Liberty Maven

At the risk of websites popping up all over the web touting the legend of Ron Paul as has happened with the incomparable Chuck Norris. Here are 13 things you probably don’t know, but should know, about Dr. Ron Paul. The difference here though is that these things are actually true.

1. As a doctor, he did not accept Medicare or Medicaid. He would do the work for free or work at a greatly lowered payment or payment plan for needy patients.
2. He has a son named “Rand”. There seems to be no official word on whether the name was chosen as a tribute to Ayn Rand.
3. Paul supported his children during their undergraduate and medical school years, not allowing them to take part in subsidized federal student loan programs.
4. He had decided to enter politics on August 15, 1971, when President Richard Nixon went off the gold standard completely. He said, “After that day, all money would be political money rather than money of real value. I was astounded.”
5. Paul delivered babies on Mondays and Saturdays during his entire term as the 22nd District representative.
6. Paul said that he was doing more during his 1988 presidential run than reach office: he was trying to spread his liberty-minded ideas and would often talk to school groups that weren’t old enough to vote. “We’re just as interested in the future generation as this election. These kids will vote eventually, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll go home and talk to their parents.”
7. Paul has said that when he has money left over from campaigns, he either transfers it to his next campaign fund or donates it to charity.
8. In an “overwhelmingly rural region,” Paul opposes farm subsidies because they go to big corporations rather than small farmers. Despite voting against bills with large support in Congress, such as the farm bill, the congressman’s “contrarian nature” and devotion to lowering taxes appeals to voters in the 14th District.
9. He attends graduations, civic ceremonies, and Boy Scout honor ceremonies. In an expansive district, it is not unusual for him to log more than 300 miles per day visiting constituents or handling their concerns. He is particularly effective at reaching 14th District voters on veterans’ issues, such as procuring medals for war veterans who lost or never received their medals; he holds medal ceremonies for those whose medals are being presented.
10. He has helped senior citizens of the district get free or low-cost prescription drugs through a little-known drug company program.
11. Paul was one of 17 members of a bipartisan coalition of members of Congress who filed a lawsuit against President Bill Clinton in 1999 over his conduct of the war in Kosovo. In the filing, they accused Clinton of not reporting to Congress within 48 hours on the status of the action as required by the 1973 War Powers Resolution and not first obtaining a declaration of war from Congress as required in the Constitution.
12. Paul introduced legislation to declare war on Iraq in October 2002. He said he would not vote for his own bill, but if his fellow members of Congress wished to go to war in Iraq, they should follow the Constitution and declare war.
13. Unlike many political candidates, Paul receives the overwhelming majority of his campaign contributions (96.8% in 2005–2006) from individuals.

BONUS: Ron Paul’s middle name is “Ernest”. The name Ernest is derived from the German word ernst, approximately meaning honest and trustworthy.

NOTE: All items listed are taken directly from Ron Paul’s Wikipedia page. These are items that I found most interesting. If you want citations then please see the Wikipedia page for them.