This should warm the hearts of a few Paul fans.

[Buck Laser]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/05/ronpaulgop.html

At last, a little excitement on the republican political front. Maybe y'all won't have to clench your teeth and go with McCain after all. Y'think?:shock:

[Alonzo]

Give the nut jobs all the media attention they want, just makes it easier for a Democrat to win.

[micfranklin]

I'd revolt too if the Republicans that got all the attention were what this country had to offer.

[Mia]

......their struggle is not about a single election, but a long-term revolution for control of the Republican Party.

I guess people don't *get* this - most RP supporters are not stupid, we know he's not going to get the 2008 nomination,,,,,,, it's about more than that for many of us.

.....Paul's supporters have driven his new book, "The Revolution: A Manifesto," (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/05/ron-paul-politi.html) to the top of several bestseller lists.

:clapper:

[Muser]

Did anyone catch this commentary? I found it rather interesting:

Not sure if the author really understands pledged delegates, but thats all they are is pledged. By simply winning delegate slots to the National Convention Ron Paul supporters and Huckabee supporters only need to abstain in order for McCain not to get the required amount of votes.

These are the people showing up at the local caucuses and state conventions and are taking the national delegate spots. However it can go deeper - its estimated that Ron Paul has over 600 delegates to date that will either switch thier votes from McCain to Paul or just abstain. These are delegate votes that McCain will not get and put him back under the magic number. While Ron Paul may not have enough votes to win the Republican Nomination, he probably will have enough to broker the convention.

It really does not matter who wins the primaries, it matter's who shows up at the State Caucuses - because those are the people that end up going to the Republican National Convention and voting for the Republican nominee. So in your article when you say McCain locked it up long ago, you mean in theory, but the problem with McCain is that he has no ground support, he was a media made nominee that was basically voted in by people who have no idea how the system works and do whatever the media says like robots. They DO NOT show up at caucus because they think its all over, little do they know.

Abraham Lincoln went into his nominating convention with 32 delegates and came out the nominee.

Look out - its not over folks

Posted by: Joe Lawson

[Alonzo]

Muser, it's interesting in the sense as to how delusional some true believers can be.

[Mia]

Muser, it's interesting in the sense as to how delusional some true believers can be.

And ignorance is astounding.

Abraham Lincoln went into his nominating convention with 32 delegates and came out the nominee.

Look out - its not over folks

[Alonzo]

And ignorance is astounding.

So you think Paul can actually win?

:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:

Wait, Ok I think I'm :madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:

Ah fuck it :madlaugh:
:madlaugh:
:madlaugh:

[lily]

All in the family (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/26/AR2008052601620.html?hpid=topnews)

Ron Paul's Campaign Is a Family Business, FEC Reports Show

Rep. Ron Paul has paid relatives working on his presidential campaign
a total of $169,063, according to FEC reports. (By Evan Vucci -- Associated
Press)


By Matthew Mosk
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 27, 2008; Page A03

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) has built a national following largely by preaching
an isolationist foreign policy. Stick with your own kind, says the maverick
presidential candidate.

And that's more or less what he has been doing over the past few months,
putting relatives in a slew of key positions and paying them a total of
$169,063, according to the latest campaign finance reports.

Paul's granddaughter Valori Pyeatt helps organize fundraising receptions and
has been paid $17,157. Another granddaughter, Laura Paul ($2,724), handles
orders for Ron Paul merchandise. Grandson Matthew Pyeatt ($3,251) manages
Paul's MySpace profile. Daughter Peggy Paul ($2,224) helps with campaign
logistics. The candidate's sons Randall and Robert and his daughter Joy Paul
LeBlanc have all been paid for campaign travel and for appearing as
surrogates at political events.

Who keeps track of all these finances? Paul's brother and daughter,
naturally, who have been paid a combined $62,740 to handle the campaign's
accounting.

Campaign aides said they discussed the possibility that involving so many
family members could create the impression that nepotism was driving hiring
decisions, but ultimately they saw no problem with the practice.

"You always think about those kinds of things," said Jesse Benton, Paul's
spokesman and, it just so happens, the fiance of one of the candidate's
granddaughters (he has been paid $54,573). "But his family is very important
to him. There is something important about having a family element involved
in a campaign. Having people around you that you can unconditionally trust."

Paul has received relatively few votes in his insurgent bid for the
Republican nomination, but he has attracted an extraordinarily dedicated
following that has flooded his campaign coffers with more than $30 million
in donations. Even after releasing a video on his Web site in March
indicating that he no longer expected to win the Republican nomination, Paul
has continued to collect and spend those riches.

Most of the money has gone to typical campaign expenses such as television,
radio and Internet ads, travel, and political advice from consultants and
strategists. But unlike other presidential candidates, Paul has also made
room on his payroll for his extended brood.

There are no laws prohibiting candidates from hiring relatives, though the
Federal Election Commission does require family members to be qualified for
the job and be paid the going rate for their work. Melanie Sloan of the
group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said her
organization has twice issued reports critical of the practice among members
of Congress.

"This was never intended to be a family business," Sloan said. "The reason
this is troubling is that it's not clear to donors whether their campaign
donations are really going to support the candidacy or to support the
family."

Sloan said this was not the first time Paul has hired relatives to perform
campaign work on his behalf. The group found payments to daughter Lori
Pyeatt during his three previous congressional races, and payments to
grandson Matthew Pyeatt and daughter Joy LeBlanc during Paul's 2004
congressional campaign.

An added concern with the presidential campaign, Sloan said, is that Paul
has fundamentally transformed his bid for the White House into something
more ephemeral. Spending by the campaign has slowed considerably over the
past month. Paul spent $470,862 in April, leaving him with $4.7 million
remaining.

The way Benton explains it, the candidate has "acknowledged that he is not
going to be the nominee" but is "continuing a positive, respectful campaign
to influence the policies of the Republican Party."

And this "second phase," as Benton describes it, is financed by the money
raised largely during the first phase, when people were sending
contributions to fuel Paul's presidential ambitions.

Now, as he tours the country, Paul is drawing attention to his book, "The
Revolution: A Manifesto," which currently ranks seventh on the New York
Times bestseller list.

The parent company of the book's publisher, Hachette Book Group USA, also
turns up as a vendor to the campaign. The Paul campaign paid the publisher
$1,115 in April. Asked about the expense, Benton said the campaign
"purchased about 60 books to give to supporters."

That practice is also legal, as long as the candidate does not derive any
personal benefit from the sales.

While his campaign activity and expenditures have slowed, several relatives
continue to get paid, including Laura Paul and the Texas accounting firm
Paul, