http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/Conventions/story?id=5709014&page=1
Paul Offers No GOP Support at Minn. Rally Former Republican Candidate Kicks Off Counter-Rally, Calls McCain 'Lesser of Two Evils' By Z. BYRON WOLF and NITYA VENKATARAMAN MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Sept. 2, 2008 17 comments FONT SIZE EMAIL PRINT SHARE RSS var addthis_pub = 'abcnews'; Shut out of a visible role in the Republican convention, Texas congressman Ron Paul held his own raucous, shadow convention Tuesday night, officially launching a new political group he hopes will channel on some of the energy of his own failed presidential campaign. Attendees applaud and raise signs at former presidential candidate and Congressman Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008 in Minneapolis. Paul, a Republican, is from Texas.(AP Photo/Jim Mone) Touting his 'Campaign for Liberty', Paul also celebrated his differences with the Republican party: while the GOP showcased a pro-war former Democrat in Sen. Joe Lieberman at its convention across the Mississippi River in St. Paul, the Texas Republican brought his supporters to their feet arguing that the US should not be involved in any wars unless it is in danger of being invaded. It's actually war that begets terrorism, he argued. "We have a threat from terrorism, but that is a consequence of a seriously flawed foreign policy," Paul said. Strength in Numbers As a candidate, Paul failed to register enough votes to bring him anywhere near the Republican nomination, but generated buzz with vocal supporters and several quarters of strong fundraising – both of which were on display at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis as the crowd of some 10,000 supporters cheered him on. Paul's shadow convention, dubbed the "Rally for the Republic," was a party paid for entirely with donations and ticket sales – $17.76 per head to commemorate the founding fathers, whose message Paul thinks have been muddled by two plus centuries of laws. The biggest cheers came when Paul argued, as he did throughout his presidential campaign, that the Federal Reserve has hurt Americans with inflation and should be abolished. "There should be no federal reserve system," he yelled, adding later, "Can you believe that 18 months ago I didn't think any of you existed or cared or knew about the federal reserve?" Still on a mission to remake the GOP, for the first time Paul talked about his group (if not himself) working outside the Republican party. A true revolution, he said, will extend beyond party lines. "I wanted to be President because of the things I don't want to do," Paul said, arguing that "resisting the temptation of power requires some strength and we don't need more government power," he said.
