The Trail: A Daily Diary of Campaign 2008

A NEW HOPE
We all have been living a nightmare. A vision D. Eisenhower warned of in his 1961 farewell address to the nation. In his address, Eisenhower warned of the corruption of our government, our society, and our culture by the MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. It seems that, as a nation, we have not listened. Eisenhower's dire vision has become our reality. And from this fearful dream, this nation is waking. Our eyes are opening to the truth collectively for the first time. WE THE PEOPLE are finding that we have been subjugated, placated into ignorance and fear, lied to by the very people we have entrusted to preserve and protect our rights, liberties, and our constitution. Many will turn away in fear of truth and close their eyes once again. To open our eyes to this reality, is to also understand that we are all responsible for it as well. complacency and dependence upon the machine keeps THE PEOPLE in line because it is convenient and safe. We have sold our souls. We have as a nation let this happen to ourselves.
My heart breaks for the people of this nation. Our government wages war upon our freedoms, liberties, and our constitution. I watch our republic's destruction, not to the sound of guns or bombs, but to the sound of thunderous applause of those held captive by terrified patriotic blindness, guided by the propaganda of fear, as we give our rights and even the lives of our fellow man for the profit of the corrupt. A fear that is erasing our great history of freedom and repeating itself 70 years later with another dictatorship of war, under the guise of homeland security and the protection of the people.
BUT THERE IS STILL HOPE.
With love and openness, we can overcome ignorance and fear. It is our right as the people, and my duty as a United States MARINE written into our constitution by our founding fathers, entrusted to us, by the people, to ensure that our liberty, freedom, and the constitution never again become the subjugation of the corruption that we have wrought upon ourselves. We must take back our country, and give it to the people. So let us open our hearts, take responsibility, and make our HOPE become our reality. Lets begin REVOLUTION. His name

Dr. Ron Paul

Ron paul lost me when he seemed to be more concerned about personal "property" than the abolition of slavery. He has no common sense and would create anarchy in this country. Furthermore, his preaching against the federal reserve would cause the powers that be to do all that they could to keep him out the white house. If he were nominated they would steal ( if necessary ) the election and give it to Obama.

Ron Paul,

Simplistic answeres for simplictic minds.
I think you all really know deep within yourselves that Ron Paul is just a walking soundbite that has absolutely no substance. I encourage you all to waste your vote on him and ensure that we end the eight years of madness and carnage. Let's help put republicans out of powere for another 40 years. This recession is a direct result of so-called free market policies espoused by republicans.

Just remember one thing: It's the economy stupid!

who asked you to be my defender.you God Bless America types,with your war-mongering mindset,aren't protecting anyone from anything.McCain is a loser at everything;a loser at being a Republican,a loser at being a warrior,fighting the wrong war in Vietnam and doing it again in Iraq(SAME McCAIN),a loser at flip-flopping on his opposing the Bush tax cuts and what is his next lie,that he was against campaign finance reform before he was for it? Save us from the GodBlessAmerica Americans who never saw a war they didn't want and never won a war they started themselves.They truly suck.

Congratulations Big Media, you've managed to pick your robot(s) once again!

Can we possibly vote what's in our hearts and MINDS and forget about who's electable.

Duhhh...believe it or not I actually read in another post that someone was voting for Romney because he was handsome! (YIKES)

PLEASE vote because you are informed (not because you watched Fox or CNN but because you took a few minutes to look up the candidate's positions.

Try it...you'll see it really works!

Best of luck!
J.

YES WE CAN!!!GO BARACK!!!!

YES WE CAN!!!GO BARACK!!!!

During the last debates, the prefix of the evening shared between McCain, Romney and Huckabee was "Islamo" followed by something such as "fascist" or "terrorist."

I remember well the day I awoke and saw the planes crashing into the World Trade Center on 11 September, but let's not forget: not all terrorists are Islamists, Islamo-Fascists, Islamo-terrorists or Islamo anything. Are McCain, Huckabee and Romney prepared to bomb Montana or Michigan when another white, veteran, homegrown terrorist blows up another Middle-American city?

Heaven forbid ANYTHING like Oklahoma City or New York ever happens on our soil again, but perhaps we (we being our government) should take a serious, sober look at what responsibility our government has for the actions others commit against us -- we the people.

Whether Ron Paul wins the GOP nomination is truly irrelevant: he has planted the seeds of a new awakening, particularly amongst the youth to question to wisdom and the Constitutional validity of what the our government does in our name.

Long may his revolution reign.

McCain is George Bush with more brains. He will be a faithful servant of AIPAC and don/t be surprised if he offers Netaniahu some sort of high level position in his administration.This guy at 73 he should have been dead a long time ago, if it was not for the generosity of his Vietnamese captors. They treated him better than he wants the US to treat its prisoners. He partnerd with another hypocrite Gen. Petraeus to convince Bush that the surge will work. Does that mean that as long as the deads are predominantly Iraqis we are succeeding? Look at January's dead Americans, more than the ones in December. This man is what Eisenhower warns us not to succuimb to the American War Industrial Complex and sell our economy to them. Don't you see what is happening today? We are in a depression while Exxon makes these obscene profits. Boeing's stock is going through the roof and all other military suppliers are drenched in money while their poor workers loose their houses. If America elects McCaine you might as well begin to write the "History of the Decline and Fall of America."

McCain is George Bush with more brains. He will be a faithful servant of AIPAC and don/t be surprised if he offers Netaniahu some sort of high level position in his administration.This guy at 73 he should have been dead a long time ago, if it was not for the generosity of his Vietnamese captors. They treated him better than he wants the US to treat its prisoners. He partnerd with another hypocrite Gen. Petraeus to convince Bush that the surge will work. Does that mean that as long as the deads are predominantly Iraqis we are succeeding? Look at January's dead Americans, more than the ones in December. This man is what Eisenhower warns us not to succuimb to the American War Industrial Complex and sell our economy to them. Don't you see what is happening today? We are in a depression while Exxon makes these obscene profits. Boeing's stock is going through the roof and all other military suppliers are drenched in money while their poor workers loose their houses. If America elects McCaine you might as well begin to write the "History of the Decline and Fall of America."

McCain is George Bush with more brains. He will be a faithful servant of AIPAC and don/t be surprised if he offers Netaniahu some sort of high level position in his administration.This guy at 73 he should have been dead a long time ago, if it was not for the generosity of his Vietnamese captors. They treated him better than he wants the US to treat its prisoners. He partnerd with another hypocrite Gen. Petraeus to convince Bush that the surge will work. Does that mean that as long as the deads are predominantly Iraqis we are succeeding? Look at January's dead Americans, more than the ones in December. This man is what Eisenhower warns us not to succuimb to the American War Industrial Complex and sell our economy to them. Don't you see what is happening today? We are in a depression while Exxon makes these obscene profits. Boeing's stock is going through the roof and all other military suppliers are drenched in money while their poor workers loose their houses. If America elects McCaine you might as well begin to write the "History of the Decline and Fall of America."

John McCain is just plain garbage just like the two party system, thank god I Voted for ron paul.

Sabotage? Oh brother! Just which candidate is it that goes around the country buying up straw poll tickets and busses people in and pays for the busses, meals, tickets, and all expenses for so-called supporters who just want the free goodies???? It sure AIN'T Ron Paul!!!

So...is this paper and others sitting on the McCain is crazy story until after the Primaries????? Yep...liars in the media will do anything to get Obama or Clinton in the White House...Vote for Mitt...and tell Huckabee to get out of the race!!!!

So...is this paper and others sitting on the McCain is crazy story until after the Primaries????? Yep...liars in the media will do anything to get Obama or Clinton in the White House...Vote for Mitt...and tell Huckabee to get out of the race!!!!

I agree that RuPaul would make a ravishing President.

Ron Paul, on the other hand, looks like someone who wants to eat my brain. Put a flashlight under his chin and he would look scarier than Michael Chertoff, no mean accomplishment.

So...is this paper and others sitting on the McCain is crazy story until after the Primaries????? Yep...liars in the media will do anything to get Obama or Clinton in the White House...Vote for Mitt...and tell Huckabee to get out of the race!!!!

I agree that RuPaul would make a ravishing President.

Ron Paul, on the other hand, looks like someone who wants to eat my brain. Put a flashlight under his chin and he would look scarier than Michael Chertoff, no mean accomplishment.

RE: Check out the Maine Caucus results coming up now... Ron Paul at 19% - his under the radar strategy is working folks. Believe in the man - he shall come through.

Posted by: babaprad | February 2, 2008 08:46 PM

Mitt won!!!!

Ya know godlyfly...I hear this all the time...look even if Paul was President...mone of what he wants would get passed! Get over it ...and vote for a conservative like Mitt....I am so sorry...but McCain is the guy in each and every debate mistreated Paul....vote Mitt to keep McCain out of the White house!!!

