Post by PapaSmurerf on Apr 22, 2008 16:12:22 GMT -5
"I'm still in this race!"
Ron Paul Rallies Missoula
By Peter Metcalf, 4-22-08
The Ron Paul Revolution rolled into Missoula Monday night to raucous cheers and whistles from a standing room only crowd on the University of Montana campus, despite the fact that his opponent John McCain has already secured the Republican presidential nomination.
Photo by Anne Medley
“People ask, are you still in this race or aren’t you? Sure I’m still in this race!” Paul said, eliciting loud chants of “Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Ron Paul” from the crowd of more than a thousand people. “I’m in the race as long as the supporters want me in the race. It’s their campaign,” Paul said, who vowed to fight on to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Minn. in September.
Paul wasted no time in getting to the core principles of his anti-establishment message: liberty and limited government.
“The opposite of liberty is big government. If we want more liberty, we have to shrink the size of our government,” Paul said.
He promised to abolish the personal income tax and, in an allusion to what has become the dominant theme of this extended Presidential primary season, to bring “real change” to Washington by making government “follow the constitution.”
Paul blasted the Bush administration’s policy on Iraq for damaging the economy, draining the military and weakening America’s security and reputation abroad. “End this war,” Paul said to the evening’s loudest applause.
Paul, one of only six G.O.P. congressmen to vote against the resolution authorizing war in Iraq, said the war is destroying the value of the American dollar and “wiping out the middle class” by transferring wealth to Wall Street.
He then shifted his attention to the decline in civil liberty. “Freedom means the individual has a right to their body, a right to their life and a right to keep their money,” Paul said.
But since 2000, civil liberties have been badly eroded, he said. His statement that some neocons used 9/11 as an opportunity to restrict civil liberties drew scattered shouts of “inside job” from the crowd.
“We should never, never have to give up our liberty for our security,” he said.
He strongly criticized his fellow Republicans for their support of proposed legislation to shield telecommunications companies who turned over people’s private records to government security agencies in violation of federal law from lawsuits. And he said the continued government monitoring of citizens’ internet and phone usage, warrant-less wire-taps and the suspension of the writ of Habeas Corpus, even for suspected terrorists, further eliminates the freedoms of all Americans and demands the repeal of the Patriot Act.
The restrictions on liberty are just part of a larger shift away from national sovereignty and toward a one world government, Paul said. If elected President, he would sever American membership in the United Nations, the WTO, the IMF, the World Bank and NAFTA.
The problems America faces, from national security to the economy to immigration, are not that complex, nor is the solution difficult: “It can be found by just following the constitution. That’s what we need to do,” Paul said.
By limiting the size of the federal government, restoring a free market, and returning liberty to the individual, Paul promised America would again be a prosperous nation with real wealth. Government involvement negatively impacts markets because government officials “don’t know how to run the economy,” Paul said. He suggested allowing housing prices to naturally fall so people of more modest incomes can afford a home and ending protectionist tariffs on foreign ethanol and bio-diesel to help ease high fuel prices.
Paul then raised a subject that, judging by the public reaction, is
apparently dear to many Missoulians: marijuana. People should be allowed to choose what they put into their bodies, just like they should be free to choose how to spend their money, he argued. While he personally does not support drug use or gambling, he supports people’s right to choose based on principle.
States also should have the right to legalize the drug without the federal government swooping in to prosecute users, he said. Drug prosecutions have filled America’s jails with people who never committed a violent crime.
Only China has more prisoners then the U.S., Paul said. “I’d say its probably not because we’re bad people. I’d say its probably because we have too many laws.”
At the end of his speech, Paul returned to the main contention underpinning much of his Revolution: The American system of empire is teetering on economic and social collapse.
“If I have my way, we are going to restore greatness to this country and restore liberty to America,” Paul said.
After yet another standing ovation, people filed into the center of the room to ask questions of the ten-term congressman from Texas. One questioner stated to loud cheers that he intended to write-in Ron Paul in the general election and wanted to know if Paul would do the same.
Paul tactfully dodged the question. “I already said who I’m not going to vote for. We’ll see who the other candidates will be.”
Reaction to Paul’s speech was enthusiastic.
“Yeah it was great. It was great to see so many people,” said Meagan Kaufman with her her young baby. “He’s the only one who we share the same ideas with.”
John Stoken of Eureka, who caucused for Paul in February, was pleased with his determination to keep campaigning despite the improbable odds of securing the nomination.
“It’s a good idea. You never know what may happen,” Stoken said, who along with his wife carried two large yard signs home. “I’m cautiously optimistic.”
The rally drew a wide mix of people from students to cowboy hats to business suits to dreads and sandals.
Some people, including at least one Barack Obama supporter, came out of curiosity, drawn by Paul’s libertarian message. Another group of young adults were attending each of the presidential candidate’s rallies in order to make the most informed decision.
Paul’s message even appealed to a number of would-be Democrat voters, including University of Montana student Joe Sanders.
“I am a Democrat most of the time. I’m also in the army, so I definitely agree with him on his Iraq policy,” Sanders said.
