Liberty MavenRon Paul’s Bittersweet Symphony
November 20th, 2009 12:51 pm | by Marc Gallagher | Published in Big Government, Commentary, congress, Constitution, Federal Reserve, Free Market, Liberty, Maven Commentary, Politics, Ron Paul | 20 Responses
When all the high-fives, handshakes, and hip-hip hoorays finish dying down a bit of reality overcomes the Ron Paul, anti-Fed faithful. In order for Ron Paul’s full Federal Reserve audit to become law it requires Paul to swim in uncomfortable waters. He must compromise his principles. So the celebrations must be tempered with the hard truth that is DC politics. It is indeed a bittersweet symphony.
Ron Paul’s efforts at having HR.1207 voted on as a standalone bill never really had a chance. Instead, it will arrive to the House floor attached to Barney Frank’s little boy, his comprehensive financial regulatory reform bill. The draft legislation grants new powers to the Federal Reserve and creates more regulatory controls over the market. If the free market is god, this bill is the devil. However, the bill will now have something good attached to it now that HR.1207 was added to it as an amendment.
Ron Paul makes a name for himself by always considering the Constitution while weighing his votes. Should Paul supporters expect him to don his Dr. No mask when his 30+ year fight against the central bank finally comes to a vote on the House floor? Will Paul vote against auditing the Fed because it is attached to an obviously unconstitutional bill? The libertarian purists among us may expect him to do so, but I expect him to vote for the evil to get the good. In fact, I would expect most if not all Paul supporters will give him a pass on this one. Tell us what you think in the comments section to this article.
He has already indicated what he will do in his press release covering yesterday’s committee vote:
“While HR 3996, if passed, will grant sweeping new powers to the Federal Reserve, at least with this amendment attached, it won’t be acting in secret anymore. This is a major victory for Federal Reserve transparency and government accountability. I am very grateful to Congressman Bachus and all the other Members who were so supportive and helpful in this effort,” stated Congressman Paul.
An argument could be made (and Paul seems to be implying it by his quote) that the financial regulatory reform bill is going to pass anyway and with Paul’s audit included in it, the bill’s attack on the free market will be softened. If they gut Paul’s amendment (like Mel Watt and Barney Frank tried to do in committee) as it moves closer to a floor vote it wouldn’t be shocking to see Dr. Paul morph into Dr. No once again.
So it is certainly bittersweet, but at least it’s not all bitter and no sweet.
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UPDATE: It looks like Paul will still push for a separate vote on HR.1207 as a standalone bill. I don’t think those in power will let it happen, but I never thought his bill would get as far as it has already, so we’ll see.
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November 20th, 2009 at 6:05 pm (#)
Campaign for Liberty says in an email that they will not support the bill, even with the amendment attached. They're still calling for an up or down vote.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:05 pm (#)
Campaign for Liberty says in an email that they will not support the bill, even with the amendment attached. They're still calling for an up or down vote.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:13 pm (#)
[...] Marc Gallagher: It looks like Paul will still push for a separate vote on HR.1207 as a standalone bill. I don’t think those in power will let it happen, but I never thought his bill would get as far as it has already, so we’ll see. [...]
November 20th, 2009 at 7:15 pm (#)
A straight up and down vote on HR 1207 is preferred, but it is against the odds. That does not mean you should not work for that outcome. However if that does not happen, then I agree that many Constitutionalists and libertarian minded people would not endorse the bill, and condemn it if they gut the transparency and make meaningless the audit provisions. However, if the audit provisions remain and are not weakened to any significant degree, then I would say that the bill would have to be extremely evil and the most destructive legislation for me not to support passage. I agree with the notion that simply getting a full audit of the entire balance sheet will do more good in the end then any regulatory baloney that is also included. I think the revelation of the FED's actions and deals will provide invaluable ammunition, and I believe explains much of the resistance by the FED. They know what will be revealed, and they are fearful. Be afraid, FED. Be very afraid.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:15 pm (#)
A straight up and down vote on HR 1207 is preferred, but it is against the odds. That does not mean you should not work for that outcome. However if that does not happen, then I agree that many Constitutionalists and libertarian minded people would not endorse the bill, and condemn it if they gut the transparency and make meaningless the audit provisions. However, if the audit provisions remain and are not weakened to any significant degree, then I would say that the bill would have to be extremely evil and the most destructive legislation for me not to support passage. I agree with the notion that simply getting a full audit of the entire balance sheet will do more good in the end then any regulatory baloney that is also included. I think the revelation of the FED's actions and deals will provide invaluable ammunition, and I believe explains much of the resistance by the FED. They know what will be revealed, and they are fearful. Be afraid, FED. Be very afraid.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:42 pm (#)
Here's a quote from the Campaign for Liberty email jason mentioned:
"While this is a victory over an attempted hijacking of our cause, the audit authority is still being rolled into the Financial Stability Improvement Act, a bill that Campaign for Liberty will oppose."
I don't think Ron Paul will or should support the interventionist frankenstein FSIA with his vote (it would be very odd for him to take a stand opposing the political orgazination he founded and chairs). Moreover, why would the Ron Paul you know and love overturn decades of consistency and start to vote in favour of bills he knows to be unconstitutional monstrosities?