Does anyone know if this article about McCain is true?????

If so....OMG!!!!!!

The man is crazy!!!!

http://radiopatriot.blogspot.com/2008/02/spooks-from-past.html

Please read all the thoughts here, then look at what each candidate has done, said, or re-stated differently. Only one statesman is clear, precise, and has always been constant on His beliefs:
Ron Paul. Almost everyone I meet willingly admits the media debates were slanted toward the front runners of each party.
Almost everyone states Ron Paul is the only one telling the truth about the economy. Everyone is fed-up with the senate and house giving trillions to the foreign governments and not to our own cities. If you want to see an improvement in America; Ron Paul is the man.

The last two elections, I voted for Bush as a lesser of two evils vote. This election, I decided to start researching early, and initially, I chose Thompson. As I looked, I heard more and more about Ron Paul, even though the media framed him as an independent with a small grass-roots following that had no hope of winning. When I finally looked, I was surprised at what I found, and I have been following the progress of Ron Paul since mid November.

I read his stances, and I agree with them. I read the arguments from fellow supporters, and the majority of them are well thought out, emotionally stable, well-written statements. I read the statements of the detractors, and most of them simply dismiss him as a crackpot without explaining why, or are simply insulting, while the rest will make a vague allusion to one of the planks of his platform without a rational argument to back it up. I have yet to see one rational argument against his stances, either here in this list, or elsewhere. So for those who think we're crackpots, please explain why without resorting to insults or weak straw man attacks against Ron Paul.

Whomever voted for Bush twice should have there voting rights taken away for pure stupidity.

Your to dumb to vote.

After the last 8 years why would anyone vote Rethuglican.

You idiots scream how conservative you are but want to pour trillions into Iraq.

Instead of paying them not to work we are paying them not to fight us.

The Iraq war is the biggest waste of money in the history of this planet.

Who new Conservatives were so giving.

America can thank the GOP for giving Iraqis there own welfare system off of Americans backs.

Thanks

Check out the Maine Caucus results coming up now... Ron Paul at 19% - his under the radar strategy is working folks. Believe in the man - he shall come through.

Believe it or not, years ago I too thought a lot of John McCain. I hadn't yet realized that he doesn't really care about anyone's freedom. Whatever he may have been in Vietnam, he's a politician now, pure and simple, nothing more and nothing less.

****

I have a theory I'm working on, with regard to liberal/conservative anti-Paul flames I come across - the theory says that if you reverse every single thing about the post, you get the profound truth. Let's use a comment from jay.adams.feuer and try it:

"You poor losers: Ron Paul is irrelevant. I don't care that he's anti-Semitics, anti-gay, for states "protecting human life" and all his other stupid stands.
I don't care because HE'S NOT GOING TO WIN ANY STATES IN THE PRIMARY AND HE'S NOT GOING TO INFLUENCE ANYTHING.

The die-hard nature of you Ron Paul fanatics make him deceptively look more consequential than he is. My advice: get a life, then get a candidate who can win who's not anti-Semitic or anti-gay."

Wow, this is going to be awesome! First off - "You poor losers" means we Paul supporters are winners, whatever happens in the election, because we are not only correct in our analysis of what this country needs, but courageous too.
"Ron Paul is irrelevant" means, course, that Ron Paul is very relevant - and is a growing threat to the status quo.
"he's anti-Semitics, anti-gay," means he is the very best friend to Jews and gays, as he wants them to keep more of their own money, and be left alone by government.
"all his other stupid stands" means Paul's positions are highly intelligent and well thought-out.
"I don't care" means he cares very much.
"...HE'S NOT GOING TO INFLUENCE ANYTHING" means Paul is having influence, and it's growing. Anyone racking up a million dollars in donations in one day just because of his wedding anniversary is influencing somebody for sure. Anybody who forces his own party to change caucus rules at the last minute (Louisiana) and cancel straw votes (San Francisco) is having an influence.
"The die-hard nature of you Ron Paul fanatics make him deceptively look more consequential than he is."

Interesting. How do you reverse this one? Actually, it's not so hard; we are not die hard fans, most of us are actually Johnny-come-latelys who are amazed at how coherent the ideas of Ron Paul are, and how truly incoherent the opposition's ideas are by comparison. He is actually a much more consequential man than people realize, not less. Just because we are mostly alone in backing him, does not make him inconsequential, it means he is not popular in the mainstream yet, and that - it is quite clear - is only because not enough people know about him and what he stands for.
"get a life, then get a candidate who can win who's not anti-Semitic or anti-gay" This means that we are doing a great thing with our lives by backing Dr. Ron Paul, we should stay with our guy, because he might win, and he isn't anti-Semitic or anti-gay, so don't worry about that at all.

Perfect. You see?

Before you vote it is wise to read a candidate's bio first.

McCain For President!!
Do you want to see how clear his message is?
Do you want to learn how much of a straight talk is he?
Do you want to learn how much Honesty this man has to share with everyone?
Then watch this video and learn..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioy90nF2anI

and if there is any doubt then watch this one also

http://www.youtube.com/v/BPyKpcivQYQ&rel

McCain For PRESIDENT!!!

The phenom of Bush is best explained by parsing the quotes of the two five-figure GOP "voters" in the article....there you will find the sheer stupidity of people who vote against the own self-interest, causing untold damage to the Republic.

I have NO respect for them, they suck the oxygen off this planet.

John Jessup--

Most of what you say about Huckabee sounds good, except his stand on the Second Amendment. You say:

10. SECOND AMENDMENT-
• Lifetime member of the NRA, member for over 15 years
• First Governor to have concealed-carry permit
• Removed restrictions on carry permit holders
• Protected gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits
• Opposes reauthorization of the Assault Weapon Ban
• Opposes expansion of the unconstitutional "Brady Bill"
• Opposes waiting period for purchase of firearms
• Opposes background checks on private firearms transactions at gun shows
• Will nominate judges who interpret the constitution as the Founders intended, rather than as a "living document reflecting current political trends or opinions"
• An avid hunter and conservationist, and a member of the Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and BASS

Well, when you say he "Opposes reauthorization of the Assault Weapon Ban." If he and you believe that ban is wrong then you are both stupid! You mention interpreting the Constitution as the Founders intended. Well, issue everyone a single-shot musket. That is all that was available when the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution. What, if in a few short years, someone invents a rifle that fires a bullet capable of carrying the power of a small nuclear weapon. Would that be the kind of arms the Founding Fathers would have wanted U.S. citizens to be allowed to possess? I don't think so.

If you or a close member of your family were made a near-vegetable by some lunatic wielding a handgun, you would be more inclined to support the Brady Bill.

Also, you and Huckabee seem to want to let every nut buy a firearm at a gun show without having to prove that he/she isn't a lunatic and a potential threat to you and the rest of our law-abiding society. Tell that to the families of those killed at Virginia Tech.

So on and so on...

You're not only weird, you're dangerous!!!

When McCain says, "My friends," I hear the mantra of the Soviet Communist saying, "My comrades."

I am actually surprised that more corporations don't back Ron Paul. After all he wants to reduce or eliminate most of the taxes that corporations now pay. Also if he gets his way with Social Security, I could see their money outlay going down too. If a young person opted out of Social Security to invest that money towards his own retirment, the corporation wouldn't have to match his funds anymore.

You poor losers: Ron Paul is irrelevant. I don't care that he's anti-Semitics, anti-gay, for states "protecting human life" and all his other stupid stands.

I don't care because HE'S NOT GOING TO WIN ANY STATES IN THE PRIMARY AND HE'S NOT GOING TO INFLUENCE ANYTHING.

The die-hard nature of you Ron Paul fanatics make him deceptively look more consequential than he is. My advice: get a life, then get a candidate who can win who's not anti-Semitic or anti-gay.

********************************
Ok then, schlep! So Im just guessing that you might be a gay jew, am I right? If so how does one say "suck me dry in yiddish?

McCain? Wasn't he one of the Keating 5?

Charles Keating's S&L was in trouble, the FSLIC was clamping down, so Keating contributed signioficant money to John McCain & 4 other senators.

You're a federal bureaucrat, and 5 - FIVE - U.S. Senators walk into your office & tell you to lay off their friend.

The ensuing bailout cost taxpayers hundreds of billions.

How do you spell "Corrupt"? M-c-C-a-i-n.

Morons. Ron Paul is an anti-Semitic nutjob.

Posted by: PBL4 | February 1, 2008 11:55 PM

********************************
Who you callin a "Moron", Sheep?
The thing that separates Ron Paul from all the rest of em is that you may not like his answers, but you never have to wonder if he's telling you the truth or just tellin you what you wanna hear!

