Posted on 05/17/2007 8:01:52 AM PDT by BGHater
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The chairman of the Michigan Republican Party said Wednesday that he will try to bar Ron Paul from future GOP presidential debates because of remarks the Texas congressman made that suggested the Sept. 11 attacks were the fault of U.S. foreign policy.
Michigan party chairman Saul Anuzis said he will circulate a petition among Republican National Committee members to ban Paul from more debates. At a GOP candidates' debate Tuesday night, Paul drew attacks from all sides, most forcefully from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, when he linked the terror attacks to U.S. bombings.
"Have you ever read about the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years," Paul said.
Anuzis called the comments "off the wall and out of whack."
"I think he would have felt much more comfortable on the stage with the Democrats in what he said last night. And I think that he is a distraction in the Republican primary and he does not represent the base and he does not represent the party," Anuzis said during an RNC state leadership meeting.
"Given what he said last night it was just so off the wall and out of whack that I think it was more detrimental than helpful."
Anuzis said his petition would go to debate sponsors and broadcasters to discourage inviting Paul.
Jesse Benton, Paul's campaign spokesman, said the candidate "is supporting the traditional GOP foreign policy. I think it's a shame when people try to silence the traditional conservative Republican standpoint."
After the debate Tuesday, Paul said he didn't' expect his remarks to end his campaign.
"The last time I got a message out about my position on the war it boosted us up by tens of thousands and I didn't change my position," Paul said. "I think the American people are sick and tired of this war and want it ended."
Agreed. Paul is a “conservative” in the traditional sense, perhaps not in the modern sense.
Agree 100%. I’m a life-long Republican, but the party is by no means infallible. I’d much rather listen to Ron Paul and disagree intensely with certain of his positions than listen to a guy like Anuzis tell me who I should not be able to hear in a debate.
Anuzis retracted his bid to remove Paul from future debates.
I wrote the Paul campaign asking them to tone down the wacky foreign policy stuff and start discussing more of the right-on domestic policy ideas.
If he campaigns against Internet regulation, for instance, he can badly hurt McCain. Both political parties have thrown the first amendment out the window when it comes to their desire (corporate desire) to bring the Internet to heel. Don’t expect News Corporation or Time Warner to support a candidate who wants to keep the Internet free.
Regarding the Libertarians: they have long since been taken over by feminist and gay monetary contributions.
In the same way that the Libertarians abandoned true libertarian principles (by putting up gay rainbows on their websites) Ron Paul’s anti-war remarks could end up getting him a lot of left-wing money that would cause him to abandon all trace of conservatism on other issues.
He would then become an idiotic demigogue like Howard Dean.
That is why, despite disagreeing with Paul on the WOT, I would want true conservatives to influence him and let him have his say as a conservative. His domestic policies could become part of the next president’s policy.
If you can’t argue against a candidate’s position, please spare us the half hearted attempts to twist their positions.
The Internet provides a great resource for discovering (through text and video/audio media) what candidates are actually saying. A little research on the part of all commentators (here and elsewhere) would help a great deal in assisting American voters in their quest to elect the best president.
Sincerely,
LDL
Nah, don’t bar Ron Paul from the debates. Let him show himself for what he is. He’ll be ‘deselected’ soon enough.
Really?
At this point, Ron Paul has raised more money than any Repubocrat (sorry, I couldn't help it) candidate.
The US Military has contributed more money to the Ron Paul campaign than any other candidate.
I've been a member of FreeRepublic for a long time. I remember when Ron Paul was a Freeper hero. He stands for the Constitution. Free Republic has lost it's way, endorsing "neo-cons", who are "pro-war", "pro-big-government", and are obsesed with defeating Hillary (who I agree is a female Satan).
The question is, are we going to vote against an evil candidate, to support another evil canidate.
I am tired of voting for the "lesser of two evils", and that is why I am voting "Ron Paul" for the Constitution"
Sure, he's getting lots of money from Code Pink, et al, but it hasn't helped him in the polls.
I remember when Ron Paul was a Freeper hero.
FReepers have all kinds of 'heroes'. But the vast majority of individuals on FR don't want anything to do with that looney tune known as Ron Paul.
I am tired of voting for the "lesser of two evils", and that is why I am voting "Ron Paul" for the Constitution"
I am too. But I have to tell you, Ron is so nutty, Hillary would be the lesser of the two evils.
Remember Bush Sr. vs Robertson? I do. Michigan is where Pat Robertson was undermined when all his Bell-Telephone phones suddenly became INOP. This enabled Bush to eek out a narrow lead.
Anyone, who is so uncontrollably hostile to differing points of view as to condone censorship in a primary debate should consider how effectively their own indoctrination was accomplished.
I’ve liked a lot of Paul’s ideas over the years, and a lot of people aren’t taking Michigan’s nutzo politics into consideration here.
Our primary is January 15th and Hillary is the only major candidate on the ballot. All the other dems with a couple of obscure exceptions are boycotting the state, and during the first W. Bush primary, a lot of dems crossed over to vote for McCain. I remember that mess! Michigan is *still* a laughingstock over our inept governatrix Granholm and the Devil’s Night budget disaster, and a lot of conservative but traditional democrat voters are REALLY upset with their party because of the massive job losses, etc. I have to wonder if the dem leadership is sweating bullets here because Ann Arbor — the state’s liberal mecca — sports more Ron Paul signage than Hillary and Obama put together.
I don’t agree with Anuzi seeking a ban on Paul but this primary is insane enough to make me believe just about anything could happen.
I’ll check the RightMichigan blog in the morning, where Saul often posts. It should prove interesting.
Or may the best Woman win!!!
Stories like this remind me why i consider the GOP barely better than the DEMS.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.