Free Republic

This year, we have an obligation to stand together behind a new declaration — a declaration of energy independence. We, as a nation, face an energy crisis, and I know that if we harness the same American ingenuity and commitment this country was founded on, we can solve this crisis. We have two responsibilities: Bring down gas prices in the short term and break our national addiction to oil in the long term. Moving toward clean, affordable alternative energy will strengthen our national security, revive our economy and preserve our environment, and the time is now. I announced a plan...

Vid from RidleyReport.com Is it "neoconservative" to spend ourselves into a military collapse? How will we bomb things if we can't buy the bombs? If you cherish our military adventures, take note: We're out of money and Dr. Paul's controlled drawdown may be the only way to prevent a collapse so complete it costs America her ability to project power. http://youtube.com/watch?v=nbFTicFF9eA

State Rep. Ron Sailor on Tuesday pleaded guilty to laundering what he believed to be $375,000 in drug money for an undercover officer posing as a drug dealer. Sailor, 33, a Democrat who represents parts of DeKalb and Rockdale counties, agreed to resign his position in the legislature. Shortly after his arrest three months ago, Sailor admitted his wrongdoing and began providing information for a public corruption investigation. "It is an active and ongoing investigation," U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said after the guilty plea. Sailor provided "useful information in opening windows into public corruption we were unaware of before his...

Ron Paul’s Missouri supporters aren’t giving up. Despite his distant fourth-place finish in the state’s presidential primary, with just 4.5 percent of the vote, more than a thousand Paul supporters crowded into Republican county caucuses last weekend, electing hundreds of delegates to upcoming congressional district and state conventions.

LAKE JACKSON — In what promised to be very different gatherings, Republican candidates Congressman Ron Paul and Friendswood Mayor Pro Tem Chris Peden met with District 14 constituents in Lake Jackson on Sunday to campaign for a seat in Congress. Peden is challenging Paul in the March 4 primary. Early voting begins Feb. 19. The candidates each had a rally at the Lake Jackson Civic Center on Sunday, and both said the overlapping times and shared venue simply were coincidence. The signs hundreds of Paul’s supporters held were both for his campaign for the Republican nomination for president, in which...

I worry about my country. I think the Constitution is hanging by a thin thread. I think by the time Congress and Bush and McCain get done, we will have totally open borders, no immigration laws being followed and tax burdens that will break us all. I believe that the National ID will put us under the thumb of the government to the point of us all becoming criminals in the eyes of the powers that be. I see guns available only for the criminals, but law abiding citizens will not be able to own them. I see colleges that...

— Some quotes from Thursday's Republican presidential debate in Boca Raton, Fla. ___ MIKE HUCKABEE _ On the Iraq war and President Bush: "I supported the president when he led us into this, as did the Democrats, and I think we owe him not a lot of scorn. We owe him our thanks that he had the courage to recognize there was a potential of weapons of mass destruction and rather than wait until we had another attack, he went and made sure that it wasn't going to happen from Saddam Hussein. Now, everybody can look back and say, 'Oh,...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A series of newsletters in the name of GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul contain several racist remarks -- including one that says order was restored to Los Angeles after the 1992 riots when blacks went "to pick up their welfare checks."

Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #15 – Myrtle Beach, SC 01/10/08 - Official Discussion Thread Watch the Republican presidential primary candidates debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., live on FOX News Channel and FOXNews.com at 9 p.m. ET.

Why Fred Thompson Shouldn't Be President

Ron Paul's campaign will be hosting its own forum on New Hampshire television, following Dr. Paul's exclusion from a Fox News Republican "forum" tonight. The one hour townhall will be broadcast on Manchester television station MCAM TV-23 from 5-6 PM ET. The event will also be simulcast online at www.RonPaul2008.com. "By unfairly excluding Congressman Paul, Fox News is turning its back on New Hampshire voters who are tired of business as usual in Washington that overtaxes, overspends and tramples our personal liberties," said Ron Paul spokesman ... Congressman Paul was excluded from the Fox News event despite routinely polling higher...

A controversial new anti-illegal-immigration ad by GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul has sent his libertarian supporters into high dudgeon, but it's getting rave reviews from border-security hawks, including some Homeland Security officials.st nations."Eastern

Billed as the fringe candidate, Texas representative and presidential candidate Ron Paul garnered just over 10% of the vote during the Iowa caucuses Thursday night, with results still filtering in. Although Paul's supporters are known to be die-hard fans and quite energetic, the small government representative was not given much of a chance from the beginning of the campaign season. Paul's polling numbers have steadily increased over the latter part of 2007, and even polls above mainstream candidate Fred Thompson in the state of New Hampshire.

The number of Americans who consider themselves to be Republicans jumped nearly two percentage points in December to 34.2%. That’s the largest market share for the Republican brand in nearly two years, since January 2006 (see history from January 2004 to present).

We've been watching the political jockeying for both Iowa and New Hampshire, and are convinced that GOP candidate Doctor Ron Paul, who has raised stunning amounts of money from average Americans, will either pull a miracle performance in votes, or fizzle out completely after both caucuses. The Iowa caucus poll from Lee Enterprises newspapers including the Globe Gazette shows the Democratic race is a virtual three-way tie, with John Edwards rising to tie Barack Obama for the lead and Hillary Clinton rising to just one point behind. What about popular Joe Biden and Bill Richardson? The poll showed Democrats Bill...

Contrary to earlier reports, the Fox News Channel is hosting a Republican presidential candidate forum in New Hampshire, and, so far, Rep. Ron Paul has not been invited. WND previously reported the event was canceled three weeks ago, but New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen confirmed today the forum is scheduled for Jan. 6.

MANCHESTER, N.H.--For several hours last Sunday, more than a dozen Ron Paul volunteers stood in snowdrifts in the rain outside the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester waving at last-minute Christmas shoppers and handing out hundreds of yards signs. The campaign doesn't know how many people participated because, as with so many Paul rallies, this one was organized entirely by fans not officially associated with the campaign. "We told them to take Christmas Eve and Christmas off, and next thing we know they're doing a sign wave at the mall," said Jim Forsythe, a self-employed engineer and former Air Force...

Fred Thompson on Federalism http://blip.tv/file/332821 Thompson on federalism in today’s atmosphere: "Before anything else, folks in Washington ought to be asking first and foremost, "Should government be doing this? And if so, then at what level of government?" But they don't. - Fred Thompson The Framers drew their design for our Constitution from a basic understanding of human nature. From the wisdom of the ages and from fresh experience, they understood the better angels of our nature, and the less admirable qualities of human beings entrusted with power.The Framers believed in free markets, rights of property and the rule of...

<p>It was a difficult decision this year. So many schmucks, but yet only one true Putz can hold the honor as 2007’s Biggest Schmuck. It came down to 2 finalists this year, Ron Paul and Mahmoud Ahamdinejad.</p> <p>I am proud to announce that this year’s choice for The Rogue Jew’s Schmuck of the Year 2007 Award goes to “The only man who can save America”, America’s Krazy Unkle Dr. Ron Paul, Gynocologist and Politician (A well rounded pussy) who won out in the end with his cult following of 9/11 Twoofers and Fringe Hate Groups that sealed the deal for him.</p>

Ron Paul's video, posted on You "Tube. Click on link to see.

Is Ron Paul the savior of libertarians? That’s what many are claiming about the Texas Republican who ran on the Libertarian ticket for President in 1988. Andrew Sullivan, who styles himself a classical liberal, has been trumpeting Paul ever since the GOP primary debate in South Carolina last month in which Paul went toe-to-toe with Rudy Giuliani over the cause of 9/11. “Ron Paul, for all his faults, is fresh air. We need more of it,” Sullivan wrote last month. In first quarter fundraising in New Hampshire and Montana, Paul finished second among the GOP candidates. Paul seems to be...

I am just now getting around to reading this book and I have to wonder, based on what I have read thus far, what effect this book will have on Hilliary Clinton's run for the White House. Could some of you who have read the book share your thoughts?

RALEIGH - No, you're not imagining things. That really is a Ron Paul for President blimp flying over the City of Raleigh today. Organizers for the blimp took off this morning at 8am at the Airship Management Hangar in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and they are on their way to Chester, South Carolina where they will make their first stop. This afternoon, the blimp will be flying over north Raleigh and will most likely be visible from Interstate 540 at some point, said Bryce Henderson, a media coordinator for the effort. Organizers say the current schedule has it passing over...

