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GOP's Ron Paul wants all troops home
Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^ | 09/12/07 | JOEL CONNELLY

Posted on 09/12/2007 7:21:50 AM PDT by presidio9

Amid a lineup of what ought to be called "big government conservatives," Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul stands out like the Lonesome End on Army's 1950s football teams.

Asked his policy on U.S. troops fighting in Iraq, the Texas congressman, now serving his 10th term, replies: "I would get them home as soon as possible."

And U.S. troops in Europe?

"I would get them home," Paul said in an interview Tuesday. "Having them stationed abroad doesn't serve our national interest, and that goes for forces in Japan and Korea.

"We should only send U.S. forces abroad when our security is directly threatened. Right now, nobody threatens our national security."

Such sentiments make Paul the odd man out in GOP debates. Other candidates have been seen smirking as he speaks.

Although described as a libertarian, the physician-politician is a throwback on stands that used to define "conservative" in America -- defense of individual liberties, a minimalist federal government and freedom from foreign entanglements.

"I call it a non-interventionist, constitutional foreign policy," he said Tuesday. "We should have a strong national defense. But we should stay out of other countries' internal affairs. Our role is not nation building, and not to be world policeman."

In Paul's view, the U.S. invasion of Iraq worked to encourage al-Qaida. "The motivation by suicide terrorists is that we have invaded territory that is not ours," he argued.

Paul will spend a hectic Friday in Seattle this week.

The events on his schedule range from a public lecture on the U.S. Constitution, set for 1:30 p.m. Friday at Seattle University's Campion Tower Ballroom, to a $2,000 private briefing scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the College Club. Then a $1,000-per-person reception at the Westin reception will be followed by a 7:30 p.m. rally in the Grand Ballroom.

If you missed the movie "Twister," the Republicans' 2008 field offers lots of blustery, changing winds. Mitt Romney has reversed past stands on abortion and gay rights. Fred Thompson is trying to explain how he gave legal advice to a pro-choice feminist group. The thrice-married Rudy Giuliani is seeking to court the religious right.

Paul is not a man for campaign conversions -- even on a week that takes him to three liberal West Coast cities.

"My message is exactly the same wherever I go," he said. "If it is a liberal city where I am speaking, I try to teach them the virtue of economic liberties. If it is a conservative religious town, I try to stress why individual liberties are important."

Paul was a lonely Republican vote against passage and reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act. He feels the landmark post-9/11 law violated the Fourth Amendment, which provides Americans with guarantees against unreasonable search and seizure of their property.

If elected, said Paul, "I would do everything I can to repeal it. ... We do not need to spy on the American people to provide for our national security."

Born in Pennsylvania, Paul served in the Air Force as a flight surgeon, and moved to Texas to practice obstetrics and gynecology near Houston. He was drawn to politics when President Nixon severed the connection between the dollar and gold in 1971.

He would radically downsize the federal government. "I don't think there is any need for the Department of Education, the Department of Energy or particularly the monstrous Department of Homeland Security," he said Tuesday.

Asked what role he sees for the federal government in education, Paul replied: "None. Nothing in the Constitution provides for a federal role."

Paul would seek to divest the federal government of its vast landholdings in the West. "I would always move in the direction of moving those lands to the states, except in special circumstances such as national parks."

The Paul campaign has taken in about $3 million as of midyear, a fraction of money raised by the Romney ($43.5 million) and Giuliani ($35.4 million) juggernauts. In the West, Paul registers among donation leaders only in Montana and Wyoming.

Yet, the physician-politician has become a hit on the Internet. He is the candidate of voters, left and right, who would otherwise fill in "None of the Above" on pollsters' questionnaires.

Paul relishes being apart from the field, especially in talking about two favorite subjects -- Iraq and individual liberties. Of Democrats, he said: "They were elected to do something last fall, and they've done nothing. They've identified themselves as the party of civil liberties, and done nothing."

Nor does Paul have any sympathy for Republican "conservatives" who stress economic liberty but see nothing wrong with a government that pushes around its citizens. "You cannot have a Supreme Court that protects economic liberties and not individual liberties," he said.

