The Spirit of the Founders: RJ Harris 2010

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Libertarian Republicans Are The Solution To Big Gov't

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Let's get Open Carry in Texas!

Dear Fellow Texans,

Did you know that there are 43 states in the union that permit Open Carry of firearms? 11 of these states are known as “Gold Star” states where, with few restrictions, law abiding citizens may exercise their 2nd Amendment Constitutional Right, and openly carry on their person and in their vehicle a loaded side arm for personal protection. 11 other states have Open Carry laws that allow their citizens to carry their handguns openly with a permit, and the remaining 21 states allow open carry with various additional restrictions.

Texas gun laws are clearly behind the times. Many citizens of states that currently enjoy Open Carry are surprised to learn that the great Lone Star State does not allow its law-abiding citizens to Open Carry. Many of your fellow Texans and fellow gun owners feel strongly that the time is right for us to unite together in support of a Texas Open Carry Law.

Please sign the petition now if you have not already done so.

Support open carry!

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Ron Paul Rally- Tucker Carlson Intro

Nice intro, Tucker!

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Bern's letter to his FIL re: Ron Paul

Hi XXXX,

I am aware that you consider Ron Paul a kook and were a bit surprised when XXXX mentioned to you the other day that I have decided to support him. She has encouraged me to discuss it with you, so I'm writing to hopefully explain things cogently.

I have been doing a *lot* of reading and researching over the last few weeks. I have also been participating in a few discussion forums here and there to get different perspectives.

I have come to find that many of the people that I have encountered who hold the position that Ron Paul is a kook have not really investigated what he is saying closely. He tends to answer questions in debates from an academic (sometimes philosophical) viewpoint and sometimes is not able to fully elucidate his thoughts in the short time frames given (I don't hold it against him that he isn't a polished "politician"). What little mainstream media reporting there is of him is almost always misrepresenting what he is about (* more on that at the end of this letter), so it is difficult to understand why anyone would support him unless they have looked a bit deeper into what he is really all about. Fortunately, there is a plethora of material available on the internet from his writings, voting record and in-depth video interviews for anyone who is interested to get a better understanding (more on that in a bit).

First, I'd like to address a couple of the most common misperceptions about Ron Paul (I believe that you have mentioned something along some of these lines in the recent past, but they are common refrains I have found in discussion forums):

--- He is an isolationist in the vein of Neville Chamberlain / He will weaken America

Ron Paul does want to bring home American troops and close down military bases on foreign soil. He does *not* however, want to handicap foreign/military intelligence gathering, economic relations or diplomatic relations. He advocates a non-interventionist foreign policy and no nation building - the same foreign policy that Bush ran on in 2000 and which Ronald Reagan ran on in 1980.

Ron Paul did vote for the USA to go to Afghanistan and tried (unsuccessfully) to persuade Congress/Bush to target Al Qaeda/OBL directly after 9/11 instead of attacking Iraq. Ron Paul is a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and does have a solid understanding of current geopolitical issues.

Some good articles for reference:

Ron Paul Refuses to Support a Military Dictator in Pakistan
http://youtube.com/watch?v=etQDCrd584s

Ron Paul Is Correct About Pakistan
http://www.hnn.us/articles/45967.html

Ron Paul Speech to Congress November 29, 2001 (2.5 months after 9/11)
http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/co...1/cr112901.htm

Dr. Ron Paul For President 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEmn1LGBq28


--- He wants to reinstitute the gold standard of 1913

First of all, Ron Paul is not advocating any change in the valuation of Federal Reserve Notes (by artificially pegging them to a certain amount of gold/silver/etc.), so the idea that he is going to do something drastic to the financial markets is unfounded.

What he is advocating is legalizing gold and silver (and other commodities) to be used as *competing currencies*. This means people are free to choose whether they want to engage in commerce or contracts using gold, silver or FRNs.

The basic premise, as it was explained to me, is that gold transactions will not have a sales tax, and if the price of gold appreciates relative to FRNs or in exchange for goods and services, there will be no capital gains tax. This will allow Gold to trade as currency, as a marker for productivity and consumptive use.

So instead of doing transactions in FRNs, you could make a deal to work for so much gold. And the transaction would be untaxed at the federal level. State's however would be able to level sales tax against transactions conducted in bullion or bullion notes.

Ron Paul has studied Austrian Economics for over 30 years and has written several books on the subject. I am not an expert on Austrian Economics or "American economics" as our current system works, but I do believe that he has a very strong foundation in economics. He does have numerous endorsements from college professors of economics. I do not believe that he is a fool.

