Posted on 09/06/2011 8:17:58 PM PDT by Sudetenland
Texas Gov. Rick Perry's presidential campaign hit back at fellow Texan Rep. Ron Paul, for a campaign ad that touted Paul's early support for former President Ronald Reagan and knocked Perry for his Democratic past. In the counter-attack, Perry's campaign revealed letter Paul wrote in 1987 that cited Reagan as a reason why he left the Republican Party.
Paul was one of only a handful of elected lawmakers to support Reagan's failed bid for president in 1976, but he became disenchanted after Reagan won the election in 1980. Paul left the party six years later to run for president for the Libertarian Party and published a scathing letter that blasted Republicans and Reagan, blaming them for "skyrocketing deficits" and legitimizing "big government ... in a way that Democrats never could have accomplished."
"I have gradually and steadily grown weary of the Republican Party's efforts to reduce the size of the federal government," Paul wrote in the letter. "Since then Ronald Reagan and the Republican Party have given us skyrocketing deficits, and astoundingly a doubled national debt. How is it that the party of balanced budgets, with control of the White House and Senate, accumulated red ink greater than all previous administrations put together?"
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The link in the excerpt leads directly to a photo of the original letter in the Libertarian Party NEWS March/April 1987.
Perry Ping
Impressive strike back against the old t.rd.
I would suggest doing a search of Google news archives from about 82 to 89. Paul had some very nasty things to say about Reagan such as saying he ‘made Carter look Conservative’, was a ‘failure’, and the way he conducted the cold war was almost ‘treason’.
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!!GO PERRY GO!!
Possibly, but he has the right basic idea: “( - - - reduce the size of the federal government, - - - )”.
Paul is a phony and shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the GOP Primary. Libertarians generally hated Reagan. Here is a piece from the same era written by Paul’s mentor Murrey Rothbard.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2774598/posts
It is the same crap that Paul was selling during the ‘88 campaign for POTUS.
If Ron Paul really had balls to stand by his positions, you’d think he would run under the Libertarian Party banner rather than coast in Texas on the Republicans’ coat tails. Straight party voting would hurt Paul if he ran third party. It would also thwart the libs who vote in Republican presidential primaries with no intention of voting for Paul in the fall.
Good move by Perry.
This race so far has been very productive for all - with the early exception of a certain candidate hiring a certain negative campaign manager early on.
(how’d that work out?)
The GOP can score so big in 2012, it could be historic. Obama is so screwing up, that the coattails of whomever ends up the GOP standard carrier could win both the house and senate, with meaningful majorities.
And a president who, unlike the last time that happened, may be willing to actually act on that majority.
If our side turns on each other, we’ll blow that opportunity.
It’s good Perry is calling out mudslinging. This race (the primary that is) has the potential to be about issues.
The general election of course, will be a food fight.
(more info- http://soundpolitics.com/public/2008/02/ron_paul_vs_ronald_reagan.html )
Kinda outs yourself even as you run back under Palin’s skirt for cover. Be very cafeful, if jimrob figures ya out you’ll be out.
LOL this is going to be a good primary season!
Okay...why is it Perry is the first in my recent memory to take Ron Paul on in this fashion? It’s a stinging rebuke and well done to him on that but I’m annoyed that all of this material exists against Paul but the Republicans have let him just be.
I hope you're kidding. By 1987 Ronald Reagan (rest his soul) was only a figurehead.
By 1987 Alzheimer's and Hinckley's bullets had disabled "The Great Helmsman" to the point where George Bush was calling all the shots.
If anything Ron Paul's letter was a criticism of George Bush I, not Ronald Reagan.
As for Gov Rick Perry, are you seriously telling us you trust a man who in 1988 chaired the Gore campaign in Texas?
http://www.nationalledger.com/news-tech/ron-paul-on-the-verge-of-going-628092.shtml
...On the money front it was even more of a downer. By some estimates over $3.5 million was raised. Most of it was squandered on full-page NY Times ads, escapades to the Republican National Convention, and lavish luncheons for visiting Libertarian luminaries. On Election Day scores of Lawyers, and Accountants raided the Ron Paul for President Campaign Headquarters and closed down the campaign operation. Campaign Manager Nadia Hayes was arrested by the Nassau Bay, TX Police Department and later convicted for embezzlement of roughly $140,000.
American Libertarian magazine November 1988 described the situation: "�a bizarre twist tough-talking campaign manager Nadia Hayes was sacked the day before the election. And the much awaited last minute campaign media blitz largely failed to materialize�. Paul campaign chair Burt Blumert and Paul campaign ghostwriter and direct mail fundraiser Lew Rockwell showed up... unannounced and unexpected (at HQ). Staff were told that they should leave... locksmiths turned up late in the day to change the locks on the office doors."
Three years later, an undeterred Ron Paul prepared to launch yet another Presidential Campaign. Many inside the Paul camp were anxious to back a more successful effort and redeem their reputations. Several had been booted from the Libertarian Party in 1989. They were on the receiving end of a mini-purge largely resulting from the scandal-ridden '88 effort.
Thanks for the info. I’m going to share it with my Paultard family member who is a recent convert. What is it about RP that brings out the obnoxious in his supporters?
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