I wouldn't be so sure that the sign "The Media Is Bias" was a mistake. From the Webster's New World Medical Dictionary:

Bias: 1. When a point of view prevents impartial judgment on issues relating to the subject of that point of view. In a clinical trial, bias refers to effects that a conclusion that may be incorrect as, for example, when a researcher or patient knows what treatment is being given. To avoid bias, a blinded study may be done. 2. Deviation of results or inferences from the truth, or processes leading to such systematic deviation. Any trend in the collection, analysis, interpretation, publication, or review of data that can lead to conclusions that are systematically different from the truth.

----------

A John McCain nomination spells the end of the Republican party.

What is it that's turned the modern-day Republican party into a horde of lemmings headed for the cliff? McCain is the original Democrat in Republican's clothing, and has the wrong answer for nearly every plank in the party platform. He helped prevent George W.'s judicial nominations, tried to give amnesty to illegal immigrants, and has done more damage to free speech than any presidential candidate since Lincoln. McCain sees no problem turning to war as a first resort, rather than last.

It would be different if there was a point to it. If the Republican party was nominating a person who didn't fit the mold of the party, but who could still win the White House, then maybe the risk would be worth it. However, when seventy percent of the country is upset with the current administration and wants the troops to come home, there's little chance that a "Bush third term" is going to win against the Clinton machine. The very first attack ad would be to quote McCain's "let's stay in Iraq for another hundred years" line, followed by "do the American people really want this kind of warmonger in the Oval Office?" Hillary would beat McCain in a landslide of Reaganesque proportions.

There's only one thing standing between John McCain and the nomination - and a Hillary presidency - and that's a brokered convention. Without a lock on the nomination, the party gains a few more months to cool off, examine their priorities, rethink the election. In a convention, the delegates become a captive audience, forced to listen to a voice of reason. Hopefully, someone besides John McCain can come out of the convention on top.

The only way to force a brokered convention... this is to support Ron Paul. If we let Mccain in we will lose the election. Hillary will kill him in the debate. I realize hillary is horrible as well but we have to keep MCcain out of the white house. We need to keep Mccain and his lies away. he is no different then bush and for the next 4 years nothing would change.

They are well documented, many are on camera, and are cross-referenced by multiple national media outlets. Forward as needed to the Huckabee boosters in your life.

In no particular order:

Scandal #1 - Huckabee misrepresents his stand on illegal aliens - He ran Arkansas as a safe haven state for illegal aliens, and favored illegal aliens over US citizens for cut-rate in-state tuition. Now he's claiming he's against amnesty when he refused to sign a bill to start deporting illegals.

(Arkansas Journal) (Washington Times)

Scandal #2 - Huckabee lied about urging parole of a rapist who raped and murdered again - He pardoned or commuted sentences on 1,033 criminals while governor. He urged the parole board to approve parole of many more criminals that were politically difficult to pardon. One example, Wayne DuMond, went on to kill and rape 2 women after Huckabee personally pressured the parole board to release him 25 years early for a rape conviction. The Arkansas parole board forwarded Huckabee a letter from one of DuMond's prior rape victims urging the governor not to pardon DuMond, and predicting that DuMond would rape and kill again. Huckabee pushed for the pardon anyway. Huckabee later denied receiving the letter, and tried to cover it up, according to a former aid who provided the letters.

(Huffington Post) (ABC News)

Scandal #3 - Huckabee's non-stop abuse of Christianity as a political gimmick - This "phone call" will absolutely turn your stomach, as does his oh-so-subtle floating cross Christmas ad. Give me a break. It disgusts me as a Christian, and no doubt frightens non-Christians to see this sort of thing.

Scandal #4 - Huckabee is a pro-war "Christian" - Here's a chance to actually put some of Christ's sermons (Blessed are the warmongers?) into action. Instead, he supports continuing the war in Iraq to "save national honor" rather than admitting it was a mistake (no WMD's, no al Qaeda) and withdrawing. How many more have to die before we "leave with honor"? Is that the 11th Commandment? Maybe it'll be as honorable as Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Bosnia, Somalia, Sudan or Serbia... He has absolutely no idea how foreign policy and militarism connects with the dollar crisis, terrorism, and the coming recession. This makes him identical to all but Ron Paul out of any of the candidates, but is noteworthy given how bloodthirsty he is for a minister.

Scandal #5 - Huckabee destroyed state files and equipment as he left the Governor's Office - He ordered the payment of $25,000 from a state emergency fund to physically destroy the hard drives of his office at the end of his term. That data belongs to the Office of the Governor, not the man, and a public official should have NO expectation of privacy when carrying out the duties of office on government equipment. To turn one of the government's favorite phrases around "if you don't have anything to hide..." So much for rule of law over personal privilege. We could expect little return to Constitutional guarantees of privacy and transparent government under Huckabee. Allocating the funds from a state emergency fund earmarked for floods, tornadoes, and natural disasters is fiscally irresponsible, spendthrift, and perhaps illegal. We should not be surprised if this scandal takes on wings of its own, given all the possible angles.

(Arkansas Democrat Gazette)

Scandal #6 - Ethicsgate - Governor Huckabee was sanctioned 5 times for ethics violations, and had 9 other complaints, none dismissed as frivolous. He's taken practically every gift or favor ever given to him as Arkansas governor, and actively asked for gifts: "some former Huckabee staff and appointees acknowledged ... that Huckabee's chief of staff and a cabinet official solicited contributions from staff and appointees for Christmas gifts for the governor." Shouldn't it go the other way around? The boss buys a small gift for the staff. What about that old Christian nugget: it's better to give than receive. There is also a very direct correlation between his receipt of gifts and his political appointments.

He even went so far as to set up a wedding registry for him and his wife to receive gifts to decorate their house after they left office. How completely tacky. Clearly this guy thinks of public service as serving him, not the other way around.

(MSNBC) (Guardian UK)

Scandal #7 - Huckabee wanted to quarantine AIDS patients in 1992 - He was in favor of rounding up AIDS patients for quarantine in 1992 - NOT 1985, but 1992, 7 years after it was well established that AIDS was not transmitted by casual contact. This is either a not so subtle "homos be damned" pander to the evangelical base, or a display of ignorance so shocking it borders on unbelievable.

This was a full year after Magic Johnson "mainstreamed" HIV/AIDS by admitting that he had it. He would probably have given Magic a pass to play at the Olympics that year.

(CNN) (USA Today)

Scandal #8 - Huckabee refuses to admit when he's mistaken or misinformed about current events - Rather than get informed or admit his lack of knowledge, he lies about his gaffes. A polite observer will say he was misunderstood, but watch the video and judge for yourself. See these comments about Pakistan under marital law and the Pakistan immigration "threat." How exactly does a former governor who didn't even have Secret Service protection get a CIA briefing? Who briefed him? Where did those numbers come from? What? Then there's this 46-second gem.

Scandal #9 - Huckabee seriously misrepresents his record on cutting taxes - He is not really a tax cutter, and in fact, is lined up to be a bigger spender than, well, Bush II. "Right now, we spend about 3.9 percent of our GDP on defense, compared with about six percent in 1986, under President Ronald Reagan. We need to return to that six percent level." (Foreign Affairs) Does he realize that's $300 Billion in additional defense spending, over the $500 Billion in on-budget Defense spending?

That last thing we need is to waste an additional $300 Billion on planes and battleships to fight guys with carbines and makeshift bombs. We need to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and follow Ron Paul's plan of granting Letters of Marque for the capture of bin Laden. This sort of policy ignorance is consistent with Huckabee's generally misinformed worldview.

It gets better though. Here is his record on taxes from National Review and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

"According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the average Arkansas tax burden increased 47% over Huckabee's tenure. Huckabee supported (in chronological order) a sales tax hike; gas and diesel fuel tax hikes; another sales tax hike; a cigarette tax hike; a nursing home bed tax; another sales tax hike; an income surcharge tax; a tobacco tax hike; taxes on Internet access; and higher beer taxes. Huckabee also oversaw a 50-percent increase in spending; happily signed a minimum wage increase and encouraged national Republicans to do the same; favors a national smoking ban, farm subsidies, and a federally mandated arts and music curriculum; opposes private school choice; and employs class-warfare and protectionist language on the campaign trail."

(Foreign Affairs) (National Review) (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)

Scandal #10 - Arkansans like Hillary Clinton better than Huckabee by nearly 4 to 1 - His home state rejects him as a left-leaning, tax and spend, authoritarian Republican. There's no way a leftist Republican will beat a Democrat in the general election. Leftists will vote for the Democrat offered, and other than some evangelicals and die-hards, Republicans and Independents will stay home. Huckabee versus any Democrat would be an electoral beating to rival Reagan versus Mondale, except it will be the Dems taking the White House. He is a Democrats' dream candidate to the point that they are calling him the "Glass Jaw" because they will break him head to head. (Drudge Report)

Here's Hillary, one of the most despised people in politics, absolutely killing Huckabee in a late 2007 poll (35% to 8%) in Arkansas on the heals of out-raising him for bucks in their "home" state. The final word on Huckabee, and more in-depth reading of all his flip-flops, pettiness, gaudiness, and scandalous behavior I leave to one who knows him best. Max Brantley of the Arkansas Gazette writes for Salon about the man he's covered for nearly 19 years.

