First of all, let me apologize for all the Ron Paul stuff lately. Being a dumb yokel from Nashville who has never lived or worked in or near Washington, DC, I am powerless to resist the mind control rays from the Establishment, who have ordered me to continuously assault Ron Paul (or at least this is the answer to my posts that I most often find from Paul’s followers). Almost nothing I have written on in the last week is new from 2008, so I know that many of you already know it. On the other hand, based on the response, a surprising number of people didn’t know a lot of this stuff – which I guess makes sense. It’s difficult to explain Paul’s rise in the most recent Iowa polls without theorizing that he is duping at least some actual Republicans, as opposed to leftists disgruntled by Obama’s aggressive foreign policy stance [pause for hysterical laughter]. This one, however, is genuinely new to me.
A lot of ink has been spilled about Ron Paul’s racist newsletter that was printed in the late 80s/early 90s. At this point, literally no one will defend the content of the letters, not even Paul himself. It is universally recognized that some truly repugnant stuff went out in Paul’s name during this time period. If you want a sampling of this material, click here. Now, this stuff has been known about for years, and was known about in 2008. Paul’s explanation back then was that he didn’t know about what was going out in the newsletter, didn’t read most of the issues, completely disavowed their content. In other words, the exact same thing he is saying today. So although this demonstrates that Paul is not really built to withstand the sort of scrutiny that every other frontrunner has to take as a matter of course, you can at least understand why he got exasperated and walked off during an interview with CNN’s Gloria Borger on the topic:
What I did not know until just today is that when these original allegations came to light back during Ron Paul’s 1996 Congressional run, his defense was absolutely not that he didn’t write them or know what was in them; his defense was that he was being taken out of context. He defended the comments on their merits. His campaign spokesman literally said that the problem was that the media was too intellectual to understand them. Yes, well, admittedly some people miss the intellectual nuance in statements like “If you have ever been robbed by a black teenaged male, you know how unbelievably fleet of foot they can be” (a statement which Paul specifically defended when questioned by the media).
Now comes this: in 1995 CSPAN did an interview with then-former Congressman Ron Paul, asking what he’d been doing with his time. One of the questions that came up was, essentially whether he was still involved in politics. Paul’s answer? “Oh, yeah, I’ve got this great newsletter, let me tell you about it…”
“Along with that I also put out a political, uh, type of business investment newsletter, sort of covered all these areas. And it covered, uh, a lot about what was going on in Washington and financial events, especially some of the monetary events since I had been especially interested in monetary policy, had been on the banking committee, and still very interested in, in that subject.. that, uh, this newsletter dealt with that… has to do with the value of the dollar [snip] and of course the disadvantages of all the high taxes and spending that our government seems to continue to do.”
You know, for not reading the newspaper and not having any inkling about what was in it, Paul was remarkably well informed as to its contents and general thrust.
Apparently, Paul did not change his story on these newsletters until 2001, when he started to tell people that maybe the racist remarks in his newsletter were not okay and he in fact did not write them. When asked why he did not just say that in the first place, Paul responded that he felt like he had a “moral responsibility” for these words since they were published in his name (and presumably since he profited from them). Suppose we believe this story – what has happened since then to change that?
Moe Lane
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
Jeff Emanuel
do we have a reference for this section...
rsklaroff (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 8:16AM EDT (link)…which emerged a decade ago?
“Apparently, Paul did not change his story on these newsletters until 2001, when he started to tell people that maybe the racist remarks in his newsletter were not okay and he in fact did not write them. When asked why he did not just say that in the first place, Paul responded that he felt like he had a “moral responsibility” for these words since they were published in his name (and presumably since he profited from them).”
Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.
r.sklaroff@verizon.net
[the guy with the "RS-diary" dedicated to differentiating trustworthy conservative-pundits from inside-the-beltway-RINO's]
“…fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way!”
Follow the links
Leon H. Wolf (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 9:07AM EDT (link)That part is from the one that leads to reason.com
————
We can’t stop here. This is bat country.
I just found something on Reason too
Glaucon (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 12:08PM EDT (link)Posted it here.
