Ron Paul

Ronald Ernest Paul, MD (born August 20, 1935), a physician and Texas politician, is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 14th Congressional District (map) and a former Presidential Candidate of the United States Libertarian Party. First elected to Congress as a Republican in the 22nd District in 1976, he served through 1984, and then retired due to his support for the concept of term limits for Congressmen. After his failed Presidential bid in 1988, Paul returned to Congress in 1996 — again elected as a Republican, however, against the wishes of the local Party, who had backed Paul's primary opponent, the incumbent Democratic representative who had switched party affilation.

Views

His economic views oppose nearly all government intervention in the market. He criticizes the United States' intervention in Iraq and what he charges is the use of the war on terror to curtail civil liberties. He believes in the abolition of income tax, most Cabinet departments, the Federal Reserve, supports the legalization of marijuana, and American withdrawal from the United Nations. He supports a non-interventionist foreign policy, favors defederalization of the healthcare system, opposes the death penalty, and is strongly opposed to a military draft. Paul's campaign slogan for 2004 was "The Taxpayers' Best Friend!" http://www.ronpaulforcongress.com/index.html. The President of the National Taxpayers Union, John Berthoud, said, "Ron Paul has always proven himself to be a leader in the fight for taxpayer rights and fiscal responsibility...No one can match his record on behalf of taxpayers." He is frequently considered an advocate of small business. Jack Harris, President of the National Federation of Independent Business said, "Congressman Ron Paul is a true friend of small business... He is committed to a pro-small-business agenda of affordable health insurance, lower taxes, tort reform, and the elimination of burdensome mandates." http://www.ronpaulforcongress.com/html/saying.html

Related Topics:
Iraq - War on terror - Civil liberties - Income tax - Cabinet departments - Federal Reserve - Marijuana - United Nations - Death penalty

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His base of support has been among conservative Republicans, but after 9/11 he has gained some strong support from liberal Democrats in central Texas due to his opposition to the war in Iraq. As an example of this shift, the Austin Chronicle newspaper, a liberal, alternative weekly newspaper in Austin, Texas described his views

Related Topics:
Austin Chronicle - Austin, Texas

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as erratic in 2000, http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2000-11-03/pols_feature.html. However after 9/11, the Chronicle took a much more favorable view of Paul, praising him for his strong principled opposition on the war in Iraq and the war on terror.

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Paul's supporters say he is willing to take unpopular positions in order to defend what he regards as constitutional limited government. He has been criticized at times for his voting record, being the only dissenting vote against giving Rosa Parks and Mother Theresa the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor; According to Texas Monthly, "When he was criticized for voting against the medal , he chivied his colleagues by challenging them to personally contribute $100 to mint the medal. No one did, of course. At the time, Paul observed, 'It's easier to be generous with other people's money.'" In a speech on June 25, 2003, criticizing giving Tony Blair a Medal of Honor, Paul said, "These medals generally have been proposed to recognize a life of service and leadership, and not for political reasons - as evidenced by the overwhelming bi-partisan support for awarding President Reagan, a Republican, a gold medal. These awards normally go to deserving individuals, which is why I have many times offered to contribute $100 of my own money, to be matched by other members, to finance these medals http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2003/cr062503.htm." Texas Monthly awarded him the "Bum Steer" award for voting against a congressional honor for cartoonist Charles Schulz.

Related Topics:
Rosa Parks - Mother Theresa - Congressional Gold Medal of Honor - Charles Schulz

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Ron Paul's Legislative Director in 2004 described President Bush as a "domestic socialist" and "war-monger" and has accused the GOP congressional leadership of engaging in trickery and deceit.

Related Topics:
2004 - Bush

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Paul has also said that there are many within Government pushing an agenda that undermines sovereignty by increasing the powers of international agencies, such as the United Nations. At a meeting of Texas Patriots, he explained, "I think there are 25,000 individuals that have used offices of powers, and they are in our Universities and they are in our Congresses, and they believe in One World Government. And if you believe in One World Government, then you are talking about undermining National Sovereignty and you are talking about setting up something that you could well call a Dictatorship - and those plans are there!..."http://www.propagandamatrix.com/260903ronpaul.html

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Controversial comments about race in newsletter

Paul has been accused of racism over an article in a 1992 issue of the Ron Paul Survival Report. The article, about the L.A. race riots and titled "Los Angeles Racial Terrorism," characterized the rioters as "barbarians" and called the rioters "thugs and revolutionaries who hate Euro-American civilization".

Related Topics:
1992 - L.A. race riots - Revolutionaries - Civilization

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Ron Paul's publication cited reports that 85 percent of African-American men in Washington, D.C., are arrested at some point. The article argued that "Given the inefficiencies of what D.C. laughingly calls the 'criminal justice system,' I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal." It blames liberals and the welfare state for telling African-Americans that they "are entitled to something for nothing". Years later, Paul explained that the newsletter was written by a staff member without him seeing the text prior to publication, as is commonly the case.

Related Topics:
Liberals - Welfare state

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Support for the gold standard

In many public speeches Paul has called for the re-introduction of the gold standard, the effect of which would require the United States Government to make large purchases of gold and to only issue currency to the extent of its ownership of gold (although it is doubtful this will happen in the foreseeable future). Ron Paul supports the gold standard because currency inflation increases consumer prices http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul162.html http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul163.html. Economist Murray N. Rothbard, a student of economist Ludwig von Mises, has written,

Related Topics:
Gold standard - Murray N. Rothbard - Ludwig von Mises

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:This plan (for the gold standard), essentially the one advocated by Congressman Ron Paul (R.-Texas), would return us speedily to something akin to the best monetary system in U.S. history...http://www.mises.org/rothbard/genuine.asp

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He has also called for the removal of all taxes on gold transactions.

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http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2003/cr090503.htm In 2002 he proposed legislation abolishing the Federal Reserve Board, enabling "America to return to the type of monetary system envisioned by our Nation's founders: one where the value of money is consistent because it is tied to a commodity such as gold." http://www.underreported.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=175

Related Topics:
2002 - Federal Reserve

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Paul's personal financial disclosures reveal extensive private investments in gold and silver, through equities and warrants in companies including Newmont, IAM Gold, Barrick Gold, Golden Star Resources, Golden Cycle Gold Corp, Pan American Silver, Great Basin Gold, Eldorado Gold, Freeport McMoran Gold & Copper, Apollo Gold Corp and Placer Dome. http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/pfd2003/N00005906_2003.pdf

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The cause of 9/11

Ron Paul has asserted that US foreign policy was "an important reason 9/11 occurred," referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

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:Unfortunately, the biggest failure of our government will be ignored. I’m sure the Commission will not connect our foreign policy of interventionism – practiced by both major parties for over a hundred years – as an important reason 9/11 occurred. Instead, the claims will stand that the motivation behind 9/11 was our freedom, prosperity, and way of life. If this error persists, all the tinkering and money to improve the intelligence agencies will bear little fruit. http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul174.html

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Opposition to the Iraq War

In keeping with his philosophy of limited government, Ron Paul has been a consistent opponent of the Iraq War.

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