From the CNN/YouTube GOP Debate Wednesday night: YouTube question: Good evening, candidates. This is (inaudible) from Arlington, Texas, and this question is for Ron Paul. I've met a lot of your supporters online, but I've noticed that a good number of them seem to buy into this conspiracy theory regarding the Council of Foreign Relations, and some plan to make a North American union by merging the United States with Canada and Mexico. These supporters of yours seem to think that you also believe in this theory. So my question to you is: Do you really believe in all this,...

While Texan Ron Paul’s stock is soaring nationally, there is trouble on the home front. In September, Paul finished third in a straw poll of 1,300 Texas Republican activists who had been delegates to recent Republican conventions. The congressman corralled just 17 percent of the votes cast, trailing California’s Duncan Hunter with 41 percent. This outcome says Texas Republicans aren’t terribly concerned about viability. Otherwise, one of the national front-runners like Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney would have beaten these long-shots. But if they were willing to “waste” their votes on Hunter, why didn’t most back a fellow Texan? The...

This is quite a moving speech by the most compelling, authentic stateman in the Presidential race. http://youtube.com/watch?v=5zcdfERGqJU I'm paypalling Huck a few bucks. He has all the tools to win the nomination and the one most capable of winning the general election. Yes, I like Duncan Hunter and Tancredo; however, I am realistic about the fact that they would not win the general election. The fact that they are US Congressmen is enough to bring me to that realization. Who was the last congreeman to win the presidency, Abraham Lincoln. He was one compelling speaker from what I've read. Huckabee...

Hey guys. I was just messing around on my blog and thought there might be some fellow geeks that would get a kick out of which comic book characters I thought the different nominees look like.

On November 5th we will see an interesting test of whether Ron Paul's internet buzz translates into real world events. It is said to be something that just sprung up online, without any help from the Paul campaign, who are certainly not complaining. They want to raise $10,000,000 in one day by getting 100,000 people to donate $100 each to Ron Paul on that day. Are internet spammers representing a few fringe kooks going to come along and spam his campaign with millions of dollars? Many of us have been on the internet since the 1990's, but think about how...

Anyone who watched the Fox News-sponsored presidential debate Sunday night surely took notice of the booing that ensued during Ron Paul's discussion of America's policy of interventionism and meddling in the affairs of other nations. Certainly nobody likes to be booed, but are those boos indicative of a candidate who represents a positive future for America? Paul correctly noted that America's foreign policy is outrageously expensive, and without huge funding funneled towards an already-bureaucratic military, we simply will not be able to afford our current course of action around the world. Paul also opined, much to the disgust of the...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7007109937779036019&pr=goog-sl

Why must the Republican Party nominate a 72-year-old grandfather from the Gulf Coast of Texas, until the past few months little known outside his district, as its 2008 standard-bearer? Very simple: the alternative is eight years of President Hillary Clinton. That ought to be enough to get the attention of every conservative who happens upon these words, so let me explain. It should come as no big revelation to anyone inside or outside of the Republican Party that the GOP has lost touch with its conservative roots. Massive deficit spending that would make Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter blush; foreign...

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul contends that the federal government has overreacted by limiting personal freedom in the wake of terrorist attacks six years ago, noting more people die on U.S. highways in less than a month’s time compared to the number who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. “We have been told that we have to give up our freedoms in order to be safe because terrorism is such a horrible event,” Paul said today to more than 1,000 supporters who attended a rally at a downtown Chicago hotel ballroom. “A lot fewer lives died on 9/11 than...

Michael Savage calls it a “third world invasion”. I call it an “immigration travesty”. Whatever phrase you wish to attach to it, our southern borders are as open as Al Gore's wallet in a carbon credit retailer. Rudy Giuliani proclaimed New York City a sanctuary city as Mayor. McCain sponsored the immigration reform bill (dubbed “Amnesty bill” by immigration activists) that died quickly in Congress and Mitt Romney's position on immigration keeps changing, at least according to John McCain. Fox News took a jab at Romney during the debate several days ago, questioning the fact he had hired illegal immigrants...