Not that this excuses the content, but it does bring together a theory on these newsletters: that Murray Rothbard wrote the offensive content, and that he and Rockwell were using Ron Paul’s name to sell newsletters after their attempt at a newsletter failed. It would be pretty easy to see Ron Paul writing about the Federal Reserve and gold, and leaving the other politics to Rockwell and Rothbard, which would explain why Ron would only know some of the content.
Quote from Reason:
“The newsletters’ obsession with blacks and gays was of a piece with a conscious political strategy adopted at that same time by Lew Rockwell and Murray Rothbard. After breaking with the Libertarian Party following the 1988 presidential election, Rockwell and Rothbard formed a schismatic “paleolibertarian” movement, which rejected what they saw as the social libertinism and leftist tendencies of mainstream libertarians. In 1990, they launched the Rothbard-Rockwell Report, where they crafted a plan they hoped would midwife a broad new “paleo” coalition.”
http://reason.com/archives/2008/01/16/who-wrote-ron-pauls-newsletter
thanx!
rsklaroff (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 12:37PM EDT (link)it’s not a video, but the quotes are damning
Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.
r.sklaroff@verizon.net
[the guy with the "RS-diary" dedicated to differentiating trustworthy conservative-pundits from inside-the-beltway-RINO's]
“…fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way!”
Welllllll... Americans...
mayrfortuna (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 6:14AM EDT (link)This man seems to be a CERTIFYABLE LUNATIC.
If you RedStaters wish to, a can emmit a CERTIFICATION OF CERTIFIED LOONACY right from here in BRAZIL, emmited in MONETARY PAPER, with Governamental Seal and all… (in here, it is possible!”). Just send me the full Loony data related to This Man and I´ll do it for you, free of charge.
How can Paul possibly adhere to what he says,
johnt Thursday, December 22nd at 8:59AM EDT (link)or writes. Though the latter implies some forethought. I don’t think this will make a splash in corn country though for sure the media as official moral paragons will file it away for the future.
“taken out of context”, used more often by Dems, it demands a straight face and one must neither perspire or break out into giggles.
I do give Paul credit for walking out on Gloria Borger, but why meet with one of the most brain damaged leftists at all, desperation?
“a man’s admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him”. Tocqueville
Ron Paul....?
NeoKong (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 9:25AM EDT (link)Zzzzzzzzzz………
Please.
Follow me on Twitter.
I used to think that Paul was good for the GOP
pdawk Thursday, December 22nd at 9:48AM EDT (link)I thought his ideas on Foreign Policy were wacky at best, but I thought his ultra conservative economic positions were actually good for the party and helped to push Repubs further to the right as he gained more traction nationally.
After what I have seen out of these newsletters, I would prefer the GOP to completely disassociate themselves from Paul and have him removed from any future debates. There is no place for blatant racism and antisemitism in the Republican party. Ron needs to bow out gracefully when it is time so he doesn’t ruin the future of Rand who seems to actually understand the real world a bit better than his father.
I thought I knew how wacky RP was until I watched this video
papabear (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 9:12PM EDT (link)This is a clip from ’88 where he starts ranting on pro-drug legalization.
I can’t think of anything to add to this.
Paul supporters.
neoavatara (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 10:31AM EDT (link)Paul supporters simply don’t care. They are riding Paul the entire way, like Perot supporters a generation ago.
I talked about these newsletters in 2008, and again this year. Frankly, I am shocked Paul was able to get away with ignoring these racial issues for so long.
www.neoavatara.com/blog
my friend runs a site called ''Ron Paul Exposed''
mikeymike143 (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 12:34PM EDT (link)that has documented all the racist quotes in paul’s newsletters and shows that paul clearly knew about, and in fact profited from those quotes.
there are many articles on this subject and some of them go back long before the current controversy. the ”Ron Paul Exposed” site is far and away the most informative site i have ever seen as far as information on paul’s racist newsletters. check it out for yourself.
http://ronpaulexposed.wordpress.com/
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If Newt = Serial Hypocrisy, Ron Paul = ???
papabear (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 10:40AM EDT (link)I do not understand how Newt has let this stand – he is dropping the ball.
