewd political operator which is why I would be very surprised if he were to accept the VP slot on a McCain ticket. The strong possibility that McCain will get stomped by Obama come November will relegate his unfortunate running mate to the annals of loser history beside such noteworthy n'er do wells as Jack Kemp, John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, Lloyd Benson, and Geraldine Ferraro.

It is also unlikely that McCain would follow the Bush/Cheney model of giving over the reigns of government to the veep and vacationing except when a really bad idea needed to be promoted. That would leave Sanford in the political wilderness, unlikely to even emerge to break a tie in what will probably be a more heavily Democrat Senate then today. Worse yet, Hell might freeze over and he would be stuck living in the Naval Observatory for 8 years, attending funerals for foreign dignitaries and watching daytime TV.

So while it may give Chris Matthews and Chris Wallace something to speculate about in the absence of actual news reporting, I think that the chance of a Mark Sanford VP bid is about as unlikely as, well...a John McCain presidency.

Friend of Freedom Tom McClintock Ready for Primetime

2008-03-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

Popular Ron Paul-style California Republican Tom McClintock has announced that he is taking his brand of conservatism to Washington DC. Learn more about McClintock here and read about his announcement here.

Ron Paul in Forbes

2008-03-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

This pretty much says it all (from Forbes.com):

Candidate Central: A Word From Ron Paul

America became the greatest, most prosperous nation in history through low taxes, constitutionally limited government, personal freedom and a belief in sound money. I decided to run for president because I am deeply concerned that the conservative movement has drifted away from these principles that we once so fiercely defended. Deficits have exploded, entitlements are out of control and our personal liberties are threatened like never before.

The current state of our economy drives home the hard truth that living beyond our means has caught up to us. Oil is over $100 a barrel, the housing market is in sharp decline and the dollar is in a free fall.

Continue Reading "A Word from Ron Paul"

Economic Collapse Rapidly Approaching, Fascism to Follow?

2008-02-28T07:45:00.001-08:00

US Dollar (1999-Present)

Silver (1999-Present)

If you really want to know what is going on with the US economy, just look at the flight of dollars into commodities. As the dollar tanks, banks write off billions in bad loans and the Fed Kabuki Theater becomes theater of the absurd, dollar flight into tangible assets continues to climb. Look no further than silver which has seen a 30% rise in value in just the first 2 months of 2008. Since Bush took office and the Neo-Conservative Welfare/Warfare state was fully initiated, silver has risen almost 500%!

The million dollar question (a million will buy a loaf of bread and a coke in another 6 months) is this: Is the Bush administration and the Fed criminally incompetent, incapable of controlling the economic tsunami now cresting, or is the darker, more nefarious assumption that they are intentionally destroying the dollar in order to initiate the introduction of a unified Amero and a fascist state less the stuff of conspiracy theories then we would like to admit?

Whichever it is, history tells us that we are teetering on the edge. A careful study of inter-war Germany and 20th Century Latin America shows that the rise of totalitarian regimes is led by economic collapse.

Simply put, authoritarianism needs a desperate and impoverished population to take root. The commonality throughout recent history is that a debased currency is a necessary condition for totalitarian rule. Inflation in the 100% to 25,000% is common in these historic scenarios. Or, if you look at it from the other side, a wealthy and robust middle class is the best hedge against anti-democratic forces.

But today, it is the middle class in this country that is being wiped out by the destruction of the dollar, thus creating the space necessary for greater and more oppressive state-led control. If you are inclined towards believing that the worst intentions are responsible for this crisis, then your concerns are buttressed by a careful reading of recent legislation and Bush administration directives.

The State of the Campaign

2008-02-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

Many of us who have been working for the Ron Paul campaign these last few months have been simultaneously encouraged and discouraged by the effects of our efforts. Of course, the first priority was to get Dr. Paul elected. That is, to a 99 degree certainty, not going to happen. Does that mean then that we have failed? I would posit that quite the opposite is true.

Setting aside the fact that we have taken a little known congressman and made him a national figure and that we have assured ourselves a voice in the National Republican Convention, I have seen an infusion of his ideas into the national narrative.

I was in California recently for the last Republican debate. The night before, Dr. Paul's security director and myself stopped in at a local watering hole for a drink. As we sat at one end of the bar enjoying our libations, I heard snippets of conversation coming from three men seated nearby. The topic was the declining dollar and the need for a competitive money market. I was curious and a little surprised so I saddled up next to them and introduced myself. It turns out that they were all in the mortgage industry and had been taking a bath as a result of the economic downturn. None of them were Paul supporters per se, but they all recognized and had been studying the root causes of the recession that they had already been feeling for many months. Never in my wildest libertarian dreams would I have imagined such a scenario.

This is but one small example of what I have experienced all around the country as I have traveled with the campaign. Another important metric that I have used to measure our success is the anecdotal evidence of "Ron Paul Republicans" becoming engaged and, in some cases, taking over local GOP organizations, infusing them with ideas, activists and enthusiasm in a way that has not been seen in many, many years.

While our electoral success has not materialized in the way that many of us had hoped, there is no reason to despair. There is STILL hope for America and I hope that all of you will continue to be a part of it.

Ron Paul on Sean Hannity...Great Interview!

2008-01-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul in the news

2008-01-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

I remember when I first moved to Virginia in August to work for Ron Paul's presidential campaign. There were about 10 of us packed into two tiny little offices tucked in the back of a convenience store in Arlington. At the time, we couldn't buy a lick of coverage. What a difference six months make. While I will long contend that the remarkable accomplishments of this campaign have been under covered, I must admit that it is pretty cool to read about Ron in USA Today. Upward and onward.

USA Today

Iowa Caucuses...and so it begins

2008-01-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

Travels with Tuck

2007-12-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

Tucker Carlson and me in Pahrump Nevada at a Ron Paul Rally

Who would the world vote for?

2007-11-30T22:11:00.000-08:00

Take a wild guess

How many of us share this sentiment?

2007-11-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

Dr. Paul,

I am sorry you had to shoulder the load alone for 30 years. I repent for my apathy for my country. I have been self centered, seeking out what the government could do for or give me. No more. It is time to give back, to take back. I just paid off my donations for November 5th. I am well prepared for the tea party. I always read my American history books with awe. I always wondered what it would be like to actually make a difference. Now is the time. This is the American peoples' chance to do this without violence. We must unite and we must act. Let us deal with the treasonous, fire the bureaucrats, and lock up the law breakers.

We will carry you on our shoulders from here. Thank you.

Chris

Hope for America

2007-11-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

The crowds just keep getting bigger (Philly 11/10)

2007-11-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

Great Way to Follow the Ron Paul Money

2007-11-11T14:28:00.001-08:00

Click on chart to go to RonPaulGraphs.com

Support the Troops - Support Ron Paul

2007-11-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

Slew of New Polls show Ron Paul Strengthening

2007-11-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

Rasmussen Reports

Boston Globe

Marist

CNN

Zogby

Dr. Paul is now being tracked by RealClearPolitics for the first time although he still not named as a candidate in the increasingly silly Ipsos/AP poll.

Ron Paul on Meet the Press

2007-11-11T10:17:00.001-08:00

Ron Paul Money Bomb Tea Party Video

2007-11-11T00:04:00.000-08:00

Campaign Update

2007-11-09T16:33:00.001-08:00

Watch live video from ronpaul on Justin.tv

The Second Boston Tea Party - December 16, 2007

2007-11-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

A New Hope

2007-11-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

I think I may have posted this before, but if you want to introduce people to Ron Paul then there is no better clip than this one.

HISTORY!!!

