Ron Paul: GOP Needs To Change

Political Players: Republican Candidate Discusses Iraq, Electability, and Third Parties

(CBS) 

CBSNews.com: In 1988, you were the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party. Are you open to running on an independent ticket this time?

Ron Paul: No, I have no plans to do that.

CBSNews.com: But do you completely rule it out?

Ron Paul: Well, about as close as you can get, I really, really cannot conceive of that happening.

CBSNews.com: You and Rudy Giuliani, in particular, seem to get into these tussles in Republican debates. Is there any chance you could support him if he were the Republican nominee based on the policy positions he has taken thus far?

Ron Paul: Well, if he became a civil libertarian and rejected the Patriot Act and decided that we ought to bring the troops home from Iraq, yeah, I would consider it.

CBSNews.com: And do you think there is any chance of that happening?

Ron Paul: Not much.

CBSNews.com: And so, is there a potential that you could support the Democratic nominee if the Republican is so opposed to your positions on these issues?

Ron Paul: No, I cannot conceive of supporting a Democratic candidate.

CBSNews.com: But if the Democrat is for ending the war and the Republican is not, and you are not going to support a third-party candidacy, where do you go from there?

Ron Paul: Well, that I will have to deal with when the time comes, after we find out how we do in these primaries. My main job right now is to appeal to that 50 percent of the people in New Hampshire who are independent who are very interested in my campaign.

Besides, the Democrats are all neo-cons to a large degree. None of them are saying the troops ought to be home before 2013. They are not willing to take these options off the table. And I do not think they offer an alternative one bit. I think foreign policy will not change with the top three or four or even five of the Democratic candidates.

CBSNews.com: You don't think the Democrats are at all closer to your position on the war than the Republicans?

Ron Paul: Well, Dennis Kucinich would be, and Mike Gravel. But they have not done anything to slow this war up. They have not responded to the election of last year. And that is why the Democratic base now is very frustrated, and why I am getting more Democrats to my rallies than ever before.

CBSNews.com: It’s not because President Bush keeps vetoing their plans to set a timetable for ending the war?

Ron Paul: No. I do not think they are very earnest to do it. Why was it that the Democratic leadership removed from the supplemental bill early this year, the admonition that Bush could not start another war in Iran without getting permission from the Congress?

That was in the bill. And it was deliberately removed in almost saying, "Yeah, we are not going to hold you to the line here and go and do what you want. If you have to bomb Iran, we will not say a whole lot." So, that is what they were subtly saying. But I do not know why the Democratic leadership deliberately removed that. And that was supported by a coalition of antiwar Republicans and Democrats.

CBSNews.com: On the lighter side, you are on Jay Leno next week. Can you give us any preview of what you plan to say?

Ron Paul: No. I have to wait for the questions, I guess.

CBSNews.com: You’re not working out any bits in advance?

Ron Paul: No. I think what I ought to do is watch his show and find out how it runs.

---

Ron Paul served in Congress first in the late 1970's and early 1980's and then again since 1997. Born in Pittsburgh, Paul graduated from the Duke School of Medicine and became an obstetrics/gynecology specialist who has delivered over 4000 babies. He was the 1988 Libertarian nominee for president and garnered 0.5% of the vote. Paul was one of only four congressman to endorse Ronald Reagan for president in 1976, and he has consistently voted against most taxes and government spending, and opposed the Patriot Act and the Iraq war. Paul is married with five children and 17 grandchildren.

[usaprophet]

Most Americans just don''t seem to care that our country, along with the Constitution upon which it was founded, is being flushed-down the NWO toilet by our nations ruling elite. Most of Congress and the President warn and insite fear in the sheeple about the prospect of terrorism, while they at the same time fund and conduct illegal wars overseas that do nothing but encite the terrorism which their new Draconian Laws like the Patriot Act and The Real ID Act pretend to protect us from. Think about it. What would you do, if someone invaded the U.S. for no reason, and took over. You''d be mad as hell, and you''d be making trips to their country in order to give a little payback. Wake up America! It''s not about protecting you from terrorism, or saving our planet from Global Warming, or any of that fear-mongering garbage the tube feeds you 24/7. It''s about feeding the military industrial complex and facilitating the ruling elite''s ability to ratchet-down control over the American people, placing us into a total control grid where they can surveille, track and control everywhere we go and everything we do. It''s the groundwork for totalitarianism. I weep for my country, and for those of you who are so distracted, dumbed-down, or outright brainwashed by mainstream media, which endlessly regurgitates scientifically-crafted streams of information aimed at keeping their eyes closed to the realities of the world around them, that you fail to recognize this. Go Ron Paul!.

