GOP Field Readies for True Test In Florida. (1st closed primary)

Washington Post ^ | Jan. 21, 2008 | Dan Balz

[FocusNexus]

The Jan. 29 contest in Florida will be the first Republican primary closed to independent voters, who have provided McCain with his margins of victory in both New Hampshire and South Carolina. A victory, strategists agreed, would stamp McCain as the front-runner in what has been a muddied Republican race and give him a clear advantage heading toward Super Tuesday on Feb. 5.

Florida has played a pivotal role in the past two general elections and now is poised to help determine who the Republicans will send into the main event this November. The primary looms as a potential showdown in the GOP nomination battle not only because of its size and importance but because it will be the first this year in which all the leading candidates are competing.

Florida will award 57 delegates on a winner-take-all basis next week, the most of any state to date. The Republican National Committee penalized the state, cutting its delegate slate in half, because officials moved up the date of the primary. But by the time of the national convention this summer, it is possible that all 114 delegates will be awarded to the winner.

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

Ron Paul Moneybomb:
last updated: 01/21/08 01:16 AM EST
total raised today: $85,169
donations today: 906
donors today: 674
new donors today: 175

Brief Overview of Congressman Paul’s Record:

He has NEVER voted to raise taxes.
He has NEVER voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has NEVER voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has NEVER voted to raise congressional pay.
He has NEVER taken a government-paid junket.
He has NEVER voted to increase the power of the executive branch.

He DOES NOT participate in the lucrative congressional pension program (!!)

He RETURNS a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year!

[WOSG]

MITT ROMNEY for President!

Proamnesty-antiBushtaxcuts-proCO2caps-CFR-RINO John McCain delenda est!

[FocusNexus]

Government may be the problem, but Ron Paul certainly is not the solution.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

The Republican National Committee penalized the state, cutting its delegate slate in half, because officials moved up the date of the primary.

God forbid we trespass on those early primaries where they let Dems, "independents", and dead people vote in a PARTY nominating process.

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

“Government may be the problem, but Ron Paul certainly is not the solution.”

The RINOcrats sure aren’t!

[Laptop_Ron]

I never hear about dead people voting republican. Why do they always seem to vote democrat?

[Roy Tucker]

Because that’s the way the devil makes them vote!

[Laptop_Ron]

I was thinking more along the lines of them not having to pay taxes, so why should they care how it’s spent? But then, you may be right. lol

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

They might very well “vote” for a RINO in an open primary.

[Laptop_Ron]

“They might very well “vote” for a RINO in an open primary.”

I don’t know. They might just sit this one out. Too many choices.

[Mojave]

Romney’s Position Pleased Liberal Barney Frank.
“’I was very pleased,’ Frank said afterward. ‘Here you have a freshman governor refusing to endorse a tax cut presented by a Republican president at the height of his wartime popularity.’” (Wayne Washington and Glen Johnson, “Romney Weighs In - Carefully - On Bush Tax Cut Plan; Governor Won’t Give His Endorsement,” Boston Globe, 4/11/03)

http://www.earnedmedia.org/fred0106.htm

[Names Ash Housewares]

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MR. RUSSERT: How many troops do we have overseas right now?

REP. PAUL: I don’t know the exact number, but more than we need. We don’t need any.

MR. RUSSERT: It’s 572,000. And you’d bring them all home?

REP. PAUL: As quickly as possible. We–they will not serve our interests to be overseas. They get us into trouble. And we can defend this country without troops in Germany, troops in Japan. How do they help our national defense? Doesn’t make any sense to me. Troops in Korea since I’ve been in high school?

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MR. RUSSERT: So if Iran invaded Israel, what do we do?

