GOP Race In South Carolina Is Wide-Open

Poll Shows One-Third Are Undecided And All Four Top Contenders Are Fighting Hard For Votes

(AP)  The Republican presidential fight in this Southern bastion of rough-and-tumble politics reflects the race at large - a jumble that could go any which way.

History raises the stakes and, if a guide, South Carolina could predict the outcome; since 1980, no Republican has won the nomination without a triumph here in the Palmetto State.

"I'm still deciding. I want to know which one fits what I think the best, so I'm very open," Trish O'Neill, 57, said Saturday while waiting at a hot-dog restaurant to hear from yet another candidate. Next to her, Debbie Plowman, 64, seconded that and, with a hint of exasperation about her indecision, added: "It's getting to be time to figure it out."

Such sentiments from Republican voters shed light on why each of the four top contenders - Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and John McCain - believes he has a strong chance to win here - and why each is playing hard. One poll shows nearly one-third of likely GOP voters are undecided 11 weeks before an expected 600,000 some people vote in the Republican primary on Jan. 19.

"It's unpredictable because of the undecideds. It's open for the top three or four candidates," said Katon Dawson, the state party chairman. Added Tucker Eskew, a veteran of South Carolina GOP politics and George W. Bush's 2000 race: "We've liked our front-runners, and since we don't have one, we have all kinds of fragmentation."

Recent polls show the race tight among three, with McCain trailing.

The dynamics certainly will change before the first-in-the-South primary. Iowa and Michigan hold their contests earlier, and New Hampshire is expected to as well, meaning some candidates could be knocked out before South Carolina.

The campaign here also is expected to get ugly, and possibly personal, with negative messages flooding mailboxes, radio and TV. Already, whisper campaigns have planted notions about McCain's age, 71, Romney's Mormon faith and Giuliani's rocky personal life.

For now, the contest is a toss-up.

Romney, the multimillionaire businessman and former Massachusetts governor, has spent two years courting the state's voters and has a strong organization here. He is competitive even though white Christian evangelicals hold much sway; he has backing from some of the conservative Upstate's prominent religious leaders and Sen. Jim DeMint. The only candidate on TV, he has run more than $1.7 million in positive ads and recently has seen his support climb.

Giuliani, the former New York mayor revered for his resolve after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has hovered near the top of surveys as his campaign built its state operation. His three marriages and left-leaning positions on abortion and gay rights, haven't stopped him from being competitive. He attracts much support along the state's moderate coastline, and has run about $150,000 in radio ads emphasizing fiscal and security issues.

Thompson, the actor and former Tennessee senator, has not visited South Carolina as much as the others - but is scheduled to campaign here Tuesday and Wednesday. He is struggling to make up ground organizationally after entering the race months after his opponents. He's polling strongly, although he has yet to convince the state's robust conservative base to embrace him. The state is a must-win for the Southerner with the deep drawl and Republicans say he can't take it for granted.

McCain, the Arizona senator who lost a bitter primary to Bush here in 2000, has worked for years to avoid a repeat. But money woes and staff upheaval have hurt his efforts; he's slipped in polls. Still, he has the backing of many elected officials like Sen. Lindsey Graham and loyalists from his first run. His advocacy for the Iraq war and his Navy service during Vietnam earn him respect in a state with a large military population.

The breakfast crowd that packed into the Hot Dog Heaven in Irmo to hear from McCain epitomized the uncertainty among voters here.

O'Neill, a high school math teacher from Blythewood, said she was torn between Romney (she likes his business background), Giuliani (she admires his stand against terrorism), and McCain ("a brave upright man"). She also mentioned Mike Huckabee, the underdog former Arkansas governor.

"I like them all," she said sighing. Asked about Thompson, she said: "I was so excited when he was going to get into the campaign, but I think he's left the country now. Where is he? I'm still waiting for Fred Thompson to appear on stage."

Plowman, a Columbia resident and bank employee, struggled to say who she was most likely to back. Instead, she offered up: "I wouldn't vote for Ron Paul." The long-shot Texas congressman once ran for president as a libertarian.

She said she'd probably vote for Giuliani, Romney or McCain; Thompson is not "a suitable candidate."

Across the restaurant, Doug Martin, 63, a real estate agent from Irmo, wasn't any more certain; he said he was "probably" leaning toward Giuliani because of his terrorism position. He also said positive things about Romney and McCain.

"It's probably going to get down to between Giuliani and Romney," Martin said as he sipped coffee. "McCain is a very strong candidate. I hate to say this, but I think his age is just a little bit of a problem."