[badmofojim]

What we need is a real serious threat to the security of the US. We need a REAL war. Then the nation will start to come back together. This is the only way, No Democrate, or Republican, or Independant. Liberal or COnservitive can fix our nation in its current point. We need Russia to littlerly invade the US. Or North Korea to launch a Nuke. The US cant be fixed in the 4-8 years a single person is elected.

Thats what i think. If you think this Ron Paul guy is gonna magically fix the whole US within 4 years. Be my guest and belive that.

[usaprophet]

Like Ron Paul, I believe the biggest threat to your privacy is the government. We must drastically limit the ability of government to collect and store data regarding citizens'' personal matters. We must stop the move toward a national ID card system (e.g., The Real ID Act). Under this new law, states are currently issuing new driver''s licenses embedded with standard identifier data (RFID chips). Although, some states like Montana are refusing to comply. A national ID with new tracking technologies means we''re heading into an Orwellian world of no privacy. Ron Paul was one of the few members of Congess who voted against the Real ID Act. Also, under current medical privacy protection rules, which Ron Paul also opposed, insurance companies and other entities have access to your personal medical information. Finally, there''s the so-called Patriot Act, which Congressman, Ron Paul also voted against. As originally proposed, it expanded the federal government''s ability to use wiretaps without judicial oversight; allowed nationwide search warrants non-specific to any given location, nor subject to any local judicial oversight; made it far easier for the government to monitor private Internet usage; authorized sneak and peek warrants enabling federal authorities to search a person''s home, office, or personal property without that person''s knowledge; and required libraries to turn over records of books read by their patrons. Ron Paul sponsored a bill to overturn the Patriot Act.

[bareemperor]

No Republican can rescue the GOP from the dregs of the Bu$hCo slimepit.

Any candidate trying to maintain Republicon rule is wasting their money, a Democratic win is now guaranteed. The people will speak in 2008, and Diebold be dammed!

[cfin5]

Every so often our nation seems to drift away from our Constitutional moorage and likewise a real patriot will step up to the plate to put this in check. Ron Paul is this "man of the hour" that will do this. His voting record walk proves his campaign talk. I have heard hypocritical statesmen say we need a new constitution to live by. This attitude is far more dangerous to let grow than any war or issue we are entangled in. Folks! I have read good and plenty the writings of our founding fathers in regards to the issues of their day (nothing has changed since). If you think politicians are milk toast potlickers now, wait till you read up on the "quality" and "integrity" of the ones with whom we have to do concerning our national birth. And these politicians today act like they are so much wiser because of their increased knowledge that they alone can out trump Thomas Jefferson, Samual Adams, James Madison, etc..??? Knowledge is indeed the Sword of Good and Evil. And it will obey the name (national sovereignty, world globalism)of its wielder. Listen up Americans, the swords that our leaders have forged since 9/11/01 are double edged weapons, one side for terrorists, the other side for patriots. We can''''''''t afford to let this sword be wielded by the wrong person.........Ron Paul, the "ONLY" un-CFR, unsocialist, and pro-constitution candidate for ''''''''08! GO USA!!!

[cfin5]

beecuster,.......Why don''t you take the standard of judgment that you just used and go apply it to your own party. They''ve really accomplished to do nothing too. We are here supporting Ron Paul to get to the root of our nations problems and do something about it. If you want to keep swigging on the demoCRAPtic jug your one and the same as the republiCANTS. It''s nothing but a "DEMOPUBLICAN DUOPOLY" anyhow!

[cfin5]

You know, I''''ve been thinking today about some comment I read that stated Ron Paul was some kind of wuss. Nothing is further from the truth. Of all the candidates running for President he''''s got more guts than most of them put together. If congressmen/women wore "Constitutional Merit Stripes" on their sleeves for protecting the citizens rights like any sergeant in the military does. He''''d have those stripes from the tip of his shoulder clear down to his wrist........I hope Ron inspires a total new breed of politicians who love our Constitution like he does in ALL the parties. Ready to drop the gloves on anyone who dares to threaten it. That''''s the kind of leader Americans need and want folks! Because the liberty and freedom our Constitution creates is the FAIREST OF THEM ALL!......Ron Paul, the constitutional centrist choice in 2008! GO USA!!!