On assisted suicide, talking as a physician, Paul said: "Taking someone's life is not something I want to get involved in." Yet, he describes legalization as "a state issue."

"I don't support abortion, but I don't want to pass any federal law to regulate it," he added.

In Texas, it is possible to run simultaneously for Congress and president. Paul intends to file for re-election to his House seat.

Has he seen any other Republican candidate he could support for the White House? "So far, nobody," he replied.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: chitchat; hisislamicoverlords; jumpedtheshark; morethorazineplease; moveon; muslimsforronpaul; paulestinians; quiter; ronpaul; tehronpaul; thelillipopguild; theweenieking
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To: Petronski; bray
Personally, I think you ought to name names or STFU.

Thanks Petronski...

381 posted on 09/12/2007 2:25:41 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: Petronski

Sorry, there is no rule on stating a theory, especially if it makes sense. I will say whatever I please. This isn’t DU yet. Quit your whining.

Pray for W and Our Troops


382 posted on 09/12/2007 2:25:57 PM PDT by bray (Member of the FR President Bush underground fighting FR BDS)
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To: Petronski

Sorry, there is no rule on stating a theory, especially if it makes sense. I will say whatever I please. This isn’t DU yet. Quit your whining.

Pray for W and Our Troops


383 posted on 09/12/2007 2:26:17 PM PDT by bray (Member of the FR President Bush underground fighting FR BDS)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

Well, you would be the second one I suspect. How is the DNC, anyway??

Pray for W and Our Troops


384 posted on 09/12/2007 2:27:30 PM PDT by bray (Member of the FR President Bush underground fighting FR BDS)
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To: Wonder Warthog
You won't find it in the Constitution, though.

But since all other rights rely on the right to life, I believe it should be. I'm sure our framers never imagined that the right to life wouldn't be inherent and understood by all.

385 posted on 09/12/2007 2:28:00 PM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: wideawake
since you are the one claiming that Paul opposes all federal legislation on abortion

I never claimed that, I was always aware of those votes by Dr. Paul.

and yet are now admitting that he supported federal legislation on abortion.

More words in my mouth. Immerse yourself in federalism sometime. Paul's abortion stance is the same as all of the other candidates besides Rudy.

386 posted on 09/12/2007 2:28:05 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: bray
You're nothing more than a hanger-on who thinks he's popular just because he hangs out with a popular group of kids.

You are, indeed, your screenname.

387 posted on 09/12/2007 2:33:32 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: Iwo Jima
Are you denying that John Kerry said almost the same thing Paul was quoted as saying?

Yes.

LOL Okay. I'll leave you to your delusions.

388 posted on 09/12/2007 2:40:12 PM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: ccmay
Good point. I may need to use that with one of my co-workers. Do you have a citation?

Citation for what specifically? That the constitution doesn't contain earmarks, or that Ronnie asked for earmarks?

389 posted on 09/12/2007 2:41:20 PM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: BlackElk
EEE: The idea of merely returning the abortion question to the states will guarantee the institutionalization of abortion for many years to come.

Brush up on your history skills in addition to your English and grammar skills. Abortion was regulated by the states prior to Roe vs Wade. Overturning Roe vs Wade would send the decision back to the states so it can be duked out locally instead of federally.

Not that Paul has the slightest chance of nomination by any real political party, but he would nominate what to the SCOTUS??? Libertoonian moonbats??? People who spend their waking hours in pseudo-"constitutionalist" contortions???

Well, it's moot anyway since Paul ain't going to win, right? Hypothetically if he were elected, Paul would nominate constitutionalists to the bench.

Fred Thompson and Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo would not waste time looking for libertoonian crazies but would nominate SCOTUS justices in the mode of Scalia or Thomas or Roberts or Alito.

So would Dr. Paul. Good grief, have you even looked at Paul's positions outside of his foreign policy? He runs rings around the other GOP candidates.

When Roe is no more, then we go for federal personhood, hopefully in the same decision after about two more SCOTUS appointments.

