Ron+Paul

Kathleen Chilton and Cate Kelly's Wikispace on

Ron Paul

**Updates Since 2012 & 2nd Semester **

**I Am Ron Paul: Restore America Now**
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**"Face to Face with John Ralston" (watch 17-19 minute segment)** media type="youtube" key="uQ2g3BYL18Q" height="315" width="560" align="left"

**Ron Paul's Energetic Speech in Nevada after Florida Voting** (watch minute 11)
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**Saturday Night Live Mocks the Media Blackout of Ron Paul**
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**Ron Paul and His Wife Carol Celebrate 55th Marriage Anniversary**

http://www.dailypaul.com/210525/military-focused-super-pac-forms-in-support-of-ron-paul

==[|Ron Paul: I Can Beat Obama Because My Message Brings People Together] == media type="youtube" key="aXxJFRoC6-U" height="315" width="560" align="center"

=**MSNBC Completely Leaves Out Ron Paul In Super Tuesday TV Intro**=

media type="youtube" key="mnN4fp0TMPY" height="315" width="420" =**Ron Paul’s Super Tuesday Hopes Dashed but He Presses On**= (Image Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Presidential hopeful Ron Paul’s hopes for finally notching an elusive first win of the 2012 presidential season were dashed Tuesday when all three states on which he was betting handed him defeat. Paul is the only candidate who has failed to win an election contest, including the 10 Super Tuesday states. But the Paul campaign remained optimistic despite the odds stacked against him. “This country is ready and raring,” Paul told several hundred supporters at a North Dakota caucus site Tuesday in Fargo before losing the state to Rick Santorum. The Texas congressman, 76, is sticking with his strategy of focusing on caucus states and some open primaries. He had placed big bets on three of the Super Tuesday states: Alaska, Idaho and North Dakota. Rick Santorum won North Dakota and Mitt Romney won Idaho and Alaska, where Paul visited this weekend. He is the only candidate who visited the state, while the others sent delegates or held teleconferences. Paul then went to Idaho, which offered 32 delegates. And although Romney, Santorum and Newt Gingrich campaigned in the state, only Paul had a physical campaign office there. Tuesday was Paul’s third visit to North Dakota in the primary season, after a February tour of the state and an event in Fargo in November. Paul’s state headquarters, tucked into a small Bismarck office across the street from the city’s federal courthouse, has been running for almost four months. Paul’s presidential campaign has collected more than $50,000 of the $152,000 in North Dakota contributions reported so far, according to Federal Election Commission disclosure reports. Although Paul admitted that his chances of winning the Republican nomination “are slim,” he shows no sign of slowing down. “While other candidates are focused solely on the beauty contests to get the headlines, we’re undertaking a comprehensive strategy that I am confident can lead to the nomination,” Paul said in a statement released Monday. Paul is already planning campaign events in Kansas Friday and Missouri Saturday.

=Ron Paul: Super Tuesday speech (Transcript, video)= By Kenneth W. Smith Jr. Ron Paul spoke in North Dakota on Tuesday night, March 6, as results were coming in from the Super Tuesday primaries. Watch clips of his remarks here and read a transcript of his prepared remarks after the jump. REP. RON PAUL, R-TEXAS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, DELIVERS REMARKS IN NORTH DAKOTA [*] (JOINED IN PROGRESS)PAUL: ... next year the 100th anniversary of the Federal Reserve by repealing the Federal Reserve Act. (APPLAUSE)AUDIENCE: End the Fed! End the Fed! End the Fed! End the Fed! End the Fed! End the Fed! End the Fed! PAUL: But a lot has happened in the last four years. These problems have been going on for a long time. It'd be nice if we could blame one person or one administration, but it's been going on a long time, so -- so many young people here, I think you're realizing you're getting a bad rap for what you're inheriting. You'd like a much better deal. And the deal -- the better deal can be found in less government and only sending people to Washington who have actually read the Constitution and will obey the Constitution and take their oath of office seriously...(APPLAUSE)... which would be -- which would do so many wonderful things for us. Take, for instance, if you're tired of the wars -- I hope you're sick and tired of the wars that we're involved in...(APPLAUSE)... what if we had the return to the Constitution. The founders made sure in the document in the Constitution that the wars would only occur not by the executive branch, but only by the people, through their representatives in Congress. That's the way all wars should be declared. If necessary, they should be declared, won, and get them over with, and come home. That's the way it was supposed to be done. (APPLAUSE)But since -- since World War II, we have gone to war without a declaration. And for that reason, we essentially have not won one of those wars. It has added a lot of tragedy.PAUL: Just in these past 10 years, these wars that we're fighting in the Middle East, over 8,500 Americans have died, 44,000 have come back with serious injuries -- and amputations and all kinds of problems -- hundreds of thousands looking for help because of post- traumatic stress syndrome, at the same time, economically it's been very damaging. It has added $4 trillion to our national debt. That is what you're inheriting. This is the reason why it is so important, if you're talking about peace and prosperity, you have to change the Constitution and have a lot less war and make a lot more sincere effort to promote the cause of peace. (APPLAUSE)But this has been going on for a long time, and both administrations have been doing this, and this is the reason that the message of liberty actually brings people together, because individuals see that the parties aren't doing a very good job. You elect one party to cut the spending; they raise the debt and the spending, as well. Another party is supposed to do the job; they go in and nothing changes. So if you look at the candidates today, there is very little difference, except for one. (APPLAUSE)The rest -- the rest of the candidates support the status quo. Foreign policies never change. Monetary policy doesn't change. There's no challenge to the Federal Reserve system. And most of all, there's no -- no desire to protect personal liberty, personal privacy, protect us from the intrusiveness of the federal government, to protect your right to use -- to use the Internet. These are the kinds of things that are so important to so many people. And, unfortunately, that is not offered. I believe it is the offering up of a program that -- that emphasizes personal liberty, the Constitution, sound monetary policy, and a sensible foreign policy is the reason the momentum is building and the reason why we're getting such a great reception here in North Dakota.

Rachel Leven A new super-PAC that touts presidential hopeful Ron Paul as the natural choice for military voters has registered with the Federal Election Commission. The group, Friends of Ron Paul for President, says its goal is to “greatly increase awareness of Ron Paul’s Campaign.” The website for the political action committee notes Paul is the only remaining GOP presidential candidate who served in the armed forces, and touts him as the “the military’s "top tier" candidate.” “If Americans actually listened to the veterans that they claim to respect so much, their attitude would change,” U.S. Army specialist Aidan Delgado said in a video featured on the website. || http://www.dailypaul.com/210548/ron-paul-and-his-enemies-american-convsrvet-magazine-cover-story
 * =Military-focused Super PAC forms in support of Ron Paul =
 * =Ron Paul and His Enemies: American Conservative Magazine Cover Story =

//An effective antiwar candidate is what the neocons fear most.// By Scott McConnell | February 2, 2012 The American Conservative

