Former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has declined to endorse either John McCain or Barack Obama, and he told CNN’s Kiran Chetry on Thursday that he sees “no difference” between them because both espouse foreign policies that only create more threats to our national interests.
Chetry asked Paul, “Do you think it’s a valid argument … that a John McCain administration would be a four-year extension of the Bush administration?”
“Sure, but I think that’s what’s going to happen with Obama, too,” Paul replied. “There’s no difference.”
“Their foreign policies are identical,” Paul explained. “They want more troops in Afghanistan. They want to send more support to Georgia to protect the oil line there. Neither one says bring home the troops from Iraq from the bases — you know the bases are going to stay there, the embassy as big as the Vatican, that’s going to remain. So their foreign policies are exactly the same. They’re both very, very aggressive with Iran. So I would say there’s no difference.”
“How would you handle these global threats, then, if it’s not to send our troops there and make sure that we’re protected?” Chetry asked.
“We create the threats!” Paul replied emphatically. “Why are we on the borders of Russia provoking the Russians? I mean, the Georgians initiated the military attack against these enclaves where there were mostly Russians. … It’s the fact that we’re over there that we create these crises.”
“Isn’t it part of our duty, though, to support these fledgling democracies that ask for our help?” asked Chetry.
“No, it’s not our responsibility to do that,” Paul said firmly. “We should endorse the principle but not send troops and money. … Once we get over there, we just aggravate the situation.”
“We bombed Serbia in order for Kosovo to become independent,” Paul concluded. “Now the Russians are doing the same thing. … It’s this total inconsistency.”
Ron Paul’s rally: The other political convention in town
When followers of erstwhile presidential candidate Ron Paul said they were going to stage an alternate convention, they meant it. Pretty much everything about Paul’s grassroots Rally for the Republic stands in stark contrast to the Republican national convention getting underway in St. Paul.
Its delegates are on their way via “Ronvoy,” a caravan of minivans and charter buses organized on the Internet. Many are eschewing hotels in favor of campgrounds and RV parks in Twin Cities exurbs, according to organizers. Still others will arrive just in time for the rally, a 12-hour marathon of speakers and entertainers taking place Tuesday at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.
“Most of our people are not wealthy,” said Drew Ivers, a longtime GOP activist who is Paul’s delegate coordinator. “They’re working people feeling the pinch. They’re not country-club elitists. With the price of gas, they’re caravanning in in minivans and the like.
“These people are sacrificing to make this happen,” Ivers added. “I think it’s commendable.”
Speakers expected at the rally include former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, MSNBC correspondent Tucker Carlson, anti-tax lobbyist Grover Norquist, Barry Goldwater Jr., son of the late presidential candidate, and Barb White, a candidate in Minnesota’s fifth congressional district.
On hand to entertain the 10,000 supporters organizers say they expect will be musicians Marc Scibilia, Rockie Lynne, Sara Evans and Aimee Allen, the voice behind “The Ron Paul Revolution Theme Song.” Tickets, still available at Ticketmaster at press time, are priced at a cheeky $17.76.
$4.7 million in campaign coffers A physician and 10-term congressman from the greater Houston area, Paul officially suspended his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination in June. Instead, he announced, he would use the $4.7 million remaining in his campaign coffers to underwrite the Campaign for Liberty, a grassroots effort to push libertarian-minded candidates for local offices across the country.
In the new America an endorsement of Congressman Ron Paul now gives the police probable cause to pull you over, ask you for identification and search your vehicle.
Much to their surprise Rick and Ingrid, friends from Las Vegas, discovered this recently when police pulled them over and cited a Ron Paul and an Infowars bumper sticker on the back of their car as having aroused suspicion.
The couple sent the following email explaining their experience:
It was late afternoon here Las Vegas and we were pulling into Sam’s Town Casino and Hotel. As we were pulling into the parking lot of Sam’s Town we heard what sounded like a fog horn type of horn. Anyway since I never have heard a police siren like that I figured it was some guy who was in a hurry going no where honking his weird horn. We drove a little further and we saw the colored lights of the police in the rear window. They were pulling us over!!!!
We pulled over and stopped and the police car pulled behind us. There were two officers in the car, one of the officers got out on the drivers side of the police car and walked over to my friends window (the drivers side) and he (my friend) asked the officer is there problem and he responded by saying “I just want to know what is going on”. Next he wanted to see his ID and had he ever been arrested. He did not ask for the registration to the car or for proof of insurance. I thought that was strange since every officer I ever encountered wanted to see all of the paperwork.
Then he asked for my ID, and I handed it to him. Right after that another officer shows up on the passenger side and asked for my ID, I told him I gave it to the other officer and he said “Don’t you have more than one ID”.? I said no only one.Then they told us get out of the car and put our hands behind our backs, and to stand in front of the police car.
We complied with their request and never once gave them any trouble. Then one of the officers called me back to the side of the car, said he wanted to talk to me. He asked me if there was anything illegal in this car, I said no. He said you had better being telling the truth because we are going to search this car. He then asked where we were before we came here, I replied we just came from Big Lots shopping. Well, Alex they (the police) started searching my friend and myself. They then they went to the car and told us to stay there and not turn around. In the meantime Sam’s Town security joined the cop sand they were eager to play “Lap Dogs” for the cops. Finally they emerged from the car and told us we could go now.
As we are walking to the car one officer comes walking towards me and says “You know why we had to do this right”?
I said pardon me officer, I don’t know understand, he then repeated it. Then he pointed at our RON PAUL and INFOWARS stickers on our car. I was going to question his actions but my friend said let’s just go. Our stickers are still on the car and will remain there.