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CHICAGO (Reuters) - Ron Paul was declared the winner on Saturday of a weeklong Republican presidential straw poll in Democratic President Barack Obama's home state of Illinois. Texas Congressman Paul won 52 percent of the combined 3,649 online and in-person votes cast between October 29 and Saturday evening. He won 66.5 percent of the votes cast over the Internet and 8 percent of those cast in person. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney earned 7 percent of the online votes cast and 35 percent of the in-person votes, winning the most in-person votes cast at 22 locations, the party said. Businessman...

“Rep. Paul's refusal to support our nation’s military and national security interests border on treason" In a statement evocative of William F. Buckley, Jr. when he excoriated Robert Welch and the John Birch Society as being “far removed from reality and common sense”, the Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative/libertarian youth group founded in 1960, has given Ron Paul (Crank – TX) the boot from its board of directors. “Rep. Paul has strayed to the left of Obama and allied himself with the radical anti-war left by laying the blame on America for the unprovoked attacks of Sept. 11th. Additionally,...

Texas congressman and current Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul defended the rights of gay military servicemen and servicewomen to serve, saying “everybody has the same rights as everybody else.”... ...“And there’s a lot more heterosexuals in the military, so logically they’re causing more trouble than gays.”... ...Mr. Paul, who has emphasized his campaign’s support from the military, was one of five House Republicans to vote for the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy earlier this year. The Texas Republican has repeatedly expressed support for repealing the controversial policy, which took effect last month

... he’ll propose immediately freezing spending by numerous government agencies at 2006 levels, ..., and drastically reducing spending elsewhere. The EPA would see a 30 percent cut, the Food and Drug Administration would see one of 40 percent and foreign aid would be zeroed out immediately. He’d also take an ax to Pentagon funding for wars.... plan “honors our promise to our seniors and veterans, while allowing young workers to opt out... The federal workforce would be reduced by 10 percent, and the president’s pay would be cut to $39,336 ... changes to federal tax policy, reducing the top corporate...

Has Ron Paul been wearing fake eyebrows? That's what the New York Times wonders, pointing to an incident at Tuesday night's Republican presidential debate in which the candidate's right eyebrow appeared to droop a bit under the hot lights:

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas turned out his well-organized crop of supporters Saturday and won a presidential preference straw poll with 37% of the vote. Coming in second place in the poll of social conservatives at the annual Values Voter Summit was retired pizza chain executive Herman Cain, who pulled in 23% of the vote.

Ron Paul won the Values Voters straw poll on Saturday with 37 percent of the vote. Rick Perry finished in a tie for fourth with Michele Bachmann. Herman Cain, who received a raptuous response from the crowd to his speeh Friday finished second in the balloting of delegates attending the two-day showcase of Christian conservatives. Rick Santorum finished third with 16 percent. Perry and Bachmann each got 8 percent of the vote.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R) offered support for some of the Occupy Wall Street protests that have built up in lower Manhattan over the weekend in an interview Friday with Reason magazine, where he also denounced the “militarization of our police forces.” “If they were demonstrating peacefully, and making a point, and arguing our case, and drawing attention to the Fed — I would say, good!” Paul said following a town-hall meeting in New Hampshire.Paul has long been an outspoken critic of the Federal Reserve, which he says manipulates American currency and is excessively secretive. Paul was asked by Reason...

Ron Paul Can Win By Robin Koerner, on September 17th, 2011 It’s hard to tell if the idea that Ron Paul cannot win in 2012 is more ignorant, in its complete lack of historical sophistication, or more arrogant, in its claim to certainty amid all the complexity of 300 million lives and the myriad issues that affect them.Sometimes, perhaps once in a few generations, a nation can undergo what a mathematician or physicist would call a “phase change.” The classic example of such a thing is a pile of sand. Every grain you add makes the pile slightly steeper and...