2007-11-05T18:29:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to everybody who has contributed to making this the biggest on-line political fund-raising day in American history. We, the campaign, are humbled by what you have done. Now, let's get Ron Paul elected so we can begin to change the nation, and the world!

Associated Press

The ones who change the world

2007-10-30T12:32:00.001-07:00

A President to be proud of

2007-10-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Ron Paul Girl and the Money Bomb (November 5)

2007-10-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Great Moments In U.S. History - video powered by Metacafe

Some Words of Wisdom from the Great Communicator...Sound like someone we know?

2007-10-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

People do not make wars; governments do.
~Ronald Reagan

Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing.
~Ronald Reagan

...no mother would ever willingly sacrifice her sons for territorial gain, for economic advantage, for ideology.
~Ronald Reagan

A people free to choose will always choose peace.
~Ronald Reagan

Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.
~Ronald Reagan

We must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.
~Ronald Reagan

Our reluctance for conflict should not be misjudged as a failure of will.
~Ronald Reagan

History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.
~Ronald Reagan

Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.
~Ronald Reagan

The defense policy of the United States is based on a simple premise: The United States does not start fights. We will never be an aggressor.
~Ronald Reagan

Great Ron Paul NYC Video

2007-10-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

I love my job

2007-10-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Drew Carey, Debbie Hopper and me at Reason Magazine

Join the Ron Paul Money Bomb - Click on the image to learn how

2007-10-26T15:22:00.002-07:00

The levee is beginning to break on the the best kept secret in politics

2007-10-26T14:10:00.001-07:00

Amid Ron Paul's improving poll numbers and announcement of a large-scale TV, radio, and mail blitz in some early states, the major media has responded with ever-increasing attention. Dr. Paul's upcoming appearance on Jay Leno only fuels the headlong race to begin covering the premier conservative in the race for the White House.

MSNBC

CBS News

The Politico

New York Times

Ron Paul on the FOX News Joseph Goebbels

2007-10-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

“(Frank) Luntz has lost all credibility. He is just a propagandist and everybody knows it. There is nothing objective about what he does. He is the one who is wrong and the American people are right.” – Ron Paul, 10/26/07

Hear the entire WHO interview here

Hillary Clinton's Worst Nightmare

2007-10-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

By Noel Gibeson

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite her formidable political machine, Hillary Clinton’s worst fear may be that she could be running against Ron Paul in 2008.
Why? Because he may be the Republican that can garner more support from a younger demographic as it gets closer to the election. A recent Rasmussen Report data supports this. According to USA Election Poll, “Ron Paul Better in the General Election than Giuliani and Thompson Among 30 Year Olds; Leads Hillary Clinton 47% to 44% Among 40 Year Olds.”

Why? Because not only is he the only Republican in the contest who is against unnecessary and unconstitutional wars overseas, but because he actually follows the constitution. Young people eagerly support him and much of his support, perhaps as much as 70%, comes from the 20-30 age demographic. They are afraid for the future of this country and that they will have to give more and more of their money to the federal government to manage for them.

Continue Reading...

Ron Paul in his own words

2007-10-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

Ron Paul Rising, more gains expected

2007-10-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ron Paul polling 7.4% in New Hampshire, hits Romney on Iran

Larry Fester

Published 10/26/2007 - 10:10 a.m. EDT

According to St. Anselm College’s Institute of Politics presidential poll, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is polling at 7.4% in New Hampshire and in fourth place behind Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and John McCain. Paul leads Fred Thompson in the state.

Supporters say the poll may indicate that Paul is gaining momentum in New Hampshire.

“By all accounts, Dr. Paul’s support is rising steadily,” said Paul campaign chairman Kent Snyder. “Americans are ready for a change and his unifying message of freedom, peace and prosperity is bringing more people together every day.”

Increasing Media Coverage, Increasing Polls for Ron Paul

2007-10-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

New York Times:

Flush With New Millions, Underdog Vies to Compete

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 — If media muscle is any measure of a candidate, Representative Ron Paul of Texas is getting ready to flex his.

Continue Reading...

The Hill

Rep. Ron Paul plans ad blitz, personal appearances in N.H.

By Alexander Bolton
October 26, 2007
Rep. Ron Paul (R), the quirky Texas congressman who has amassed more presidential campaign cash than Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz), plans a full-scale assault in New Hampshire, where he hopes Democratic support will give him the extra boost to grab a top-three finish in the upcoming primary.

Continue Reading...

CBS News

Ron Paul: GOP Needs To Change
Political Players: Republican Candidate Discusses Iraq, Electability, and Third Parties

(CBS) Political Players is a weekly conversation with the leaders, consultants, and activists who are shaping American politics. This week, CBS News' Brian Goldsmith talked with Texas Rep. Ron Paul about his candidacy for president, his competitors for the Republican nomination, and the agenda driving his long-shot campaign.

Continued Reading...

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Texas congressman launches advertising effort in early states

By BENNETT ROTH
Houston Chronicle

WASHINGTON -- Hoping to defy more expectations, Texas Rep. Ron Paul of Surfside is ratcheting up his maverick Republican presidential campaign by launching TV and radio commercials in early primary states and setting an ambitious $12 million fundraising goal.

For a candidate often relegated by pundits to second- or third-tier status, Paul's ability to make a big entry into advertising wars is unusual.

With just over two months until the first primaries, experts question whether the libertarian-leaning congressman can expand his intense following to make a credible showing in these early contests.

Officials with Paul's campaign acknowledge that they have an uphill battle but say they plan to broaden his support with an ad campaign that includes $1.1 million in television spots that begin airing Monday in New Hampshire.

FOX News Orlando Debate Pics

2007-10-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

Pre-debate Interview with CBN

Post Debate Interview with Alan Colmes and Sean Hannity's head

Post Debate Rally in Orlando for a few hundred of Dr. Paul's closest friends

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, but the campaign is heating up and time is short. We were in Orlando this last weekend for the FOX News debate. We also had a successful fund-raiser and rally.

Ron Paul receives the most military donations among Republicans AGAIN in Q3

2007-10-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

It appears our military backs Ron Paul in the most important issue facing the United States: Terrorism and our foreign policy. For the second time in a row, Ron Paul receives more donations among Republicans. Data for Democrats is not yet available, but Ron Paul crushed Democrats in this statistic last quarter as well.

Candidate [Air Force] [Army Navy] [Marines] [Coast Guard] [Other*] [Total]

Brownback [151.00] [0] [0] [0] [0] [250] [401]
Cox [0] [0] [0] [0] [0] [0] [0]
Guiliani [1,250] [750] [1,500] [1,000] [0] [0] [4,500]
Huckabee [2,050] [1,200] [2,850] [0] [250] [260] [6,610]
Hunter [0] [500] [0] [0] [0] [30] [530]
McCain [4,120] [7,972] [6,645] [1,721] [100] [800] [21,358]
Paul [7,450] [17,998.96] [7,227.76] [2,740] [800] [4200] [40,416.72]
Romney [500] [3,410] [750] [800] [0] [250] [5,710]
Thompson [4,800] [5,825] [6,350] [800] [23] [2,600] [20,398]

Ron Paul: $40K
McCain: $21K
Thompson: $20K

This data is sourced from FEC Quarterly Reports for Q3 and was compiled here by jfletch and RP4.US

*This list uses donators who listed their employer as some variation of Air Force, Army, National Guard, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Retired Vet, Veteran, Civilian Military employee, or Military (no branch indicated). This is preliminary data and may contain insignificant errors.

Ron Paul led in military contributions last quarter as well.