(University of Arkansas) (Salon)

Ron Paul.com Dr. Ron Paul supports securing the borders and no amnesty like every other person left running. Round them up and ship them out. Rawhide. Donate Today. And Save the USA for the Children's Future. Spread the word. God Bless Everyone.

I am scared
I am English and live in England but I'm still scared.
I'm scared Ron Paul won't get the republican nomination. If he gets that he'll get the presidency if he's not assassinated first.
I have never been interested in politics much less American politics until this year. I didn't even know republicans equate to conservatives over here and the democrats to labour, but unfortunately the state of the American government and its effect on the rest of the world has made me take an interest.
I am scared. Not for me I'm 57 but for my children. I feel we're on the verge of world war 3. I feel like some people in the 1930s must have felt about the rise of Hitler. I talk to people and they're just not interested. They are more interested in what's happening in Big Brother. I think they're right and 95% of the people in this world don't count.

The former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, has just endorsed Juan McCain. Let's see .... New York Times, LA Times, and now Vicente Fox. Could a conservative ask for much more?

Mike Huckabee looks like a sleazy used car salesman. Give him a red jacket, purple shirt, and a yellow tie. Then place him under a "Bubba's Used Car" sign.

Want a real conservative candidate? Check into Mike Huckabee at mikehuckabee.com. Mike can bring the country together... He has common sense ideas and vision for America. The problem, you will have to learn about them for yourself, because the media is blacking him out in much the same way they are Ron Paul. Following is a list of some of Mike's accomplishments as the Governor of Arkansas...

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1. With ten-and-a-half years of experience running state government, Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas has more relevant executive experience than any candidate in the race - either Republican or Democrat.

2. Recognized and tapped by his peers for leadership, the National Governor's Association selected Governor Huckabee as it's Chairman.

3. TIME Magazine honored him as one of the five best Governors in America.

4. Governor Huckabee is a fiscal conservative who cut taxes almost 100 times in the state of Arkansas, including the state's first broad-based tax cuts, and turned a $200 million deficit into an $850 million surplus.

ISSUES
1. TAXES/ECONOMY -Governor Huckabee supports The FairTax because it will restore the "Made in America" label, making American goods 12-25% more competitive, boosting economic growth, increasing our exports, and securing American jobs. It also prevents criminals or illegal aliens from avoiding taxes, and makes the taxes we all pay 100% transparent.

2. GOVERNMENT SPENDING - Governor Huckabee is committed to reducing government spending. One way he'll do this is by reducing the cost of welfare. Governor Huckabee will work with states to reduce welfare roles through programs like the one he implemented in Arkansas, which reduced welfare roles by 50%.

3. HEALTH CARE -Governor Huckabee will implement a consumer-based healthcare system that emphasizes preventative medicine and wellness. Because 70% of our $2 trillion dollar healthcare costs is spent treating chronic, preventable diseases, this approach will make healthcare more affordable for everybody while keeping us healthier.

4. FAMILY VALUES -Governor Huckabee supports a federal constitutional amendment to protect the right to life. He Successfully fought for Arknasas' marriage amendment and strongly supports a similar, federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

5. IMMIGRATION -Governor Huckabee will secure the border (with physical barriers, electronic surveillance, and more border-patrol personnel and detention facilities). He will also end sanctuary cities and increase penalties on, and enforcement against, employers who hire illegal immigrants. Governor Huckabee will make sure the border patrol has adequate funding to end our "catch and release" system so that everyone caught trying to enter illegally, overstaying their visa, or committing a crime will be held until they're tried, convicted, and deported. Gov. Huckabee has also signed the Numbers USA "No Amnesty" Pledge.

6. WAR ON TERROR AND IRAQ - Governor Huckabee knows it takes a large, well-equipped military to ensure our national defense and to deter conventional military confrontations. He also knows we need large, well-equipped intelligence and Special Forces operations for our national offense - so we can effectively find and eliminate terrorist threats at home or abroad. Governor Huckabee will be a Commander in Chief who knows that IF WE HAVE TO FIGHT A WAR, our President has to fight it the way our GENERALS tell him it can be won, not the way we want it to be won.

7. ENERGY INDEPENDENCE -Governor Huckabee will implement a program to end the import of foreign oil in the next ten years by increasing domestic oil production in the short term, and then replacing oil-based energy infrastructure with alternative and renewable energies.

8. CLEMENCIES - Arkansas Governors grant clemency, but the parole board grants parole. Wayne DuMond's parole was granted by the board and NOT Governor Huckabee.

9. TAXES -When Governor Huckabee left office, the tax rates remained exactly the same as when he first came into office. Governor Huckabee returned almost $400 million to Arkansas taxpayers, and he also DOUBLED the standard deduction for individuals and married couples, DOUBLED the childcare tax credit, and eliminated the marriage penalty. He also repealed capital gains taxes for home sales, lowered the capital gains rate by 25%, expanded the homestead exemption, and set up tax-free savings accounts for medical care and college tuition. Gov. Huckabee has also signed the Americans for Tax Reform's pledge not to raise taxes.

10. SECOND AMENDMENT-
• Lifetime member of the NRA, member for over 15 years
• First Governor to have concealed-carry permit
• Removed restrictions on carry permit holders
• Protected gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits
• Opposes reauthorization of the Assault Weapon Ban
• Opposes expansion of the unconstitutional "Brady Bill"
• Opposes waiting period for purchase of firearms
• Opposes background checks on private firearms transactions at gun shows
• Will nominate judges who interpret the constitution as the Founders intended, rather than as a "living document reflecting current political trends or opinions"
• An avid hunter and conservationist, and a member of the Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and BASS

Do yourself a favor and check out Mike Huckabee for yourself. He blows both McCain and Romney out of the water. Look in his eyes when he speaks... He is genuine.

John Jessup

Check my Top Ten Reasons for "supporting" phony McCain:
1. He promises to catch Osama Bin Laden. Question is, if he does catch him, will he then fine him $3000, grant him amnesty, and give him a lifetime Z-Visa? Probably, but only if Ted Kennedy agrees to it.
2. McCain claims that he is the only real conservative because when he participated in a spelling bee in grade school, he was asked to spell that very word. McCain proudly remembers yelling out: "conservative, L-I-B-E-R-A-L "
3. He claims to know everything about the economy but won't respond to any questions about it. That's OK because he says that he can always hire managers.
4. The answer to every question he is asked in a debate, regardless of the topic, is "I'm strong on Iraq." He says this simplifies things and then proudly claims that he is above answering any of these questions anyway because he (and any legislation he would propose) is the only answer to any problem that could ever arise in America.
5. The word Amnesty doesn't exist in his vocabulary. Therefore, there can be no such thing as granting amnesty to anyone.
6. He claims that Ronald Reagan would strongly support him because, just as Al Gore invented the internet, McCain invented the conservative movement.
7. If he is elected, McCain promises to finally stop saying "listen, my friends" before responding to any question.
8. McCain acknowledges that he is no Jack LaLane, but states that his age shouldn't matter because he will promise to get brain scans on a quarterly basis, if elected.
9. McCain promises that he will continue to "reach out" to the most liberal Democrats, like Feingold and Kennedy, so he doesn't appear to be too conservative.
10. Finally, my favorite. Bill Clinton says that a Hillary/McCain contest would be the most civil in the history of the US. To prove Bill correct, McCain promises to hold hands with Hillary across the podiums every time they debate. Bill says that's OK with him because he can go out and chase another fat chick while they're debating.

Had enough?? Then vote for Romney!!!! Go MITT!!!!

Oops! McCain admits that his first approach to controlling and handling illegal immigration (McCain-Kennedy bill)was wrong. He now says the American people first want the borders secured!!! Just exactly, what does that mean? An 1,800-mile fence at the U.S.-Mexican border?

Well, ignoring the enormous cost, remember what Gov. Richardson repeatedly said during his participation in the Democrat debates: If we build a 12-foot fence, those wanting to enter the U.S. illegally will simply come to the fence with 13-foot ladders (13-foot fences, 14-foot ladders). And Richardson as a governor of New Mexico (a border state) should know.

And how about illegal immigrants digging under the fence as an alternative? How deep should the fence go to prevent that from happening?