Perry could* take this line of attack. Ron Paul is wacky and says/does whatever is needed to appeal to his fringe. Now that he is breaking into the mainstream, he claims to have always “disavowed” and “taken moral responsibility” for his writing without ever having done so.
Ron Paul’s world is upside down. We entertain him at our peril.
*Although I am not a fan of Perry, he is the only potential nominee that has not flip flopped like a fish. Perry = opposite of hypocrite
I can't help but wonder then what character or
Tbone (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 11:10AM EDT (link)intellectual flaw you have the precludes you from being a fan of the steady and consistent Perry?
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
Yeah, Tbone, I wonder the same
jakeofalltrades (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 11:12AM EDT (link)Perry is basically a wrapped present from God to the Republican Party, but people don’t like him because [insert completely superficial and dishonest reason here].
You do your candidate no favors
papabear (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 1:45PM EDT (link)Your defense of Perry is over the top (again).
The assumption that I must have a “character or intellectual flaw” because I am not a fan is ridiculous. There are many reasons why Perry is second on my list. I am not going to get into them because I do not want to tear him down. I hope that he can claw his way back into national consideration.
Where did I defend Perry?
Tbone (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 1:55PM EDT (link)Where? Quote?
You were the one who stated he hadn’t flipflopped and that “Perry = opposite of hypocrite”
I just asked if you feel that way then why are those attributes insufficient for you to be a fan?
My assumption is that those attributes are not important to you. Of course, if you are a Romney guy or a Newt guy, they couldn’t be, could they?
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
I am trying to give you some friendly advice
papabear (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 4:34PM EDT (link)Let me start by assuming that you true desire is to help Perry. If that is incorrect, ignore the rest of this.
Have you ever heard the saying that the best defense is a proactive offense? That is the most charitable way I can characterize you claiming that I have a character or intellectual flaw.
Your over the top attitude does not help Perry. It certainly rubs me the wrong way. I suspect it does the same to others. I am suggesting you tone it down.
If somebody mentions that they find a Perry attribute appealing, be positive. Don’t get upset that someone can find one aspect appealing yet not be an all out advocate for him. Accentuate the positives. Don’t attack those who are sympathetic but not convinced. Always keep in mind that Perry is currently at an 6.6%RCP. Obviously there is a whole lot of convincing that needs to be done.
I not here to "help Perry". I am just pointing out
Tbone (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 8:29PM EDT (link)that you are deficient in your reasoning ability, which you are and which you demonstrate in your statement.
Only those with severe lack of objective judgement prefer other candidates than Perry. If some one has not come to the conclusion that Perry is the most qualified candidate by now, it is indicative that they are just too plain dumb to help.
So, whether you support Perry or not is of no concern of mine. It’s not like I’m suggesting you change your mind and form a chapter of “Idiots for Perry”.
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
So, If somebody doesn't agree w/you they are stupid???
papabear (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 8:59PM EDT (link)Wow!
You are indeed a scholar. There is no way I can argue w/logic like that.
Well, yes. But it is their right.
Tbone (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 10:41PM EDT (link)Of course, they could be just ignorant. I can fix ignorant.
So tell me, are you one of those intellectually shallow people who support a failed Speaker of the House over a successful governor?
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
Thank you
papabear (Diary) Saturday, December 24th at 9:18AM EDT (link)It is always good to have confirmation. Pointing out my obvious character and intellectual flaws was a masterful way to build the case for Perry. I bow before your superior intellect and comprehensive explanation of the virtues of Perry.
You see just how stupid you are?
Tbone (Diary) Saturday, December 24th at 10:38AM EDT (link)I am not trying to build a case for Perry, he has done that by becoming a very successful governor of a large and diverse state. I am only pointing out what a shallow thinker you and others like you are by being unable to recognize that.
See, it is no wonder you chase the flavor of the month.