[kjvprophet]

What we need is a President who will show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW WAY. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50+ years. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of the Middle-East, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas of Republican Presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. He''s an intellectual who''s published four books, three of which are devoted entirely to sound economics and one to foreign policy. He was raised on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania as a pious Lutheran, but now he attends a Baptist church. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. Whenever he recollects the helicopter pilots he treated as an Air Force Flight Surgeon (Captain) during the Vietnam War, a war which he now says was "totally unnecessary and illegal," he laments, "They were gung-ho. I''ve often thought about how many of those people never came back." Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and proven track record of adherance to The Constitution, Congressman Paul has always demonstrated only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky.

[kjvprophet]

RON PAUL SETS NEW GOP FUNDRAISING RECORD
Freedom is apparently popular, folks. I''m glad it is. In just the last 24 hours (Nov 5, 2007), he raised over $4,200,000 in grass roots donations from his supporters nationwide, beating Mitt Romney''s previous one-day (Republican) record of 3.1 million Dollars. Do the math, folks. Ron Paul certainly isn''t getting any money from the bankers or the military industrial complex like all the sold-out NWO candidates both on the left and the right who pretend to be his equal. He''s getting support from millions of REAL people who share in his Hope For America:

-- No more meddling in other country''s political affairs
-- No more aggressive military actions overseas
-- No more pseudo-wars like the "War on Drugs"
-- No more IRS and unconstitutional income taxes
-- No more Federal Reserve (the group of private banks which owns our government)
-- No more abortion
-- No more U.N. participation
-- No more federal Laws which are not authorized by The Constitution
-- No more federal erosion of State sovereignty
-- No more all-powerful federal government

They don''t call him "Dr. No" for no reason. The Doctor is in! Join us in this 21st Century political revolution at ronpaul2008.com

Remember, folks. Freedom isn''t free.

Thanks to everyone for your support!

[gunnerv1]

We don''t believe in False Prophets
Friends don''t let friends think that they are Prophets.

[laprophet]

What we need is a President who will show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW WAY. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50+ years. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of the Middle-East, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas of Republican Presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. He''s an intellectual who''s published four books, three of which are devoted entirely to sound economics and one to foreign policy. He was raised on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania as a pious Lutheran, but now he attends a Baptist church. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. Whenever he recollects the helicopter pilots he treated as an Air Force Flight Surgeon (Captain) during the Vietnam War, a war which he now says was "totally unnecessary and illegal," he laments, "They were gung-ho. I''ve often thought about how many of those people never came back." Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and proven track record of adherance to The Constitution, Congressman Paul has always demonstrated only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky.

[laprophet]

Freedom is apparently popular, folks. I''m glad it is. In just the last 24 hours, he has already raised over $4,000,000 in grass roots donations from his supporters, beating Mitt Romney''s previous one-day (Republican) record of 3.1 million Dollars. Do the math, folks. Ron Paul certainly isn''t getting any money from the bankers or the military industrial complex like all the sold-out NWO candidates both on the left and the right who pretend to be his equal. He''s getting support from millions of REAL people who share in his Hope For America:

(1) No more meddling in other country''s political affairs
(2) No more aggressive military actions overseas
(3) No more pseudo-wars like the "War on Drugs"
(4) No more IRS and unconstitutional income taxes
(5) No more Federal Reserve (the group of private banks which owns our government)
(6) No more abortion
(7) No more U.N. participation
(8) No more federal Laws which are not authorized by The Constitution
(9) No more all-powerful federal government

They don''t call him "Dr. No" for no reason. The Doctor is in! Join us in this 21st Century political revolution at ronpaul2008.com

Thanks Everyone!

[laprophet]

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
- Mahatma Gandhi

There is simply no other politician like Ron Paul. He understands the ills of our nation and how to cure them. The Doctor is in!

[laprophet]

I support Ron Paul and his non-interventionist foreign policy. Hitlery wants to continue our illegal police action in Iraq until at least 2013, and she does not rule out a preemptive (nuclear) first strike against Iran. Ron Paul voted against our (undeclared) war in Iraq, which was sold to us with lies. The area is more dangerous now than when we entered it. We destroyed a regime hated by our direct enemies--the jihadists, and created thousands of new recruits for them. The war in Iraq has cost more than 3,400 American lives and almost a trillion dollars. We need a leader in the White House who will ensure this never happens again. Both Jefferson and Washington warned us about entangling ourselves in the affairs of other nations. Today, we have 750 foreign bases and troops in 130 countries. We are spread so thin that we have too few troops defending America. And now, there are new calls for a draft. We can continue to fund and fight no-win police actions around the globe, or we can refocus on securing our borders against illegal aliens who are invading our country from the South. No war should ever be fought without a Declaration of War voted upon by the Congress, as required by The Constitution. Under no circumstances should the U.S. again go to war as the result of a resolution that comes from an unelected, foreign body, such as the United Nations. Too often, we give foreign aid and intervene on behalf of governments that are despised. Then, we too become despised.

