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Unlikely allies unite for
Paul's quixotic bid
Stephen Dinan
Washington
Times
Monday November 19, 2007
PHILADELPHIA — They are crusty Iowa farmers enticed by
doing away with the income tax, libertarian-minded college students
in heavy-metal band T-shirts, antiwar Republicans looking for
a champion, and folks worried about the Federal Reserve Board
and paper money.
They say they are the disaffected in politics, and this year
they are finding a political home with Ron Paul, the congressman
from Texas who is shaking up the Republican presidential contest
with phenomenal fundraising and the potential to convert that
into enough votes to be a spoiler come January.
Even without the fife-and-drum players, they are the loudest
of crowds. Even without the "Don't Tread on Me" flags
and cloak-and-mask movie costumes, they are the most colorful.
And Mr. Paul's supporters certainly are the most suspicious of
the political process.
(Article continues below)
"I don't want to sound like one of these nut cases, there
are probably some of them here," said Tom Levins, waving
his arm toward 2,000 fellow supporters rallying with Mr. Paul
on Nov. 10 in Philadelphia. "But you have to wonder about
the establishment. I've had it cross my mind, could he be the
next political person knocked off?"
For Mr. Levins and other supporters, Mr. Paul is more than just
a choice on the Republican primary ballot. He is talismanic, a
72-year-old 10-term congressman who transcends partisan politics.
For them, he's the man who can restore the Constitution, end the
Iraq war, bring back the gold standard for money and stop an erosion
of civil rights.
Before his political career, Mr. Paul was a doctor — first
an Air Force flight surgeon and later an obstetrician —
and his frequent votes against spending bills and ever-expanding
federal programs earned him the nickname "Dr. No." He
also was the Libertarian Party nominee for president in 1988,
running a distant third.
His supporters cheer his willingness to stand up to institutions
of power, and his recent tussle with Federal Reserve Chairman
Ben S. Bernanke at a congressional hearing has become a cult hit
among the candidate's supporters on YouTube.
"It's not about the issues, it's about the Constitution,"
said Michael Hamme, one of the rally-goers. "Basically, as
I see it, we're run by the Federal Reserve system, which is actually
not legal."
Full
article here.
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INFOWARS:
BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR YOUR MIND
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