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
two things I never do
center77 (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 9:31PM EDT (link)first is let someone else’s actions tell me who I should support by looking at how they act. I am not saying you are doing this, but I’ve heard so many people say I do not support so and so because of how their supporters act. I can’t get my mind around that one. If comment boards had an effect on whose candidate win then Rick Perry would be winning the Red State Primary for sure, but most people have no idea what is going on, and that is why I believe Perry is no winning right now. The good thing is that it is not about national polls, it is the early states that matter right now. If Newt does not do well in Iowa, he may not even make it to S.C. same goes for Bachmann and the other Rick (who apparently paid for one of Iowa’s biggest endorsements, I don’t know yet). I think Perry meets everything I am looking for in a president; Perry not being a practiced fake like so many others really makes him a better option to me. I will not say I am sick of the politicians acting one way and doing another and then support on who does that just because the media says that they are the only ones who can beat Obama.
The second thing I never do is what I just talked about, and that is fall for the media’s game. It just so happens to be they want Romney because they know he is barley Republican. I think that scares me because I think barley Republican does not truly fix our problems, and I am scared all that happens is we get the blame. So I look at the candidates record to judge who I think is the best option. I look at their plan to judge if they are keeping what they are doing no to what they done in the past.
My name is Timothy Bladel. I’m from Davenport, Iowa. I am a Undergraduate, Double Majoring in Journalism & Mass communication, with my other major being political science. I am conservative in nature, sometimes a tad bit libertarian; the Tenth Amendment is vital to changing this country for the better.
Mitt Romney 2012, but not without the truth of who he is.
www.timothy-bladel.com
“We the people” tell the government what to do, it doesn’t tell us. We the people are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast.” Ronald Reagan’s farewell address (January 11, 1989)
There is a guiding principle here
papabear (Diary) Saturday, December 24th at 9:34AM EDT (link)We should always do enough research to be able to make an informed decision without relying on the endorsements and actions of others. However, that is too much work for most people. In that situation, more informed people can be an effective advocate.
Unfortunately, the futile discussion above is a perfect example of how hard it is to turn a zealot into an effective advocate.
Wow Ron Paul is a lier and a terrible human being
seanl (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 11:03AM EDT (link)big surprise. Clearly he is lying now. He knew what was in those letter, and clearly approved of the content. Now that he is running for President, he is lying to his followers and the American people. Ron Paul is a horrible human being. I would truly be ashamed as a Republican if this miserable person won any of our caucuses or primaries.
Rick Santorum – moving America forward by bringing back the values that made this country great. But I don’t believe this at all, actually! I’m a moby who calls people hypocrites! That means that I think ‘irony’ means ‘like iron’!
Thanks for this work Leon. It is great to see light
kcdude (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 11:51AM EDT (link)placed on racist beliefs.
Don't forget Paul's John Birch Society connections
Scope (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 11:59AM EDT (link)At CPAC Paul thanked them for all of their year’s of supporting him.
You're painting with too broad a brush
tailfins1959 Thursday, December 22nd at 12:52PM EDT (link)Birchers have lots of tentacles. I was once part of an effort to repeal the national 55 MPH speed limit that was part of a JBS chapter. While I don’t support Ron Paul, I appreciate the efforts of some of his followers in repealing the double nickel.
You have the right to quit Toxic People. (They’re contagious.) ~Dr. SunWolf
What does trying to get rid of the national speed limit have to do
davesinsanantonio (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 5:34AM EDT (link)with supporting Ron Paul????
He's trying to say that being connected with Bircher's isn't bad...
nathanalbright (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 5:39AM EDT (link)…because he is. At least that’s what I think he’s trying to say.
I am speaking to issue-based efforts
tailfins1959 Friday, December 23rd at 12:46PM EDT (link)You never know who shows up on issue-based efforts. For example, if you wanted to fight road blocks (is anyone really dumb enough to buy the term “sobriety checkpoint”?), you might wind up sharing a table with Al Sharpton’s supporters who don’t like being hassled for “driving while black”. You take help where you can get it.
You have the right to quit Toxic People. (They’re contagious.) ~Dr. SunWolf
If Paul wins Iowa,
WY_Cowboy (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 12:16PM EDT (link)I think that makes the Iowa caucuses a joke now and forever.
Why should we be worried about Ron Paul.
rabidcaveman (Diary) Thursday, December 22nd at 12:50PM EDT (link)What happened to the story, this morning, that enunciated the contracts that the Fed gave Honeywell, and a few others, to bolster their support for the NDAA scam?