Some good articles for reference:

Ron Paul Library on The Economy and Monetary Policy
http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/topic.php?id=9

Statement Introducing the Free Competition in Currency Act (Dec. 13, 2007)
http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/co.../cr121307h.htm

Dollar in Danger- The Greatest Threat to America (youtube video - watch just before the 6 minute mark)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUbA-vz0Py0

Endorsements for Ron Paul (See economics professors under Academics and others under Finance section)
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/endorsements

Ron Paul on Mad Money w/Jim Cramer (CNBC show)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8teEHdCrFqE


--- Ron Paul will hurt people dependent on entitlements

Ron Paul is advocating allowing young people the opportunity to opt out of Social Security, medicare, etc., and eventually phasing them out completely. But, he has stated numerous times that he believes government owes those who are currently dependent upon those programs the continued support that they are receiving. He is not going to cut anyone off.

Closing the military bases on foreign soil will save America hundreds of billion dollars. He plans to use that savings to reduce taxes and maintain entitlement payments to those who are dependent upon them.

Some good articles for reference:

Worldwide Military Expenditures
http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...d/spending.htm

Ron Paul on Social Security (watch the video on the page)
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/social-security/


--- Ron Paul is a racist

While I don't recall you raising this objection, it is something that many people are confused about. Ron Paul is for color blind individual liberty. He is against collectivism in all forms.

There were some attempts to smear him with the racist label by drudging up some old newsletters of his, but they were debunked as not being written or specifically approved by him.

During an interview with The Washington Post:

"...
Sleuth: In a Ron Paul administration, who would we see as secretary of defense, or secretary of state or maybe as chief of staff?

Paul: Somebody I think should be in the administration would be somebody like Jim Grant, who is a good friend and he writes an investment type of newsletter and he understands economics in the same vain that I do. And people like Jonathan Turley would be good in the Justice Department. And somebody like this Michael Scheuer who knows something about foreign policy, in the State department.

Sleuth: If you were to defy the polls and the odds and win the nomination, who would be your running mate?

Paul: Well, I don't know, but if I won, you know, I'd want a recount. You know, lets be certain about what's going on here.

But a running mate. Somebody like Walter Williams. Walter Williams is a very good economist. ..."


Some good articles for reference:

Washington Post Interview
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleut...abies_pro.html

Walter Williams, Department of Economics, George Mason University
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/

Ron Paul on H.Res. 676 (40th anniversary of 1964 Civil Rights Act)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul188.html

Ron Paul Race Smear Erased?
http://www.freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=41822


~~~

So, all that said, why do I support Ron Paul? Andrew Sullivan, author of The Conservative Soul, stated it really well:

"... But the deeper reason to support Ron Paul is a simple one. The great forgotten principles of the current Republican party are freedom and toleration. Paul's federalism, his deep suspicion of Washington power, his resistance to government spending, debt and inflation, his ability to grasp that not all human problems are soluble, least of all by government: these are principles that made me a conservative in the first place. No one in the current field articulates them as clearly and understands them as deeply as Paul. He is a man of faith who nonetheless sees a clear line between religion and politics. More than all this, he has somehow ignited a new movement of those who love freedom and want to rescue it from the do-gooding bromides of the left and the Christianist meddling of the right. The Paulites' enthusiasm for liberty, their unapologetic defense of core conservative principles, their awareness that in the new millennium, these principles of small government, self-reliance, cultural pluralism, and a humble foreign policy are more necessary than ever - no lover of liberty can stand by and not join them.

He's the real thing in a world of fakes and frauds. And in a primary campaign where the very future of conservatism is at stake, that cannot be ignored. In fact, it demands support."

Ron Paul For The Republican Nomination
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.co...ul-for-th.html

I am not happy with the direction in which the country is currently headed. The 'War on Terror' (Patriot Act) is eroding our civil liberties at an alarming rate. I don't want to end up one day in a situation like my father had to live through in Argentina with Peron (or what my grandfather had to live through in Austria during Hitler's rise to power).

I am also concerned about the country's solvency. We are currently dependent upon loans from China to keep our government (and the war in Iraq) going. As the dollar keeps dropping in value and the perfect storm of events leading to a severe recession are percolating, there is going to come a time when foreign money is going to dry up (because they know we will be repaying them with devalued dollars - ie. no return on investment). This is similar to what happened less than a decade ago in Argentina when the economy collapsed and the IMF refused to make them any loans.

Ron Paul is the only candidate who I believe has the understanding, vision and fortitude to alter the direction of this country.

FYI, these are some really good videos where Ron Paul had a chance to talk about his ideas in some depth:

Ron Paul on Candidates@Google (this one is *really* good)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCM_wQy4YVg

Ron Paul interview on PBS' NOW (see the extended interview video)
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/350/index.html

Some other interesting articles:

The Neo-Conservative Guide to Voting for Ron Paul
http://www.libertymaven.com/2007/12/...-for-ron-paul/

Ron Paul Praised by American Cops
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/30030.html

* heinous misrepresentation:
A Fox, a Wolf, and a Whole Lot of Bull (Part 1 of 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY-KlYg9UME

A Fox, a Wolf, and a Whole Lot of Bull (Part 2 of 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ht1bo5UhOs

~~~~~~~~~



Cordially,

Bern
___________________________________
Please Digg this!