How long should the fence stay in place? Hundreds of years? Forever? How about occasional maintenance of the fence...filling in man-made holes, etc.? How much will that cost? And, you would have to pay a border patrol force to constantly check the fence and find "the holes!"

Remember Ronald Reagan's famous demand uttered in Berlin: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" How long before a huge crowd of naturalized Americans congregate at the U.S. side of U.S.-Mexican wall and demand: "Pres. McCain, tear down YOUR wall!!"

O.K., so the wall is out because it won't work and is also an eyesore. Would it be practical to station Border Patrol Guards close enough together along the entire border so that they can see any person trying to enter the U.S. illegally?

How close is close enough? One armed guard every 200 yards might do the job. So, how many guards would you need to watch 1,800 miles? About 16,000. And, that's just for one 8-hour shift. Three shifts a day would require 48,000 guards. And that's if each guard works every day...no weekends off...no vacations. How about when a guard gets sick? Better figure on a total force of 100,000 guards. Of course, portable toilets would have to be in place at each guard station. And, there would have to be a separate crew to clean the toilets and dispose of the waste. To protect each guard from the sweltering heat or nighttime cold or duststorms or rain, there would have to be a small hut at each station, complete with solar-powered panels to generate electricity for lights and a microwave. After all, wouldn't a guard want an occasional hot meal?

Let's see: A total workforce of an estimated 100,000, making $100 per day, would cost the government $10,000,000 per day. That's more than $3 billion a year!!!

Anybody out there have a better solution for securing the borders?

Jay.adams.feuer. Are you telling me you have no problem with the monopoly on power currently held by the Republican and Democratic political machines?

After all these years, have the successors to Tammany Hall finally succeeded in reaching into the US government and leaving the people with the impression they are powerless to stop them? How tragic. How unAmerican.

You poor losers: Ron Paul is irrelevant. I don't care that he's anti-Semitics, anti-gay, for states "protecting human life" and all his other stupid stands.

I don't care because HE'S NOT GOING TO WIN ANY STATES IN THE PRIMARY AND HE'S NOT GOING TO INFLUENCE ANYTHING.

The die-hard nature of you Ron Paul fanatics make him deceptively look more consequential than he is. My advice: get a life, then get a candidate who can win who's not anti-Semitic or anti-gay.

You paultards are a step above disturbed he is a handpuppet of white supremacist and you deserve what ever you get but our nation doesn't and he is not winning on a republican ticket nor democratic ticket. We have enough discrimination and hatred as it is in the world and you will not get him elected because there rae more of me than there are of you. That old garbage that you are drudging up against Mac is proof that you haven't a leg to stand on. You may cheat in the straw polls just like Romney but in the real election the truth will prevail.

A few things:
If AIPAC was as powerful as many allege, W. wouldn't have told Israel she has the right to defend herself but better not last year and most problems in the Middle East would have been handled in a better and more efficient fashion; certainly not over a 5 year 1/2 trillion dollar escapade that has brought few if any tangible results.
Hence, the swipe at AIPAC was irrelevant, uninformed, and another attempt at divisive hate speech.

Also, McCain has gone a long way. He used to be a highly respected moderate who really spoke genuinely. Now he JOKES about bombing other countries, makes 'compromises' with the President about torture (something he should know about and be totally against), and is catering to a staunch Christian audience. (What happens if someone isn't that kind of Christian, isn't Christian, or chooses not to pursue a mainstream faith.

THE GOP has doomed us via a lack of planning, a hatred of government, and ignoring 2/3's of the country. Why do they even run for office?

Ron Paul knows what the real Republican Party used to be in it's glory days. And I mean Teddy Roosevelt, not Reagan. Teddy didn't need to cause genocide around the world to make a profit.

Is it funny or what, watching these rank and file GOP voters fretting over illegal immigration and yet at the same time pining for a "true conservative"?

This insanity on immigration that supposedly "conservative" voters are caught up in has just gotten too much, and the media needs to take a straight look at it. It's almost funny, how much these hardworking Republican voters need to lie to themselves just to get through their day.

A "true conservative" believes in the hallowed Free Market to bring about whatever the "right" form of fairness society is due. No protectionism, no Big Government regulation, none of those artificial controls that they decry liberals are so fond of implementing. As such, a "true conservative" believes in every man and woman for him/herself. If Mexicans are coming over the Rio Grande because they can earn more here, well, that's the Market (hallowed be its Holy name) at work. And more importantly since we're talking about hallowed holy institutions, if the business interests here want the cheaper labor, then that is a Wonderful True Conservative value in all of its glory at work. And that is exactly what the Republican party is supposed to stand for - keeping the Market unfettered and big business happy. THIS is what you rank and file Republicans have been voting for ALL THESE YEARS.

Maybe what these Bush voters above need to wake up and get a clue about is that THEY themselves are not TRUE CONSERVATIVES (tm). They actually believe in having some regulations, some limits, some (gasp!) GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION INTO THE FREE MARKET. Do ya think, maybe?

Sadly, if anyone in the media has figured out this incredible self-contradiction that is at work in these voters, they are far too polite to ever point it out.

McCain was a member of the Keating 5, for those who do not remember, it was all about the S&L Scandal in the 80's. This scandal cost American individuals BILLIONS of their savings.

Here is a blurb about it and other character issues of McCain. Pay attention to the "Keating 5" portion.

Credited to:
Johann Hari: Don't be fooled by the myth of John McCain

Thursday, 24 January 2008

A lazy, hazy myth has arisen out of the mists of New Hampshire and South Carolina. Across the pan-Atlantic press, the grizzled 71-year-old Vietnam vet, John McCain, is being billed as the Republican liberals can live with. He is "a bipartisan progressive"", "a principled hard liberal", "a decent man" - in the words of liberal newspapers. His fragile new frontrunner status as we go into Super Tuesday is being seen as something to cautiously welcome, a kick to the rotten Republican establishment.

But the truth is that McCain is the candidate we should most fear. Not only is he to the right of Bush on a whole range of subjects, he is also the Republican candidate most likely to dispense with Hillary or Barack.

McCain is third-generation navy royalty, raised from a young age to be a senior figure in the Armed Forces, like his father and grandfather before him. He was sent to one of the most elite boarding schools in America, then to a naval academy where he ranked 894th out of 899 students in ability. He used nepotism to get ahead: when he was rejected by the National War College, he used his father's contacts with the Secretary of the Navy to make them reconsider. He then swiftly married the heiress to a multi-million dollar fortune.

Right up to his twenties, he remained a strikingly violent man, "ready to fight at the drop of a hat", according to his biographer Robert Timberg. This rage seems to be at the core of his personality: describing his own childhood, McCain has written: "At the smallest provocation I would go off into a mad frenzy, and then suddenly crash to the floor unconscious. When I got angry I held my breath until I blacked out."

But he claims he was transformed by his experiences in Vietnam - a war he still defends as "noble" and "winnable", if only it had been fought harder. (More than three million Vietnamese died; how much harder could it be?) His plane was shot down on a bombing raid over Hanoi, and he was captured and tortured for five years. To this day, he cannot lift his arms high enough to comb his own hair.

On his release, he used his wife's fortune to run to as a Republican senator. He was a standard-issue Reaganite corporate Republican - until the Keating Five corruption scandal consumed him. In 1987, it was revealed that McCain, along with four other senators, had taken huge campaign donations from a fraudster called Charles Keating. In return they pressured government regulators not to look too hard into Keating's affairs, allowing him to commit even more fraud. McCain later admitted: "I did it for no other reason than I valued [Keating's] support."

McCain took the only course that could possibly preserve his reputation: he turned the scandal into a debate about the political system, rather than his own personal corruption. He said it showed how "we need to drive the special interests out of Washington", and became a high-profile campaigner for campaign finance reform. But privately, his behaviour hasn't changed much. For example, in 2000 he lobbied federal regulators hard on behalf of a major campaign contributor, Paxson Communications, in an act the regulators spluttered was "highly unusual". He has never won an election without outspending his opponent.

But McCain has distinguished himself most as an über-hawk on foreign policy. To give a brief smorgasbord of his views: at a recent rally, he sang "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran," to the tune of the Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann". He says North Korea should be threatened with "extinction".

McCain has mostly opposed using US power for humanitarian goals, jeering at proposals to intervene in Rwanda or Bosnia - but he is very keen to use it for great power imperialism. He learnt this philosophy from his father and his granddad Slew, who fought in the Philippine wars at the turn of the 20th century, where he was part of a mission to crush the local resistance to the US invasion. They did it by forcing the entire population from their homes at gunpoint into "protection zones", and gunning down anybody over the age of ten who was found outside them. Today, McCain dreamily describes this as "an exotic adventure" which his grandfather "generally enjoyed".