[gunownerdan]

CFR MEMBERS:
Hillary Clinton
Rudy Giuliani
Barak Obama
Mitt Romney
John Edwards
Fred Thompson
Bill Richardson
John McCain

Dr. Ron Paul is NOT a member of the CFR.
The CFR has hijacked American foreign policy and they control both parties.
Their main goal is the destruction of American sovereignty and our constitution in order to form a "North American Union" with Canada and Mexico.
Once our elite masters destroy the dollar, it will be easy to switch to the "Amero" and say goodbye to America as we know it.
Dr. Ron Paul is the ONLY anti-war and pro-liberty candidate running for president.
ronpaul2008.com
It does not matter

[cfin5]

nolesfan66,.......Go to (ronpaul2008.com) where you can find out everything you need and want to know about him my friend.

[usaprophet]

I support Congressman, Ron Paul for President. There is something homespun about Paul, reminiscent of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. He communicates with his constituents through birthday cards, August barbecues and the cookbooks his wife puts together every election season, which mix photos of grandchildren, Gospel passages and neighbors'' recipes for Velveeta cheese fudge and Cherry Coke salad. He is listed in the phone book, and his constituents call him at home. But there is also something cosmopolitan and radical about him; his speeches can bring to mind the World Social Forum or the French international-affairs periodical Le Monde Diplomatique. Ron Paul represents a different Republican Party from the one that Iraq, deficits and corruption have soured the country on. His school of Republicanism stands for a certain idea of the Constitution the idea that much of the power asserted by modern Presidents has been usurped from Congress, and that much of the power asserted by Congress has been usurped from the States. Though Paul acknowledges flaws in both the Constitution (it included slavery) and the Bill of Rights (it doesn''t go far enough), he still thinks a comprehensive array of positions can be drawn from them: against gun control; for the sovereignty of states; and against foreign-policy adventures like the one underway in Iraq, and soon Iran.

[standlee5]

I think if Ron Paul was nominated he''d win against Hillary. He''s had so little airtime it''s ridiculous.

[rdmike]

I like Ron Paul but can''t see voting for him so long as he''s associated with the Republican Party. I don''t think his point of view is isolationist at all. For it to be truly isolationist is to essentially call for America to focus solely on ourselves regardless of what happens around us (internationally). From what I''ve heard he''s saying we need to stop using taxpayer funds meddling in other country''s affairs when there''s no national security interest involved or where there''s no clear call from the public at large to do so. After all, these elected officials are supposed to represent us. As it stands now much of our foreign policy is dictated not by security interests or calls from the public rather by the economic interests of an elite few. That, quite frankly, is contrary to representative government and reeks of good ole boy politics. As to enforcing the laws of our land vs just the ones he likes/agrees with..........I think a better question is will he, assuming he were elected president, work to eliminate laws which clearly fly in the face of our Constitution e.g. laws that would cede U.S. sovereignty to a foreign power or court, or over-ride the role of the states, etc. I hope my answer is in line with your question though it%u2019s possible I misunderstood. If nothing else perhaps it will stimulate some of the Paul supporters to chime in with a more precise reply to your query in the event I have erred.

[usaprophet]

Most intelligent people can see right through the mainstream media''s bias against Ron Paul. Polls? As someone who''s in the business, I know you can make a poll result look anyway you want. All you have to do is call or not call on people in a certain demographic group to achieve your desired result. You can see the man has support. He''s won all the debates he''s been in. People everywhere are in the street, and on the Net, supporting him like no other. And his campaign chest is growing daily, and not from huge corporate donations like the other GOP and Democrat candidates get, but from grassroots supporters who give what little they can afford. Ignore what the media network giants like ABC tell you. They sold-out to the status quo decades ago. This man has some major grassroots support across this country. I support the 2008 candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul. I believe he is our only hope to restore peace, prosperity and freedom in this country. Presidential candidates with the high-level of personal integrity and bearing the positive message of Dr. Paul only come around only once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky. The stakes are too high now, and the cause of freedom is too important, to let anything stand in the way of me participation in this 21st Century political revolution. Go Ron!