Reposted from NewWest.net
Ron Paul Rallies Missoula
By Peter Metcalf, 4-22-08
The Ron Paul Revolution rolled into Missoula Monday night to raucous cheers and whistles from a standing room only crowd on the University of Montana campus, despite the fact that his opponent John McCain has already secured the Republican presidential nomination.
Photo by Anne Medley
“People ask, are you still in this race or aren’t you? Sure I’m still in this race!” Paul said, eliciting loud chants of “Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Ron Paul” from the crowd of more than a thousand people. “I’m in the race as long as the supporters want me in the race. It’s their campaign,” Paul said, who vowed to fight on to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Minn. in September.
Paul wasted no time in getting to the core principles of his anti-establishment message: liberty and limited government.
“The opposite of liberty is big government. If we want more liberty, we have to shrink the size of our government,” Paul said.
He promised to abolish the personal income tax and, in an allusion to what has become the dominant theme of this extended Presidential primary season, to bring “real change” to Washington by making government “follow the constitution.”
Paul blasted the Bush administration’s policy on Iraq for damaging the economy, draining the military and weakening America’s security and reputation abroad. “End this war,” Paul said to the evening’s loudest applause.
Paul, one of only six G.O.P. congressmen to vote against the resolution authorizing war in Iraq, said the war is destroying the value of the American dollar and “wiping out the middle class” by transferring wealth to Wall Street.
He then shifted his attention to the decline in civil liberty. “Freedom means the individual has a right to their body, a right to their life and a right to keep their money,” Paul said.
But since 2000, civil liberties have been badly eroded, he said. His statement that some neocons used 9/11 as an opportunity to restrict civil liberties drew scattered shouts of “inside job” from the crowd.
“We should never, never have to give up our liberty for our security,” he said.
He strongly criticized his fellow Republicans for their support of proposed legislation to shield telecommunications companies who turned over people’s private records to government security agencies in violation of federal law from lawsuits. And he said the continued government monitoring of citizens’ internet and phone usage, warrant-less wire-taps and the suspension of the writ of Habeas Corpus, even for suspected terrorists, further eliminates the freedoms of all Americans and demands the repeal of the Patriot Act.
The restrictions on liberty are just part of a larger shift away from national sovereignty and toward a one world government, Paul said. If elected President, he would sever American membership in the United Nations, the WTO, the IMF, the World Bank and NAFTA.
The problems America faces, from national security to the economy to immigration, are not that complex, nor is the solution difficult: “It can be found by just following the constitution. That’s what we need to do,” Paul said.
By limiting the size of the federal government, restoring a free market, and returning liberty to the individual, Paul promised America would again be a prosperous nation with real wealth. Government involvement negatively impacts markets because government officials “don’t know how to run the economy,” Paul said. He suggested allowing housing prices to naturally fall so people of more modest incomes can afford a home and ending protectionist tariffs on foreign ethanol and bio-diesel to help ease high fuel prices.
Paul then raised a subject that, judging by the public reaction, is
apparently dear to many Missoulians: marijuana. People should be allowed to choose what they put into their bodies, just like they should be free to choose how to spend their money, he argued. While he personally does not support drug use or gambling, he supports people’s right to choose based on principle.
States also should have the right to legalize the drug without the federal government swooping in to prosecute users, he said. Drug prosecutions have filled America’s jails with people who never committed a violent crime.
Only China has more prisoners then the U.S., Paul said. “I’d say its probably not because we’re bad people. I’d say its probably because we have too many laws.”
At the end of his speech, Paul returned to the main contention underpinning much of his Revolution: The American system of empire is teetering on economic and social collapse.
“If I have my way, we are going to restore greatness to this country and restore liberty to America,” Paul said.
After yet another standing ovation, people filed into the center of the room to ask questions of the ten-term congressman from Texas. One questioner stated to loud cheers that he intended to write-in Ron Paul in the general election and wanted to know if Paul would do the same.
Paul tactfully dodged the question. “I already said who I’m not going to vote for. We’ll see who the other candidates will be.”
Reaction to Paul’s speech was enthusiastic.
“Yeah it was great. It was great to see so many people,” said Meagan Kaufman with her her young baby. “He’s the only one who we share the same ideas with.”
John Stoken of Eureka, who caucused for Paul in February, was pleased with his determination to keep campaigning despite the improbable odds of securing the nomination.
“It’s a good idea. You never know what may happen,” Stoken said, who along with his wife carried two large yard signs home. “I’m cautiously optimistic.”
The rally drew a wide mix of people from students to cowboy hats to business suits to dreads and sandals.
Some people, including at least one Barack Obama supporter, came out of curiosity, drawn by Paul’s libertarian message. Another group of young adults were attending each of the presidential candidate’s rallies in order to make the most informed decision.
Paul’s message even appealed to a number of would-be Democrat voters, including University of Montana student Joe Sanders.
“I am a Democrat most of the time. I’m also in the army, so I definitely agree with him on his Iraq policy,” Sanders said.
Reposted from NewWest.net