The REAL Q3 Numbers for Republican Candidates

2007-10-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Net Primary cash on hand, close of Q3 (Primary cash on hand minus outstanding debts)

Rudy Guiliani 11.4 million
Fred Thompson 6.4 million
Ron Paul 5.4 million
Mike Huckabee 602k
Sam Brownback 94k
Duncan Hunter 80k
John McCain -53k
Tom Tancredo -187k
Mitt Romney -8.1 million

Perspective on Immigration

2007-10-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Ron Paul at the Robert Taft Club

2007-10-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

Mr. Conservative 2.0

David Weigel | October 12, 2007, 2:32pm

Last night Rep. Ron Paul made a wistful kind of trip to the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia for a speech to the Robert Taft Club, a paleoconservative salon launched in 2006. Planning began long before news broke of Paul's $5.1 million summer fundraising haul. That news turned a small event into a monster lecture, around 300 people lining up and around stairs to get into a small, oak-panelled room at a chop house. Journalists from ABC News and C-Span set up cameras as print journalists milled around.

Paul arrived a bit after 8 p.m., agog at the crowd. "I asked how many people belonged to this club," he said, "and they said 'oh, about 35 people.' I'm used to speaking for... little groups of 35 people," he said.

I saw Paul speak to a smaller, younger crowd of conservatives at CPAC six months back and his speaking style's changed since then, if only slightly. He still wanted to barrel through a 30-minute address but was ready to pause and soak it in when people cheered at statements like "We need to go back to Revolutionary times and pick up the pieces!" Paul had a campaign to brag about, and re-enacted the moment from a Michigan rally (of 2000 people on the State campus) when he started talking abut fiat money and "some people started burning Federal Reserve notes!" He reared back his head and laughed. "Sometimes people will hand me a Fed note to sign and I ask them: 'Is this going to increase the value or is it going to drive it down?'"

The foreign policy bits of the speech were a little bit altered from Paul's usual spiel. There was the usual calling out of Republicans and Democrats who voted for the Iraq War (and to give the president authority to declare it), but when he worried that point he added a piss-and-vinegar disclaimer: "You declare war if you have to, and then you get in there and win it and then get out" It got applause, but Paul seemed a little startled at what he'd just said. And he spitballed what he would do if Congress obliterated the military budget and started scrapping overseas bases. He'd take $200 billion from the military budget, apply $100 billion to deficit payment, and apply $100 billion to paying for entitlements and infrastructure. That was unusual: Most of the time, when a practicality came up, it was the star of a joke.

"We're not going to get rid of the Federal Reserve in a day," Paul said. "It'll take two or three days."

Listening to this and looking at the camera and sound men staring intently as they record it, I realized that the days of Paul giving low-key philosophical speeches are over for a while. TV reporters don't follow a candidate unless he's making an impact on the race. Crowds this size include voters who honestly think their guy is going to win the nomination. Questions began with "When you become president..." and "What would a Paul presidency..." and fans from South Carolina assured Paul he was surging in their state. One questioner asked Paul to make a general election argument against Hillary Clinton. (I've seen this happen before. In the summer, when John McCain's campaign had really melted down, most of the questions he took from fans and bloggers were about the war. Only after his polls moved up in September did he start getting campaign questions again.)

I'm always curious about what Paul voters expect from this race and what they'll do if he doesn't win. Very, very few of the attendees had a second choice candidate. For them, it's Paul or nothing. "We are not going to win against any Democrat if we nominate a pro-war candidate," said Brandon Holmes, a 27-year old Leadership Institute employee who used to support the war. "Ron Paul's going to be on my ballot in November, whether or not I have to write him in."

Paul didn't seem to want much focus on him, personally, as opposed to libertarian ideas and old-style Bob Taft conservatism. "I am not the greatest orator," he said near the end of a long speech, "but this is the greatest message."

Meet the Neo-Cons

2007-10-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

"The first strains of neo-conservatism were, of course, liberal. But liberal doesn’t quite get at it. Really, the first strains of neo-conservatism were militantly liberal. The New School (from whence Irving Kristol came) was where neo-conservatism was born, and its most important figure was Max Shachtman. These early neo-cons were nearly all of them Trotskyites, predominantly Jewish, New York liberal intelligentsia who placed a heavy emphasis on being anti-communist, anti-counterculture, pro-war socialists."

Read entire article...

Ron Paul is crashing the party (CNN)

2007-10-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

Ron Paul on PBS (Part 1)

2007-10-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Ron Paul on PBS (Part 2)

2007-10-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

A New Hope

2007-10-12T15:05:00.001-07:00

Ron Paul Defying the Odds

2007-10-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

From USA Daily
Larry Fester

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul continues to defy the odds and the media produced polls demonstrating support based on issues and ideas.

The cult of Ron Paul is truly a cult of individuals emanating from all walks of life. Still mostly Republican, Paul’s base of supporters includes many Independents and a growing number of Democrats.

Ron Paul has muscled his way just barely making it into the top tier of candidates by drawing large crowds at rallies across the country and raising 5 million in the third quarter. That number is five times what Mike Huckabee raised and leaves Paul with almost a couple million in cash above what John McCain has.

While the GOP frontrunner Rudy Giuliani has 16 million in cash, Ron Paul has 5.3 million on hand. Still far behind Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, Paul’s campaign must be encouraged by the success.

In fact, if the current trend of fund raising and spending were to continue by the candidates Paul could possible end up with as much cash in hand as the frontrunners by the time of the New Hampshire primary. Paul’s campaign is running a lean machine living off the land.

In some respects Ron Paul’s campaign is making history with his online fund raising efforts. The Ron Paul campaign true to free market form is letting it all hang out so to speak by showing online donations in real time on its website.

The move is bold and daring but it shows a growing confidence in a campaign that believes it can win the Republican nomination. While the GOP nomination is up for grabs one thing is clear, Ron Paul can win it.

Continue reading...

Nashville Rally

2007-10-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

Ron’s Revolution - Could Dr. Paul really surprise us all?

2007-10-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

From National Review Online

By Dave Kopel

This weekend, I attended and spoke at the Second Amendment Foundation’s annual Gun Rights Policy Conference, which was held at a convention center in northern Kentucky, a few miles away from Cincinnati. What I saw and heard there changed my mind about the viability of Ron Paul’s presidential candidacy; Paul is going to far outperform the expectations laid out for him.

Ron Paul's rising stock

2007-10-09T00:10:00.001-07:00

According to Intrade, Ron Paul is now trailing only Guiliani, Romney and Thompson for the GOP nod, having recently passed the fading McCain and Huckabee. We still have a long ways to go, but it is always more instructive to see where people are putting their money than it is to watch Sean Hannity.

2008 Republican Presidential Nominee
	2008.GOP.NOM.GIULIANI Rudy Giuliani to be the Republican Presidential Nominee in 2008	M	38.7	39.4	38.6	116911	0
	2008.GOP.NOM.ROMNEY Mitt Romney to be the Republican Presidential Nominee in 2008	M	23.6	24.9	25.7	97371	0
	2008.GOP.NOM.THOMPSON(F) Fred Thompson to be the Republican Presidential Nominee in 2008	M	22.0	22.1	21.9	85970	0
	2008.GOP.NOM.PAUL Ron Paul to be the Republican Presidential Nominee in 2008	M	5.9	6.7	6.9	64797	0
	2008.GOP.NOM.MCCAIN John McCain to be the Republican Presidential Nominee in 2008	M	5.2	5.3	5.2	145562	0
	2008.GOP.NOM.HUCKABEE Mike Huckabee to be the Republican Presidential Nominee in 2008	M	2.6	3.5	2.6	49862	0

Ron Paul Surging in the Polls Among Moderates

2007-10-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

From: USAElectionPolls.com

There is more great news for the Ron Paul campaign, not just the money he raised in the third quarter but also that this is starting to translate into real life support. Among moderates in New Hampshire, Ron Paul is in the double digits. The sample size of moderates in this poll is only 203 but is as high as some of the University polls that are reported widely in the media.