You overturn Roe FIRST then you go for the Constitutional Amendment. Do you know how long it will take to pass a Constitutional Amendment? Do you think CA or NY or IL will ratify it? Send the decision back to the states and you'll save more babies in the interim than farting around trying to amend the Constitution as more babies die on the vine. Use your head.

On abortion as on war, paleoPaulie is a gutless two-faced do nothing wimp. He will never be acceptable as a GOP nominee for POTUS.

You are completely smoking crack if you believe Dr. Paul is pro-abortion. The man delivered over 4,000 babies. Well, I guess they were those toy babies that single first-time mothers use then.

390 posted on 09/12/2007 2:42:01 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
So you lifted a John F'n Kerry quote and matched it with a quote from Paul, and concluded that Dr. Paul is pro-abortion?

Please copy and paste where I ever said "and that means Ronnie is pro-abortion".

Irrelevant what Kerry said.

If it is so irrelevant, then why are you wasting so much time going on about it?

391 posted on 09/12/2007 2:42:54 PM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: bray

You’re a coward.


392 posted on 09/12/2007 2:44:13 PM PDT by Petronski (Cleveland Indians: Pennant -11)
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To: Iwo Jima; trisham; All

Problem is there are many European and Asian countries who also view past U.S. foriegn policy negatively and they are not engaged in a global domination schemes or trying to destroy the United States as a result of our poor policies of the past. Your argument (or rather Paul’s) is a red herring at best; at worse it’s sedition. There is zero justification for the actions of these Islamo-facists who are bent on total world domination and Ru Paul’s approach on geopolitical issues would destroy democracy on Earth were he elected.


393 posted on 09/12/2007 2:47:47 PM PDT by SoldierDad (Proud Dad of a 2nd BCT 10th Mountain Division Soldier fighting terrorists in the Triangle of Death)
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To: BlackElk
How does the constitution stand on shrimp subsidies, trolley subsidies for Galveston, bus subsidies for Galveston and other paleoPaulie earmarks of note???

Why don't you show us any of Ron Paul's earmarks that passed committee, passed the House and made it through conference and were funded?

Oh, that's right. You can't.
394 posted on 09/12/2007 2:54:21 PM PDT by George W. Bush
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To: SoldierDad
Problem is there are many European and Asian countries who also view past U.S. foriegn policy negatively and they are not engaged in a global domination schemes or trying to destroy the United States as a result of our poor policies of the past.

************

Exactly. Look at Japan. We nuked it and have kept bases there since the war. No more attacks, and a fairly good relationship now.

395 posted on 09/12/2007 2:57:57 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: dcwusmc

Agreed. See tagline.


396 posted on 09/12/2007 3:03:27 PM PDT by 383rr (Those who choose security over liberty deserve neither- GUN CONTROL=SLAVERY)
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To: ksen

Once again, you fail to grasp the obvious. They hate us already, and no matter what we do that fact ain’t gonna change. Best to clear out the riff-raff and other threats to our well-being, and convince the rest of the world it’s in their best interests to play ball—or they’ll get the bat shoved up their ***es.


397 posted on 09/12/2007 3:05:10 PM PDT by OCCASparky (Steely-Eyed Killer of the Deep)
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To: AngryNeighbor
but when a true constitutionalist

As has been noted before, it's amazing how little some of these so-called "Constitutionalist" candidates really KNOW about the Constitution.

And as someone else wisely noted, Ron Paul is to Constitutionalism what Fred Phelps is to Christianity.
398 posted on 09/12/2007 3:07:12 PM PDT by OCCASparky (Steely-Eyed Killer of the Deep)
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To: Iwo Jima
but the only things that I associate with them is "Get US out of the UN" and "Impeach Earl Warren."I agree with both.

Uh, dude--Earl Warren is DEAD. Kinda pointless now, don't you think?
399 posted on 09/12/2007 3:08:35 PM PDT by OCCASparky (Steely-Eyed Killer of the Deep)
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To: trisham

Germany too.


400 posted on 09/12/2007 3:17:11 PM PDT by SoldierDad (Proud Dad of a 2nd BCT 10th Mountain Division Soldier fighting terrorists in the Triangle of Death)
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