Liberty Maven

Ron Paul was interviewed yet again earlier today, this time by Larry Kudlow on The Kudlow Report.

Here is an excellent appearance by Ron Paul on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”. Fiscal responsibility, foreign policy of Obama, and more is discussed. Ron Paul at one point bluntly calls Barack Obama a warmonger.

Here is Ron Paul’s appearance discussing his CPAC straw poll victory on CNN’s “American Morning” this morning. Note that the youtube video does cut off a bit at the end, but the full video from CNN is posted below that.

Here is the CNN embed with the rest of the interview:

Here is Ron Paul discussing his CPAC straw poll victory with Fox and Friends this morning. This is a really good interview as he is able to articulate his own positions and is not interrupted when doing so. He even takes a retaliatory shot, although a bit indirect, at Donald Trump.

Yes, Ron Paul has won his second consecutive CPAC straw poll and as expected all the anti-libertarian, defense=offense, neo-conservatives (and Donald Trump, whatever he is) are dismissing the victory. They say it doesn’t mean anything. They don’t know what they are talking about, as usual. Of course it means something.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that Ron Paul will be the GOP nominee in 2012. Paul hasn’t even announced if he’s running yet. The victory’s meaning really has little to do with 2012 and much to do with the future direction of the Republican Party.

The organizers of CPAC sheepishly denounced their own straw poll prior to announcing Ron Paul as the winner. Appropriately enough, while they denounced the presidential preference question they gushed when talking about the results to the other questions in the poll. Yet the same people that voted for Ron Paul answered those other questions as well. Why did they not suggest that those results were skewed?

Yes, Ron Paul’s Campaign For Liberty and Young Americans for Liberty made it easier for supporters to attend CPAC by offering discounted tickets and lodging packages. They did not “bus them in” as some suggested. The reason so many showed up at CPAC for Ron Paul is because they are true political activists. They are active, vocal, and dedicated to spreading the liberty message to those who are and aren’t willing to listen.  This is something the GOP has been missing for a long time.

It is mainly foreign policy differences that keep the old guard GOP from embracing these young Ron Paul activists. Perhaps if the rest of the Republican Party could ever understand the fundamental differences between…

1. preemptive war and national defense
2. isolationist and non-interventionist
3. anti-semitism and ending all foreign aid
4. blaming America and blaming American policy

…they could welcome Ron Paul and his supporters. The CPAC straw poll result suggests an effort should be made to understand and perhaps embrace these differences. After all, isn’t the ultimate Republican goal to defeat Obama in 2012? Seeing eye to eye with Ron Paul and his numerous activist supporters could go a long way toward that goal.

I have little hope this will happen, but in the long run it may not matter. Many of those young Ron Paul supporters are growing up, feeding on liberty, and will become office-seekers in the future.

The result of the CPAC straw poll does have meaning. It suggests the future is burning bright with the fire of liberty.

There are cerebral strategists and balls-to-the-wall activists in the tent of Ron Paul. Both were evident at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) today. Prior to Rand Paul’s stellar speech the surprise speaker was Donald Trump. Many of us in the audience had come to get our seats to see The Rand instead of The Donald, and things got a bit ugly.

During Trump’s speech there were some vocal activists shouting out Ron Paul’s name, among other things. At one point when Trump mentioned there were no good GOP candidates the shouts of Ron Paul became too much for him. The video below shows what happened:

Yes, the out-of-touch celebrity with lots of money reacts by telling the crowd that Ron Paul has zero chance of winning. I immediately said something that was later echoed by Rand Paul, “Trump has an even less of a chance of winning than Ron Paul”. That was only the beginning.

Read More »

How is it possible that omitting Ron Paul’s name from this Reuter’s article about CPAC was not done on purpose? CPAC begins today with several presidential hopefuls attending and making speeches. One of those speeches is from last years run away CPAC straw poll winner, Ron Paul, yet the article excerpted below ignores him. I had to re-check the agenda for CPAC to see if they had somehow erased Paul’s name, but no, it was still there.

My only question is did the memo about Ron Paul from the mainstream media czar go out early this time around? Here is the relevant excerpt suspiciously omitting Paul:

“It’s one of the first times that they get to showcase their actual credentials among key constituencies and generate publicity for themselves early on in the cycle,” said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean.

Among the speakers are two former governors, Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota; former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich and sitting governors Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Mitch Daniels of Indiana.

