Ron Paul's supporters make inroads at Texas GOP conventions

The Texas Republican Party bosses seem to have taken a few leaves out of the Robert Mugabe Book of Election Procedures! It's amazing that, although these caucuses and primaries are about choosing a candidate, the grandees of the party appear more concerned about manipulating the outcome.

Ron Paul is seen as a man who should never have entered the race. They made it a handicap. Like the Grand National at Aintree, they hoped Paul would fall at the first hurdle! But his supporters continue to fight for their legitimate places at conventions. Texas is not alone.

In Senate District 10, Paul supporter Jeremy Blosser challenged longtime Republican organizer Stuart Lane for chairmanship of the convention. Blosser bristled at Lane's characterization of Paul's supporters as "outsiders bent on taking over the party." Blosser said, "We are Republicans. I don't know how you take over something you're already part of." Precisely!

What people like Stuart Lane mean is "You can say or mean anything so long as you say and mean it my way!" Well, he's been rumbled!

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Ron Paul wins! Peden's challenge fizzles out!

Ron Paul won his congressional seat by a whopping margin over the challenger Chris Peden. When all the votes are counted it could be a 70/30 split.

Ron Paul said, “some Washington insiders would have you believe that Republicans no longer believe in the principles our country and party were founded upon, but the voters in my district have once again proven them wrong. The message of freedom is popular, and I will continue to trumpet it in Congress and across America as I fight on behalf of the conservative, common sense values which made our country so great.”

Great result! The Revolution goes on.......................

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McCain's Incendiary Supporter! Fire and Brimstone for Texans?

San Antonio televangelist John Hagee has endorsed Republican presidential hopeful John McCain. Kiss of death or votewinning genius? Hagee seems to me a prize nutter, who in recent years has denounced many a group he doesn't fancy. These include, but are not limited to, Catholics, homosexuals, Muslims and Harry Potter-author J.K. Rowling. He has suggested that Hurricane Katrina was God's wrath for the city's "gay parade" and he has called the Roman Catholic Church a "false cult system." Nice support if you can get it.

If a contender for the Presidency thinks this sort of rabble-rousing babble merchant is a suitable supplicant, then I do hope those voting today will stop and think. The message from McCain - Don't bother with the votes of Catholics, gays, Muslims or the legions of Harry Potter fans!

Clare Hoffman of WashingtonPost.com has a good piece on all this.

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Good Luck, Ron Paul!

Today Ron Paul is defending his Congressional seat in the Texas 14th District. Not only that, he is still in on the Republican presidential race in Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

Even if McCain wins, and it is a big if, because many votes will go to Huckabee and Paul, he will not get all the BOUND votes he needs to secure the nomination. This process is aggravatingly sloppy around the edges. Just as the President is elected, not by popular vote but by the Electoral College, primary delegates are not obliged in some states to be "bound".

In Ohio, the delates are not obliged to stick with McCain if they see a better option coming up later on. So, as I keep saying, the fat lady is not yet ready to sing!

Good luck, Dr.Paul!!!

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Obama cosies up to the Canadians!

Senator Obama is on and off the NAFTA trail like a covered wagon trying to avoid a spat between John Wayne and a posse of marauders. He has told different tales to different folk, apparently. His senior economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, told Canadian officials in Chicago that the debate over free trade in the Democratic presidential primary campaign was "political positioning" and that Mr. Obama was not really protectionist. Like telling them that they get one version, the electorate gets another? Democratic politics! Sometimes it needs a good dose of cleansing, because the spin and deception can be quite foul!

The only politician saying what he believes on the NAFTA agreement is Ron Paul. These agreements are a hybrid of protectionism and control. Free trade is only possible if the politicians allow it and don't interfere! A pig farmer can walk his pigs (always assuming they don't carry any porky problems!) across borders without being asked too many questions. Freedom to sell in chosen markets. Where would Columbus be with the NAFTA agreement? (I've not heard of Nafta, Ohio!).

But this isn't "free trade", it's regulated trade. Real free trade is selling your products and services without an official telling you what to do. Obviously, local laws should be respected, such as labeling, content and product suitability. Nobody wants dangerous or contaminated goods.

