Posted on 09/11/2007 10:52:54 AM PDT by Austin Willard Wright
ABC News' Nitya Venkataraman and Nancy Flores report: While his 2008 rivals in Washington, D.C. spent the morning in congressional panels debating the future of US involvement in Iraq, GOP Presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul charged the U.S. has "dug a hole for [itself]" in Iraq, and simultaneously defended his anti-war place in the Republican party and jabbed the current administration saying, "you don't have to be a war monger to be a conservative."
At a policy forum at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., Paul described Iraq as a "preemptive war" saying it was a "planned invasion and occupation" of a "country that was no threat to us whatsoever."
What might seem like bold rhetoric from the fiery Texas Republican on the anniversary of a historic day is actually nothing new for Paul. His assertions at the forum were consistent with his presidential platform and congressional career, both of which draw heavily from libertarian and constitutionalist ideals.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.abcnews.com ...
It was this threat against our national interests during the cold war that compelled us to intervene,help oust Mossadegh and then reestablish the monarchy and place the Shah in power.
The problem with the Shah which eventually led to his ignominious end was that he brought western,secular values into a country that to that point had been under girded and encompassed by religion. This displeased the mullahs and imams and persons who had originally helped in the overthrow of Mossadegh. They changed sides and brought back Khomeini(?/sp)in order to put an end to the increasing secularization.
Sometimes one just reaps what one sows.
I don't know that I'm a Paul nut...I'm not even really a Paul supporter. I agree with you that pulling out of Iraq now would be a mistake as we're taking AQ on directly there and leaving there would leave Iraq vulnerable to AQ and make it seem as though AQ ran us out of there. On the other hand, the last 2 National Intelligence Estimates indicate that AQ is gaining in strength and a source of their recruiting strength has been the US presence in Iraq. That's not the ravings of a nut...that's just a fact...we don't have a good option left in Iraq
But my involvement in this thread was a response to someone who suggested that Paul was taking a position against the war in Iraq because that's a popular position...that's very obviously not true.
Mossadegh was legitimately elected in 1951.
In 1952, he seized emergency powers over Iran and managed to get a narrow majority to support this measure.
In 1953, he attempted to extend his seized emergency powers over the objections of a parliamentary majority, the constitutional monarch and the Iranian judiciary.
In other words, he had become a dictator.
Thanks for the post.
Dr. Paul has no intentions on running as a 3rd party or independent candidate.
Honestly guys...you sit here and spew that Paul is only 2% in the polls and won't win anyway, but at the same time there's a creeping, gnawing fear of him running 3rd party and handing the election over to Hillary. If Paul has no chance of winning, just how in the Hell is he going to give the election to Hillary in the general?
Here's a hint: Stop bashing Paul and let the primaries play out. If he runs 3rd party, I'd be the first to denounce him. But that's just me. You'll also have to convince the thousands of his supporters who have no intention on holding their noses for the GOP nominee.
I am one district over from Ron Paul’s district. Those Texans in those parts aren’t going to be kind to Paulie boy next go around at the voting booth.
He’s doing is 15 minutes of fame right now...
This is a great post. FReeper Turbopilot in another thread also stated that Paul was somewhat hurting himself by dwelling on the past of his Iraq vote.
Hurting himself? It’s the prime reason I’m a Duncan Hunter supporter instead. Iraq deserved to have it’s arse kicked. My big problem with the War is that we aren’t kicking it hard enough.
Please provide documented proof of Dr. Paul's OFFICIAL campaign (Note: I said "official," because there are thousands of volunteers working for Paul's behalf) colluding with Code Pink, MoveOn.org, or any other left-wing, anti-war group.
LOL, unconstitutionally? So this would be different than other nations where dictators 'seize' power unconstitutionally (say Pakistan perhaps)? Oh I forgot a coup is 'constitutional' as long as the nation is a 'friend'...I would criticize our government for it too. None of our business. I'm not saying his point was valid, as it is not one of the 50 states of the union, I just don't care what form of government they have.
One coup is 'constitutional' while another is not. Based on nothing more than apparently US interests in the region eh? At least Mossadegh was an elected Prime Minister while Musharaf was from the military.
Who said anything about denouncing him? I think he might hurt Hillary more. I’m thinking we might be better off if he runs.
Who said anything about denouncing him? I think he might hurt Hillary more. I’m thinking we might be better off if he runs.
You don’t think Paul would respond hard if God forbid we were attacked again? He wouldn’t be going to the “international community” or the UN, that’s for sure.
A Paul 3rd party candidacy would devastate the GOP. He’d take all the libertarian/swing voters and some Reagan Democrats too.
I’m not sure how many Reagan Dems there are left in the party, or swing voters or libertarians, for that matter.
Ah, a clear-thinking individual! Welcome!
FYI: Many of us RP supporters also don't agree with immediate withdrawal from Iraq, so don't feel like the lone ranger here.
Plenty of room for all those "woulda's, shoulda's, coulda's", but the fact remains; our military is over there now, so we have to continue to support them in any way we can while we also try to figure out how to end the conflict on a positive note.
That's a legitimate rationale for RP supporters who put the WOT 3 to 5 out of their top 5 issues.
Get him defeated.
Ron Paul is not normal. Treason isn’t normal.
Is Ron Paul really Pat Paulson’s son???
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