REP. PAUL: Well, they’re not going to. That is like saying “Iran is about to invade Mars.” I mean, they have nothing. They don’t have an army or navy or air force. And Israelis have 300 nuclear weapons. Nobody would touch them. But, no, if, if it were in our national security interests and Congress says, “You know, this is very, very important, we have to declare war.” But presidents don’t have the authority to go to war

Iran Military Guide

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/

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Dr. Ron Paul, Texas Congressman exploring a run for President, appeared on The Alex Jones Show Wednesday [[]MP3 link] and had the following to say about 9/11:

“CALLER: I want a complete, impartial, and totally independent investigation of the events of September 11, 2001 . I’m tired of this bogus garbage about terrorism. Ask Michael Meacher about how he feels about this bogus war on terrorism. Can you comment on that please?

HON. DR. RON PAUL: Well, that would be nice to have. Unfortunately, we don’t have that in place. It will be a little bit better now with the Democrats now in charge of oversight. But you know, for top level policy there’s not a whole lot of difference between the two policies so a real investigation isn’t going to happen. But I think we have to keep pushing for it. And like you and others, we see the investigations that have been done so far as more or less cover-up and no real explanation of what went on.

JACK BLOOD, GUEST HOST: I think it’s fair to say that of all the candidates out there, the one most interested in reopening the investigation and clearing the questions is Dr. Paul; and you should be commended for that.

[factmart]

Ron Paul is a nut job and anyone who would waste a vote on him is too.

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

“REP. PAUL: As quickly as possible. We–they will not serve our interests to be overseas. They get us into trouble. And we can defend this country without troops in Germany, troops in Japan. How do they help our national defense? Doesn’t make any sense to me. Troops in Korea since I’ve been in high school?”

He’s right.

Half a million overseas - and none protecting the border.

Why do we need huge standing bases in Europe? 50,000 in Korea? That’s not enough to repel a North Korean army invasion. They are sitting ducks.

Can you say DUH?

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“REP. PAUL: Well, they’re not going to. That is like saying “Iran is about to invade Mars.” I mean, they have nothing. They don’t have an army or navy or air force. And Israelis have 300 nuclear weapons. Nobody would touch them.”

How could Iran INVADE Israel? They are not geographically close. Do you think the Iranians could support those kind of supply lines? Seen a map lately?

“But, no, if, if it were in our national security interests and Congress says, “You know, this is very, very important, we have to declare war.” But presidents don’t have the authority to go to war.”

Thanks for that quote! As you see, he’s not “anti-war.”

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“HON. DR. RON PAUL: Well, that would be nice to have. Unfortunately, we don’t have that in place. It will be a little bit better now with the Democrats now in charge of oversight. But you know, for top level policy there’s not a whole lot of difference between the two policies so a real investigation isn’t going to happen. But I think we have to keep pushing for it. And like you and others, we see the investigations that have been done so far as more or less cover-up and no real explanation of what went on.”

Take a look at the 2nd paragraph on p.172 of the 911 commission report.

http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf

It says that the source of funding for the 911 attacks was never identified, but that “Ultimately the question is of little practical significance.”

Do you really think that where the terrorists got their money is of no significance???

Michael Meacher isn’t a ‘troofer’ - he wrote about how foreign intelligence services, specifically the ISI, was double-dealing - working with us while funding Al Qaeda.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/alqaida/story/0,,1266511,00.html

After all, they were already funding the Taleban - and continue to protect them from us in their tribal regions. Meanwhile we send the Pakis millions in arms.

[Names Ash Housewares]

“There’s nobody in this world that could possibly attack us today. I mean, we could defend this country with a few good submarines.” -Ron Paul

No thanks.

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

He’s talking about a country invading us.

If they did, they’d have to have supply lines and mobilize troops.

This statement is taken way out of context.

Do you think Iran is going to stage a land invasion? North Korea?

How does having half a million troops garrisoned overseas protect us at home?

We can’t even protect our own border right now!

How do troops in Germany protect us from terrorists operating here?

Think about it.

[Recovering_Democrat]

This conservative is going with Mitt.

[curiosity]

This is very deceptive. Wyoming and Nevada also only allow Republicans. True, they are caucuses and not primaries, but I don't see how that's relevant.

[samtheman]

Mitt is my second choice. My first choice isn’t doing so well. I’m still backing him but by the time the primaries get to my state I might be down to my second choice.