John McCain	26%
Mitt Romney	17%
Rudy Giuliani	16%
Ron Paul	10%
Fred Thompson	5%
Mike Huckabee	4%
Unsure	21%
Source

In Michigan, out of a sample size of 307, Ron Paul is sitting at 8% among moderates.

John McCain	20%
Rudy Giuliani	16%
Ron Paul	8%
Mitt Romney	6%
Fred Thompson	5%
Mike Huckabee	5%
Sam Brownback	2%
Duncan Hunter	1%
Unsure	38%
Source

This is very promising news for Ron Paul because the moderates tend to be the most Undecided of all the voters. New Hampshire (21%), Michigan (39%) so as those voters learn of Ron Paul, more gains are expected. The other item to note is that Independents in New Hampshire are allowed to vote for Ron Paul in the primaries if they wish. Thus, Ron Paul will be gaining in the polls shortly.

More and more people are waking up to Ron Paul

2007-10-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

When broadcast execs start telling other broadcast execs to pay attention to Ron Paul, you know that you are on to something.

From: Broadcastnewsroom.com

Must-Carry Foe Ron Paul Raises Profile

(Multichannel News) _ It might be time for cable operators to give Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul a closer look. They might like what they see from the Texas congressman.

Paul, a quirky libertarian physician described as an "isolationist" during an MSNBC report last week, raised $5 million in the third quarter, double the amount in the prior quarter, for his campaign war chest.

The money surge, which caught some political pundits by surprise, might give Paul a shot at being mentioned in the same breath as the frontrunners: former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

What's the cable connection? In September, he introduced a bill that would repeal the 1992 Cable Act's must-carry provisions, which enable every full-power TV station to demand cable carriage.

"These federal 'must carry' mandates deny cable companies the ability to provide the programming their customers' desire. Decisions about what programming to carry on a cable system should be made by consumers, not federal bureaucrats," Paul, a 72-year-old obstetrician who has delivered more than 4,000 babies, said in introducing the bill.

Some cable big shots might decide to snub Paul, though, because his bill would require cable operators to obtain permission to carry commercial TV stations.

Paul's bill (H.R. 3602), the Television Consumer Freedom Act, would reinstate some of satellite TV provider EchoStar Communications' court-lost legal authority to distribute Big Four network signals beyond their home markets. For the consumer electronics industry, Paul's bill would stop the Federal Communications Commission from requiring the installation of digital tuners in TV sets, which Paul says can add $250 to the price of a set.

51% of Republican Caucus Goers Support Iraq Withdrawal Within Six Months

2007-10-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Greg Sargent at TPM Election Central noticed this nugget in the latest Strategic Vision poll of likely caucus goers:

4. Do you favor a withdrawal of all United States military from Iraq within the next six months? (Republicans Only)
Yes 51%
No 39%
Undecided 10%

Frankly, the number does not surprise me. Candidates who have more hard-line positions on the war avoid wearing their positions on their sleeves when they are in town, and I think that while immigration hurt McCain here, his outspoken support of the surge caused him just as much trouble over the past six months. Iowa Republicans are social conservatives, not hawks.

Also worth noting — and this is something Greg Sargent misses in his write-up — is that the poll screen intended only to include caucus going Republicans, not Republicans as a whole, and the results may have been different had the screen been wider. Still, though, among the most influential group of Republicans in the state, support for withdrawal is high.

The Ron Paul Breakthrough - His antiwar message is the key to Paul's burgeoning success

2007-10-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

Ron Paul is breaking through. His call to return to the vision of the Founders, and the principles embodied in the Constitution, is piercing the wall of silence that surrounds the conduct of our disgraceful foreign policy. Andrea Mitchell proclaims him the new Howard Dean, network television takes note of his fundraising prowess and the resonance of his message, and then we have this very favorable piece on CNN, not to mention this, this, and this – all of which points to the appearance – or, rather, reappearance – of a resurgent political movement on the horizon: an anti-interventionist wing of the GOP.

Commentators, including those who most definitely look on Paul's success with a very jaundiced eye, are baffled. Why is this happening? How could a mere blip on the electoral screen, a man nobody thought was worth even a footnote in the story of this presidential campaign, suddenly catapult into prominence?

Continue reading...

Ron Paul Positive Coverage on ABC

2007-10-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

Nothing Succeeds like Success

2007-10-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

Below is a letter I sent today to South Carolina GOP county chairs

My fellow Republicans -

I am writing to address a subject of the highest concern to us all, the success and continuing viability of the Republican party in 2008. It is an uncomfortable fact for us all that, in stark contrast to historic trends, the Democrats are raising far more money and polling much higher than we are in this cycle.

The reason for their new found success is clear...opposition to the continuing occupation of Iraq and general disapproval of the Bush administration is nearly universal. As of this moment, over 70% of all Americans oppose the continuation of the Iraq nation-building exercise.

The Republican base is shrinking. Although disappointment with the Democrats inability to change course since the 2006 mid-terms has resulted in a high level of frustration with their party as well, none of the media-deemed Republican front runners are situated to take advantage of this frustration.

However, one candidate continues to prove that he can expand the base and attract independents, disaffected Democrats, and traditional conservatives who have pulled away from the party as it continue to drift towards greater statism and paternalism and away from traditional conservative values such as liberty, sovereignty, individualism, and capitalism.

That candidate is Dr. Ron Paul.

With the Nation rejecting the welfare/warfare model of the Bush years, only a Republican who has his roots in our greatest traditions can hope to undermine the ambitions of Hillary Clinton.

Analysis shows that a pro-war Republican candidate WILL lose in 2008.

If Clinton wins, we all lose.

Dr. Paul's campaign announced today that it raised an impressive 5.1 million dollars in the third quarter. That is a 114% increase over the second quarter. This while the special interest-funded candidacies of John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Rudy Guiliani saw double digit declines in their fund-raising percentages during the same time period. Even more impressive is the fact that Dr. Paul's average donation was less than $50. This shows a broad base of support that the other campaigns could only hope for.

If you have attended a gun show, fair, parade or GOP event in the last few months, than you know that the Paul campaign has inspired a network of grassroots activists that is unmatched within either party's candidates. As of this writing, he has almost 10 times as many MeetUp volunteers as his closest rival. Every metric we use to measure the success of this campaign continues to climb at remarkable rates while those same metrics for the other candidates in the GOP field continue to fall.

Please consider the implications of these facts.

Ron Paul Campaign Raises 5.1 Million In Third Quarter

2007-10-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 3, 2007

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA -- The Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign raised $5,080,000 during the third quarter of 2007. That is an impressive 114 percent increase from the second quarter.

Cash on hand for the Paul campaign is $5,300,000.

"Dr. Paul's message is freedom, peace and prosperity," said Paul campaign chairman Kent Snyder. "As these fundraising numbers show, more Americans each day are embracing Dr. Paul's message."

Ron Paul's 114 percent increase is in stark contrast to the decrease suffered by Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and John McCain. Romney's fundraising was down 29 percent. Giuliani was down 40 percent. McCain was down 55 percent.