This weekend, the California Republican Party had its 2011 Fall Convention at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. One presidential candidate, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, spoke at a dinner on Friday night, and Saturday morning's breakfast featured two more contenders: Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter and Texas Rep. Ron Paul. Paul's fans were out in force both outside the hotel -- awaiting his arrival -- and inside the ticketed Lincoln Clubs Breakfast. He spoke last and was late, allowing McCotter to add a question-and-answer period to his prepared remarks (more on that later, check back). McCotter is also on...

Some of Ron Paul's most avid (some say "rabid") supporters are not friends of America. The Marxist group "Code Pink" are frequent and vociferous supporters of the good congressman, as are "Iraq Veterans against the War," a Soros-funded group that is sometimes violently opposed to any American intervention overseas, no matter how justified it may be. Code Pink, headed up by Medea Benjamin, shows up at any anti-American gathering that happens to have media (no pun intended) coverage scheduled. That organization is frequently joined by IVAW in its pursuit of America-bashing. Now, Rep. Paul cannot be held totally responsible for...

Rep. Ron Paul has a problem with the idea of a U.S. border fence.“The people that want big fences and guns, sure, we could secure the border,” the congressman noted. “A barbed wire fence with machine guns, that would do the trick. I don’t believe that is what America is all about.” “Every time you think about this toughness on the border and ID cards and REAL IDs, think it’s a penalty against the American people too. I think this fence business is designed and may well be used against us and keep us in. In economic turmoil, the people...

Ron Paul’s Fans Rush to Protect Him From Rick Perry’s ‘Assault’ September 8,2011 This has been a brave new week for the Ron Paul presidential campaign, as the dear old Doctor Congressman appears to be growing some hair on his chest. He's actually picking a fight with another candidate, Rick Perry. They even got into a little scuffle during the debate last night! Was Rick Perry so angry that he beat the shit out of Ron Paul during a commercial break? The inappropriately protective Ron Paul fan community is concerned.Paul, who has been running a slightly misleading ad this week...

Drunk Ron Paul Supporter Thinks He Knows his Constitutional rights... Video at link Obviously Drunk driver makes a fool of himself and Ron Paul in the process... While he spits out Blather about the Constitution and then goes on to Yell "RON PAUL 2012"... ROOOON PAAAAAAUL !!!!! It's supporters like this that make Ron Paul Look so bad... As long as his supported do this crap he has no chance of winning...

Ron Paul attacked Rick Perry today in an ad juxtaposing photos of a young Paul and Ronald Reagan, with snap-shots of the GOP frontrunner, Perry, in his days as campaign manager for the noxious and obnoxious Al Gore. As pictures of beloved American President Reagan flash across our screen, we hear: “The establishment called him extreme and unelectable. They said he was the wrong man for the job. That’s why a young Texan named Ron Paul was one of only four Congressmen to endorse Ronald Reagan’s campaign for President, believing in Reagan’s message of smaller government and lower taxes. Now...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry's presidential campaign hit back at fellow Texan Rep. Ron Paul, for a campaign ad that touted Paul's early support for former President Ronald Reagan and knocked Perry for his Democratic past. In the counter-attack, Perry's campaign revealed letter Paul wrote in 1987 that cited Reagan as a reason why he left the Republican Party. Paul was one of only a handful of elected lawmakers to support Reagan's failed bid for president in 1976, but he became disenchanted after Reagan won the election in 1980. Paul left the party six years later to run for president for...

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is likening his home state opponent, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, to a "candidate of the week." Paul, a Texas congressman, is advising GOP primary voters to look closely at Perry's record over the last decade. Paul says a lot has changed in Texas under Perry's watch — and much of it isn't good.

Raleigh, N.C. – If there was any question that Rick Perry is the new Republican presidential frontrunner before now, PPP’s latest poll of South Carolina confirms it. A week ago, PPP showed Perry jumping to a narrow lead in first-caucus Iowa. Now, he has a double-digit lead in what will likely be the third-voting state. Perry tops with 36% to Mitt Romney’s 16%, Michele Bachmann’s 13%, Herman Cain’s 9%, Newt Gingrich’s 8%, Ron Paul’s 5%, Rick Santorum’s 4%, and Jon Huntsman’s 2%. This is a sea change from when PPP last polled the race in June, with Perry not included....