Then McCain's father, John, led the US invasion of the Dominican Republic in 1965, at a time when there was a conflict on the Caribbean island. On one side, there were forces loyal to Juan Bosch, the democratically elected left-wing President who was committed to land redistribution and helping the poor. On the other side, there were forces who had overthrown the elected government and looked nostalgically to the playboy tyranny of Rafael Trujillo. John McCain Snr intervened to ensure the supporters of the democratic government were crushed, bragging that it taught the natives "how to behave themselves". He saw this as part of a wider mission, where the US would take over Britain's role as a "world empire".

These beliefs drive McCain today. He brags he would be happy for US troops to remain in Iraq for 100 years, and declares: "I'm not at all embarrassed of my friendship with Henry Kissinger; I'm proud of it." His most thorough biographer - and recent supporter - Matt Welch concludes: "McCain's programme for fighting foreign wars would be the most openly militaristic and interventionist platform in the White House since Teddy Roosevelt... [it] is considerably more hawkish than anything George Bush has ever practised." With him as president, we could expect much more aggressive destabilisation of Venezuela and Bolivia - and more.

So why do so many nice liberals have a weak spot for McCain? Well, to his credit, he doesn't hate immigrants: he proposed a programme to legalise the 12 million undocumented workers in the US. He sincerely opposes torture, as a survivor of it himself. He has apologised for denying global warming and now advocates a cap on greenhouse gas emissions - but only if China and India can also be locked into the system. He is somewhat uncomfortable with the religious right (while supporting a ban on abortion and gay marriage). It is a sign of how far to the right the Republican Party has drifted that these are considered signs of liberalism, rather than basic humanity.

Yet these sprinklings of sanity - onto a very extreme programme - are enough for a superficial, glib press to present McCain as "bipartisan" and "centrist". Will this be enough to put white hair into the White House? At the moment, he has considerably higher positive ratings than Hillary Clinton, and beats her in some match-up polls. If we don't start warning that the Real McCain is not the Real McCoy, we might sleepwalk into four more years of Republicanism.

any one who calls Ron Paul a racist and anti semite did not read those newsletters. there was a total of 8 if issues from 1989 to 1993. comments that were seen and distorted as such.many of Ron Paul's friends are Jews they even quoted his Jewish friend to say he was anti semetic.
he is considering a black man as a running mate. and no one has ever heard him make any racist remarks.so before you call him a racist go read the newsletters. the are parts written by both blacks and Jews. how stupid can people be? here is a question how is criticizing rioters in L.A. who killed, looked and beat and burned L.A. on grounds of race, why should they recieve any respect?how terrible it was to say racist looters and murders stopped doing such so they could go get their welfare check? so your mad that a white man said this about these kinds of people.then there were quotes about MLK but the new republic article did not say was that they were quotes from FBI reports and books written about him.It was all bull and most of it was taken out of context.
WHERE ARE ALL THE BLACK LEADERS LIKE THE ONES WHO JUMPED ON DON IMUS, IF THIS STUFF WAS TRUE?WHAT ABOUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON NAACP WHO CAME OUT IN SUPPORT OF RON PAUL, HE HAS KNOWN HIM FOR 20 YEARS BEFORE THOSE NEWSLETTERS WERE WRITTEN.DID OPRAH KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THAT SCHOOL IN S. AFRICA FOR 2 YEARS? DOES SHE KNOW EVERYTHING THATS IS WRITTEN IN HER MAGAZINE? NEWSLETTERS ARE STILL WRITTEN TODAY AND MANY ARE PUBLISHED UNDER PEOPLES NAME WHO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM JUST LIKE THAT HIT PIECE SAID"RON PAUL OWNS A MINOR SHARE AND CONTRIBUTES MOSTLY HIS NAME". SO WHEN PEOPLE LIKE YOU SAY THIS STUFF OR THAT HE IS A "NUTJOB" WITH NOTHING TO BACK IT UP IT MAKES ME REALIZE WHY THIS COUNTRY IS SO SCREWED UP. PEOPLE RUNNING AROUND REPEATING STUFF THE HAVE BEEN TOLD OR REPEATING SOMETHING SOMEONE HEARD WHO HEARD IT FROM SOMEONE ELSE3. WELL YOU ARE JUST PAWNS IN DISINFO AND YOU LET OTHERS DECIDE WHAT YOU WILL THINK. IT IS SAD. WELL DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND YOU MIGHT JUST FIND THAT AL SHARPTON MIGHT BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF HE GRANDSTANDED IN FRONT OF A CRACK HOUSE FOR ONCE INSTEAD OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.MAYBE IF HE MADE AN EFFORT FOR PEOPLE INSTEAD OF HIS EGO THE MIGHT CONSIDER RENAME NYC AFTER HIM. SO WHAT RACE AM I? AM I CRAZY OR DO I HAVE MY OWN PSYCHIATRY PRACTICE? THE MEDIA ANALYSTS REALLY HAVE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC PINNED TO A TEE. I AM TIRED OF SEEING MY PAY CHECKS GO TO HACKS THAT ARE RUINING THIS COUNTRY AND THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE SANE ONES. IF RON PAUL GOT 25% OF THE TV AND NEWSPAPER COVERAGE WITHOUT THE BIAS BUYMYASS THERE WOULD BE NO ISSUE WITH WHO IS THE FRONT RUNNER.HOW BLIND DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO KNOW WHEN YOUR GETTING SCREW BY THE SAME OLD TRICKS AND BUY THE SAME CROWD. GO RON PAUL
YOU HAVE BEEN RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY.

well according to McCain...if you do not support open borders and illegals Amnesity you are a racist!!!!

I support AMERICANS FIRST...any color of AMERICANS!!!! The illegals take jobs from the black community first!!! Obama, Hillary and McCain do not see this!!!

What is a company to do? They can see the AMERICAN black man's records....they have no record of the illegal...so they take a big chance and hire the illegal...when are Black Leaders going to stand with us who support no open borders and no Amnesity????

Were the Ron Paul people wearing white robes in honor of their dear leader?

I have more respect for Edwards than Huckabee...at least Edwards got out so the voters could vote for the 2 front runners.
Huckabee is a liar and if he thinks he will be the next Falwell...he is mistaken!!! Falwell would sacrifice for the conservative base.

a vote for Huckabee or paul at this point is a vote for McCain....

Huckabee get out!!!!

andykogerma...HOW FAR BEHIND THE NEWS CAN YOU BE...ALL OF THAT WAS DEBUNKED!

Besides, would a racist have long-term friends both of color and of various ethnic and religious affilations? Would a racist consider Walter Williams as not only a friend, but as a potential VP running mate on his ticket. Of course, I doubt if you even know who Walter Williams is.

Would a racist consider Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks as heros? Would a racist sponsor a resolution in the House of Representatives proclaiming Muhammad Ali as a man of great principle on his 65th Birthday. Would a racist be close friends with one of the heads of the Austin NAACP for the last 20 years, the same leader of the NAACP has stated that Dr. Paul doesn't have a racist bone in his body.

Please, do yourself a favor and read more.

We have an arrogant, incompetent, illiterate, and inept fool in the White House, a demoralized and decimated military, plundered treasury, trashed world standing, trampled rule of Law and Constitution. While the nation is sinking under debt and the market is in a free fall while an tidal wave of Uneducated Illegal Aliens are waving the Mexican flag, demanding their rights, while sucking at the trough of Public Welfare, as they Kill, Rob, and Rape thousands of American Citizens each year. While most of the Candidates are pandering for the Latino vote by implying or promising Amnesty!

We as a nation can survive fools in our White House. What we CANNOT survive is fools both in our Congress and white house like Bush, McCain, Hillary, Obama, etc. Each promising a new American, rebuilding the middle class and taking care of the poor. But what they refuse to acknowledge or recognize is no single Nation or people is rich enough to lift the 100,s of millions of poor out of poverty. In others words American & American taxpayers cannot bear the cost of becoming the welfare state for Mexico and Latin American. To attempt to do so will only reduce all Americans to poverty equaling what the uneducated invaders are fleeing from in their home countries. The poor and criminals pouring across our Borders have an average of an six grade education. Each person with less than a high education is a net cost of 20k per year for American taxpayers. So the displaced compassion, flawed logic, or just pandering for votes, endorsed by Edwards, Obama, McCain, Hillary . is deeply flawed. Failure to close our border or to give Amnesty to the 12 to 30 millions of Illegal Aliens in this country will in the long run, with the Chain Immigration result in adding 100 to 160 millions poor citizens to our welfare rolls. Their high school drop out rates exceed 50 percent with a high crime rate and a very high illegitimate birth rate, this is very combination that keeps Mexico & Latin American a cesspool of crime, corruption, poverty & misery!

Maybe the results is what the multinational companies and the rich dream of, a Nation full of poor docile labors like China, India, Mexico, but I do not believe it is the future most Americans aspire to for their children and grand children!