November 20th, 2009 at 7:42 pm (#)
Here's a quote from the Campaign for Liberty email jason mentioned:
"While this is a victory over an attempted hijacking of our cause, the audit authority is still being rolled into the Financial Stability Improvement Act, a bill that Campaign for Liberty will oppose."
I don't think Ron Paul will or should support the interventionist frankenstein FSIA with his vote (it would be very odd for him to take a stand opposing the political orgazination he founded and chairs). Moreover, why would the Ron Paul you know and love overturn decades of consistency and start to vote in favour of bills he knows to be unconstitutional monstrosities?
November 20th, 2009 at 9:13 pm (#)
I hope he sticks to his principles, just like he always has.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:16 pm (#)
I think that Dr. Paul should do what is overall BEST for the country. If you believe, like I do, that the Federal Reserve ending is THE KEY to ending a vast majority of our problems. Then auditing the Fed will go a LONG WAY towards opening the eyes and awakening the majority of the public.
Remember, D.C. doesn't work like the rest of society. It's gonna take one victory at a time in this R3VOlution. Make no mistake in thinking that Dr. Paul hasn't thought this through.
I for one will give you a free pass on this one Dr. Paul.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:16 pm (#)
I think that Dr. Paul should do what is overall BEST for the country. If you believe, like I do, that the Federal Reserve ending is THE KEY to ending a vast majority of our problems. Then auditing the Fed will go a LONG WAY towards opening the eyes and awakening the majority of the public.
Remember, D.C. doesn't work like the rest of society. It's gonna take one victory at a time in this R3VOlution. Make no mistake in thinking that Dr. Paul hasn't thought this through.
I for one will give you a free pass on this one Dr. Paul.
November 21st, 2009 at 2:43 am (#)
I fully expect that Ron Paul will, as always, vote on principal and vote NO now that his bill has been attached to an unconstitutional piece of garbage.
November 21st, 2009 at 7:04 am (#)
Politics is about pragmatism, not purity of principle. Perhaps if we libertarians had more of the pragamtism that politicians must have to get elected, our candidates would win a few more elections.
If the bill is unconstitutional, the Supreme Court will decide. Until then, Mr. Paul has done a stunning job of getting both Republicans and Democrats to agree on his transparency amendment.
November 21st, 2009 at 8:41 am (#)
[...] in the House with 313 co-sponsors. Its companion bill in the Senate, S 604, has 30 co-sponsors. HR 1207 has been blocked from a full House voteby the Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, Barney [...]
November 21st, 2009 at 3:38 pm (#)
[...] in the House with 313 co-sponsors. Its companion bill in the Senate, S 604, has 30 co-sponsors. HR 1207 has been blocked from a full House voteby the Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, Barney [...]
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:15 pm (#)
I, for one, hope he votes 'no' on principle. I would rather he never see victory than he compromise his integrity.
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:15 pm (#)
I, for one, hope he votes 'no' on principle. I would rather he never see victory than he compromise his integrity.
November 24th, 2009 at 5:51 am (#)
Unconstitutional from it's beginning, this privately run entity, basically passed down through their family lines for many years… I'm wondering 'why' they allowed HR 1207 to get this far since they are able to either buy out, threaten or remove as many of the voters in Congress as necessary to maintain their power and control…just as they buy our presidential candidates and allow us to pick one of them. With so much money funneling through there, why put it all on the books? How is an honest audit possible? Aren't these the powerful people our forefathers were so careful to guard against when they wrote the Constitution? Don't they run America? Their chosen one at this time is doing a fine job destroying our country so we can become the socialized communist nation they have wanted for so long. Why in the world would they give up control and power over the world to appease a group of people by a truthful audit? There has to be another way.
November 24th, 2009 at 5:51 am (#)
Unconstitutional from it's beginning, this privately run entity, basically passed down through their family lines for many years… I'm wondering 'why' they allowed HR 1207 to get this far since they are able to either buy out, threaten or remove as many of the voters in Congress as necessary to maintain their power and control…just as they buy our presidential candidates and allow us to pick one of them. With so much money funneling through there, why put it all on the books? How is an honest audit possible? Aren't these the powerful people our forefathers were so careful to guard against when they wrote the Constitution? Don't they run America? Their chosen one at this time is doing a fine job destroying our country so we can become the socialized communist nation they have wanted for so long. Why in the world would they give up control and power over the world to appease a group of people by a truthful audit? There has to be another way.
February 5th, 2010 at 6:25 am (#)
Way to go. End the FED – will be a good start to restoring the US Constitution annnnnnnnnnnnd while your at it Congressman Paul, you can encourage obama to bring our "lost" jobs back to the USA! They aren't really lost, they are in Communist China.
http://www.railroadingamerica.com
February 5th, 2010 at 6:25 am (#)
Way to go. End the FED – will be a good start to restoring the US Constitution annnnnnnnnnnnd while your at it Congressman Paul, you can encourage obama to bring our "lost" jobs back to the USA! They aren't really lost, they are in Communist China.
http://www.railroadingamerica.com