Gingrich and two other possibles, Representative Michelle Bachmann and former Senator Rick Santorum speak on Thursday.

Romney, Pawlenty, South Dakota Senator John Thune, Texas Governor Rick Perry and Daniels speak on Friday and Barbour speaks on Saturday. Attendees will decide their favorites in a Saturday straw poll.

Ron Paul hasn’t even announced he’s running in 2012 yet and the media is already trying to ignore him. I ask again, how can this not be on purpose?

Ron Paul held his first hearing as Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Monetary Policy earlier today. The committee explored employment and if monetary policy can really create jobs? The hearing video below lasts a bit over 2 hours and features testimony from Tom DiLorenzo, Richard Vedder, and Josh Bivens.

The Atlantic’s Joshua Green observes that Haley Barbour isn’t the only potential 2012 GOP candidate to be once endorsed by Ronald Reagan.

Ben Smith of Politico has identified what he predicts will be the “best campaign ad of 2012.” It will be a Haley Barbour spot featuring something any GOP hopeful would kill for: Ronald Reagan’s endorsement, which he bestowed during Barbour’s 1982 Senate campaign. Here’s Reagan:

I’d like to take a moment to talk with you about our country’s future and a very special leader – Haley Barbour. The problems of the 1980′s are rapidly changing and demanding new solutions and fresh vigorous ideas. I’ve learned first hand that Haley Barbour has the intelligence, courage and experience to make a great United States Senator. These are difficult times but slowly and surely we are making America prosperous again. With leaders like Haley Barbour we can look to the future with confidence and hope.

I agree that will make a compelling ad. But I wouldn’t award the Oscar just yet. That’s because the 2012 GOP primary will quite possibly feature two Reagan-endorsed candidates, and just as many Reagan endorsement ads.

Who is the other fortunate endorsee? Ron Paul.

Read the rest at The Atlantic

Here is the video referenced in the article from the early 80′s called “The Ron Paul Story” featuring the Reagan endorsement.

Let me begin by refusing to apologize for the inflammatory rhetoric in the title of this post because I’m not CNN’s John King. Once again, Ron Paul has re-introduced his Audit the Fed bill in the House. This time his son, Rand Paul, has introduced the companion bill in the Senate. It’s time to put your lawmaker in your cross-hairs and get them to target the Federal Reserve for an audit.

PC SPEECH JOHN KING STYLE DISCLAIMER: We do not condone literally putting your lawmaker in the cross-hairs of your gun or guns. We merely mean that you should become active and request that your lawmakers support a full audit of the Federal Reserve as outlined in these bills. We also do not mean to suggest you, Ron Paul, or Rand Paul, literally grab a double barrel shotgun and shoot it at the Federal Reserve building or any Federal Reserve employee or official. Ok, enough! Now read the damned press release below, please.

SPRINGFIELD, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Congressman Ron Paul and his son, Senator Rand Paul, today introduced companion legislation in both chambers of the United States Congress to require a full and thorough audit of the Federal Reserve.

The bills, both titled The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2011, but known better as “Audit the Fed,” are numbered H.R. 459 in the House and S. 202 in the Senate and continue the efforts championed by Ron Paul last year that won 320 co-sponsors before passing the House and 32 cosponsors in the Senate before falling short on a floor vote.

H.R. 459 starts the session with 56 original bipartisan cosponsors, while Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) are original cosponsors for S. 202.

The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2011 would open up the Fed’s funding facilities, such as the Primary Dealer Credit Facility, Term Securities Lending Facility, and Term Asset-Backed Securities Lending Facility to Congressional oversight and audit by the non-partisan Government Accountability Office. Additionally, audits would include discount window operations, open market operations, and agreements with foreign central banks such as ongoing dollar swap operations with European central banks.

Public polling conducted by Rasmussen Reports in December 2010 indicated that 74 percent of the American People demand transparency at the Fed and support a full audit as called for in the Audit the Fed legislation. In 2009 and 2010, Campaign for Liberty generated over 2.5 million grassroots contacts to federal lawmakers in support of Audit the Fed.

“The Federal Reserve and its loose money, easy credit policies are the culprit for so many of the dire economic problems we face. Americans continue to demand transparency at the Federal Reserve, and Campaign for Liberty is proud to lead the fight to make this legislation the Law of the Land,” said Campaign for Liberty President John Tate. “All across the country, grassroots citizens are uniting behind Ron and Rand Paul and will demand this audit, this year.”