After a strong second-place showing in the New Hampshire primary, Ron Paul stood before a young and giddy crowd of supporters. In a near giggle, he spoke of the many detractors who had called his campaign “dangerous.” Paul reveled in their fear. To cheers, he exclaimed, “We are dangerous to the status quo in this country.” The candidate was right about that, if not necessarily in the way he most wanted. What is it about Paul’s success that frightens his opponents? Not fear that Paul will win the presidency, though polls show him running strongly against Obama. Unlike his rivals, Paul hardly pretends the White House is a goal. On the stump he emphasizes the goal of building the cause of liberty. Libertarian ideas in domestic policy have had a secure place in the GOP for more than a generation, though Paul has widened the channels for their discussion. Yet when Paul began to rise in the pre-caucus Iowa polls—by mid-December, it seemed possible he would win the state—a shudder of panic ran through the neoconservative commentariat. What drove it? The answer had little to do with the cause dearest to Ron Paul. A week before New Hampshire, after placing third in Iowa, Paul thanked his backers and referred to Nixon’s famous “We are all Keynesians now” statement. He asked whether people would soon be saying, “We are all Austrians now.” What tiny fraction of the national television audience, some seeing Ron Paul for the first time, had any idea what he was talking about? ||

RON PAUL’S DELEGATE ADVANTAGE
** If you think Rick Santorum won Iowa, Minnesota, and Colorado, you’re wrong. ** Let me explain: Santorum did win the caucus votes in all those states. But because none of those states have bound delegates, that means the state’s delegates to the national convention could theoretically vote for someone besides Santorum for the nomination, someone like say, Ron Paul, whose campaign is aggressively working to control as many state delegates as possible. ** In Minnesota, where Paul nabbed 27 percent of the caucus vote, the Paul campaign estimates that 75 percent of the current delegates are Paul supporters. In Colorado, where Paul got 12 percent of the vote, 50 percent of the delegates are Paul supporters. ** Now delegates face elimination rounds, so it’s unclear if the Paul campaign will be successful or not in maintaining these percentages. But the campaign is hoping to pull it off. From my [|piece] today: > The campaign refuses to worry about backlash from the party if its plan succeeds, and Paul’s percentage of delegates at the convention is significantly higher than his percentage of votes. > ** “We think that’s the way a party should really pick its nominee,” [Paul national campaign chairman Jesse] Benton says. “We think that the activists that are most tuned in to the issues, most engaged in the process should be the ones selecting the nominee.” ** It’s true that most states have bound delegates (or at least the vast majority of delegates are bound), so this strategy has limits. But if there is a brokered convention — which is not out of the realm of possibility this cycle — it will matter if most or a significant chunk of delegates are Paul supporters…

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/01/31/what-is-so-appealing-about-ron-paul-to-young-voters/ = What is so appealing about Ron Paul to young voters? =  By [|Karin Agness] Published January 31, 2012 | FoxNews.com

> Jan. 28, 2012: Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign stop at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, Maine. The first primaries of 2012 are complete, but the fight over the proper role of government continues. The question before GOP primary voters is who best reflects their own answer to that question, and then, who is best suited to make that case to the American people? A clear winner has yet to emerge, but there is little question about who has captured the loyalty of young Republican voters on this issue. Although finishing fourth overall, [|Ron Paul] once again won the __ [|youth vote] __ in South Carolina, winning 31% of ages 18-29, compared to [|Newt Gingrich] who won 28%. Paul’s appeal, or more accurately, the appeal of Paul’s limited government message, is a key story to emerge from the Republican primaries. There’s no mistaking the trend. [|Mitt Romney] won the [|New Hampshire primary], getting approximately 39% of the total vote. Ron Paul finished second with 23%, [|Jon Huntsman] finished third with 17%, and Newt Gingrich and [|Rick Santorum] each won about 9% of the vote. Yet young voters would have picked a different winner. According to Fox News __ [|exit polls] __, in New Hampshire, Paul won nearly half (46%) of the votes of people ages 18-29, while Romney won second place with just 26%. Paul also won the youth vote in Iowa. In the Hawkeye State almost half (48%) of the Republican caucus goers ages 18-29 supported Paul, compared to 23% for the otherwise victorious Santorum, and 14% for Romney. What is so appealing about Paul to young voters? One answer is that Paul has been the most outspoken candidate defending the importance of free enterprise and the limited role of government. And he has had a consistent message for years.Free enterprise has been on trial in this primary. Former Massachusetts Gov. Romney came under criticism from GOP opponents for his work in the private sector at Bain Capital. At his New Hampshire victory party, Romney responded: “President Obama wants to put free enterprise on trial, and the last few days we’ve seen some desperate Republicans join forces with him. This is such a mistake for our party.” After the New Hampshire primary, Gingrich and others toned down the attacks on Bain Capital heading into the South Carolina primary, but the issue about how to defend our capitalist system—including those who succeed and get rich as a result of it—lingers before __ [|GOP voters] __. Romney’s defense, tepid at times, pales compared to Paul’s bold vision of a radically-reduced role for government. That this message appeals to young voters signals an important shift that may have implications that resonate beyond this election. Young voters traditionally have a more positive opinion of government, and right now, millions of twenty-somethings are struggling to find jobs. It would be understandable if they were turned off by Paul's limited government rhetoric and persuaded by the attacks on free enterprise. But they are not. Their support for Paul is consistent with research showing a growing dissatisfaction with government among young voters. According to a Pew Research Center study, “[w]hile Millennials are currently among the most positive toward government, their criticism of government performance has risen substantially in recent years. In 2009, 42% described the government as usually inefficient and wasteful. That figure was 31% in 2003.” This growing dissatisfaction with government in general among young voters suggests that young people are likely to play a different role in 2012 than they did in 2008. In 2008, [|Barack Obama] won the youth vote 2:1, and the youth vote was one of his strongest voting blocks. Yet youth who were entranced by the charismatic candidate promising hope and change have been sorely disappointed at how such slogans have translated into actually governing. This overall disappointment along with Paul’s victory among young GOP voters suggests that a more skeptical youth vote may emerge in 2012, looking to support a candidate who doesn’t present bigger government as the solution. It’s unlikely that Paul will emerge from this primary season as the winner. His call for a fundamental rethinking of the proper role of government in American life, however, will surely play a part in the election long after he drops out. And whoever the final GOP candidate is should take care to consider how he can pick up this mantel and earn the trust of a voting block that will be important not just for this election, but for years to come. Read more: [|http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/01/31/what-is-so-appealing-about-ron-paul-to-young-voters/#ixzz1lIAoTCg2]
 * [[image:http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Opinion/396/223/Ron-Paul-AP.jpg caption="Ron-Paul-AP.jpg"]] AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22947707/ns/politics-decision_08/#.Tyts8ZirWQI **Ron Paul has a shot at winning Maine caucuses**

State's nonbinding GOP caucuses first step toward electing 18 delegates
 AUGUSTA, Maine — Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul has a couple of things going for him at this weekend's Republican caucuses: a band of highly motivated supporters and a natural appeal to Maine's like-minded independents.