Obama told reporters, "nobody reached out to the Canadians to try to assure them of anything." Pity, because they think they need reassuring! He was asked why he had appeared to deny a report last week that such a meeting had taken place, he said, "That was the information I had at the time."

My answer to that is - come off it, Obama! You just haven't thought this through, have you? Flip-flopping isn't a crime, but spin and deception - well, that is!!

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Ron Paul - A New Hope!

Ron Paul has brought a new dimension to this campaign - HOPE! Who can fault his campaign? The Revolution continues..............

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Huckabee has a wistful moment!

A lot of people think that Ron Paul should give up, saying his presidential bid is a hopeless cause. That's not the point, a I keep saying. The whole thing this Revolution is about is changing the system of government. Most of the same people think that Mike Huckabee should give up. But Huckabee has a message, just like Paul and McCain, so is entitled to promote it.

Huckabee entertained and campaigned yesterday before 500 admirers in a Rhode Island hotel ballroom as he boosted his never-say-die campaign for the GOP presidential nomination. I like Huckabee's reasoning on his continued campaigning. He says, in a moment of very straight candour, "“In politics the unexpected is the expected. John McCain might have an implosive moment tomorrow. This race is still on.” Now, I doubt if Huckabee is hoping that John McCain falls under the proverbial bus. He is just stating the obvious. McCain might find something comes up to shock him rigid. If it does, it will be interesting to see if the press is in "I told you so" thought mode.

Former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan once famously described the worst thing that can befall a prime minister (or presidential candidate, I suppose) is "Events, dear boy! Events", by which he meant the same as Huckabee does. The current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, could hardly have envisaged the Northern Rock fiasco, the missing child benefit CDs, or the Labour Party funding rows engulfing him as events.

Interestingly, the Republican convention is in St.Paul. Huckabee may be hoping for a political conversion by the party on the road to Minneapolis. For me, and very many others, it would be a fantastic moment of history if Ron Paul made good in Saint Paul. I live in hope!

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Ron Paul gets Ben Bernanke to admit "I don't have good grades"!

This piece from CNBC is a real showpiece in how the Western world's economy, and that of the US in particular, is run by people who don't really do the right thing or seem oblivious to what their jobs are all about. Ron Paul here gives Mr. Bernanke, the Federal Reserve Chairman, something to think about. It seems to me that Bernanke is running things on a wing and a prayer. He looked decidely uncomfortable. Bill Griffeth, always the smooth operator, comes in on this piece with his suggestion that people "may not agree with Ron Paul politically", as if that is a pre-requisite when conducting interviews.

Interesting that CNBC on their site give no reference to Ron Paul, but give Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., flattering positioning by mentioning that he offered the Fed chief some sympathy. Bachus said, "There is perhaps no other public figure in America who has been subjected to as much Monday morning quarterbacking as you have over the past six months". Well, on the evidence we see here, Mr. Bernanke has admitted his "grades" don't pass muster, so Mr. Bachus is a bit flowery in his praise!



I hope people see this tape. Republican voters in Texas should take on board Ron Paul's message. The middle classes in America are being squeezed. They don't want it to get so bad that the pips pop out! Mr. Bernanke doesn't seem too sure about the economic outcome. He even suggests that sub-prime mortgage lending is a positive force, if done properly. I hardly think the word "proper" sits well with this form of financial sleaze!

Rest assured John McCain won't kick ass with him. But Ron Paul as President? Wow! These quack inflation curers will be put out to grass!

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Huckabee talking up a win in Texas

Mike Huckabee is getting all excited, like a high school boy eyeing up a Prom date! He said a victory in Texas would change "the discussion and the dynamics of the race." That would be so, I rather think! "It will prove once again that I am winning in the states that really are the Republican, conservative-based states," the former Arkansas governor told supporters in Dallas. If it's all fair and above aboard, he may well do so. The state Republican Party is controlled by those who would tend to support his platform, if not necessarily him as a candidate.

Kelly Shackelford, president of the Free Market Foundation, said Huckabee is the choice for the state's conservatives. "Conservatives across Texas are being encouraged to fold up their values and go home," Shackelford said. "We're saying, 'Don't do it. Stand for what you believe. Vote for your values, vote for Mike.' " Sounds like he may get a good chunk of votes.

