Posted on 01/11/2008 6:59:44 AM PST by jdm
Reason Magazine has long associated themselves with the Ron Paul campaign, if not officially endorsing him. Their Hit & Run blog has served as the heart of rational Paul apologetics, and in their skilled hands, that has proven essential to his campaign. Now, as the magazine has Paul on its cover, its new editor has the unpleasant task of looking a little more closely at the candidate, and Matt Welch finds it an unpleasant journey.
Has Paul really disassociated himself from, and "taken moral responsibility" for, these "Ron Paul" newsletters "for over a decade"? If he has, that history has not been recorded by the Nexis database, as best as I can reckon.The first indication I could find of Paul either expressing remorse about the statements or claiming that he did not author them came in an October 2001 Texas Monthly article -- less than eight years ago. ...
So what exactly did Paul and his campaign say about these and more egregious statements during his contentious 1996 campaign for Congress, when Democrat Lefty Morris made the newsletters a constant issue? Besides complaining that the quotes were taken "out of context" and proof of his opponent's "race-baiting," Paul and his campaign defended and took full ownership of the comments.
Indeed. Rather than claiming he had never read these newsletters, as Paul absurdly did on CNN last night, Paul claimed that he himself wrote the newsletters. Matt Welch find this in the contemporaneous Dallas Morning News report on the newsletters during Paul's 1996 Congressional campaign (May 22, 1996, emphasis mine):
Dr. Paul denied suggestions that he was a racist and said he was not evoking stereotypes when he wrote the columns. He said they should be read and quoted in their entirety to avoid misrepresentation. [...]
In the interview, he did not deny he made the statement about the swiftness of black men.
"If you try to catch someone that has stolen a purse from you, there is no chance to catch them," Dr. Paul said.
Matt has more examples of Paul's non-denials in 1996. Twelve years later, Paul wants people to believe that not only did he not write any of his newsletters, he never read them either. His role in the single most effective piece of outreach of his organization, he explained to Wolf Blitzer last night, was as a publisher -- one who didn't bother to read his own publication. These 1996 quotes put lie to his CNN interview answers.
Not only does this show dishonesty, but it indicates that Paul had a lot more involvement in the publication of the despicable statements found in his own newsletter than Paul or his less-rational apologists want to admit. The supremacists and conspiracy theorists surrounding his campaign apparently got attracted by more than just Paul's views on the Constitution; they read the newsletters and determined that Paul was one of them. His refusal to recant in 1996 and his explanation that he can't recall ever reading the newsletters today signal to them that he still wants their support.
People wonder why this matters, given Paul's fringe appeal. It matters because we can't allow this kind of hatred to get legitimized in mainstream politics again. This kind of rhetoric used to be mainstream, and not just in the South, either. Republicans cannot allow the party to get tainted by the stench of racism and conspiracy mongering. If enough of us don't step up and denounce it, strongly and repeatedly, we will not be able to avoid it.
Matt Welch and the people at Reason have reached that same conclusion in regards to libertarianism and their magazine. Good for them, even if it came a little late.
You can stop lying about what I have said. What I said was that we serve Cuban Americans in Florida for their patriotism by denying trade to Cuba and that they have earned that service. I knkw that airhead trade almighty types may disagree with that policy, but ask me if I care. I don't.
Ron Paul is a treasonous weasel by opposing our military and our government in the prosecution of this war. George Bush is a patriot whetever his flaws. Paul's supporters lust for further abandonment of American interests by pulling all troops home from everywhere and being a good, tame, little paleopeacecreep nation. As a former Libertarian Party state officer who grew up and quit the LP when the Libertarians began their enthusiasm for legalized baby-killing and other evils, I would remind you that conservatism is considerably more than mindless materialism. In fact, materialism is and ought to be very low on the totem pole.
Considering that you can and do support the paleopipsqueak for POTUS, your every insult is a compliment. Pour it on.
Meanwhile, I shall call you: The Windtunnel Libertoonian Problem unless and until you grow up.
I didn’t know much about him till 5 or 6 months ago, when someone pointed out his connection with Willis Carto, which I didn’t believe. For about 6 hours. IMO he’s a disgrace, the GOP should have no part of him. If people want to vote for him, that’s their option.
FYI
I’m no fan of Paleos or Paultards, but sheesh.
Just because someone disagrees with you on something doesn’t make them fundamentally twisted and evil. They could just be mistaken. Or deceived.
I’m sure you’re a perfectly reasonable person in real life, but that post of yours screams “crank.” :p
I only tell you that because you seem to care about people’s e-opinions of you.
“Even Erik Dondero, who hates Paul’s guts, doesn’t think Paul wrote the articles.”
Where did he say that?
As to your last paragraph, your personal habits are your business.
Mind you, I agree with a whole lot of what you’re saying in other posts! But this level of rage can serve no good purpose.
“2CAVTrooper (The next thing from the ron paullution supporters: Krystalnacht)”
I’m going to smash my own windows now?
Oy! :)
“Unfortunately for Paul, the largest Libertarian magazine seems to think he did.”
Yeah they do think he wrote them.
“As to your last paragraph, your personal habits are your business.”
You have no sense of humor what so ever.
Again, trade with Vietnam and with Red China is a disgrace. I did not say treason. Yet you repeatedly claim that I called such trade treason. Stop lying.
But In every instance Paul says “They have a right to believe in me I don’t believe in them.”
He makes Bubba look solid and honest.
No one can pinpoint what Paul believes in, stands for, has done or will do.
In his ten terms what has he accomplished to make the govt smaller?
Not being a libertarian I have to ask: Which Mag is that?
2. A person mistaken or deceived into supporting abortion or other perversions may well be mistaken or deceived but that person still does support something fundamentally twisted and evil. As even la Rand used to say with Aristotle: A is A.
3. The defeat of the US in the WOT is fundamentally twisted and evil. Withdrawal without unconditional total victory is defeat and is fundamentally twisted and evil. See Korea. See Viet Nam.
4. If the best argument a person can make for such fundamentally twisted and evil phenomena as abortion or loss of war by withdrawal is that one person's argument is as good as another's, then that is not much of an argument.
5. View me as you will. As my posts go, #253 is pretrty tame stuff. If you think I am a "crank" on the basis of such mild evidence, feel free. It won't change one word of #253 which I stand behind.
CAMERON: Congressman Paul, many of your supporters call themselves 9/11 Troofers. They believe that the U.S. government was in some way complicit with the 9/11 attacks or covered it up.
Are you tonight prepared to either embrace that rhetoric or ask those supporters to abandon it, or divorce themselves from your candidacy?
PAUL: Well, I can’t tell people what to do, but I’ve abandoned those viewpoints. I don’t believe that, and that’s the only thing that is important. And so I don’t endorse anything they say.
Nor do you.
Things that make you go HMMMMM!!!!
You are definitely NOT a crank. ;) If you are, then I am since I agree with all of those policy statements you just made.
I just fear that being too harsh with our condemnations will drive people away who might otherwise have been inclined to give us a fair hearing.
Vinegar, honey, flies, etc.
Exactamundo!!! Very nice.
Just switch 'liberal' to 'conservative'.
Paul often puts his foot in his mouth unwittingly. As he did here. Just as he did in the Dallas news article where he admits to writing articles, and again later where he denies authorship. Liars are caught because they can't keep track of all their lies.
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