A curious thing happened this year at the Maryland Republican Party booth at the State Fair: A GOP presidential straw poll was won by Ron Paul, the idiosyncratic congressman from Texas who is a fierce critic of the Iraq war. Perhaps just as curious was the Maryland GOP's decision to trumpet the results in a news release last week with the headline: "Maryland GOP Presidential Straw Poll Is a Big Success; Grassroots Candidate Wins Surprise Upset." According to the release, Paul received 263 votes, and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani (for whom Republican former governor Robert L. Ehrlich...

"Part II???! Where's Part I?", you ask? I'm working on it, at the same time I'm working on part III, IV, and more. From the debate last night: MR. WALLACE: Congressman Paul -- (interrupted by cheers, applause) -- Congressman Paul, your position on the war is pretty simple: Get out. What about, though, trying to minimize the bloodbath that would certainly occur if we pull out in a hurry? What about protecting the thousands of Iraqis who have staked their lives in backing the U.S.? And would you leave troops in the region to take out any al Qaeda...

The vote was supposed to be until 1 or 2 pm, but GOP security prevented registered Delegates from entering the building who were wearing Ron Paul signs at 10am. I was standing over by the Granny warriors when 2 delegates approached me and asked me to help them get into the convention center. They had showed up at the door a little before 10am wearing Ron Paul shirts. The security guard told them to change into proper attire. They left and changed then came back and it was now 10:10/10:20 and the security told them the registration was closed. Apparently...

Ron Paul won big earlier today in Alabama. He also won big in New Hampshire this afternoon. Dr. Paul received 208 votes (73%) for a landslide victory against Mitt Romney today at the Strafford County, New Hampshire straw poll. Romney received 26 votes. Mike Huckabee came in third with 20 votes. Tancredo (8 votes), McCain (7 votes), Cox (5 votes), Hunter (5 votes), Thompson (5 votes), Giuliani (3 votes) and Brownback (1 vote) finished the field. As noted earlier, Ron Paul received 216 votes for a commanding first-place finish in a straw poll today sponsored by the West Alabama Republican...

Last week this column addressed the train wreck that federal spending has become. To score political points politicians will make loud noise about fairly small matters such as earmarks, even while refusing to address the real problem. Namely, that our federal government is too big and does too much. Politicians prefer to pass a bill or create a program every time somebody points to a new social problem, this way they can tell their constituents how much they are doing to help. Instead of rationally explaining the proper role of government, politicians have attempted to play the role of friend,...

AMES, Iowa (AP) - A campaign spokesman says the wife of GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul was hospitalized today (Saturday) with an irregular heartbeat. Carol Paul became ill on Saturday morning and was taken to an area hospital, says Jesse Benton, a Paul spokesman. A Republican congressman from Texas, Paul was delayed in arriving at the high profile Republican straw poll in Ames today (Saturday) in order to stay with his wife. Benton told The Associated Press that Mrs. Paul was recovering at hospital in Des Moines from a heart condition that causes her heart rate to get very low....

Texas congressman and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul — who is campaigning as a critic of congressional overspending — has revealed that he is requesting $400 million worth of earmarks this year. The Wall Street Journal reports Paul's office says those requests include $8 million for the marketing of wild American shrimp and $2.3 million to pay for research into shrimp fishing. A spokesman says, "Reducing earmarks does not reduce government spending, and it does not prohibit spending upon those things that are earmarked. What people who push earmark reform are doing is they are particularly misleading the public —...

In their latest obnoxious effort to somehow annoy people into supporting Ronpaul through spam (a novel strategy to say the least), the Ronpaulists have begun flooding YouTube with a host of video clips which they associate with keywords for all other Republican presidential candidates. This is a technique that was originally pioneered by Truthers, as you’ll know if you’ve ever searched for anything and gotten “9-11 Coverup by Illuminati!” type crap. The adoption of the tactic by Ronpaulists, is perhaps an inevitable consequence of Truthers increasing identification with that ignominious campaign. For instance, try searching for Fred Thompson video clips...