-30-

Ahhh...I love the smell of good press in the morning

2007-09-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

Many awakenings: Ron Paul is as surprised as anyone at the near messianic zeal he inspires

By SARAH LIEBOWITZ
Monitor staff

Ron Paul doesn't understand his own success. He didn't know his calls for an end to the Federal Reserve and the Department of Education would draw cheers, that his anti-income tax, anti-foreign intervention and libertarian message would resonate. He was reluctant to run for the Republican presidential nomination, he said yesterday: He was convinced it would take another "generation for education" before his message - rooted in Paul's reading of the Constitution - gained traction.

"I have been just dumbfounded about what's happening," Paul said yesterday in Manchester's Veteran's Park, where roughly 500 supporters gathered for a glimpse of the presidential candidate. "I've been talking this way for 30 years. But something, something special is happening."

Paul's call: end the IRS

By GARRY RAYNO
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff

Manchester – Calls to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and repeal the Constitutional amendment that established the federal income tax drew loud applause yesterday for Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.

The Texas Congressman drew an eclectic mix of more than 500 supporters -- young and old, Libertarians and anti-war Democrats, independents and conservative Republicans -- who cheered his message of limited government, low taxes, free markets, bringing the troops home from Iraq, and returning to a monetary policy based on the gold standard.

Ron Paul supporters not quitting, online campaign donations increase

Ron Paul's quixotic campaign may be lurking in the shadows of American mainstream media, but his supporters are still rabidly holding on to the idea their candidate for the United States Presidency may pull an eleventh-hour surprise.

Paul stands for little government involvement and even smaller foreign intervention in matters overseas. He wants an immediate pullout from Iraq, and he also is anti-abortion in his personal stance, drawing conservatives, liberals and moderates alike.

Ron Paul raises a million dollars on-line in less than 6 days

2007-09-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks
a
Million!!!

2007-09-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

"The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt." Cicero, circa 63 B.C.

Ron Paul is a first tier candidate. Only fools continue to say otherwise

2007-09-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

From: Ron Paul Daily

You hear it time and time again…in articles, in blog posts, in comments. Stop wasting your vote, he has no chance. But reality is quite the opposite. Only an ignorant person would still try using those claims(but then again these same people think we are actually helping this country in Iraq).

Let’s look at statistics shall we?

First lets look at the polls. A) Straw Polls: Ron Paul has come in the top 3 in almost every single straw poll. He has also won most of them. In fact, if you add up all the people who voted in each straw poll since the campaigns began…Ron Paul is actually in the first place in the amount of people who voted for him.(and that includes the period before he became a sensation) B) Debates: Ron Paul has won every unbiased televised debate, except for one where he came in 2nd. Now I know some of you will say they spammed the polls…well WRONG…you couldn’t spam the polls, because you could only vote once per phone #(click here for proof). And lets not forget he has been doing better and better in each debate…in the last FOX debate Ron Paul came in FIRST, with twice as many votes as the 2nd guy. C) Gallop polls…Ron Paul is at 4% nationally according to Gallop. Some of you will think that’s not that good…but its quiet the contrary. 1. Gallop Polls don’t even mention Ron Paul by name when polling people. 2. Most people have not made up their mind yet(66%), and only about 12% are 100% behind their candidate. Everyone knows Mitt Romney/Rudy Giuliani/John McCain/Fred Thompson, Ron Paul will continue gaining traction as more and more voters find out about him. 3. Ron Paul support is not actually measured by the Gallop polls. They only measure past primary voters(those people who were registered Republicans and voted in 2000)…but only about 25% of Ron Paul supporters voted in the 2000 Republican primary…that means that Ron Paul’s numbers are not 4%, but actually close to 16%...and lets not forget, that this also ignores people who weren't 18 in 2000, which means if you are 25 and younger, you are not even counted. And we all know thats the group where Ron Paul gets most of his support from.

Then let’s look at other numbers: a grassroots network that dwarfs the competition(47,831 members + 5,487 interested, growing at 6% per week)…compared to less than a 200 for the 2nd place, and 0 for Rudy(his $$$ comes from big money lawyers and not real people). Each of these meetup members have spent a lot of time and money campaigning for Ron Paul. Other candidates may have millions of dollars, but they need to buy this kind of support(which they actively do...from paying for straw polls...to Mitt Romney's super volunteers who get paid $500 a month). Just look at competition: Rudy Giuliani is yet to win a straw poll as far as I know. (0 out of what 25? Who named this guy a front runner?) Mitt Romney only wins after spending millions on straw polls. He has not won one straw poll where he didn’t have to pay for people to vote. (Once again who named this guy a front runner?) John McCain? Once again, only wins when his campaign pays for votes. (And why is this guy still a front runner when he is broke?). Fred Thompson? Yes that guy does win once in a while…by supporters who have yet to hear him speak(neo-cons go in, disenfranchised voters come out). He only sounds decent when he is reading a script...why do you think he has skipped 3 debates so far?(yes I count the NH debate, because announcing your candidacy 30 minutes after a debate is equivalent to skipping it)

This brings me to the money primary. Ron Paul is currently having a competition to raise $500,000 in 1 week. Is that a goal for someone who is a 2nd tier? But WAIT! Ron Paul's support is even better than that. Ron Paul will raise the $500,000 in about 3 days, 14 hours…giving him plenty of time to raise $1,000,000 in 1 week. These are HARDLY 2nd tier numbers. Look at John Edwards on the democratic side…he is a front runner and is also aiming to raise 1 million dollars. But unlike Ron…he is raising 1 million in 10 days, while we are going to do it in 7. And if you are still wondering…by comparison, a 2nd tier candidate…Mike Huckabee(who gets labeled a front runner, even though he isn't), has set a goal of 2,500 donations for the month of September. He is currently at 1,700 after 2 weeks of fund raising. That’s PATHETIC…and shows exactly why Ron Paul is a front runner compared to him. And lets not forget that Ron Paul does not spend money like a drunken sailor…so he will have the cash to mount up a serious campaign when the time comes to it.

The Q3 numbers will show once and for all that only an ignorant person who has no clue what’s going on in this country…would call someone like Ron Paul a 2nd tier. The movement is in motion.

Next let’s look at other stats. 70% of the country is against the war in Iraq and 33% of Republicans are against the war in Iraq. To quote a Wall Street Journal article ““when half the room at the Republican debate erupts in applause for the anti-war candidate, something is going on.”.

The ONLY candidate in the GOP who has been steadily rising instead of free falling is Ron Paul. The ONLY candidate who surpasses all expectations is Ron Paul. The ONLY candidate who stands a chance of winning the general election is Ron Paul.

We do not need to win majority of Republicans over. Hell with 5 front runners(Giuliani, Thompson, Romney, McCain, Huckabee)…we probably don’t even need to win ¼ of republicans over. We need to win over just enough Republicans, and register just enough independents to win this thing. And contrary to popular belief…you do not need majority of the country to do this. A small group of people CAN make a difference…if they vote.

Judging by past primaries, only about 12 million Republicans voted in the 2000 primary. The primary where the Christian right came out and voted in mass. Those numbers will not be repeated again. The GOP has been decimated in the past 8 years under Bush. Some GOP organizations are even going bankrupt because of lack of interest. So in 2008 expect a total of 6 million Republicans to vote…if they are lucky(not a lot of interest for the GOP this year). That’s an average of 120,000 votes per state. Which means you can win the nomination by getting as little as 30,000 votes per state…which is EASILY achievable, considering how dedicated Ron Paul supporters are.

So go ahead and change your party affiliation to Republican…it takes as little as 5 minutes…and come primaries…you can actually make a difference in this country. 1 vote can make a difference. You can rescue this nation from the path to destruction it has been put on by the Bush administration.