[laprophet]

Ron Paul does not support secret offshore prisons like the one in Guantanamo, wherein our government tortures prisoners, who have no right to redress of grievance, or to Writ of Habeus Corpus. Ron Paul promises he will close these "illegal prisons" down. He wouldn''t necessarily just release the prisoners either. He said he would simply bring them to detainment facilities on U.S. soil where they would be entitled to an attorney, and to their day in Court--American Justice. Significant others agree with Paul. "Essentially, we have shaken the belief that the world had in America''s justice system by keeping a place like Guantanamo open and creating things like a military commission," former U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell recently said.

[laprophet]

People have gotten wise to the fact that vaccines are contaminated with DNA fragments, viruses, fungus, mercury, and a cocktail of other poisonous toxins. Fleets of reputable studies have been published globally detailing the wide swaths of destruction caused by vaccines, including autism. So, now the establishment is on the offensive, attempting to bully us into submission. Big Pharma is one of the biggest businesses in the world. It is among the top three purchasers of advertisement in print, TV and radio. Thay have major pull. President Bush recently vetoed a Bill which would have forced Big Pharma to remove mercury from vaccines. If that''s not bad enough, parts of the so-called Patriot Act contains provisions that essentialy remove the spectre of civil liability against Big Pharma with respect to vaccines. This was done under the quise of protecting Big Pharma in case they had to quickly develop a vaccine to combat some form of biological terrorism. No other candidate for President understands health issues as well as Dr. Ron Paul does. He not only supported the Bill which would have removed mercury from our vaccines, he voted against the Patriot Act as well. Dr. Paul., an OB/GYN physician, who has delivered over 4,000 babies, has been the national leader in preserving our Health Freedom. He feels that Americans are justifiably concerned over the government''s escalating intervention into our freedom to choose what we eat and how we take care of our health. Go Ron Paul!

[laprophet]

Unlike Hitlery and the so-called GOP frontrunner, Giuliani, Dr. Paul fights for the right of an innocent, unborn child. He believes the right to life is at the heart of the American ideals of liberty. His professional and legislative record demonstrates his strong commitment to this pro-life principle. In 40 years of medical practice, he never once considered performing an abortion, nor did he ever find abortion necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman. In Congress, he authored legislation that seeks to define life as beginning at conception (HR 1094). He is also the prime sponsor of HR 300, which would negate the effect of Roe v Wade by removing the ability of federal courts to interfere with state legislation to protect life. This is a practical, direct approach to ending federal court tyranny which threatens our constitutional republic and has caused the deaths of 45 million of the unborn. He also authored HR 1095, which prevents federal funds to be used for population control. Many other GOP candidates, except Giuliani, talk about being pro-life. Ron Paul took direct action to restore protection for the unborn. As an OB/GYN doctor, he delivered over 4,000 babies. That experience made him an unshakable foe of abortion. Many of you may have his book, Challenge To Liberty, which champions the idea that there cannot be liberty in a society unless the rights of all innocents are protected. Ron Paul respects the dignity of human life.

[laprophet]

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 a 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.

[laprophet]

If he is elected President, Dr. Paul''s will work to abolish the Federal Reserve System as well as the IRS, returning return our country to the Gold Standard. He believes, as I do, that our current Income Tax System is unconstitutional, because it''s is a direct tax that is not equally apportioned as The Constitution requires. Whenever taxes are raised by the federal government, it should be done as The Constitution DOES require--in an indirect way which is equally apportioned. This system would benefit all of us, creating more individual wealth, and allowing us to make more decisions for ourselves about our lives. Dr. Paul will also work to abolish the Federal Reserve, a group of private banks which loans our government money that they print out of thin air, making each dollar in your pocket worth less, and increasing our national debt. The Federal Reserve is not a government agency. It is a group of private banks run by unelected officials who are not required to be accountable to we the people. Worse, our economy and our very independence as a nation is increasingly in the hands of foreign governments such as China and Saudi Arabia, which finance our runaway spending. If we don''t cut spending now, especially overseas military spending, higher taxes and economic disaster will be our future. Our guidelines for governing taxation and spending is called The Constitution. Ron Paul has ACTUALLY read it! He''s published three books on economics. Read ''em free at ronpaullibrary.org

[laprophet]