 His stop in the state earlier this week also made him the only presidential contender from either party to visit before the caucuses.  "I think that (because) he's paid attention to Maine, he'll be rewarded," R. Kenneth Lindell, Paul's campaign coordinator in Maine, said Thursday.  Maine's GOP polling Friday, Saturday and Sunday may be the Texas congressman's best shot at winning a state, and such a feat would be big coming just days before next week's Super Tuesday presidential preference contests in more than 20 states.  Lindell wouldn't get into specifics about the number of volunteers Paul has in the state, except to say they number in the hundreds - not a small figure considering Maine's relatively small population and meager share of the national delegate pool.  Paul has drawn a mix of young voters who are getting involved in politics for the first time, longtime Republicans with libertarian leanings or who are unhappy with the direction the party's been going and independents who've left the party, Lindell said.  Maine Republicans are holding the only presidential preference event this weekend. Maine Democrats will gather the following weekend.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: baseline;"> The nonbinding Republican caucuses are the first step toward electing Maine's 18 delegates to the party's national convention. Three ranking party leaders also go. Maine awards all of its delegates to the caucus winners. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: baseline;"> As for Paul's prospects, he can take heart that Mainers tend to march to their own drummer. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: baseline;"> In 1992, H. Ross Perot delivered a shocker in Maine, beating out Kennebunkport's George H.W. Bush to come in second behind Bill Clinton. And that came after former California Gov. Jerry Brown donned a plaid shirt while campaigning in Maine to beat Clinton in the Democratic caucuses. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: baseline;"> Unenrolled or independent voters can play an important role in Maine politics, since they make up the largest bloc of voters. The law allows independents to come in the day of the caucus and register with a party

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: baseline;"> Also, Maine GOP efforts to encourage general caucus participation could send more supporters for McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to the polls, she noted. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: baseline;"> Mark Brewer, who teaches political sciene at the University of Maine, doesn't see Paul as a favorite but added that the congressman's best chances are in caucus states like Maine. Paul finished second in the Nevada caucuses on Jan. 19. <span style="background-color: #fdfdbf; font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: baseline;"> "I wouldn't be completely stunned if Ron Paul won the caucuses" in Maine, Brewer said.

= Pictures of Ron Paul =




 * Ron Paul's 2012 Presidential Campaign Logo:**



= The Life of Ron Paul =

Synopsis
Ronald Earnest Paul was born on August 20, 1935 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was a doctor in the U.S. Air Force and National Guard. He also opened his own practice and is believed to have delivered more than 4,000 babies.

Early Life
Politician. Born Ronald Ernest Paul on August 20, 1935 and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ron Paul was the third out of five sons. As a child, he helped out in the family's dairy business. He continued working as a paper boy and later at a local drug store. In high school, Paul was a member of the track and wrestling teams and served as the president of the student council. Discovering love at an early age, He met his future wife Carol while in high school. In his last year of college, Ron Paul married Carol. After he graduated in 1957, the couple moved to Durham, North Carolina, where Ron attended the Duke University School of Medicine. Finishing his degree in 1961, he and his young family then moved to Detroit, Michigan. There Paul did his internship and residency at [|Henry Ford] Hospital. Serving his country, he was as a doctor in the United States Air Force from 1963 to 1965 and then with the United States Air National Guard from 1965 to 1968. Specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, Paul opened his own practice in Texas. During the course of his career, he is said to have delivered more than 4,000 babies. In the 1970s, Paul became active in politics, making a failed Congressional bid in 1974. But he was victorious two years later in a special election to replace Representative Robert R. Casey who had resigned. That same year, he established the Foundation for Rational Economics and Education (FREE).

Entry Into Politics
His first stint in the House of Representatives was only a matter of months. He did not retain his post in the general election later that year. On his next try in 1978, however, Paul was elected and even re-elected twice. Emerging as a strong critic of the country's banking and financial systems, he began writing about his economic theories. In 1981, his book //Gold, Peace and Prosperity: The Birth of a// //New Currency// was published and was quickly followed by //The Case for Gold: A Minority Report of the U.S. Gold Commission//(1982). He expressed his pro-life and anti-federal government views in 1983's //Abortion and Liberty//. After an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate against Phil Gramm in 1984, Paul was succeeded in the House of Representatives by [|Tom DeLay]. Paul returned to his private practice, but did not stay out of politics for too long. A career Republican, Paul jumped ship in 1988 to become the presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party. In many ways, he was a good fit for the party with his interest in lowering taxes and reducing the size of the federal government. But Paul did differ with the Libertarians over the abortion issue as the party supports personal liberty and opposes laws and other restrictions on the actions or lifestyles of individuals. While he came in third, Paul received almost 500,000 votes in the general election. In the mid-1990s, Paul returned to the Republican Party and fought Greg Laughlin—a Democrat turned Republican—for his party's nomination for a seat in the House of Representatives. The odds were against him as Laughlin had wide support from the party and from deep-pocketed organizations such as the National Rifle Association. Despite the opposing forces, Paul was able to defeat Laughlin and win the general election in 1996. He has remained a member of the House of Representatives ever since.

Libertarian Ideology
Over the years, Paul has maintained a steadfast consistency on executive power, taxation, and pro-life issues. Unlike many of his Republican peers, he voted against the Patriot Act and against the Iraq war. Paul did, however, support the U.S. military action in Afghanistan. He has voted against farm subsidies and regulating the Internet, which is in line with his interest in reducing government spending and the role of the federal government. In addition, he has expressed his opposition to the war on drugs, saying that the government's efforts have actually been a war on doctors. This and other controversial opinions have often caused tension with his Republican counterparts. It is this mix of traditional conservatism and libertarianism that makes Paul such an unusual presidential candidate. Since throwing his hat into the 2008 Republican presidential nomination race, he has garnered a lot of support from diverse circles. Some like his ideas about economic policies whereas others see him as the anti-establishment candidate. While the mainstream media gives him little coverage, Paul's vision for America has been spread by his extensive presence online. The Internet has also been a financial boon to him. On November 5, 2007, a group of his supporters raised more than $4 million in one day for his campaign. The date was no accident—it was [|Guy Fawkes] Day, a British holiday that remembers the attempted destruction of the Parliament building—with the king inside—by a rebel named Guy Fawkes. While Paul “wants to demolish things like the Department of Education, as one of his spokespeople told //The New York Times//, but we can do that very peacefully, in a constructive manner.''

2004 Presidential Campaign
Although didn't win the nomination, Paul came in fifth at the Iowa caucus on January 3 with approximately 10 percent of the vote, beating out the better-known candidate Rudy Giuliani. But he finished last in Wyoming's caucus two days later. At the much-watched New Hampshire primary, Paul had a fifth place finish, beating [|Fred Thompson] and Duncan Hunter. On Michigan's January 15 primary, he came in fourth ahead of Giuliani, Thompson, and Hunter. By late January, Thompson, Giuliani, and Hunter had all dropped out, but Paul remained in the race. Even after February 5, also known as Super Tuesday because of the number of primaries, Paul stayed in despite not winning a single state. Paul saw the campaign as a way to promote important issues as much as it is a race to the White House. In June, Paul ended his run for the Republican nomination, which later officially went to [|John McCain]. Some thought Paul might run as an independent or on the Libertarian Party ticket, but he dismissed those ideas. Paul ended up endorsing Constitution Party's candidate [|Chuck Baldwin] 's bid for the presidency. I**n the photo above, Ron Paul is pictured with several of his grandchildren. He has five children, Ronnie, Lori, Rand, Robert, and Joy. There are eighteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.**