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Don't let Fox News censor Ron Paul

From the good folks at Downsize DC:

2007-Dec-29

The Public Must Hear the DC Downsizer Perspective on the Issues

Tell your friends about this campaign!Has Ron Paul been banned from FoxNews?

Who will win the Presidential campaign? DownsizeDC.org takes no position.

But we must applaud when a presidential candidate agrees with us!

And when only one candidate speaks up for Downsizing DC, his voice should be included in media-run debates and forums.

Let us show you what we mean. There are six major Republican candidates. Rudolph Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson.

Repeal the Real ID Act - only Ron Paul speaks for that.

Stop the War in Iraq - only Ron Paul speaks for that.

Federal Deficit tied to Congressional Pay Cut - only Ron Paul speaks for that.

Repeal the Patriot Act - only Ron Paul speaks for that.

Honest Money - only Ron Paul speaks for that.

Enumerated Powers Act - only Ron Paul speaks for that.

And we save the best for last. The American Freedom Agenda Act, which would . . .

Repeal the “Military Commissions Act of 2007” and thereby restore the ancient right of habeas corpus and end legally sanctioned torture by U.S. government agents

Restore the ”Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act” (FISA) and thereby outlaw warrantless spying on American citizens by the President of the United States

Give Congress standing in court to challenge the President's use of "signing statements" as a means to avoid executing the nation's laws

Make it illegal for government agents to kidnap people and send them abroad to be tortured by foreign governments

Provide legal protection to journalists who expose wrong-doing by the Federal government

Prohibit the use of secret evidence to label groups or individuals as terrorists for the purpose of criminal or civil sanctions

. . . only Ron Paul speaks for these issues. In fact, he introduced the bill!

These issues need a voice. You can send a message to Congress on any of them.

But they need to be included in debates and forums. The American people need to learn about the smaller government perspective. Censorship of these very American ideas is unacceptable.

FoxNews, and many in the Republican establishment, have made it clear, repeatedly, that they don't want a candidate saying such things. And now . . .

According to the New Hampshire State Republican Party and an Associated Press report, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul will be excluded from an upcoming forum of Republican candidates to be broadcast by Fox News on January 6, 2008.

This won't be a debate. The candidates will be questioned by Chris Wallace (host of FoxNews Sunday), around a table, in a studio on the campus of St. Anselm College. The program will include Giuliani, Huckabee, McCain, Romney, and Thompson.

Do you notice who is missing from that list?

The candidate who would tell the world about Downsize DC issues!

"They Decide. We Report."

Now you know. Now you get to call them on it.

It's not the candidate that matters. It's the message. This message must not be snuffed out by FoxNews censorship. Time is short. Take action and tell them now!


Use the information in this introductory material to craft your own, unique message. Personalized messages are worth more than form messages. We've made this as simple as possible for you, but we can't BE you.

If you've used our Congressional Contact System before just enter your user email address and password, and hit GO. You'll be taken to a screen where you can add your own comments to the message to your elected representatives.

If you're using our Congressional Contact System for the first time, please fill out the form for new users. This information is generally used to direct your message to the correct Senators. Please provide your own password. Do not let the system create one for you. Remember your password. It will allow you to use our system easily in the future for other issues -- to contact Congress. Please use an email address you check regularly so you can receive our free email newsletter, the Downsizer Dispatch, and stay up to date on Congressional actions.

The Petition
Below is the text of the letter we will send on your behalf:

One candidate speaks for smaller government: Ron Paul. Include him in the January 6th forum at St. Anselm College.

[Your personal comments here]


Get Involved!

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Message from Ron Paul

December 17, 2007

What a day! I am humbled and inspired, grateful and thrilled for this vast outpouring of support.

On just one day, in honor of the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, the new American revolutionaries brought in $6.04 million, another one-day record. The average donation was $102; we had 58,407 individual contributors, of whom an astounding 24,915 were first-time donors. And it was an entirely voluntary, self-organized, decentralized, independent effort on the internet. Must be the "spammers" I keep hearing about!

The establishment is baffled and worried, and well they should be. They keep asking me who runs our internet fundraising and controls our volunteers. To these top-down central planners, a spontaneous order like our movement is science-fiction. But you and I know it's real: as real as the American people's yearning for freedom, peace, and prosperity, as real as all the men and women who have sacrificed for our ideals, in the past and today.

And how neat to see celebrations all across the world, with Tea Parties from France to New Zealand. This is how we can spread the ideals of our country, through voluntary emulation, not bombs and bribes. Of course, there were hundreds in America.

As I dropped in on a cheering, laughing crowd of about 600 near my home in Freeport, Texas, I noted that they call us "angry." Well, we are the happiest, most optimistic "angry" movement ever, and the most diverse. What unites us is a love of liberty, and a determination to fix what is wrong with our country, from the Fed to the IRS, from warfare to welfare. But otherwise we are a big tent.

Said the local newspaper (http://www.thefacts.com/story.lasso?ewcd=36475b4d132fc0a1): "The elderly sat with teens barely old enough to vote. The faces were black, Hispanic, Asian and white. There was no fear in their voices as they spoke boldly with each other about the way the country should be. Held close like a deeply held secret, Paul has brought them out of the disconnect they feel between what they know to be true and where the country has been led."

Thanks also to the 500 or so who braved the blizzard in Boston to go to Faneuil Hall. My son Rand told me what a great time he had with you.

A few mornings ago on LewRockwell.com, I saw a YouTube of a 14-year-old boy that summed up our whole movement for me. This well-spoken young man, who could have passed in knowledge for a college graduate, told how he heard our ideas being denounced. So he decided to Google. He read some of my speeches, and thought, these make sense. Then he studied US foreign policy of recent years, and came to the conclusion that we are right. So he persuaded his father to drop Rudy Giuliani and join our movement.

All over America, all over the world, we are inspiring real change. With the wars and the spying, the spending and the taxing, the inflation and the credit crisis, our ideas have never been more needed. Please help me spread them https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate in all 50 states. Victory for liberty! That is our goal, and nothing less.

Sincerely,

Ron

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The Secret to the Ron Paul Phenomenon

December 15, 2007 |
Pay attention, all you politicians and campaign managers who yearn to discover the secret to building Paulian-level support (yes, I predict a future adjective in the making). I will share the secret with you, but first the bad news: You may as well forget it because it can't be done.

Let me say that again. It can't be done. It can't be created or made to happen. It only happens spontaneously when a certain precondition exists.

What's the precondition, you ask? That's the "secret".

While I admire his modesty, I will disagree with Paul when he says that people are just responding to the message...though that's certainly an important part of it. It's also, and primarily, the character of the person involved. It's who you are—or more to the point, who you've been. The sort of man that Ron Paul is is unique in the contemporary political scene, and that is what droves of people are responding to. The politician or campaign staff hoping to generate a similar grassroots phenomenon needs to understand that you either are 'that person', or you aren't. You can forget all the consultants and strategies; it's something that can't be manufactured or learned, it's got to be lived. The framework for the Ron Paul phenomenon began some thirty years ago, when he first went to Congress and cast his very first vote. That's the sort of stuff it takes: A decades-long, unflagging personal devotion to and undeviating record of defending liberty and constitutional republican government.

In short, it requires integrity and integrity can't be faked. You either got it or you ain't. And the market will make that judgment.

Watch the extended PBS interview with Paul here.

Read more at REPUBLICAN RENAISSANCE

Posted by David McClain on 12/15/2007

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Would the Founding Fathers endorse Ron Paul?

Empirical Proof That The Founding Fathers Would Endorse Ron Paul
12/14/07

Constitutional law as defined by Wikipedia, is the study of foundational or basic laws of nation states and other political organizations. Constitutions are the framework for government and may limit or define the authority and procedure of political bodies to execute new laws and regulations.

As we all know, the United States is governed by a Constitution as well but have we lost sight of this? Has our government set aside the rights of its individuals?

It is apparent from watching the Republican and Democratic debates that the Constitution has become a very important talking point but what has caused this?

Let's start answering some of the questions.

According to many, politicians are averting the rights of its citizens with laws like the Patriot Act, rendition, and the loss of habeas corpus. Not to mention the legality of the Iraq invasion. Ron Paul's success stems from the fact that he preaches a return to Constitutional principles. But when all of the other candidates start preaching the same thing it becomes muddled as to which politician is true to the Constitution and which politician says it merely for personal gain.

First, I would like to mention that it is because of Ron Paul that the candidates have begun to preach the importance of the Constitution. I know this because I have parsed the transcripts of the Republican presidential debates and here is what I found with regards to the number of instances in which the candidates spoke about the Constitution.

Keep in mind that there have been many references to Constitutional amendments that would either ban abortion or gay marriage. Those instances were not counted as they do not reflect a desire to return to Constitutional principles but rather change it to fit their needs. We also excluded mentions of state constitutions for obvious reasons...

Great article from lawyerucla.com, check out the stats here!

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