I agree with Ron Paul about the issue of illegal immigration. The talk must stop. We must secure our borders now. A nation without secure borders is no nation at all. It makes no sense to fight terrorists abroad when our own front door is left unlocked. Ron Paul has a plan: (1.) Physically secure our borders and coastlines. We must do whatever it takes to control entry into our country before we undertake complicated immigration reform proposals. (2.) Enforce visa rules. Immigration officials must track visa holders and deport anyone who overstays their visa or otherwise violates U.S. Law. This is especially important when we recall that a number of 9/11 terrorists had expired visas. (3.) No amnesty. Estimates suggest that 10 to 20 million people are in our country illegally. That''s a lot of people to reward for breaking our Laws. (4.) No welfare for illegal aliens. Americans have welcomed immigrants who seek opportunity, work hard, and play by the rules, but taxpayers should not pay for illegal immigrants who use hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, and social services. (5.) End birthright citizenship. As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be citizens, the incentive to enter the U.S. illegally will remain strong. (6.) Pass true immigration reform. The current system, and those proposed by ALL other candidates, is incoherent and unfair, and would allow up to 60 million more immigrants into our country. Vote for Ron Paul.

[laprophet]

They Don''t call him "Doctor No" for no reason. Congressman, Paul never votes for any Bill which he feels is not authorized by The Constitution, regardless of what it is named. Ron Paul "is one of the easiest people in Congress to work with, because he bases his positions on the merits of issues," says Barney Frank, who has worked with Paul on efforts to ease the regulation of gambling and medical marijuana. "He is independent, but not ornery." Paul has made a habit of objecting to things that no one else objects to. In October 2001, he was one of only three House Republicans to vote against the USA Patriot Act. He was the sole House member of either party to vote against the Financial Antiterrorism Act (412-1). In 1999, he was the only naysayer in a 424-1 vote in favor of casting a medal to honor Rosa Parks. Nothing against Rosa Parks. Paul also voted against similar medals for Reagan and Pope John Paul II. He did offer $100 of his own money, though, to help pay for Reagan''s medal, and invited others in Congress to match his offer, but not one Member took him-up on it. Instead, Congress spent YOUR money. He not only routinely opposes resolutions that are unconstitutional, he votes against Bills which presume to advise foreign governments how to run their affairs: He has refused to condemn Mugabe''s violence against Zimbabwean citizens (421-1), to call on Vietnam to release political prisoners (425-1) or to ask the League of Arab States to help stop the killing in Darfur (425-1).

[laprophet]

Most intelligent people can see right through the mainstream media''s bias against Ron Paul. "What about the polls?", you ask. As someone who''s been 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 of the viewer call-in polls in ALL of the GOP 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 Democratic party candidates get from defense contractors and bankers, but from grass root supporters who give what little they can afford--$5, $10, whatever. This is a 21st Century political revolution, my friends, and the Oligarchs or on the defensive. Ignore what the media network giants like CBS tell you. They sold-out to the status quo decades ago. This man has some major grass roots support across this country. Millions of Americans believe he is our only hope to restore peace, prosperity and freedom in this country. Presidential candidates with the personal integrity and proven track record of adherance to The Constitution Congressman, Paul has always demonstrated only come around only once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky. The stakes are too high. The cause of freedom is too important. Get off your couch, put the remote down and support Ron Paul!

[laprophet]

Noticed prices are higher lately? So have I. Inflation, which increases the price of everything you buy, be it a dozen eggs at the store, or the price you pay for gas at the pump, is caused when The Federal Reserve, a group of private banks run by unelected officials, who are not accountable to we the people, lowers the interest rate, notwithstanding the fact that the Dollar has been undergoing a major devaluation overseas, rather than increasing the interest rate like it should have done. That''s Economics 101, folks. Everything costs more in U.S. Dollars, because the Dollar is worth less. Because the Fed is allowed to print unbacked money out of thin air, and then loan it to the our government, which is then saddled with an interest obligation to pay it back, our money is becoming worth less and less each day, and our National debt to the Fed is approaching 10 trillion dollars. It gets worse. Most of our debt is owned by China (25%) and Saudi Arabia who buy our Treasury Bonds, which finances our runaway military spending overseas. This is a threat to our nation, folks. We need to stop this madness. We need to bring our troops home from overseas, and use the trillions we would then save thereby to reduce our debt, and to re-invigorate our currency. We can then use this money to ensure that Social Security and other essential programs will still be solvent in ten years. Vote for Ron Paul. He''s written entire books on the topic of sound economics. ronpaullibrary.org

[laprophet]

