One of the odd things I hear about from time to time from many of my libertarian colleagues and friends is their perception that Texas Republican Ron Paul is a rare model of purity in a political pigsty...
I have many issues of agreement with Paul, particularly on health policy, and I've defended him publicly in the past on many of his calls for government reform. But this perception of Paul as a principled crusader who serves only the Constitution is at odds with his wholehearted embrace of typical pork-barrel politics - a difference which is all the more stark in the wake of House Republicans' voluntary ban on earmarks last year. The record on this is available to the public, but it attracts scant attention...
...Paul made over $157 million in earmark requests for FY 2011, one of only four House Republicans to request any earmarks. Additionally, he made over $398 million in earmark requests for FY 2010, again one of the leading Republican House members...
Among Paul's earmarks are boondoggles like $38 million to "encourage parents to read aloud to their children", $18 million for a light rail study, $4 million for a "Trails and Sidewalks Connectivity Initiative", $11 million for an ACORN-like "Community-Based Job Training Program", $2 million for a "clean energy" pilot project, and many, many more.
All of the above earmarks can be found on Paul's own congressional website... Paul typically will make the earmark request, but then votes against or abstains from voting on final passage, so he can maintain his claim to have "never voted for an earmark", even the earmark requests he himself made.
So not only does Paul embrace the suicidal national security views of Dennis Kucinich, but his claims to be a fiscal hawk are as plainly fraudulent as his assertions that he never read his own newsletter.
How stupid does Ron Paul think Americans are? Uhm, for you Paul drones, that's a rhetorical question.
Update: The Mental Derangement of Ron Paul’s Campaign
11 comments:
YAWN
You can probably expect the Ron Paul Swarm in 3...2....1.
Funny how a little thing like passing a law allowing Americans to be sent to the Gulag changes one's perceptions. 54 years of voting straight ticket Republican and I'll never vote GOP again. They are the truly evil ones. You need get off the koolaid and wake up.
A PIKER COMPARED TO RICK.
:)
@Roark, which is why you're a drone.
The Tea Party -- the only group advocating for Constitutional America -- began its sweep into power in 2010.
You, on the other hand, are the follower of a crackpot.
Good luck with that path!
First let me say that I am not a RonPaulite.
Then let me point out that you did a warm and fuzzy piece on Rick Santorum and somehow failed to say that Rick never met an earmark he didn't like.
Both candidates need to answer for such dishonesty.
"like $38 million to "encourage parents to read aloud to their children", "
I'd do that for $17m.
Personally my favorite Ron Paul minimal digging story is the one where he's spent 2 decades talking about people investing in gold and owns none. During the most profitable period for that ever.
He's a populist grifter. Nothing more. That's why a photo of him with a Grrand Wizard isn't proof he's a racist. He's just pandering to that racist, because that racist will give him money to almost run for president.
Just like he almost ran for president 4 years ago. And the 4 years before that.
What would you do if you could raise millions every 4 years by saying things you never had to commit to?
@ Roark
A law sending US citizens to a gulag? That simply didn't happen.
If you meant al Qaeda types captured in the US are now eligible for GITMO, well it's about time. It's a retarded situation that the US itself is a safe haven, when GITMO has been bipartisan policy for the rest of the planet for a decade.
If you lie and say that includes US citizens captured on US soild, which it doesn't, well why the hell not. More than one member of the pre-embassy bombings al Qaeda was a US citizen. Just like the leader of the Mumbai massacre was.
Before anyone conceived of non-state groups, renouncing the US to attack it as an enemy got you a treason death sentence. So you can argue the cnuts should be hanged instead of indefinitely detained if you like, but the alternative isn't "nothing".
Friends,
I tune out whenever a POL. criticizes either lobbyists or earmarks.
Like it of not they are both part of the process, and provide benefits and abuses.
All 435 Congressional districts benefit from earmarks as it is the funding that can go direct for a particular purpose (not all are bridges to nowhere)
Lobbyists provide a service as their efforts lead to funding and jobs.
Yes, there are problems and it is up to us to ensure politicians do not abuse either.
But, to allow them to promote themselves at the expense of either lobbying or directed funding to districts is an insult to the American people.
Regards,
ajbruno14@gmail.com
You are upset with Paul for doing his job as a Congressman, yet hating the system that we have and wanting to make changes. That really does not make sense. Maybe you should look closer at Paul, he is everthing we want.
David7134,
Was your reply to me? If so, not upset with Paul...but all politicians who do not weigh the value of earmarks/lobbyists.
I have looked at Paul, and raises valid points about the Fed. And even on intl. involvement. But, what if we did not have a presence around the world.
Could Paul assure us there would be a South Korea, or an Israel, or Eastern Europe would still be Soviet satellites?
Paul is right about govt going beyond the boundaries of the Constitution....but he fails to acknowledge with strength comes responsibility.
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