[okinup]

any pages in here?

[usaprophet]

Most Americans just don''t seem to care that our country, along with the Constitutional principles upon which it was founded, are being flushed-down the toilet by our nations ruling elite. While most of Congress and the President warn and insite fear in the sheeple about the prospect of terrorism, they at the same time fund and conduct illegal wars overseas which do nothing but encite the terrorism they say their new Draconian Laws like the Patriot Act and The Real ID Act are here to protect us from. Think about it. What would you do, if someone invaded the U.S. for no reason, and took over. You''d be mad as hell, and you''d be making trips to their country in order to give a little payback. Wake up America! It''s not about protecting you from terrorism, or saving our planet from Global Warming, or any of that fear-mongering garbage the tube feeds you 24/7. It''s about feeding the military industrial complex and facilitating the ruling elite''s ability to ratchet-down control over the American people, placing them into a total control grid where they can surveille, track and monitor (control) everywhere we go and everything we do. It''s the groundwork for totalitarianism. I weep for my country, and for those who are so distracted, dumbed-down, or outright brainwashed by mainstream media, which endlessly regurgitates scientifically-crafted streams of information aimed at keeping their eyes closed to the realities of the world around them, that they fail to recognize this. Go Ron Paul!.

[devere1603]

Could one of the Ron Paul supporters here please answer my question, instead of constantly repeating your canned pitches? Sensible people are concerned that electing isolationist Ron Paul President might lead to Japan with nuclear weapons, Russia occupying the Baltic states, and nuclear war in the Middle East. My previous post was:

"Ron Paul is a very good man. However, his isolationist foreign policy worries me. I''''ve never heard Dr. Paul acknowledge that treaties such as NATO and the U.S.-Japan mutual defense pact are U.S. law, while George Washington''s famous advice against entangling alliances is not. Would President Ron Paul take care that ALL of the laws ( including the ones he doesn''t care for ) are faithfully executed? He could do us all a big favor by letting us know."

[usaprophet]

Most intelligent people can see right through the mainstream media''s bias against Ron Paul. Polls? As someone who''s in the business, I know you can make a poll result look anyway you want. All you have to do is call or not call on people in a certain demographic group to achieve your desired result. You can see the man has support. He''s won all the debates he''s been in. People everywhere are in the street, and on the Net, supporting him like no other. And his campaign chest is growing daily, and not from huge corporate donations like the other GOP and Democrat candidates get, but from grassroots supporters who give what little they can afford. Ignore what the media network giants like ABC tell you. They sold-out to the status quo decades ago. This man has some major grassroots support across this country. I support the 2008 candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul. I believe he is our only hope to restore peace, prosperity and freedom in this country. Presidential candidates with the high-level of personal integrity and bearing the positive message of Dr. Paul only come around only once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky. The stakes are too high now, and the cause of freedom is too important, to let anything stand in the way of me participation in this 21st Century political revolution. Go Ron!

[cfin5]

You know, I''ve been thinking today about some comment I read that stated Ron Paul was some kind of wuss. Nothing is further from the truth. Of all the candidates running for President he''s got more guts than most of them put together. If congressmen/women wore "Constitutional Merit Stripes" on their sleeves for protecting the citizens rights like any sergeant in the military does. He''d have those stripes from the tip of his shoulder clear down to his wrist........I hope Ron inspires a total new breed of politicians who love our Constitution like he does in ALL the parties. Ready to drop the gloves on anyone who dares to threaten it. That''s the kind of leader Americans need and want folks! Because the liberty and freedom our Constitution creates is the FAIREST OF THEM ALL!......Ron Paul, the constitutional centrist choice in 2008! GO USA!!!

[nmsuip]

I might''ve considered him if he wasn''t a Republican.

[cfin5]

leftyintexas,......I totally understand your frustration as I''m there too. If there wasn''t a candidate like Ron who walks the talk according to his voting record,......no deal from me. I could almost hope the he doesn''t win the RNC nod just so he''ll go independent. I know the Constitution Party (constitutionparty.com) favors him and rightly so. I relish the idea of stickin'' it to the RNC with who I "HAD" to do........the traitors!