Ron Paul's Plans and News Coverage = Ron Paul's Plans, Ideas, and Hopes = > media type="youtube" key="jHjhaaOPZG0" height="315" width="560"MARY RONPAUL2012.COM SYNOPSIS: > America is the greatest nation in human history. Our respect for individual liberty, free markets, and limited constitutional government produced the strongest, most prosperous country in the world. But, we have drifted far from our founding principles, and America is in crisis. > Ron Paul’s “Plan to Restore America” slams on the brakes and puts America on a return to constitutional government. It is bold but achievable. Through the bully pulpit of the presidency, the power of the Veto, and, most importantly, the united voice of freedom-loving Americans, we can implement fundamental reforms. > DELIVERS A TRUE BALANCED BUDGET > > IN YEAR THREE OF DR. PAUL’S PRESIDENCY: > Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate who doesn’t just talk about balancing the budget, but who has a full plan to get it done. > SPENDING: > Cuts $1 trillion in spending during the first year > > of Ron Paul’s presidency, eliminating five cabinet departments (Energy, HUD, Commerce, Interior, and Education), abolishing the Transportation Security Administration and returning responsibility for security to private property owners, abolishing corporate subsidies, stopping foreign aid, ending foreign wars, and returning most other spending to 2006 levels. > ENTITLEMENTS: > Honors our promise to our seniors and veterans, while allowing young workers to opt out. Block-grants Medicaid and other welfare programs to allow States the flexibility and ingenuity they need to solve their own unique problems without harming those currently relying on the programs. CUTTING GOVERNMENT WASTE: > Makes a 10% reduction in the federal workforce, slashes Congressional pay and perks, and curbs excessive federal travel. To stand with the American People, President Paul will take a salary of $39,336, approximately equal to the median personal income of the American worker. > TAXES: > Lowers the corporate tax rate to 15%, making America competitive in the global market. Allows American companies to repatriate capital without additional taxation, spurring trillions in new investment. Extends all Bush tax cuts. Abolishes the Death Tax. Ends taxes on personal savings, allowing families to build a nest egg. > REGULATION: > Repeals ObamaCare, Dodd-Frank, and Sarbanes- Oxley. Mandates REINS-style requirements for thorough Congressional review and authorization before implementing any new regulations issued by bureaucrats. President Paul will also cancel all onerous regulations previously issued by Executive Order. > MONETARY POLICY: > Conducts a full audit of the Federal Reserve and implements competing currency legislation to strengthen the dollar and stabilize inflation. > CONCLUSION: > Dr. Paul is the only candidate with a plan to cut spending and truly balance the budget. This is the only plan that will deliver what America needs in these difficult times: Major regulatory relief, large spending cuts, sound monetary policy, and a balanced budget.
 * 1) media type="youtube" key="sNooRP6qLZA" height="315" width="420"
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 * RON PAUL’S “PLAN TO RESTORE AMERICA” **

= Ron Paul in the News = > ** // New poll puts Paul within striking distance of lead // ** ** LAKE JACKSON, Texas **– In a new Iowa State University/Gazette/ KCRG poll, 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul remains within striking distance of the lead among likely Iowa caucus voters. Paul takes 20.4 percent of the vote, within the margin of error of pizza baron Herman Cain who is tentatively holding the lead at 24.5 percent. > “These numbers are a confirmation of Congressman Paul’s principled message,” said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton. “The American people are ready for real change in the way things are done in Washington, and Ron Paul is the only candidate who will fundamentally change the status quo, by offering serious cuts in spending, bringing our troops home, and restoring our economy to bring prosperity back to America.” > This latest Iowa poll comes on the heels of a Bloomberg News poll showing Paul in a statistical tie for first place in Iowa and a strong second place in New Hampshire, and a Public Policy Poll in which he was the only Republican candidate to best Obama among independent voters (48 to 39 percent). The Iowa State University poll also notes that Paul gets nearly twice as much support as the rest of the field from those in the lower income brackets. > ** // Paul only candidate in GOP field to best the President // ** > ** LAKE JACKSON, Texas ** - In a new Public Policy Poll, 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul bests President Obama 48 to 39 percent among independent voters. The poll also showed Paul as the only Republican candidate leading President Obama among independents. > “This is yet another poll that clearly shows how competitive Ron Paul is against the sitting President,” said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton. “Dr. Paul is making strides not just among Republicans, but independent voters as well. This broad base of increasing support proves that the American people are looking for conviction instead of the typical status quo rhetoric being offered by establishment candidates.” > These results follow an earlier Bloomberg News poll showing Paul in a statistical first place finish in Iowa, a key early voting state. Furthermore, a late October CNN/Time poll showed him in the top three in the key states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. > ** // Wins 38 percent Charleston county, 30 percent in San Diego county // **** LAKE JACKSON, Texas ** – Congressman Ron Paul won a [|straw poll] held in Charleston County in the early-voting state of South Carolina. The vote was held at the GOP Executive Committee meeting on November 14th. Paul came in first with an impressive 38 percent, beating his closest challenger, Newt Gingrich, by 10 points.This came just two days after Congressman Paul packed a Veteran’s Rally with over three-hundred people in Spartanburg.“Congressman Paul’s message is really resonating in South Carolina and elsewhere,” said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton. “Voters across the country, from South Carolina to California are ready for a leader who will fight for limited and constitutional government, bring our troops home, and restore our economy to bring prosperity back to America.”On Monday, November 14th Congressman Paul also won a Republican Party [|straw poll] in San Diego County, California. Paul garnered over 30 percent of the 400 republican activists who cast ballots.
 * 1) == RON PAUL CONTINUES IOWA SURGE ==
 * 1) == RON PAUL LEADS OBAMA AMONG INDEPENDENTS NEW POLL SHOWS ==
 * 1) == RON PAUL WINS CHARLESTON AND SAN DIEGO GOP STRAW POLLS ==

> ===**Ron Paul continually updates his Twitter feed with news of his campaign and his policies.**===

Ron Paul
@RepRonPaul Lake Jackson, TX <span style="color: #777777; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px;">Congressman Ron Paul
 * [|389Tweets]
 * [|169Following]
 * [|82,482Followers]
 * [|3,489Listed]

Statistics and Polls on Ron Paul **Ron Paul wins this year’s straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), overtaking Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin as conservatives’ favorite for the 2012 presidential nomination.**

**Polls from the Republican Debate** = GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul wins California straw poll = <span style="color: #666666; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;"> By ** the CNN Wire Staff ** September 18, 2011 11:49 a.m. EDT   <span style="color: #666666; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">Texas Rep. Ron Paul won a California straw poll on Saturday. **STORY HIGHLIGHTS** <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">**(CNN)** -- Texas Rep. Ron Paul won a California straw poll, the state Republican Party announced in a statement Saturday night. <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">A total of 833 ballots were cast during the straw poll, the statement said. <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">Paul won with 44.9% of the votes, Texas Gov. Rick Perry came in second with 29.3% of the votes, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney came in third with 8.8% of the votes. <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">The California Republican Party, associated members and registered guests were allowed to vote in the straw poll, according to the statement. <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">Paul was scheduled to give speeches in Los Angeles on Saturday, including the keynote at the Republican Liberty Caucus of California.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">Paul wins 44.9% of the 833 votes cast in the straw poll
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">Rick Perry comes in second; Mitt Romney comes in third
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">Paul has gained momentum in recent weeks, according to a CNN/ORC poll

<span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">He has gained momentum in the race for the White House in recent weeks, according to the latest CNN/ORC International Poll. Among current GOP candidates, Paul placed third in the poll with 13%, following Romney in second place with 21% and Perry in first with 32%. <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">His win came the same day he celebrated Constitution Day with another one of his "money bomb" fundraisers. <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">The online event attempts to raise a large sum of cash in 24 hours, a tactic that's proved successful in the past for Paul.