The Republican primary has been glossed over a bit. The press has been concentrating on the dress code of the two Democratic contenders. My appreciation of elections is that when the press turn and blink they sometimes miss what's going on. If Huckabee does win Texas they can't be in "I told you so" mode because they never did!

In all this, Ron Paul will come in with a respectable showing that will prove him right in remaining in. The Republican Party high command still has a tough time convincing the rest of us that John McCain is the right guy at the right time.

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Paul versus Peden - Ron has him on the ropes!

Chris Peden is an odd cove it seems to me. He is challenging Ron Paul in the 14th District for Congress. Much of the attacks on Ron Paul have been about three things. First, he's not a proper Republican. Second, he's got a poor voting record in the House. And third, he's not for national security by being anti the Iraq conflict. Of course, it's twaddle. Who is to say what a proper Republican is. Most large parties in the Western world, which are capable of governing, are big tents, with a kaleidoscope of opinion within. A 100% voting record does not indicate good representation. It merely shows that the member is prepared to vote for party above principle! And a good conservative can see the futility of going into a conflict without adequate planning or even consulting with friendly countries beforehand about likely problems. If the Bushwhackers had bothered to ask, say the Swedish embassy, about probable outcomes assuming plan A went ahead, they may well have avoided the mess they later found themselves in.

Peden is a typical model candidate. All shine on the outside. A bit different on the inside. This is a nice contribution from Reason Online by David Weigel. David reveals than Peden has spent -

1. Nearly $3,900 to Houston-based Ignite Marketing for campaign materials
2. About $8,000 for campaign signs
3. Nearly $20,000 to DC political consultants at Marsh Copsey and Associates. (Marsh Copsey didn't end up producing anything for the campaign—the relationship ended without ads.)
4. $679 to his 17-year old daughter Brittany for "contract labor"

Why would a man who has such neatly packed views, without it seems, a problem in expousing them, pay some "political consultants" to do nothing?

And what of his daughter? Even by today's standards $679 is pretty good pocket money!

I fear that Peden is more of a stooge than he cares to admit. I hear Ron Paul's doing OK in the local opinion polling. I wonder if any of this is a contributory factor?

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Is Hillary playing fair with Obama?

It is alleged that Hillary Clinton has given a nod and a wink to a photo of Barack Obama dressed in East African traditional clothing to be passed around. This was taken during a visit in 2006 to Kenya, his father's homeland. The gist of this is to make him look a bit foreign! Well, I remember pictures of her without contact lenses. I'm not going to show them as it wouldn't be right, would it? How many Scots Americans wear tartan kilts? Not a lot different, I'd say.

Come on Hillary, play the game! You know he looks good in a suit. What do you look like first thing in morning? Oh, I must stop......

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Obama moves onto Ron Paul's territory!

Barack Obama is making quite a big deal over US trade at the moment. I wonder why? He has criticised the NAFTA agreement, but doesn't say much more about it. Funny how this is reported as a normal political dialogue between two leading contenders for the Democratic nomination, but when Ron Paul raises it (a longstanding policy issue) it is derided by the media.

The truth is these agreements like NAFTA suit Big Business and Big Government together. A kind of Tweedledee and Tweedledum of world trade. Let the little guy sink or swim on his own account, the big beasts are carving it up as they go along. The European Union is all about regulation, red tape, and, when confronted about spendrift activities, red herrings!

If Obama is moving towards proper free trade, proper fair trade, and proper inter-governmental agreements, then welcome aboard. Otherwise it's a Johnny-cum-lately approach, just for the day!

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Ron Paul on campaign trail in Austin, Texas

You have to hand it to the TV anchors and reporters in America. Ron Paul stays the course, but they can't help themselves but use phrases like "despite the odds" and "long-shot candidate". Considering they have suggested all this from the outset is rather like a steeplechase with mile-high fences. You have to knock the fences down before you can have a proper race!

Here's a report of Ron Paul outside the University of Texas on Saturday. 4,000 turned up which tells you something!

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What Ron Paul's opponent really thinks!

Chis Peden is the "conservative Christian" aiming to unseat Ron Paul in the 14th District in Texas. One wonders if Peden believes all his lines, or whether he's being encouraged by a Republican high command keen to get rid of Dr.Paul.

Peden was asked by a reporter from the Dallas Morning News if he would do any better than Ron Paul in a Democrat dominated Congress. Peden thought a bit, then said, "I have a very attractive wife not because I'm a very attractive guy. I wore her down!". So he is implying that the way to get things done for your district is to wear your opponents down. Boy!

Now I realise this was said mostly in jest (about his wife!), but he sounds a bit like he means it. He portrays himself as everything he thinks Ron Paul isn't - a loyal, mainstream conservative Republican. But what is Peden all about?

According to Bill Quinn, the budget and accounting officer at Texas Chiropractic College, it's all a shady effort to knock Ron Paul off stride in the presidential fight. Could be! Quinn is a Paul supporter - "He's got my vote. He votes his principles". Whatever it is, the media and the Republican establishment have done everything they can to make Ron Paul look awkward and foolish.

What they don't seem to realise is that this doesn't stop in November. It's ongoing!

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Can Huckabee win Texas?

Mike Huckabee's strategy now is getting a deadlocked convention. Ron Paul is also thinking along these lines, although he has ventured to use the phrase "a brokered convention", suggesting more dialogue rather than arm-twisting. The plain fact is now that John McCain, who was declared the front-runner by the big shot papers, suddenly got a side-swipe from the New York Times and people starting talking. Why? What are they hoping for? It seems odd, that they praise him as a man of principle, then have a go. The lobbying was always known.

McCain is touted by the pollsters to win the Texas primary by 12 clear percentage points. But Huckabee is showing a strong second place. Huckabee is now thinking, as he told a San Antonio radio station, ""If we win Texas, I think it changes the dynamics of this race. It could well go all the way to the convention. If the convention delegates pick the president, chances are they would pick the most conservative. I would be the one they would end up picking, if that’s the criteria." Could it be so?

I'm wondering if somebody has kept the fat lady talking in the foyer of the theatre before she comes on stage to sing!

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Lone Star hack tries a Lode Star attack on Paul!

Here's another hack who professes cluelessness over Ron Paul's GOP bid. He goes by the prosaic handle of RickG. Rick doesn't know why Dr. Paul entered the race. He thinks he may have a big ego. The whole thing remains a mystery to Rick. Well, Rick the only thing I can think of is you're thick!

Of course, Rick knows why Ron Paul is in the race, just like he knows why the others entered. It's just that he wants to be difficult. "It's a mystery to me, since his “message” is being almost universally ignored at this point anyway," says Rick. Doesn't it occur to this scribe that the reason the message got lost was exactly because the media ignored it.

So Rick turns his gaze to a certain Chris Peden, who is a chippy guy trying to unseat Dr. Paul in his congressional district. Peden has a nice line in saying that Dr. Paul shouldn't run for President whilst being in Congress. Well, that puts paid to the hopes of loads of American politicians. Do you have to be an-ex Senator/Representative to run for another office?

Peden also declares "I support fighting the Global War on Terror", and makes it sound like a virtue. If only he knew. He rubbishes Ron Paul, but I guess he's not that far removed in agreement on smaller government. "I'm a Pro-Family, Pro-Life Christian conservative who believes in free markets, smaller government, and individual responsibility." How does being pro-life stand with mutilated children in Baghdad? How does pro-life sit with Death Row? How does pro-life measure up to the wonders of Saudi justice? There are more such abuses of life in the world, but Peden means on one thing by it.

Mr. Peden should examine his Pro-Life Christianity and see if it squares with the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are the makers of global war on terror, for they shall see...what, exactly?

It's all Jekyll and Hyde politics. We need an end of it. Mr. Peden needs to go back to the drawing board!

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Opinions of Paul were not sought in poll of Texas Primary Voters

The Texas Credit Union League has come up with a Poll of Texas Primary Voters. Usual stuff in what is becoming the usual manner for conducting this presidential election. The poll, which sampled 400 members of each party (it has a margin of error of five percentage points) asked various questions. About the economy, Iraq, terrorism, etc. On the Republican side, it comes out putting Huckabee four percentage points behind McCain. Shows the Texas Republicans aren't ready for the fat lady's song yet!

But one glaring piece of info comes right out from the page of this report. They didn't bother to ask people what they thought of Ron Paul. Another poll that puts the politics of the pundit before those of the public!

Democracy! Don't you just love it.

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