This actually brings me to a good point…the front runners who some support based solely on the fact that they are front runners. Do NOT need your vote. 1-2 votes makes absolutely no difference for them(and yes this includes Obama). But these same 1-2 votes are worth a lot more when you make them for the best candidate running. These same 1-2 votes can help fix this country.

Democrat or Republican it doesn’t really matter in 2008 election, all of them are in cahoots….you may think your Democrats want out of the war…but neither Obama or Clinton were willing to make a statement in yesterday's debate that they’ll pull the troops out by 2013!!!! Do you understand how sick that is? 6 years from now we’ll still be in Iraq. And that’s coming from candidates who claim to be against the war. After last night's debate, Ron Paul is the only chance this country has of ending the war in Iraq.

This country was fooled in 2000 by a man who ran on non-intervention and no nation building, who lied to our face about what he planned to do. Don’t let it happen again. Do the proper legwork. Only vote for the candidate who has the RECORD of keeping his campaign promises. Only vote for the candidate who is not lying to your face to get your votes. Only vote for the candidate who does not pander to different groups in order to get elected. And that man is RON PAUL. He is the only one, who you can trust…and that’s a very sad state of how things are in this country.

www.ronpaul2008.com <--help donate...be part of exceeding expectations
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/R-DSVE.phtml - Look up to see if your state is a closed primary. If it is, you need to be registered as a Republican in order to vote in the primaries.
http://www.gop.com/RegisterToVote/ Make your vote count

Boston Globe Front Page Article on Ron Paul

2007-09-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Paul's their all

Impassioned young voters energizing Texas congressman's presidential bid

By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff | September 27, 2007

CHICAGO - Late on a balmy Friday night in Wicker Park, a gentrifying neighborhood just northwest of the Loop, a small tribe of 20-somethings gathers outside a corner bar. Their leader, a petite, energetic 25-year-old named Meghann Walker, hands out leaflets to people heading inside.

"Do you guys know Ron Paul is going to be in town tomorrow?" Walker asks a short-haired young woman in jeans and flip-flops. "There'll be a lot of good people there, that's for sure."

"Cool," the woman replies.

Walker, a waitress and anthropology student who lives in Chicago, cried on Election Night 2004, crushed that Democrat John Kerry had failed to unseat President Bush. Last year, deeply disillusioned with the Iraq war and with politicians of both par ties who had failed to stop it, she began a political odyssey that transformed her into a libertarian Republican.

Training the trainers in South Carolina

2007-09-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

In a scene that is repeating itself around the country, over 30 top activists from around South Carolina turned up in Columbia on Saturday to learn all of the in's and out's of grassroots campaigning. They will now take all of this useful stuff back to their towns and groups and implement strategies to identify and activate voters, increase Dr. Paul's name and issue identification, and win South Carolina for the forces of hope and freedom.

Ron Paul schools Ben Bernanke on the moral hazards of bad economic policies

2007-09-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ron's Kind of Town, Chicago!

2007-09-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

On the heals of a wildly successful West Coast Swing and top 3 showings in Florida, South Carolina, and Michigan straw polls, the Ron Paul Express rolled into the Windy City on Saturday to the cheers of 1500-2000 supporters who packed the room for Congressman Paul's biggest rally to date! Here is the video of this incredible event.

Ron Paul beats Guiliani, Thompson in Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference Straw Poll

2007-09-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Romney 39% (383 votes)
McCain 27% (260)
Paul 11% (106)
Giulaini 11% (104)
Thompson 7% (70)
Huckabee 3% (25)
Hunter 1% (12)
Brownback >1% (3)
Tancredo 0% (0)
Uncommitted 2% (16)

Huckabee, Brownback, and Tancredo did not give speeches. Romney bussed in supporters, other candidates did not.

A supporter reports from the ground:

We just got in from spending the weekend at the Michigan GOP Leadership Conference on scenic and historic Mackinac Island. Many exciting things happened during the last few days, including an opportunity to meet my adult-hood hero, Congressman Ron Paul. I don't have time to do a full post right now but I give you some highlights.

Ron Paul had an awesome turnout from his Michigan supporters in Mackinac City on Friday. We arrived early in the afternoon, and by the time he arrived at 5:30ish in the evening, there were probably a couple hundred supporters waiting for him at the ferry dock.

When we arrived at the island, we escorted Dr. Paul through the streets of Mackinac Island to the Grand Hotel. Dr. Paul kept an amazing pace as we walked up the 'big hill' to the hotel.

Supporters met at Mary's Bistro for a great dinner. Dr. Paul made an appearance afterwards and gave a speech, signed autographs, and took pictures with us. What a statesman and gentleman.

I was on the island with my wife and six kids. We had to catch the 9pm boat back to the mainland and gathered on the dock with many (100's) of Ron Paul supporters. All of a sudden from the back of the line I hear, "Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Ron Paul"...an eruption of cheers. I turn to my left and see none other than Rudy "Terror Terror Terror" Giuliani, with about 6 or 7 people trailing. Rudy joined us (a couple of hundred Ron Paul supporters) to make the 15 minute trip back to Mackinaw City. I can only say that this was probably the longest 15 minutes in Rudy's life. More on that later...

We headed back to the island this morning and arrived just about the time Ron Paul was leaving the luncheon at the hotel to head to the Chicago Rally. We stayed on the island the rest of the day 'Ron Paulin'.

My wife picked up a 'bug' while we were on the island. For the past five months I've been talking to her about Ron Paul, and she's been a supportive partner. But I've never seen her seek out anything about Ron Paul herself. Tonight, as soon as we got home, I found her at the computer, on RonPaul2008.com, learning more about Ron Paul - she's caught the 'Ron Paul Freedom Bug'.

Meet the REAL Mike Huckabee (Economic Record)

2007-09-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

"Governor Huckabee says he is a fiscal conservative," Club for Growth President Pat Toomey said, "but his ten-year economic-policy record as the governor of Arkansas is mixed, at best. His history includes numerous tax hikes, ballooning government spending, and increased regulation. To be sure, Governor Huckabee's record displays an occasional deference to a pro-growth philosophy, but that is only a small slice of a much bigger picture. The Club for Growth feels citizens deserve a full picture of where Governor Huckabee stands on the critical economic issues of the day." - Club for Growth

Immediately upon taking office, Governor Huckabee signed a sales tax hike in 1996 to fund the Games and Fishing Commission and the Department of Parks and Tourism (Cato Policy Analysis No. 315, 09/03/98).

He supported an internet sales tax in 2001 (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07).
He publicly opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002 (Arkansas News Bureau 08/30/02).
He signed bills raising taxes on gasoline (1999), cigarettes (2003) (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07), and a $5.25 per day bed-tax on private nursing home patients in 2001 (Arkansas New Bureau 03/01/01).
He proposed another sales take hike in 2002 to fund education improvements (Arkansas News Bureau 12/05/02).
He opposed a congressional measure to ban internet taxes in 2003 (Arkansas News Bureau 11/21/03).
In 2004, he allowed a 17% sales tax increase to become law (The Gurdon Times 03/02/04).

Under Governor Huckabee's watch, state spending increased a whopping 65.3% from 1996 to 2004, three times the rate of inflation (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07). The number of state government workers rose 20% during his tenure (Arkansas Leader 04/15/06), and the state's general obligation debt shot up by almost $1 billion, according to Americans for Tax Reform. The massive increase in government spending is due in part to the number of new programs and expansion of already existing programs initiated by Governor Huckabee, including ARKids First, a multimillion-dollar government program to provide health coverage for thousands of Arkansas' children (Arkansas News Bureau 04/13/06).