Recent Articles on Ron Paul

= Ron Paul's conservatism nudges him higher in recent polls =

Godfather of Tea Party could be a contender
BY SHELDON ALBERTS, POSTMEDIA NEWS NOVEMBER 28, 2011

\\\ Over a career that has spanned five decades on Capitol Hill, Texas congressman Ron Paul has never been shy about flouting the conventions of Republican politics. A quick sample of what Paul believes, in no particular order: Gays should be allowed to marry, U.S. foreign policy contributed to the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, U.S. defence spending should be slashed by 15 per cent, drugs such as marijuana, heroin and cocaine should be decriminalized, and the U.S. should not come to Israel's aid if it starts a shooting war with Iran. Advocating even one of these positions would be enough to end the White House ambitions of most Republican candidates. It's a rare Republican who can win a congressional primary, let alone a presidential contest, by alienating both social conservatives and national security conservatives. And yet this wizened 76-year-old lawmaker - who seems to relish his role as the scolding uncle of the Republican race - might well be a factor in 2012 long after many of his over-hyped rivals have delivered concession speeches in Des Moines or Manchester. IN TIE FOR FIRST IN IOWA According to a recent Bloomberg poll, Paul is in a statistical first-place tie with Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in Iowa, which holds its momentum-setting caucuses on Jan. 3. Paul is also a top-three threat in New Hampshire, polling ahead of both Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman. Not bad for an iconoclastic libertarian who, four years ago, was booed during a Republican presidential debate in South Carolina for saying Americans should "listen to the people who attacked us [on 9/11] and the reason they did it." Paul gets cheers for lines like that now, a sign of how his brand of conservatism has nudged toward the mainstream of Republican politics over the past four years. Sometimes described as the godfather of the Tea Party movement, Paul's emergence as a credible voice began during George W. Bush's presidency amid growing American fatigue with war and overspending. Weary after a decade of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq? Paul's call for a non-interventionist/isolationist foreign policy now makes more sense. Spooked about the U.S. government's $15-trillion debt, perennial $1-trillion-plus annual deficits and the persistent inability of a dysfunctional Congress to deal with either? Suddenly Paul's call for a dramatically downsized federal government has a greater air of reason about it. The consistency of Paul's ideology - and his unwillingness to pander for votes - has won him arguably the most devoted core of followers of any Republican candidate. His online "money bomb" campaigns helped him to raise $8 million in the last quarter - enough to keep Paul in the race if he makes respectable showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. Still, you'll find more people in Washington who think Elvis is still alive than believe Ron Paul will be the Republican nominee. The skepticism is reflected in the media's treatment of his campaign. LESS MEDIA COVERAGE A Pew Research study in October found Paul received less news coverage than Huntsman or former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Republican bottom-dwellers who average about two per cent support in national polls.

In a recent CBS News debate, Paul received just 89 seconds of speaking time - a snub his campaign described as "disgraceful." The establishment's reluctance to view Paul as a top-tier candidate stems from the belief he has very limited upside potential, and that his prescriptions for America are too extreme. On fiscal management, Paul would cut the federal budget deeper than any of his opponents. His "Plan to Restore America" includes a proposal to cut $1 trillion from the federal budget in the first year of his presidency. He would eliminate the departments of education, commerce, energy, interior and housing and urban development. On social issues, Paul's view that "the government should just be out of it" when it comes to gay marriage doesn't square with a Republican base that favours a Federal Marriage Amendment banning same-sex unions. But could Paul be a viable third-party candidate, 2012's version of Ross Perot? He has appeal not only to small government conservatives but to some liberals who like his views on national security, applaud his civil libertarianism and are as fed up with dysfunction in Washington as Republicans. "He would draw from both parties actually," mused CNN analyst Gloria Borger. It's an intriguing idea - Paul tried it before, running for president as the Libertarian Party nominee in 1988 - but one fraught with problems. The very same liberals who see Paul as progressive on some issues recoil at his antagonism toward the Federal Reserve, his pledge to repeal Roe v. Wade, and his view that all foreign aid is "worthless." Paul says he's not interested in a third-party candidacy. "I don't like to talk in absolutes, so I don't talk in absolutes," he told Fox News. "But the odds of that happening are so slim that it is very close to an absolute."

Ron Paul Remains Competitive Against Obama in Latest Polls November 16, 2011 02:36 PM Eastern Time <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">//Paul stays within striking distance of President// LAKE JACKSON, Texas--( [|BUSINESS WIRE]  )--In a new McClatchy-Marist poll, 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul comes in 8 points behind President Barack Obama, 49 to 41 percent, and he is one of only three candidates within single digits of the President. > “Congressman Paul has the ability to remain competitive against the president as his base of support continues to expand to different groups.” These results immediately follow a Public Policy poll from yesterday, showing Paul 6 points behind Obama, but the only candidate in the GOP field besting Obama among independent voters, 48 to 39 percent. “This is yet another poll demonstrating the increasing popularity of Ron Paul’s message,” said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton. “Congressman Paul has the ability to remain competitive against the president as his base of support continues to expand to different groups.” These poll results follow an earlier Bloomberg News poll showing Paul in a statistical first place finish in Iowa, a key early voting state. Also, a late October CNN/TIME poll showed him in the top three in the key states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. media type="youtube" key="sVvq_j67khM" width="425" height="350"Ron Paul Highlights in the January 23, 2012 Debate

media type="youtube" key="oRQTM5sKZl8" width="425" height="350"Ron Paul - "Why I can beat Obama"

<span style="background-color: #000080; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 25px; text-align: center;">Christina Ewin: Project on Ron Paul

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<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Ron Paul on Foreign Policy

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<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Interview with Alex Jones: RP Only Person Who Can Beat Obama

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<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Paul at Presidential Forum, Interview from December 2011

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<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Ron Paul Ad Runs in Early 2012 in South Carolina, attacks Santorum

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<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Interview with Piers Morgan: Super Tuesday and the Upcoming Primaries













<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 180%;">LINKS: [|Ron Paul: Possible Third Party Candidate] [|Ron Paul has a Book, and its not about Politics] [|Ron Paul: Disappointed with European Banking] [|Ron Paul: AGAINST the Federal Reserve]

<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 180%;">POLLS: <span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 180%;">



<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; font-family: Arial,serif; font-size: 16px;">Ron Paul is shown in the two above polls as a neck-and-neck candidate against Obama at both the national and state level, although he only comes above Obama a few times.

<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 180%;">ARTICLES:

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Article 1. [|RON PAUL FALLING BEHIND]

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<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">He’s bumped up firmly into double digits in recent Iowa polls, but in his second run for the Republican nomination, Texas Rep. Ron Paul hasn’t generated much enthusiasm nationally, according to a new __ Washington Post-ABC News poll __. ======

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<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Compared with his main rivals for the GOP nod, Paul’s favorable numbers are far weaker among the general public and Republicans in particular. ======

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">  ======

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Overall, Americans split into rough thirds on the libertarian-oriented congressman, with about equal numbers expressing favorable, unfavorable and no ratings at all. <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Paul is on a slight upswing from September, when nearly half couldn’t rate him. But the uptick in his favorable numbers is matched by a parallel rise in negative ones. ======

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<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Paul’s been locked in the second tier of candidates in national polls all year, unable to break into a share of the lead at any point. But there is some promise in Iowa, where he shot to the top echelon in a recent __ Bloomberg poll __. ======

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The real trouble is less a lack of exposure than relatively thin popularity among potential Republican primary voters nationally.<span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Fewer than four in 10 Republicans hold a favorable view of Paul. That compares with about six in 10 favorable ratings for former House speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. ======

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__<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Paul’s ratings among Republicans are on par with Texas governor Rick Perry’s sharply eroded 42 percent in a mid-November Post-ABC poll. But his numbers among Republicans are lower than businessman Herman Cain’s 50 percent in mid-November after numerous allegations of sexual harassment surfaced, but before the latest charges of a 13-year extramarital affair. __======

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 * <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Moreover, Paul does comparatively worse than the main competition among conservative Republicans: 39 percent of conservative Republicans view him favorably, well below the majorities or near majorities who view his rivals positively. **======

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<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Paul does find slightly more appeal among those who consider themselves “very conservative,” but even among this group, Romney and Gingrich remain more popular. ======

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Article 2: [|Ron Paul's Decline in the Polls]

__ GINGRICH AND ROMNEY OUTSTRIP PAUL IN THE POLLS __ <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;"> Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are maintaining broad popularity in the Republican Party, both far outstripping GOP rival Ron Paul in basic favorability. But among independents – crucial swing voters in the general election – the advantage is Romney’s. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;">The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll finds that all three have challenges in the perception of the general public. Gingrich remains underwater in basic favorability, with more Americans seeing him unfavorably than favorably. Romney gets no better than an even split on this measure; Paul, roughly the same. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;">Nonetheless, this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, finds that Romney’s favorability rating has advanced by 13 points among independents since mid-October; 45 percent now see him favorably, 30 percent unfavorably. That’s improved from a more negative 32-36 percent split on Romney among independents a month and a half ago. Romney’s gained ground among very conservative potential GOP voters as well. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;">Gingrich, for his part, also has gained slightly among independents, up by 7 points in favorability from mid-November, to 36 percent. But more independents continue to view him unfavorably than favorably, essentially unchanged at 43 percent. <span style="background-color: #ffff00; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; vertical-align: baseline;">Paul, for his part, has gained 11 points in favorable ratings among independents since earlier this fall, to 38 percent — but also has seen his unfavorable score in this group rise by 9 points, to 34 percent. He’s become better known among independents, but not better liked. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;">Paul’s more immediate concern is in his own party. Republicans only divide, 39-34 percent, in favorable vs. unfavorable views of the libertarian congressman. His favorable score is unchanged from the last ABC/Post measurement in mid-September. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;">Favorability is the most basic measure of a public figure’s popularity. Compare Paul’s 39 percent among Republicans to Gingrich’s 60 percent and Romney’s 56 percent. The difference between Gingrich and Romney in favorability is not statistically significant given the sample size — but slightly more Republicans see Gingrich “strongly” favorably, 22 percent, than do Romney, 15 percent. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;">OTHERS – In addition to bragging rights among independents, Romney, as noted, has improved among Republicans and independents who describe themselves as “very” conservative, a group in which his support has been comparatively weaker. Regardless of whom they support for the nomination, 65 percent in this group now express a favorable opinion of Romney overall, up from 52 percent in mid-October, and the same as Gingrich. It’s a far lower 50 percent for Paul. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;">These candidates have challenges across the political spectrum, of course. Romney and Paul are viewed favorably by about a quarter of Democrats – 23 and 26 percent, respectively – and Gingrich has just a 19 percent favorable rating from Democrats, about as low as Barack Obama’s, earlier this fall, among Republicans. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;">METHODOLOGY – This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline and cell phone Nov. 22-27, 2011, excluding Nov. 24, among a random national sample of 1,009 adults. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points. The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and tabulation by SSRS/Social Science Research Solutions of Media, Pa.

<span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%; text-align: left;">Article 3: [|Who is Ron Paul?]

__ //ABOUT// RON PAUL __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;"> Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for liberty in politics today.<span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; vertical-align: baseline;"> Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. He is known among both his colleagues in Congress and his constituents for his consistent voting record in the House of Representatives: Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the “one exception to the Gang of 535″ on Capitol Hill. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Ron Paul was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Gettysburg College and the Duke University School of Medicine, before proudly serving as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force during the 1960s. He and his wife Carol moved to Texas in 1968, where he began his medical practice in Brazoria County. As a specialist in obstetrics/gynecology, Dr. Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies! He and Carol, who reside in Lake Jackson, Texas, are the proud parents of five children and have eighteen grandchildren. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">While serving in Congress during the late 1970s and early 1980s, __Dr. Paul’s limited-government ideals were not popular in Washington.__ He served on the House Banking committee, where he was a <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">strong advocate for sound monetary policy and an outspoken <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">__critic of the Federal Reserve’s inflationary measures__. He also was a key member of the Gold Commission, advocating a return to a gold standard for our currency. He was an unwavering advocate of pro-life and pro-family values. Dr. Paul consistently voted to lower or abolish federal taxes, spending, and regulation, and used his House seat to actively promote the return of government to its proper constitutional levels. In 1984, he voluntarily relinquished his House seat and returned to his medical practice. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Dr. Paul returned to Congress in 1997 to represent the 14th Congressional district of Texas. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. On the Financial Services Committee, Rep. Paul serves as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology. He continues to advocate a dramatic reduction in the size of the federal government and a return to constitutional principles. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Dr. Paul is the author of several books, including // The Revolution: A Manifesto, // // End the Fed, // // Liberty Defined, // // Challenge to Liberty //; // The Case for Gold //; and // A Republic, If You Can Keep It //. He has been a distinguished counselor to the Ludwig von Mises Institute, and is widely quoted by scholars and writers in the fields of monetary policy, banking, and political economy. He has received many awards and honors during his career in Congress, from organizations such as the National Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste, the Council for a Competitive Economy, and countless others. <span style="background-color: #ffff00; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">**Dr. Paul’s consistent voting record prompted one Congressman to comment that “Ron Paul personifies the Founding Fathers’ ideal of the citizen-statesman. He makes it clear that his principles will never be compromised, and they never are.” Another Congresswoman added that “There are few people in public life who, through thick and thin, rain or shine, stick to their principles. Ron Paul is one of those few.”**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">Article 4: [|Federal Reserve]

__<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">RON PAUL ON THE FEDERAL RESERVE __ <span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Federal Reserve is the chief culprit behind the economic crisis. **Its unchecked power to create endless amounts of money out of thin air brought us the **<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">boom and bust cycle ** and causes one financial bubble after another. Since the Fed’s creation in 1913 **<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the dollar has lost more than 96% of its value **, and by recklessly inflating the money supply the Fed continues to distort interest rates and intentionally erodes the value of the dollar. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For the past 30 years, Congressman Ron Paul has worked tirelessly to bring much-needed transparency and accountability to the secretive bank. And in 2009 and 2010 his unfaltering dedication showed astonishing results: **<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">HR 1207, the bill to audit the Federal Reserve, swept the country and made the central bankers shudder at their desks. ** The bill passed as an amendment both in the House Financial Services Committee and in the House itself. But eventually the most significant portions of the bill were derailed. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This year, Audit the Fed is back with a vengeance. Reintroduced on 01/26/2011 as HR 459, Ron Paul ’s bill to audit the Federal Reserve now has **<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">191 ** co-sponsors, and the numbers keep growing! HR 459 ′s companion bill in the Senate, **<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">S 202 **, has already attracted 18 co-sponsors. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is history in the making, and victory is within reach. Imagine what will happen if HR 459, The Federal Reserve Transparency Act, comes up for vote in Congress! It has real potential to pass — BUT only if we educate and rally the people to support it and get our Congresspeople to put it to vote and pass it.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">Article 5: [|Paul's Wins Ineffective]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">__RON PAUL'S STRAW POLL WINS: WHY AREN'T THEY HELPING HIS CAMPAIGN?__ ==<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Texas congressman leads the pack, again. But, judging by his other straw-poll victories, he shouldn't expect a big campaign boost == <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">October 10, 2011 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Rep. Ron Paul's straw-poll wins are easily dismissed when, as some charge, <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">he "packs the vote" with a disproportionate number of his supporters. Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Corbis <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">**Best Opinion:** Wash. Times, First Things, The Atlantic <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Rep. Ron Paul won another another straw poll on Saturday, topping the Republican field with 37 percent of the vote at the Values Voters Summit. The libertarian congressman won similar contests held by the California GOP and the Conservative Political Action Conference, and he finished a close second behind Rep. Michele Bachmann in the closely watched Ames Straw Poll. With such consistently strong showings, why isn't Paul's campaign taking off? <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">**Straw polls aren't everything:** Paul has again proven the strength of his campaign, says Rich Stowell at //The Washington Times//. This win, and those before it, remind those who would dismiss Paul that he "has an extraordinarily disciplined and effective organization nationwide, ready to deploy at these major events." But the nominating process is a slog and his rivals are strong, so he'll have to be satisfied with the fleeting publicity each victory brings. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">**This win is too fishy to matter:** One would think Paul "a bit too libertarian for social conservatives," says Joseph Knippenberg at //First Things//. But Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council explained everything when he pointed out that the Paul camp apparently packed the vote with his amped up supporters. <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This kind of thing doesn't boost Paul's candidacy; it makes "the whole enterprise of straw polling" look dubious. **The poll has meaning, but not for Paul:** Paul won't "suddenly be treated as a frontrunner rather than a sideshow" because of any straw poll, [|says Molly Ball at //The Atlantic//]. But there was meat in the result nonetheless. Herman Cain, fueled by a strong speech, won a strong second with 23 percent of the vote, which "will perpetuate the Cain boomlet." And Rick Perry, who was hoping to "get social conservatives who've written him off to give him another look," fell flat.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">Article 6: [|Straw Poll Problems for Paul]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">__STRAW POLLS HAVE NOT LEAD TO A NOMINATION__

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">**SALT LAKE CITY,** October 9, 2011—Ron Paul is certainly amped. Another straw poll victory for him. Were it not for Michele Bachmann's brief flirtation with top-tier status, he would now have four major straw poll wins on his resume this year. <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Paul has an extraordinarily disciplined and effective organization nationwide, ready to deploy at these major events. His win reflects as much. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">But what does it mean in the bigger scheme? These things can have an impact in three ways: instant if fleeting media attention, public perception of viability, and fundraising muscle. Paul will get his deserved share of the media limelight for a few days. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Yet ironically, to the type of voter who is paying attention right now, it won't matter much. As Ms. Bachmann proved, momentum from straw polls can be elusive. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">How Rep. Paul was able to win the recent straw poll is a matter for electoral experts to recount, for Paul's opponents to study, and for Paul and his campaign to celebrate. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Interestingly, Herman Cain scored another victory in another straw poll on the same day as Paul. Unlike the Texas congressman, Cain's fortunes seem to be consistent and on the rise. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, more established candidates like Romney and Perry have taken a hit, to varying degrees, commensurate with Cain's rise. And in Washington, the Values Voters all but rebuked the two governors. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Paul and Cain have demonstrated the most obvious fact that so many want to ignore: that the nomination process is exactly that. And a hard one to boot. The field has been in flux for some time, with voter allegiances, momentum, and fortunes rising and falling regularly. Conservative voters ought to be ecstatic about it. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">So the GOP will continue to hammer it out. For many Republicans, that's a good thing. A sizeable chunk of the conservative base was upset in 2008 when their party nominated John McCain. They don't want to make the same mistake in an election that seems to be theirs for the taking. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Publicly, Democrats will laugh. Their joviality will be feigned, though. They are scared to death– of Romney, Perry, Paul, and Cain. If Huntsman, Santorum, or Gingrich made their own surges, Democrats would be scared of them too. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">The spin from the Left is that the Republican field is a joke, that there is angst among the base, and the eventual nominee will be a lightweight. Their proof is that no clear frontrunner has emerged. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">There's simply no historical pattern that can tie an eclectic field to disappointing general election results. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Remember Howard Dean, Dick Gephardt, and John Edwards, and John Kerry? Those were the four leaders in polls at this point in the election cycle during the first Bush term. Gephardt led the pack. And in a previous election, Bill Clinton didn't even announce until October, 1991. At the time of his entrance, the democratic field was lackluster, to say the least. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">The truth is, almost every field seems lackluster until a nominee is chosen. From a Republican vantage point, a clear frontrunner at this stage would feel like a set up. Just ask Hillary Clinton.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> So while they mock in public, the dems worry in private. Their presumptive nominee can't seem to get his approval ratings out of the low 40s. They're heading toward the 30s. That while the Republicans are debating who should replace him. The eventual GOP nominee will soon enough be able to focus like a laser on why he does not deserve four more years. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">When that happens, and Obama must shift fire from away from his favorite straw men, he is certain to lose further support. For all the mainstream media waling about a too-conservative field that is outside the American mainstream, the president is lurching even further to the left, mitigating any such symmetrical move by Republicans competing for his job. And as he does it, he is losing support of independents as well as his core constituencies. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">For now, then, Ron Paul and Herman Cain can celebrate, the other candidates can adjust, and the president can think about how he wants to spend the final 15 months of his presidency. <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Because in every straw poll this year, the president has been the loser. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">Article 7: [|MORE ON PAUL]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">__BACKGROUND AND HIS POSITION ON THE ISSUES__

** Ron Paul **(R)
**Experience:** Congressman from Texas **Residence:** Lake Jackson, TX **Family:** Married, 5 children **Education:** BS Gettysburg College, MD Duke University School of Medicine **Official Website: [|www.ronpaul2012.com/]**