In all, my country, a potential benefactor and beacon for all the world - is headed right off a cliff and to an third world status!

In my view - - this has all come to pass because the Politicians, the elected and sworn stewards of this country, both Republicans & Democrats have allowed it to happen. Surely they should have known better when they build bridges to nowhere, when they wasted 100,s of billion in pork and sold their votes to the highest bidder....when they refused to abide by the Constitution against invasion or enforce the very laws they passed, they have disgraced and dishonored their oath of office and brought shame upon our Nation. One way this Nation can start to recover is for the lot of them to be gone from those hallowed halls of Congress and the White House, because most of them have become a house of party-bound Prostitutes paid by the special interests, swirling and partying, amidst the rubble of their own malfeasance - taking this Nation right down in the gutter with them.

If the Politicians with the Citizens support, decide they must do more for the worlds poor then they must find a way like an Marshall plan for Latin American. What they must not be allowed to do, though flawed logic, false compassion, or by criminal intent is to turn this Nation into a Cesspool of Crime, Corruption, Poverty, and Misery by continuing the open borders policy and Amnesty for the millions of uneducated peons pouring across our borders.

As a proud and concerned American that proudly served my Country in time of War as did my Father, my two brothers and my son. I am appalled and very angry at what self severing, stupid/corrupt politicians have done to my country!

Everywhere we go, people are talking about Ron Paul. The phrase, "Vote Ron Paul!" has become part of people's greeting when they pass others in the supermarket aisle, when leaving the check-out counter, when they end a conversation, they end it with, "Vote Ron Paul!" This is truly a revolution and I thank God for it. Other retail politicians don't really care about the economy, because they will never be poor themselves. They don't care about the soldiers, because none of their children or grandchildren will go to Iraq to come home legless, armless, with head injuries, or much worse. These politicians take the view that our Constitution can be ignored. And most of them want to reinstate the draft. Meanwhile the globalists, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and HIllary Clinton want to pave the best farmland in the world with the Trans Texas Corridor (being built right now) and the NAFTA Superhighway. They try to deveive people, calling it a "myth." We were informed in a meeting in Hempstead, Texas on Jan 22, 2008 that my family will be "relocated by the government" and that we will be "removed by force if necessary" from our home. Under Governor Perry's new "Quick Take" law, they can confiscate our land within 90 days and they do not have to pay us fair compensation for it. No nation is more vulnerable than one that cannot feed it's people. After toasting the global economy, pursuing wars that generate ill feeling around the world, and bankrupting the nation, we will remove our ability to feed ourselves. Do we trust the Red Chinese to feed us without demanding that we follow their global agenda? Don't be led into danger by men who are not capable of strategic thinking.
VOTE RON PAUL!!!

@ PBL4: "Ron Paul is an anti-Semitic nutjob."

Remember, an anti-semite used to be someone who doesn't like jews, now an anti-semite is someone that jews don't like.

manager1 I dont claim Paul is anti-Semnitic---HE DOES...its HIS WORDS, published repeatedly in HIS "newsletter"...

if Paul had any integrity, he'd say, "yes I said that boy was i wrong"...instead he wafrfles and weasles when asked about

Paul is a coward and a hypocrite

I think that Congressman Paul serves a useful purpose in continuing to be "also on the ballot". His perspectives on many issues are sane and rational, and mainstream candidates are too beholden to their contributors to air them properly. Does this mean he should be President??? OH, puhllleeeeaassseeee...
And a note to the many here who support the Constitution: maybe read it? its not very long and there are not a lot of big words. Don't leave out the amendments either, they are part of it.

"TRUTH IS TREASON IN THE EMPIRE OF LIES"--Ron Paul

Look at the stances of McCain compared to Hillary, you will find a striking similarity between the two, in fact, if you look at the stances of all the Republican Candidates, with the exception of Ron Paul, you will find that there is not a bean's worth of difference between them.

So, whether this country votes to put in McCain or Hillary, Romney or Obama they will get essentially the same thing. There is such little difference between them that I am amazed that no one notices that this election is basically a "plebiscite" that will not change the direction of this country one iota, nor will this election solve the pressing issues that this country is facing. By 2012, we will once again find ourselves in the very same place we do now. When the mid-term elections embedded the Democrats in control of Congress, the people of this country actually believed they had done something that would make a difference, but as we have seen there is nothing different. Now, we seem to think that by electing one of these entrenchment Candidates into office that it will change things, but again, by 2012 we will see that nothing essentially changed because we are electing the same old ideology that permeates both the Republican and Democratic Parties.

Besides Ron Paul, all the other Candidates in this election have supported the direction that George Bush and Cheney have taken this country in its foreign policy of Preemptive War. Obama does have a slightly different position, but not much of one. Preemptive War is a doctrine that we have long condemned, we condemned it when Hitler used the very same doctrine to invade his neighbors, we condemned it when the Soviets used the very same doctrine to invade Afghanistan and yet, now it is considered, by most of the Candidates and both political parties, to be the norm. It is not the norm, it has transformed this nation into the HUN, the HOARD and has transformed the United States into what is now preceived to be the greatest threat to other nations around the world.

We love to live in the myth that we live in a free society with free elections, but the fact is that the choices provided to us in these elections are so filtered, so purified by the political and corporate interests that the elections are basically a stage production. As badly as the American People express their need and desire for real substantial change they seem unwilling to take the step to ensure that difinitive change will take place.

For years we have allowed these entrenchment politicians to embed themselves into the flesh of this nation like parasitic ticks, sucking the life blood from this country and its people. Every four years we go through the same process and usually we are given the same old choices which are no real choices at all, this time it is different and we have the chance to make a real decisive difference in the direction this country is being led.

We continue to allow our decisions to be made for us by an almost omnipotent mass media and the money that controls the media darlings we tend to elect.

It is astounding that we fail to see the direction this nation has been taken over the years. Another amazing thing is that we fail to look at history to see the mistakes of the past and realize that once again we are making the same mistakes. The ancient Romans we totally blinded by the pride of empire to the point that they couldn't even think of the possibility of collapse until the Barbarians we at the gates. It was not an external force that caused the collapse, but an internal decay and an economic decay that ate away at their sustainablity from within.

The 2009 Pentagon budget was released yesterday and it's base budget is over a half a Trillion dollars, that doesn't include the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is more money spent on military operations than every single nation around the world combined. As Ron Paul has said, where will we get the money?

He has said that we borrow money from Europe to defend Europe, we borrow money from Japan to keep cheap oil flowing to Japan, we borrow money from China to fight the War in Iraq. So, we borrow to defend the world while our own nation suffers under the weight of the massive, irreversible debt. Our monetary system, that is totally created by debt, is now reaching critical mass. In our life-times we will see a collapse of the monetary system because it is a mathematical impossiblity for it to continue to expand.

Every single "dollar" must be borrowed into existence under our current Fiat System. The debt multiplies exponentially due to the fact that we must borrow to operate this government and its military expansion, but that is coming to an end even if we don't want to think about it or admit it.

There will come a day when instead of the taunts of derision that are heaped upon Dr. Paul's name, there will be a cry of regret that we didn't listen and take heed to his warnings. Dr. Paul warned us that this Fiat System would ultimately cost this country dearly and indeed is has. Dr. Paul is the only candidate that even brings up the issue of our failing monetary system.

Consider this: a person making $32,000 per year today has the equivalent purchasing power of $5,907.40 1970 dollars. So, the same person making $15.38 per hour today is equal to making $2.84 per hour in real purchasing power in 1970 dollars. It is not the price of goods and services that have risen so much, but the purchasing power of our dollar that has been so drastically reduced. Our standard of living has been effectively reduced through fiat money inflation.

Is there any wonder that poverty is becoming rampant? The government has no other choice but enforce minimum wages in order to keep the working poor at some level of subsistence. At the current $5.85 per hour a person has the same 1970 purchasing power of $1.08 per hour, at 40 hours per week that person is effectively making $43.20 per week to make ends meet.

When we enter the period of Hyper-Inflation, as all Fiat Monetary Systems do, I wonder how many of the detractors of Dr. Paul will then cry and rent their clothes in regret that they did not listen? It will happen folks, there has never been a Fiat System in history that has defied mathematical law. Most Partial Fiat Systems have a life-span of between 50 and 70 years, the life-span of a Total Fiat Monetary System, like our own, is between 35 and 40 years...guess what...time is almost up. This system began in earnest in 1971. Get ready to become hunter/gathers again because the Great Depression was nothing compared to the collapse of the entire monetary system in this and other countries.