Raised the minimum wage in April 2006 from $5.15 to $6.25 an hour and encouraged Congress to take the same initiative on a national level (US Newswire 08/03/06), a proposal that President Bush and most congressional GOP members oppose.
Sought to take revenue from his tax hike proposal to be used on economic development projects in 2002 (AP, 11/22/02).
Threatened to investigate price-gouging after 9/11 if gasoline prices went up too high (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 09/12/01).
Ordered regulatory agencies in Arkansas to investigate price-gouging in the nursing home industry (AP, 06/15/01).
Signed a bill into law that would prevent companies from raising their prices a mere 10% ahead of a natural disaster. Services like roof repair and tree removal were targeted (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 03/07/97).

Governor Huckabee is on record opposing the most important element of genuine school choice-voucher programs that allow poor students in failing public schools to attend private schools and inject much needed competition into a decrepit public education system-because of a concern about government control of parochial schools (Arkansas Times 09/22/05). He also called No Child Left Behind "the greatest education reform effort by the federal government in my lifetime," (Washington Times 03/01/05) a program that stripped schools of local control and increased federal spending on education by 48% over three years (Heritage.org 11/09/06).

Republicans descend on Mackinac Island

2007-09-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

MACKINAC ISLAND - Michigan Republicans convened Friday on Mackinac Island amidst a sea of Ron Paul supporters. Paul, a Texas congressman and one of seven GOP presidential hopefuls attending the biennial state Republican leadership conference, unexpectedly recruited supporters who lined the docks at the Lake Huron island's harbor and swarmed the Grand Hotel.

The large following in Mackinac is especially sweet for Paul because state GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis tried to get him removed from televised debates because of views that run counter to most Republicans. "This will be a test for us," Paul said earlier Friday in an interview with the Detroit Free Press editorial board.

In contrast, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had fewer visible supporters at the conference...

Continue reading...

The absurdity of calling Ron Paul a "second-tier" candidate

2007-09-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

Here is the list of straw poll results for this cycle. How can anyone justify denying that Dr. Paul is a top-tier candidate with win records like this against all of the other Republicans? By this metric, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney and Dr. Paul ARE the top tier! Yet the mainstream media continues to ignore Dr. Paul. It continued with the PFC Straw Poll yesterday. There were 42 news stories about the poll beforehand and only 8 reports of the results, and those were mostly reprints of an AP story about a comment made by McCain! Any objective observer must conclude that Dr. Paul is not getting a fair shake.

Ron Paul's Head-to-Head Records (Win-Lose-Tie):
Rudy Giuliani	21-3-0
Mitt Romney	14-10-0
Fred Thompson	11-12-0
John McCain	21-2-0
Mike Huckabee	19-3-1
Sam Brownback	20-2-1
Tom Tancredo	21-1-0
Duncan Hunter	20-2-0

Ron Paul shocks South Carolina GOP - Strong showing in Focus on the Family-linked Straw Poll

2007-09-21T09:23:00.001-07:00

The Palmetto Family Council Straw Poll was last night in Columbia South Carolina. The PFC is a local affiliate of James Dobson's Focus on the Family and this event is historically considered a major test of organizational strength among S.C. evangelicals.

Even though the ballot contained the names of 20 candidates, Republican and Democrat, the night was dominated by only two...former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Dr. Ron Paul. Huckabee, along with Duncan Hunter and a couple of barely-ran's that I couldn't pick out of a line-up, appeared in person to make their pitch to the gathered faithful. Dr. Paul phoned in from Michigan and spoke for about 10 minutes highlighting his strong record on social and cultural issues such as abortion and immigration.

We had a great table and gave out a couple of hundred DVD's as well as issue papers, bumper stickers, slimjims, and tri-folds. Our numbers were so overwhelming that Duncan Hunter commented during his speech that he was glad he could come to the event and have his picture taken with all of these Ron Paul supporters.

In the end, we couldn't quite muster the votes to overcome Huckabee's popularity among evangelicals, but just as in Florida we came in a respectable second only 27 votes behind Huckabee! Here is the final vote total. Names not listed are those that received less than 2 votes.

Huckabee (206) 39%
Paul (179) 33%
Thompson (33) 6%
Brownback (29) 5%
Hunter (25) 5%
Romney (14) 3%
Gilbert (12) 2%
McCain (10) 2%
Cort (7) 1%
Guiliani (5) 1%

Did "Blowback" Cause 9/11?

2007-09-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

Americans deserve better answers to old questions

By Jack Hunter
Charleston City Paper

When Texas Congressman Ron Paul suggested in a Republican presidential debate that 9/11 was caused in part by "blowback," a CIA term used to describe the negative consequences of mostly secretive foreign actions taken by the United States, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani replied with the following: "That's really an extraordinary statement. I don't think I've heard that before, and I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11th."

And Giuliani isn't alone. There are millions of Americans, probably even a majority, who believe that 9/11 literally came out of the blue. That on September 10, 2001, we were minding our own business, then on the next day the United States was attacked for no reason. But the truth is, in the eyes of the rest of the world, we haven't been minding our own business for a very long time.

Ron Paul: Utah turnout wows candidate

2007-09-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Before a crowd of 1,000, Republican hopeful speaks about foreign policy, war

By Sheena McFarland
The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 09/16/2007 02:38:49 AM MDT

Click photo to enlarge

More than 1,000 people gathered Saturday at the Union Pacific Depot in Salt Lake City to rally behind U.S. Rep. Ron Paul in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Paul, an obstetrician from Texas, was impressed with the turnout.
"Wow. If they only knew you existed over in Washington, they'd change things over there," he said as he greeted the cheering crowd.

Continue reading...

Bienvenidos a Florida

2007-09-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

A room with a view

I have arrived in Florida ahead of the Values Voter debate scheduled for tomorrow night at the Broward Center for Performing Arts. The show will be broadcast live on Sky Angel and other Christian cable systems as well as Christian radio and web sites. It will be re-broadcast on CSPAN.

Needless to say, the so-called front runners don't want to actually answer questions from Christians about their records, so Rudy McRomneyson (that's the terrible 3 plus Fred Thompson) will not be joining us, I guess they figure you don't need to answer questions from actual Republican voters when the Council on Foreign Relations and the Military Industrial Complex has already deemed that one of you will win.

Wired on Ron Paul supporters

2007-09-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO –- Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul was given a warm reception in this liberal stronghold on Thursday as Silicon Valley professionals turned out to support the long shot campaign.

At a fundraiser at San Francisco's swanky Palace Hotel, a 40-odd group of Ron Paul supporters paid $500 a head to have breakfast with "Dr. Paul," as they call him. Outside, a large group of supporters chanted their support. Cars honked, and passers-by joined in the chanting.

"Ron Paul!" they shouted. "Freedom!"

Keep reading...

Ron Paul for President 2.0?

2007-09-13T16:54:00.001-07:00

Kissing babies, stumping on the campaign tour and meeting with the local supporters all seems so... well 1.0. Texas Congressman and libertarian Dr. Ron Paul represents the new 2.0 candidate, with his success recruiting supporters through new social media channels. But Congressman Paul's online supporters may run far afield from the typical campaign supporter. With over 114,000 views, the MSNBC interview with Michelle Shinghal, representing Strippers for Ron Paul, showcased one of the many new and curious groups campaigning online for the Republican hopeful. With some candidates in the 2008 Presidential election embracing every facet of Web 2.0 to get their message out, from YouTube videos to MySpace profiles, your next president may be no further than a friend-add on Facebook.

Read entire article

Ron Paul on the L.A. News

2007-09-13T16:39:00.001-07:00

Success in L.A.