Ron Paul (born Aug. 20, 1935) is a Republican U.S. representative from Texas and officially entered the campaign for president with an announcement in New Hampshire on May 13, 2011. He used an ABC "Good Morning, America" segment shot in Manchester to make the announcement then went on the road to give his first campaign speech in Exeter. This is his third try for the presidency. He finished fifth in the primary here in 2008. Paul finished third in the Iowa Caucuses, not too far behind Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. **Paul hoped to be a beneficiary of tea partyers looking for a campaign on which to land when Michele Bachmann announced after Iowa that she was suspending her presidential campaign.** He had a good __second place finish in New Hampshire in the Jan. 10 primary with 23 percent of the vote, compared to 39 percent for winner Mitt Romney.__ A lot of his votes came from voters under age 30 compared to the other candidates. Paul became almost an afterthought to the two-man Romney-Gingrich race as the campaigns moved south to South Carolina and Florida. He placed fourth in S.C. and fourth in Florida. **He spent little time in Florida, concentrating instead on caucus states like Nevada and Maine to try to amass his delegates to be a factor at the GOP convention**. He was buoyed by results in midwest contests on Feb. 7 in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado, particularly in Minnesota where he finished second behind Santorum and, more importantly, ahead of Romney. __He placed second behind Romney in the Maine caucuses Feb. 11 after putting a lot of effort into the state. In the Feb. 28 primaries in Michigan and Arizona, Paul finished third and fourth respectively.__

Position on the Issues **Economy, Budget & Taxes:** "Ron Paul supports the __elimination of the income tax and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).__ " He says he would support a __Fair Tax and agrees with extensive budget cuts, including cuts in military spending__.

**National Security & Foreign Policy:** "If you hit someone and kill their family, they will hate you and probably hit you back in the future. That’s what blowback is all about. It seems like such a simple concept, but many of Ron Paul’s opponents for the Presidency vehemently deny its validity." Starkly contrasting the rest of the Republican field, __Paul opposes any action in Iran in the name of nuclear anti-proliferation or Israeli security.__

**Immigration:** "A nation without borders is no nation at all. After decades of misguided policies, America has now become a free-for-all. Our leaders betrayed the middle class which is forced to compete with welfare-receiving illegal immigrants who will work for almost anything, just because the standards in their home countries are even lower. If these policies are not reversed, the future is grim." __While Paul opposes a fence, he believes in bringing troops home from abroad to patrol the borders.__

**Health Care:** "__The current system is most definitely broken, and it must eventually be abolished if we want to regain both our health and our freedom. But Obamacare is the worst possible answer.__ All it does is perpetuate a flawed system by forcing everyone to become a client of insurance companies, even those who don’t want to or need to participate."

**Education:** "Ron Paul works towards the __elimination of the inefficient Department of Education,__ leaving education decisions to be made at the __state, local or personal level__. Parents should have the right to spend their money on the school or method of schooling they deem appropriate for their children." __Paul argues that students should be able to opt out of the public system.__

**Energy & Environment:** "We should start by __ending subsidies for oil companies.__ And we should __never, ever go to war to protect our perceived oil interests.__ If oil were allowed to rise to its natural price, there would be tremendous market incentives to find alternate sources of energy. At the same time, I can’t support government ‘investment’ in alternative sources either, for this is not investment at all." __Although he has backed some tax incentives for clean energy, Paul is skeptical in regards to climate change.__

**Social Issues:**
 * //Abortion:// “I am strongly __pro-life.__ I think one of the most disastrous rulings of this century was Roe versus Wade. I do believe in the slippery slope theory. __I believe that if people are careless and casual about life at the beginning of life, we will be careless and casual about life at the end. Abortion leads to euthanasia. I believe that.__” Paul has been criticized by pro-life activist for stating that laws and enforcement should be left to the states.
 * //Same-Sex Marriage:// __Paul has declined to sign the pledge to add a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage.__
 * //Torture//: Paul stated that __waterboarding is torture__ and is illegal.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">Article 8: [|No Alliance with Romney]

__PAUL DENIES RUMORS AND SLAMS SANTORUM__

Ron Paul on Tuesday shot down the idea he’s in cahoots with Mitt Romney, saying __Rick Santorum is a conspiracy theory “addict” who “dreamt that up.”__ Paul told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer there is no truth to the idea that he is in a secret alliance with the Romney campaign. After Blitzer asked if the rumors were true that he was protecting Romney in order to see his son Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on the ticket, Paul laughed off the suggestion and said it “hasn’t crossed my mind.” “Some people are much more into conspiracies than others. If Santorum is an addict on conspiracies, I guess he’s going to have to keep talking that way,” Paul said. __ Paul slammed Santorum’s focus on the supposed strategic alliance, saying the former Pennsylvania senator “pulled that out of the air.” __ “If that’s all he has to talk about, that means he doesn’t have much of a platform to talk about. I would think we’re supposed to be talking about the issue,” Paul said. “But to construct something like that, I mean, he just pulled that out of the air because there’s no truth to it. But if he wants to spend his energy doing that, I just — you can’t do anything about it. But he dreamt that up.” Paul also noted he hit Romney at the beginning of the campaign with ads calling the former Massachusetts governor a “flip-flopper” and that he attacks his three fellow candidates frequently during debates for their positions on foreign policy and civil liberties.

<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 23px;">RESULTS IN THE PRIMARIES:

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<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 23px;">QUOTES:

ON THE U.S. ECONOMY > <span style="color: #000080; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ON EUROPEAN BANKING CRISIS:
 * "Central banks are grasping at straws, hoping that flooding the world with money created out of thin air will somehow resolve a crisis caused by uncontrolled government spending and irresponsible debt issuance,"
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">"A system of capitalism presumes sound money, not fiat money manipulated by a central bank. Capitalism cherishes voluntary contracts and interest rates that are determined by savings, not credit creation by a central bank."
 * <span class="body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"Have you noticed the debt is exploding? And it's not all because of Medicare."
 * "I will always vote what I have promised, and always vote the Constitution, as well as I will not vote for one single penny that isn't paid for, because debt is the monster, debt is what's going to eat us up and that is why our economy is on the brink."
 * "If you like small government you need to work hard at having a strong national defense that is not so militant. Personal liberty is the purpose of government, to protect liberty - not to run your personal life, not to run the economy, and not to pretend that we can tell the world how they ought to live."
 * <span class="body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"When the federal government spends more each year than it collects in tax revenues, it has three choices: It can raise taxes, print money, or borrow money. While these actions may benefit politicians, all three options are bad for average Americans."
 * "Greece should have defaulted two years ago; they should have gone into bankruptcy,"
 * "Fiat money caused this European crisis and the financial crisis before it. More fiat money is not the cure."

ON U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS: > ON CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES :
 * "Everyone assumes America must play the leading role in crafting some settlement or compromise between the Israelis and the Palestinians. But Jefferson, Madison, and Washington explicitly warned against involving ourselves in foreign conflicts."
 * "In time it will become clear to everyone that support for the policies of pre-emptive war and interventionist nation-building will have much greater significance than the removal of Saddam Hussein itself."
 * "Setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms."
 * <span class="body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic turmoil to our people."
 * "Having federal officials, whether judges, bureaucrats, or congressmen, impose a new definition of marriage on the people is an act of social engineering profoundly hostile to liberty."
 * "There is nothing wrong with describing Conservatism as protecting the Constitution, protecting all things that limit government. Government is the enemy of liberty. Government should be very restrained."
 * "To me, to be a conservative means to conserve the good parts of America and to conserve our Constitution."