For the last decade we have been witnessing more and more stress cracks in the system. At one time our economy could tolerate interest rate increases relatively easy, that is no longer the case. Just look at this last round of increases and what it did to the economy and those were extremely minor increases. The boom and bust cycles created by the Federal Reserve are becoming narrower and narrower, constricted in the ability to maintain the economy.

We will see, won't we...

We have endured 8 years of Sleaze, Scandal, and Corruption under Bill and Hillery followed by 8 years of Arrogance, Corruption, Criminal Incompetence and Gross Stupidly under Bush Jr.. and Chicken Hawk Chaney. Either party cares about our Constitution and the rule of Law, Their priorities are self first, the party second, special interests third, American Citizens and the Future of this Nation is not even on their list until election time then they pull out their spin, lies and attack ads again to get elected, after which they go back to their priorities.

It is increasingly looking like this Nation cannot survive more years of the same type of Corrupt, Lying, Self serving, Worthless Politicians that support and allow the largest invasion of a Nation in world history. While ignoring Article IV Section IV of our Constitution against invasion, and our Immigration laws. They have refused to aide by our Constitution, refused to enforce the very laws they passed and dishonored their oath of office!

Now both parties seen to have the nearly the same type candidates seeking our vote. From the polls it seems we have learned very little in the least 16 years and seem to prefer Sleaze, Corruption and Lies over Honor, Principles, our Constitution, and the Rule of law or Ron Paul would win the election by a wide margin.

I alone with millions of others are sick of both Clinton's and Bush's of both Republicans and Democrats either party care about this Nation our its Citizens they care about self, party and then the special interests that gave them the Money for their lies, attack ads and spin to get elected. American Citizens & Illegal Aliens are only necessary for votes, the one that lies the most & promises the most usually gets the votes!

It is past time for someone to help McNut on the Senile express and pick up his friend and partner in Treason the well known Socialist, Drunk and Murdered Kennedy and head for the nearest old folks home for the Senile and the Demented!

The fact is that the GOP is dead in this race if there is no Dr Paul. McCain and Romney do not have a chance to beat either HillBill or Obama with a pro-war stance. Interestingly, the NeoConsters got themselves in a pickle, they can not support Dr Paul since he will cut off the trillions in cash flows to their group and end the war pronto. The motivation power of even the $1million million now supporting our empire is overtly corrupting. So now what? Maybe they do not even care. HillBill actually pointed out at the last debate that Bush et al is setting up a government operation outside the control of Congress. Maybe, we do not get a meaningful election, just the appearance of an election? Bush did say being Dictator would be easier! We thought the Democratic controlled Congress would end the war, did that happen? So why are we to believe the change-o-rama Democrats will actually follow through? What if we had another false flag event just before the election? Do you think Bush would call martial law? Since the bad guys are everywhere, so are excuses for such an event. One scary hypothesis.

The fact that Ron Paul is now married for 51 years is a testament to his integrity. It is hard to say that for the Clintons, McCain, or now defunct Guilani. The race just now is getting interesting. Vote Ron Paul 2008, clean this mess up, now.

We have an arrogant, incompetent, illiterate, and inept fool in the White House, a demoralized and decimated military, plundered treasury, trashed world standing, trampled rule of Law and Constitution. While the nation is sinking under debt and the market is in a free fall while an tidal wave of Uneducated Illegal Aliens are waving the Mexican flag, demanding their rights, while sucking at the trough of Public Welfare, as they Kill, Rob, and Rape thousands of American Citizens each year. While most of the Candidates are pandering for the Latino vote by implying or promising Amnesty!

We as a nation can survive fools in our White House. What we CANNOT survive is fools both in our Congress and white house like Bush, McCain, Hillary, Obama, etc. Each promising a new American, rebuilding the middle class and taking care of the poor. But what they refuse to acknowledge or recognize is no single Nation or people is rich enough to lift the 100,s of millions of poor out of poverty. In others words American & American taxpayers cannot bear the cost of becoming the welfare state for Mexico and Latin American. To attempt to do so will only reduce all Americans to poverty equaling what the uneducated invaders are fleeing from in their home countries. The poor and criminals pouring across our Borders have an average of an six grade education. Each person with less than a high education is a net cost of 20k per year for American taxpayers. So the displaced compassion, flawed logic, or just pandering for votes, endorsed by Edwards, Obama, McCain, Hillary . is deeply flawed. Failure to close our border or to give Amnesty to the 12 to 30 millions of Illegal Aliens in this country will in the long run, with the Chain Immigration result in adding 100 to 160 millions poor citizens to our welfare rolls. Their high school drop out rates exceed 50 percent with a high crime rate and a very high illegitimate birth rate, this is very combination that keeps Mexico & Latin American a cesspool of crime, corruption, poverty & misery!

Maybe the results is what the multinational companies and the rich dream of, a Nation full of poor docile labors like China, India, Mexico, but I do not believe it is the future most Americans aspire to for their children and grand children!

In all, my country, a potential benefactor and beacon for all the world - is headed right off a cliff and to an third world status!

In my view - - this has all come to pass because the Politicians, the elected and sworn stewards of this country, both Republicans & Democrats have allowed it to happen. Surely they should have known better when they build bridges to nowhere, when they wasted 100,s of billion in pork and sold their votes to the highest bidder....when they refused to abide by the Constitution against invasion or enforce the very laws they passed, they have disgraced and dishonored their oath of office and brought shame upon our Nation. One way this Nation can start to recover is for the lot of them to be gone from those hallowed halls of Congress and the White House, because most of them have become a house of party-bound Prostitutes paid by the special interests, swirling and partying, amidst the rubble of their own malfeasance - taking this Nation right down in the gutter with them.

If the Politicians with the Citizens support, decide they must do more for the worlds poor then they must find a way like an Marshall plan for Latin American. What they must not be allowed to do, though flawed logic, false compassion, or by criminal intent is to turn this Nation into a Cesspool of Crime, Corruption, Poverty, and Misery by continuing the open borders policy and Amnesty for the millions of uneducated peons pouring across our borders.

As a proud and concerned American that proudly served my Country in time of War as did my Father, my two brothers and my son. I am appalled and very angry at what self severing, stupid/corrupt politicians have done to my country!

I'm a Jewish supporter of Ron Paul, who you claim, is an "anti-semitic nutjob". For your information, there are many of us "Jewish" supporters of Ron Paul. Ron Paul is against all type of collectivism, ie, racism. Ron Paul can't see your race, gender or religion. He's against the government making our decisions for us. Don't fall for the mindless smears. Look at Ron Paul's record, he's a ten term Congressman. A real compassionate conservative, who's against the death penalty and the war on drugs. The real racists are our politicians, who support policies that don't work and give government more power to take away our rights. A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for freedom. Let freedom ring across our nation.

So McCains ready for the terrorists huh?Well with over 5000 children dead or maimed in Iraq he'd better be.By my count that would make about 10,000 new terrorists in Iraq of course the way McCain supporters think those fathers and mothers should be greatful to americans for killing and maiming thier children to fight a war on terror when there were no terrorists in Iraq.McCain makes sence to me.Yeah lets continue.Onward into Iran lets kill somemore children that'll slow those terrorists down.

Ron Paul 2k8!

Well, I'm glad to know that I'm not the only person in the United States that finds that constant "My Friend" crap annoying. I feel the same way. McCain is not my friend, nor is he a friend to anyone but his own self-interest.

"The Constitution was written for one specific purpose," Paul recently told a Seattle crowd, "and that was to restrain government, not to restrain the people."

Here's a link to what Ron Paul said about the awful Protect America Act:

http://antiwar.com/paul/

Ron Paul is right on so many issues, but his views on reigning in excessive government intrusion is all-important. For example, on Monday, the Senate is voting on whether to give corporations immunity. Most likely it will pass. That means no citizen can take these corporations to court for infringing on our civil liberties. That also means that Bush's rear end will be covered, because the courts are the only way to find out the extent of Bush's spying before 9/11 and after.

"War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it."
- George Orwell

SYWanda...tell me why you think that Ron Paul is "way pass the extreme" in your mind? Can you actually state the reasons for your opinions based upon actual facts or on a particular slant provided to you by the media.

For a very good look at the Candidates and their positions go to:

http://www.knowbeforeyouvote.com/

Isn't it strange that, for the most part, the Republicans, including McCain, look just like the Democrats. In other words, there is no valid difference between the two set of candidates, therefore there is no real choice.

If someone is trying to tell me in this day and age that they can't find something either on tv or the internet that doesn't support their beliefs/and or candidate, then they just are intellectually lazy. Quit blaming the media for what essentially is your civic duty to find out about these candidates. Personally, I have to laugh at the supporters of Paul. The man is so far out past the extreme, he makes Dick Cheney look reasonable. I think it will be hard sell for a while for anyone in Texas to get back to the White House. Thats what the dumbing down and politicization of America gets you, sorry!