Maybe I was awake a little too early, but NOW I can’t find that article, or its original poster.
A little help, please?
The reason we should be worried about Ron Paul is
davesinsanantonio (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 5:41AM EDT (link)that he is either insane or one of the most vile of creatures, and he has a lot of support among the voters of Iowa and elsewhere. He has a national exposure that lets his insane or stupid ideas get an airing that is detracting from the political race we are engaged in as well as being an endangerment to the country.
We cannot just dismiss him as a foil hatter and pretend no one is listening to him. The fact that some people not only listen to him but accept his dangerous nonsense should be disturbing to anyone who understands history.
Keep up the good work, Leon
lightspeed Thursday, December 22nd at 1:00PM EDT (link)Paul has flown under the radar for far too long. Too many are ignorant of the Good Doctor’s true nature. He is not fit to be dogcatcher, much less President of the United States. How he got this far, I will never know.
How he got this far...
Plumb_Bob (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 10:55AM EDT (link)…is that he actually believes the US Constitution means what it says, and he understands some very important things about national finance. If he were running for Secretary of the Treasury he might actually be worth a look.
However, he’s a pretty nasty individual, and his foreign policy is an ideologically-driven mess that would be more appropriate in 1790 than at ay time after about 1910. Plus, those newsletters would sink him in a national election. The Democrats would not even use a shill, they would publish the newsletters from the top of the Chrysler building. The election would be over by early September.
—-
We will not have a righteous government again until we become a righteous nation again.
(A collection of my political essays from 2008-2010 can be found at www.plumbbobblog.com. All visitors welcome.)
I wasn't aware of these...
nathanalbright (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 5:04AM EDT (link)….and if I wasn’t, then I assume that plenty of people who know much less and are less fascinated by politics than I am would be unaware of them too. Most of the people I know, even though I know very few Paultards, think of Paul as the courageous enemy of unconstitutional governmental actions. After looking at these things it’s hard not to see him as the Pied Libertarian Piper, a disgrace who deserves to be tarred and feathered and drummed out of the Republican party before he does us all damage by contagion.
What is not true
calhoun211 Friday, December 23rd at 5:46AM EDT (link)about what was in these stories? When was the last time a white guy won the 100 yard dash? Was B. Jordon a big time liberal or not? Just because something isn’t politically correct doesn’t mean its not true. By the way I don’t support RP.
Who's B. Jordon
nathanalbright (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 6:39AM EDT (link)…and saying that 95% of the black males in Washington DC are criminals is racist, or automatically assuming that a purse snatcher is going to be black. If you wanted to get into the politically incorrect but scientifically legitimate aspects, you would start talking, as you did, about 100 yard dash times and basketball skill, as follows:
http://lagriffedulion.f2s.com/blackathlete.htm
But that’s not what Ron Paul did in his statements.
Ron Paul 2012
Neil Stevens (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 7:38AM EDT (link)A chicken in every pot, a Jew in every oven!
- From Twitter.
RS contributing editor and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
Or Vice-Versa.
Repair_Man_Jack (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 10:58AM EDT (link)After several joints.
Oh, and his backwards foreign policy could be: “Free Soviet Jews! Collect them and trade them with your friends.”
Ron Paul is a counter-argument to the theory that evolution is a forward process.
Mr. Obama is pretending that an economic “recovery” is underway when he knows damn well that the banking system is just blowing smoke up the shredded *** of what’s left of that economy – James Howard Kunstler
josephine
josephine (Diary) Friday, December 23rd at 8:29AM EDT (link)It may be that Paul’s supporters put their support for his stanch on foreign policy before the good of the country. Respect for Rand Paul has dropped with me also.
I am so tired of this man. He has no business running for President.
I believe he’s senile.
I’m also tired of negative ads. It’s distracting us from the real problem, Barack HUSSEIN Obama. While Paul and Mitt are trying to destroy Newt, Obama and Reid are taking us down.
When will the people of this country learn. Or do they care?
All we are doing are supporting the media’s pocketbooks while they destroy the very people we need to get out of this mess.