Despite a limited format with CNN, last night, Rep Ron Paul MD [R-TX] continues to stand out from that crowd. Particularly, the focus brought to a Christian "Just War" and how he alone declared the immorality of discussing PreEmptive Nuclear Attacks upon a Nation that has not harmed us, namely Iran. Also, his points that the Operation Enduring Freedom is serving a Policeman's role hits us with the impossibilities we have pitted our Brave Forces against. We need the courage of a Ron Paul!!!! Go Ron Go!!!Go Ron Go!!!Go Ron Go!!!

Inivte for FR folks: Ron Paul supporters from all over the Northeast will be out in force outside and inside the June 5 presidential debate in Manchester, NH. If you live anywhere near NH, we invite you to link up with us. We'll have lots of signs. Details: www.RonPaulHQ.com

Don't Shut Up Paul The stupid GOP effort to silence one of its candidates. By John Dickerson Posted Friday, May 18, 2007, at 5:09 PM ET Some Republicans are angry at Ron Paul, the libertarian presidential candidate, for his forthright stance at the Republican debate earlier this week. When George W. Bush repeatedly asserts unpopular opinions in the face of withering criticism, it's seen as a sign of strength and resolve. But when Paul asserted unpopular opinions in a debate, his remarks became the grounds for derision and threats. Paul suggested that the United States' actions in the Middle East—and...

It's a fine line between quixotic and committed, and just where Ron Paul falls is an open question as the Texas congressman pursues the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.The case for quixotic: It's a unique conceit to run as an anti-Iraq-war candidate in a generally pro-war party; to vow to eliminate myriad federal agencies, including the CIA, the IRS and the Federal Reserve; and to oppose every act of the federal government not specifically approved in the Constitution (including niceties such as congressional gold medals for such people as Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks and Pope John Paul II)."I've advocated over the...

In a desperate attempt to make Rudy Giuliani out to be the hero of Tuesday night’s debate, Fox News is continuing to attack Texas Congressman Ron Paul for something he did not say. In the latest installment of this campaign, John Gibson of Fox News says that Paul “suggested that the U.S. actually had a hand in the [9/11] terrorist attacks.” No, what he said was that U.S. foreign policy was a reason why Osama bin Laden attacked America. This is a fact. Gibson’s comment shows how Fox News has been eager to slant the news in favor of Giuliani,...

Straightening Out Rep. Ron Quixote By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Wednesday, May 16, 2007 War On Terror: GOP gadfly Rep. Ron Paul claims 9/11 was "blowback" for bombing and sanctioning Iraq the previous decade. But that's another romantic notion of isolationists. Just ask Osama bin Laden. Paul, an idealistic White House hopeful from Texas who opposes the Iraq War, shocked fellow Republicans at the presidential debate in South Carolina on Tuesday when he argued that al-Qaida terrorists "attack us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years." A visibly agitated Rudy Giuliani cut Paul off. "That's...

The senseless and horrific killings last week on the campus of Virginia Tech University reinforced an uneasy feeling many Americans experienced after September 11th: namely, that government cannot protect us. No matter how many laws we pass, no matter how many police or federal agents we put on the streets, a determined individual or group still can cause great harm. Perhaps the only good that can come from these terrible killings is a reinforced understanding that we as individuals are responsible for our safety and the safety of our families. Although Virginia does allow individuals to carry concealed weapons if...

Political maverick and Texas House member Ron Paul formally announced his candidacy for the president of the United States this morning during the “Washington Journal” call-in program on C-SPAN. Paul stands as one of the last remaining believers in strict enforcement of the Constitution and a limited federal government in Washington D.C. Paul ran unsuccessfully for the White House in 1988 under the Libertarian ticket, but now caucuses with the Republican Party. His political platform includes low taxes, individual liberties and a principled belief in the right to life. His presidential exploratory committee formed earlier this year stirred up his...

Hundreds of thousands of American troops already occupy Afghanistan and Iraq, a number that is rising as the military surge moves forward. The justification, given endlessly since September 11th, is that both support terrorism and thus pose a risk to the United States. Yet when we step back and examine the region as a whole, it’s obvious that these two impoverished countries, neither of which has any real military, pose very little threat to American national security when compared to other Middle Eastern nations. The decision to attack them, while treating some of region’s worst regimes as allies, shows the...