Mark Slagle wrote:
MS) it's curiously odd that the San Francisco Chronicle, while seemingly
unable to print Rudy's name without attaching some sort of "libertarian"
sobriquet, can manage to publish an entire article about Paul, front page
above the fold and contuing inside amounting to a half-page of print,
without so much as even mentioning the word "libertarian" even once. ("Ron
Who?" -- Wed-28-Nov-2007) (MS
Actually, the article says: "Paul's eclectic mix of fiercely libertarian and
conservative values has created a passionate support base that might be
unlike any other candidate in the 2008 presidential race." Interestingly,
Brian Miller eagerly believed your inaccurate report, just as he
uncritically <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lpsf-discuss/message/13288>
parroted the mistaken AP report that Paul supports funding for abstinence
education.
Brian Miller wrote:
BM) Giuliani has used the word "libertarian" to describe himself in this
election cycle, while Ron Paul has studiously avoided it (BM
In the only multi-minute interview I can find of Paul on national
major-network TV, Paul without any prompting called his message
"libertarian":
<http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkxiAJE5Hn1cAd.xXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE5bmZwczF1BHN
lYwNzcgRwb3MDMwRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA1lTMTk4Xzc2BGwDV1Mx/SIG=120pq3fn7/EXP=1196
389888/**http%3a//www.youtube.com/watch%3fv=fk60hAzwWO4> Ron Paul on This
Week with George Stephanopoulos (07/08/07)
MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: You're running as a Republican this time. Why?
REP. PAUL: Well, I was elected to Congress 10 times as a Republican. That's
a pretty good reason. I've been able to deliver this constitutional, very
libertarian message to my district and they like it and they reelect me. And
it's practical. Third parties are - the laws are biased against them. Unless
you're a billionaire, you can't even get on the ballot. So that's not very
democratic.
MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: You've also really built up a reputation for living out
your libertarian principles. You served, as you said, 20 years in Congress
but you're not going to take a congressional pension.
REP. PAUL: Right.
Here is Paul copping to being a "true libertarian" on HBO:
REAL TIME W BILL <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo6KIusCBoU> MAHER 3-30-07
Maher: You are a throwback Republican, because you are a true libertarian,
right?
Paul: That is true. I believe in limited government, I believe in individual
liberty. There were some Republicans at one time who actually believed
that.
Here is Paul being grilled at the Values Voter debate Sep
<http://youtube.com/watch?v=fh9obU0HJts> 2007:
Q: Many libertarians oppose laws at all levels of government against
so-called same-sex marriages and other matters such as prostitution and
illegal drugs. What is your view?
Paul: First off, this is a very important question, because "libertarian"
sometimes is misconstrued. "Libertarian" means liberty. If you believe in
liberty, you're a libertarian. The best libertarians that we've ever had in
this country were our founding fathers. They believed in civil liberties,
economic liberties, and the believed in a non-interventionist foreign
policy. They wanted peace and trade. [...] What we as conservatives must
remember, is that if you're willing to use the strong arm of government to
regulate things that are negative, that you don't like and you find
abhorrent, you set the stage for regulating your religion, your schools, and
everything else. [..] Today we have the federal government going in to the
states that have legal medical marijuana, arresting people, undermining
state laws, arresting people who use marijuana when they're dying with
cancer and AIDS, and it's done as a compassionate conservative, and it
doesn't work. [...] We cannot go to Washington to dictate to us how to
improve our personal behavior. You don't dictate, you don't legislate
virtue. In a free society, you do that from the people, form your family,
your friends, and your neighbors, but not in the federal government.
Thus, even when confronted with the "libertarian" label in a question about
"same-sex marriage, prostitution, and drugs" in front of an evangelical
Christian audience, Paul declined to say those things should be regulated,
and instead lectured the audience not to "legislate virtue".
It's been three weeks since I challenged
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cal-libs/message/2941> you to use Ron Paul
quotes to back up your allegation that Ron Paul "says he is not a
libertarian". We're still waiting.
