Posted on 03/15/2008 9:13:01 AM PDT by pissant
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), he of the quixotic GOP presidential campaign and unique policy positions, is never one to be shy about his opinions. Take the case of fallen New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D), whose political career fell apart this week after his liaisons with high-priced call girls became public. Spitzer resigned his office effective Monday.
Most politicians from both sides of the aisle publicly (at least) offered condolences for Spitzer and his poor family, including his three daughters, but didn't — of course — defend Spitzer's atrocious behavior.
But for Paul, Spitzer's downfall at the hands of a Justice Dept. investigation shows government at its worst. Yes, Spitzer climbed to power on the backs of political enemies he destroyed, making him not a swell guy, but he didn't deserve what happened to him. The FBI should have never been allowed to listen in to his phone call in the first place, according to the Texas Republican.
Here's the statement Paul made on the House floor last night. It's worth reading, at least for the enlightenment it gives into Paul's view of the world, which basically comes down to who controls the money:
"Madam Speaker, it has been said that 'he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword.' And in the case of Eliot Spitzer, this couldn't be more true. In his case it's the political sword, as his enemies rejoice in his downfall. Most people, it seems, believe he got exactly what he deserved.
"The illegal tools of the state brought Spitzer down, but think of all the harm done by Spitzer in using the same tools against so many other innocent people. He practiced what could be termed 'economic McCarthyism,' using illegitimate government power to build his political career on the ruined lives of others.
"No matter how morally justified his comeuppance may be, his downfall demonstrates the worst of our society. The possibility of uncovering personal moral wrongdoing is never a justification for the government to spy on our every move and to participate in sting operations.
"For government to entice a citizen to break a law with a sting operation — that is, engaging in activities that a private citizen is prohibited by law from doing — is unconscionable and should clearly be illegal.
"Though Spitzer used the same tools to destroy individuals charged with economic crimes that ended up being used against him, gloating over his downfall should not divert our attention from the fact that the government spying on American citizens is unworthy of a country claiming respect for liberty and the Fourth Amendment.
"Two wrongs do not make a right. Two wrongs make it doubly wrong.
"Sacrifice of our personal privacy has been ongoing for decades but has rapidly accelerated since 9/11. Before 9/11, the unstated goal of collecting revenue was the real reason for the erosion of our financial privacy. When 19 suicidal maniacs attacked us on 9/11, our country became convinced that further sacrifice of personal and financial privacy was required for our security.
"The driving force behind this ongoing sacrifice of our privacy has been fear and the emotional effect of war rhetoric — war on drugs, war against terrorism and the war against Third World nations in the Middle East who are claimed to be the equivalent to Hitler and Nazi Germany.
"But the real reason for all this surveillance is to build the power of the state. It arises from a virulent dislike of free people running their own lives and spending their own money. Statists always demand control of the people and their money.
"Recently we've been told that this increase in the already intolerable invasion of our privacy was justified because the purpose was to apprehend terrorists. We were told that the massive amounts of information being collected on Americans would only be used to root out terrorists. But as we can see today, this monitoring of private activities can also be used for political reasons. We should always be concerned when the government accumulates information on innocent citizens.
"Spitzer was brought down because he legally withdrew cash from a bank — not because he committed a crime. This should prompt us to reassess and hopefully reverse this trend of pervasive government intrusion in our private lives.
"We need no more Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act! No more Violent Radicalization & Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Acts! No more torture! No more Military Commissions Act! No more secret prisons and extraordinary rendition! No more abuse of habeas corpus! No more Patriot Acts!
"What we need is more government transparency and more privacy for the individual!"
Entrapment? Sure, the chick went to his house, put a gun to his head, and dragged him off to a brothel. I’m really crying a river for this POS.
If this dude were a Bush operative, he’d be worse than Satan and the media would be killing themselves to connect GW to it.
Any hope I had for Ron Paul and sanity just vanished. The old boy just needs to go away and shut up at this point.
Eliot Spitzer was the governor of the state of New York. He got elected as governor largely because he’d been state attorney general. He got elected AG largely because he’d been a member of the New York County (aka Manhattan) DA’s office. In either of which offices, had he caught a pol doing what he was doing (and thought for a moment it might be good for the resume), my impression is he’d have run the sucker over and not even left skidmarks.
Didn’t deserve it? Yeah, he did.
I don't care if she paid for it out of her trust fund. She was still made a fool of publicly. The fact is not changed, if she doesn't have the sense to realize it.
The prostitute, likewise. Surely it was her choice to prostitute herself for a grand an hour. The violence she has done to her own dignity is not diminished by her ignorance of it. But it is enabled by it.
“Idiot” meaning Paul and like-minded apologists for public officials, not you, pissant.
Pretty damning words. What planet is this guy from?
I disagree.
If the CEO of the largest plumbing company in NY was caught doing what Spitzer did, I would agree, it really wasn't that bad nor would it make news
But Spitzer was paying for hookers when he was AG and Governor, all the while going after people for he exact same thing.
He left himself open to blackmailed and compromised by the criminal element he was supposed to protect NY'er from.
Close your eyes and the world does not disappear.
In most countries this would garner a chuckle and little more. People in the USA are so darn uptight about sex.
He somehow manages to get his licks in against our foreign policy, no matter WHAT the subject matter he is discussing. LOL
Yes he did deserve this, but long before they caught him with a prostitute.
Even if it had been, since when is a money laundering whorehouse not stingworthy?
Ron Paul may have had some good ideas, but he's a nut-job.
“But the real reason for all this surveillance is to build the power of the state. It arises from a virulent dislike of free people running their own lives and spending their own money. Statists always demand control of the people and their money.
disregarding the rest of the article, these two sentences I absolutely agree with..
Paul is a goofy SOB
I heard a shortwave radio station this week that was Ron Paul cwazy. it was in the 5000 khz range.
This guy wont quit, I’ll give him that
I heard something about misuse of campaign funds.Paul is such an a$$.
You assert an "amoral" position as being objective. Insofar as it is patently exclusive of the moral position (as you have reiterated), how then can it be truly "objective?"
Call me stupid, but I can't seem to figure that out.
Exactly! I shudder to think what would have transpired in the Clinton years if Monica were working for the KGB.
I'm sure Paul is very much aware of that. He is claiming that the wiretap used to bring down Spitzer is in violation of Spitzer's Fourth Amendment rights (questionable, IMO - was it pursuant to a warrant?), and that government power over Americans is dangerously growing with relatively recent acts of Congress, including those mentioned.
BTW, I don't necessarily agree with Paul on the specifics of each part of each of the acts he cited, but his general concern about overreaching government power over American citizens is much appreciated.
Which is why the libertarians are considered the crazy uncles in the attic.
Cause they are.
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