2007-09-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles enthusiastically received Ron Paul yesterday!

The fundraising reception in the morning was a great success. It was held at the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena and tickets were $500 per person. Sold out!

After the breakfast, Dr. Paul went to a nearby university. He met with a group of students and press. He then spoke at a rally outside on campus. A police officer estimated the crowd to be between 700-900 people. They cheered Dr. Paul time and time again. Students and professors in the surrounding buildings had windows opened and listened too.

After the rally, Dr. Paul attended a fundraising reception on campus. Tickets were $500 per person for the event. Sold out!

Yesterday evening, Dr. Paul attended a fundraising dinner at the home of Bill Johnson. Tickets were $2,000 per person. Sold out!

Dr. Paul and staff then traveled to San Francisco arriving about 1:00 am this morning. It will be another busy day.

Kent Snyder
Chairman, Ron Paul 2008

News from the road

2007-09-13T16:05:00.001-07:00

Ron at USC

Sorry that it's been a while since I have had a chance to post, but things have been pretty hectic lately. I have traveled to every corner of South Carolina in the past few days. I spent last night in Myrtle Beach meeting with supporters, the night before was Greenville, and Columbia the night before that. The previous day I was in Charleston where I will be returning to speak tomorrow. All of this ahead of Daytona Beach on Saturday and Fort Lauderdale on Sunday and Monday. Beyond that, I have no idea.

The personal highlight of the Myrtle Beach swing was having a drink with Robbie Knievel, who just happened to be at a road house that I stopped at for a burger. Nice guy.

I am so far out of the loop with HQ right now that I'm not even sure what most of the staff is up to. Ron has been having a great swing out west. Right now he's in California. He's in Seattle tomorrow and Utah on Saturday. The trip has generated great press and really energized the activists out on the left coast.

We have the Values Voter debate on Monday and a PBS debate on the 27th. There is also the Palmetto Family Straw Poll and Dinner on the 20th which I have been working on along with our awesome South Carolina coordinator Brian Gentry and an incredible and dedicated group of activists.

Back at HQ, they are putting the final touches on the new web site design, so keep an eye on ronpaul2008.com for the new look and features coming soon.

The new Ron Paul Store has also been rolled out. New items will be added weekly.

The world's most successful libertarian politician says, "Follow the Ron Paul Strategy"

2007-09-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

I just dug up this little nugget from a 2003 Reason interview with Libertarian Movement founder and Costa Rica's most popular legislator, Otto Guevara. He suggests that working within the Republican structure is the best way to promote libertarian policies, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Does what ML does in Costa Rica have implications for libertarians in the United States?

"Well, given the electoral system you have here, a different strategy might be needed. I don't see the major parties changing the winner-take-all, first-past-the-post voting system. So perhaps, as an America, I would explore something like Ron Paul's strategy instead. The key for us was exposure, and if you don't necessarily have your own candidates, then it's important to incorporate certain people with a national profile, who can give your positions credibility."

Read the complete article here.

News from the road

2007-09-09T06:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been in South Carolina for a few days now and I am really fired up over all of the great people working on the campaign here. I have met with a number of key activists in Columbia, Charleston, and Aiken. They are super folks with a lot of talent and energy. I will be speaking to MeetUp groups in Columbia, Greenvile, and Myrtle Beach next week. I am hoping to make it back down to Charleston next weekend before heading to Florida for the Values Voter debate on the 17th. If any of you are in the area and would like a chance to talk or attend one of these meetings, let me know. - F2S

Ron Paul Polling 3rd among GOP activists and rising!

2007-09-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

Rep. Ron Paul showed the biggest gain from Grassfire’s May poll, rising from seventh position (6 percent) to a solid third position (13 percent) – a more than a 50 percent increase in support among grassroots conservatives. Mike Huckabee’s support also rose, from 3 to 7 percent. “Paul’s rise shows that conservatives are not all that thrilled with the anointed frontrunners,” says Elliott. “Paul’s message is resonating with many conservatives, and it would be wise for the other candidates to take note.”

Survey methodology
Grassfire.org conducted the survey August 27-September 2. All active Grassfire.org team members were invited to participate. 39,440 participated. The survey has a margin of error of less than 1% at a 99% confidence level for the Grassfire.org audience of approximately 1 million grassroots conservatives.

The Freeman's Burden:

Viva la R3LOVution

The Anti-American Century in Latin America

The End of Dollar Hegemony

More pics from the R4tR After-Party

Rally for the Republic After-Party

Costa Rica Fears Iran's Interest in Region

Ron Paul on Kudlow explains why the Fed should be taken out back and shot

Dirka, Dirka, Mohammed, Jihad

Don't let the Commodity Sell-Off Fool You

I wish I had better news

It's Time for America to Take its Medicine

MTV Calls a Spade a Spade

We're winning in Iraq, huh John?

This Campaign is Winding Down, but the R3VOLUTION Lives on!

The Legacy of Ron Paul

Remembering the Dungeon Master

Bush + More War, Less Jobs = McCain

Ron Paul wins big in Texas-14 House Race

Huckabee Ends Presidential Campaign, Blames God

Sanford 2012?

Friend of Freedom Tom McClintock Ready for Primetime

Ron Paul in Forbes

Economic Collapse Rapidly Approaching, Fascism to Follow?

The State of the Campaign

Ron Paul on Sean Hannity...Great Interview!

Ron Paul in the news

Iowa Caucuses...and so it begins

Travels with Tuck

Who would the world vote for?

How many of us share this sentiment?

Hope for America

The crowds just keep getting bigger (Philly 11/10)

Great Way to Follow the Ron Paul Money

Support the Troops - Support Ron Paul

Slew of New Polls show Ron Paul Strengthening

Ron Paul on Meet the Press

Ron Paul Money Bomb Tea Party Video

Campaign Update

The Second Boston Tea Party - December 16, 2007

A New Hope

HISTORY!!!

The ones who change the world

A President to be proud of

Ron Paul Girl and the Money Bomb (November 5)

Some Words of Wisdom from the Great Communicator...Sound like someone we know?

Great Ron Paul NYC Video

I love my job

Join the Ron Paul Money Bomb - Click on the image to learn how

The levee is beginning to break on the the best kept secret in politics

Ron Paul on the FOX News Joseph Goebbels

Hillary Clinton's Worst Nightmare

Ron Paul in his own words

Ron Paul Rising, more gains expected

Increasing Media Coverage, Increasing Polls for Ron Paul

By BENNETT ROTHHouston Chronicle

FOX News Orlando Debate Pics

Ron Paul receives the most military donations among Republicans AGAIN in Q3

The REAL Q3 Numbers for Republican Candidates

Perspective on Immigration

Ron Paul at the Robert Taft Club

Meet the Neo-Cons

Ron Paul is crashing the party (CNN)

Ron Paul on PBS (Part 1)

Ron Paul on PBS (Part 2)

A New Hope

Ron Paul Defying the Odds

Nashville Rally

Ron’s Revolution - Could Dr. Paul really surprise us all?

Ron Paul's rising stock

Ron Paul Surging in the Polls Among Moderates

More and more people are waking up to Ron Paul

51% of Republican Caucus Goers Support Iraq Withdrawal Within Six Months

The Ron Paul Breakthrough - His antiwar message is the key to Paul's burgeoning success

Ron Paul Positive Coverage on ABC

Nothing Succeeds like Success

Ron Paul Campaign Raises 5.1 Million In Third Quarter

Ahhh...I love the smell of good press in the morning

Paul's call: end the IRS

Ron Paul supporters not quitting, online campaign donations increase

By BENNETT ROTH
Houston Chronicle