Ron Paul can win the GOP nomination. If he does, I predict a landslide victory in November of 2008. Even the oddsmakers in Vegas aren''t willing to discount his chances. They''re currently giving him 4:1 odds to win against Hitlery if he gets the nomination. Romney, McCain and the globalist, sell-out Giuliani aren''t given anything better than a 35:1 chance of winning if they get the GOP nod. All it takes is for formerly apathetic individuals to get off the couch and nominate him in their local Republican primary or caucus process. Political parties are nothing more than tools. Those who read the manual and use the tools properly will win the nomination for their candidate. For the past 20 years, many good people have stayed at home and accepted whatever candidate they let others select for them. This year, those people are learning how to use their vote to bring about positive and long overdue political change in this country. To make a difference, you must participate in the Republican primary election or caucus process in your county, precinct or district. Nothing else matters. If we do this, we win. If not, we lose. The GOP has been suffering from declining participation for decades. Fewer than 10% of registered voters have ALL the power because they actually participate. Now the remaining 90% must surge to use their vote as a tool for bringing about positive change to our country. The time to act is now. The time for political revolution has come. The time for Ron Paul is NOW!

[laprophet]

I agree with Dr. Paul on the Social Security issue. Our nation''s promise to its seniors, once considered a sacred trust, has become little more than a tool for politicians to scare retirees while robbing them of their promised benefits to pay for militarization. Today, the Social Security system is both broke and broken. Those in the system are seeing their benefits dwindle due to higher taxes, increasing inflation, and irresponsible military spending. The proposed solutions, ranging from lower benefits to higher taxes to increasing the age of eligibility, are NOT solutions; they are betrayals. Imposing any tax on Social Security benefits is unfair and illogical. In Congress, Dr. Paul introduced the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act (H.R. 191), which repeals ALL taxes on Social Security benefits, to eliminate political theft of our seniors'' income and raise their standard of living. Solvency is the key to keeping our promise to our seniors, and he introduced the Social Security Preservation Act (H.R. 219) to ensure that money paid into the system is ONLY used for Social Security. Also, it is fundamentally unfair to give benefits to anyone who has not paid into the system. The Social Security for Americans Only Act (H.R. 190), which Ron Paul supported, ends the drain on Social Security caused by illegal aliens seeking the fruits of your labor. We must also address the widespread desire of younger workers to save for retirement on their own.

[laprophet]

Like Ron Paul, I share our Founders'' belief that in a free society each citizen must have the right to keep and bear arms. They ratified the Second Amendment knowing that this right is the guardian of every other right, and they all would be horrified by the proliferation of unconstitutional legislation that prevents Law-abiding Americans from exercising this right. Congressman, Paul has always supported the Second Amendment and these are some of the Bills he introduced in the current Congress to help restore respect for it: H.R. 1096 includes provisions repealing the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the Federal Firearms License Reform Act of 1993, two invasive and unconstitutional Bills. H.R. 1897 would end the ban on carrying a firearm in the National Park System, restoring Americans'' ability to protect themselves in potentially hazardous situations. H.R. 3305 would allow pilots and specially assigned Law enforcement personnel to carry firearms in order to protect airline passengers, possibly preventing future 9/11-style attacks. H.R. 1146 would end our membership in the United Nations, protecting us from their attempts to tax our guns or disarm us entirely. In the past, he introduced legislation to repeal the so-called assault weapons ban before its 2004 sunset, and he has opposed all attempts to reinstate it. Congessman, Paul also recently opposed H.R. 2640, which would allow government-appointed psychiatrists to ban U.S. veterans experiencing even mild forms of PTSD.

[laprophet]

Like Ron Paul, I share our Founders'' belief that in a free society each citizen must have the right to keep and bear arms. They ratified the Second Amendment knowing that this right is the guardian of every other right, and they all would be horrified by the proliferation of unconstitutional legislation that prevents Law-abiding Americans from exercising this right. Congressman, Paul has always supported the Second Amendment and these are some of the Bills he introduced in the current Congress to help restore respect for it: H.R. 1096 includes provisions repealing the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the Federal Firearms License Reform Act of 1993, two invasive and unconstitutional Bills. H.R. 1897 would end the ban on carrying a firearm in the National Park System, restoring Americans'' ability to protect themselves in potentially hazardous situations. H.R. 3305 would allow pilots and specially assigned Law enforcement personnel to carry firearms in order to protect airline passengers, possibly preventing future 9/11-style attacks. H.R. 1146 would end our membership in the United Nations, protecting us from their attempts to tax our guns or disarm us entirely. In the past, he introduced legislation to repeal the so-called assault weapons ban before its 2004 sunset, and he has opposed all attempts to reinstate it. Congessman, Paul also recently opposed H.R. 2640, which would allow government-appointed psychiatrists to ban U.S. veterans experiencing even mild forms of PTSD.