Big Bad Ron Paul

According to Republicans, who is even more scary than President Obama?  An evil Muslim terrorist?  Oh no, it's a 76-year old man who constantly talks about the US Constitution and warns us that our liberties are being taken away.  The person Republicans need to fear above everyone else is - Ron Paul!!   So says Dick Morris, the one-time Bill Clinton advisor turned Republican (we can really trust him, can't we?):

From Newsmax.com:

With Ron Paul surging in Iowa polls, Dick Morris, the Fox News analyst and Republican strategist, warns of horrific [oh my, lions and tigers and bears, oh my!] consequences for the GOP if he wins the GOP nomination.

In a column released on Dickmorris.com this weekend, Morris writes:

"Ron Paul remains terrifying. He is really the ultimate liberal in the race. He wants to legalize drugs [see below], repeal the Patriot Act, slash our military spending, pull out of Afghanistan [you betcha to all of that], and remove all limits on abortion [again, see below. Also, this issue means nothing to Dick Morris - he is pro abortion] . On these issues, he’s way, way to the left of Obama. What makes him a conservative is hard to tell. [Maybe the fact that he supports the Constitution, ya think?]  But, whatever he is, he would be a disaster as the Republican candidate. His bland assertion in the last debate, that 'anyone' will beat Obama is both self-serving and inaccurate. He wouldn’t. Anyone who votes for Paul and is not brought up short by his denuding us in our defenses against terrorism and his passivity in the face of Iranian nuclear weapons, has to realize that nominating him is tantamount to re-electing Obama."

About Ron Paul and legalizing drugs, here is an excerpt from an interview by Larry Kudlow:

Larry Kudlow: This story coming out of Washington has lit up Twitter and Facebook. Congressman Ron Paul and Barney Frank will be introducing a bill to end marijuana prohibition. A short time ago, Texas Republican Ron Paul spoke with me about exactly what he’s advocating. Take a listen.

Ron Paul: Well, removing it from the jurisdiction of the federal government and allowing the states to regulate it, like they would alcohol. And this seems to be strange for a lot of people, but I’m only going back to 1937 when that’s the way it was handled. The states always did this, and I’m motivated strongly also because the states legalize it for the use of medicinal purposes and it is helpful to people who have cancer or are getting chemotherapy. So this is not a huge radical idea, it’s something that was legal for a long, long time. And the war against marijuana causes so much hardship and accomplishes nothing. So I would say that marijuana, as far as causing highway problems, is miniscule compared to alcohol, and yet we knew prohibition of alcohol was very bad. So this is just getting back to a sensible position on how we handle difficult problems. And, for me, it should be the states.

Larry Kudlow: Do you worry, sir? I mean, look, I’m recovering alcoholic and drug abuser. I’m coming after 16 years, with God’s grace. Do you worry, sir, that this opens the door to more drug use, sets the wrong example, sends the wrong single? It’s an honest question on my part, do you ever worry about that? You yourself are a doctor..

Ron Paul: No, because I think it’s much worse because kids today have an easier time finding marijuana than they can alcohol. And how many cases of drug addiction were prevented by the laws? Do the laws really do it? Would putting you in prison for about 5 years, do you think that would have helped you? Would that have cured you? No, this is a medical problem, it’s not a legal problem. You shouldn’t be a criminal because you have a problem with drugs. So I just don’t think putting you in prison would have been helpful at all.

Larry Kudlow: Alright, well, I did it through a faith-based self help program, but I appreciate your point of view.

Ron Paul: The market, Larry, that’s the market way of taking care of a problem.

Larry Kudlow: I guess I do. I want to agree with you on why the states should have the jurisdiction on this and so many other things. I think that’s exactly the right position.

Ron Paul: We should be very consistent.

Larry Kudlow: I got to go. Congressman Paul, you’re terrific for helping us out tonight, I appreciate it.

Ron Paul: Alright.

Regarding abortion, here is Ron Paul's statement from his website on abortion:

The heated debate about abortion is filled with emotional arguments that usually center on considerations such as sexual morality, religious beliefs, women’s rights, or purely on pragmatic reasons: if abortion were made illegal it would still take place – under unsanitary conditions that would endanger additional lives.

However, a rational evaluation of abortion must be built upon one single question: When exactly does human life begin? At conception, at birth or somewhere in between?

Not even the most radical feminist would find it okay to tear apart a recently-born baby just because it is not wanted by its mother. All other considerations aside, the only reason many individuals can support abortion with a good conscience is because they believe it’s not murder… and that unborn babies do not count as human beings.

Ron Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies. He believes that human life starts at conception, and that casual elimination of the unborn leads to a careless attitude towards all life.

Recalling his personal observation of a late-term abortion performed by one of his instructors during his medical residency, Ron Paul stated, “It was pretty dramatic for me to see a two-and-a-half-pound baby taken out crying and breathing and put in a bucket.”

In an Oct. 27, 1999 speech to Congress, Ron Paul said: 

“I am strongly pro-life. I think one of the most disastrous rulings of this century was Roe versus Wade. I do believe in the slippery slope theory. I believe that if people are careless and casual about life at the beginning of life, we will be careless and casual about life at the end. Abortion leads to euthanasia. I believe that.”

During a May 15, 2007, appearance on the Fox News talk show Hannity and Colmes, Ron Paul argued that his pro-life position was consistent with his libertarian values, asking, “If you can’t protect life then how can you protect liberty?” Additionally, Ron Paul said that since he believes libertarians support non-aggression, libertarians should oppose abortion because abortion is “an act of aggression” against a fetus.

At the GOP Values Voter Presidential Debate on Sep 17, 2007, Ron Paul was asked what he will do to restore legal protection to the unborn:

“As an O.B. doctor of thirty years, and having delivered 4,000 babies, I can assure you life begins at conception. I am legally responsible for the unborn, no matter what I do, so there’s a legal life there. The unborn has inheritance rights, and if there’s an injury or a killing, there is a legal entity. There is no doubt about it.”

At the GOP YouTube debate in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Nov 28, 2007, Ron Paul was asked what a woman would be charged with if abortion becomes illegal and she obtains an abortion anyway:

“The first thing we have to do is get the federal government out of it. We don’t need a federal abortion police. That’s the last thing that we need. There has to be a criminal penalty for the person that’s committing that crime. And I think that is the abortionist. As for the punishment, I don’t think that should be up to the president to decide.”

For many years, Ron Paul has been speaking up for babies’ rights. He passionately defends those who cannot speak for themselves because they haven’t been born yet.

In order to “offset the effects of Roe v. Wade”, Paul voted in favor of the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. He has described partial birth abortion as a “barbaric procedure”.

At the same time, Ron Paul believes that the ninth and tenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution do not grant the federal government any authority to legalize or ban abortion. Instead, it is up to the individual states to prohibit abortion.

Many people feel very strongly about the issue of abortion, and once they make up their minds they rarely change their opinion. If you are undecided and/or open-minded, check out this page and this site for more information about abortion, including images and a description of medical procedures.

Ron Paul has never flip flopped on this issue.  He has never said that life begins at implantation and a couple days later said, oops, I meant at conception.  Again, I can only say, DO NOT BELIEVE THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA.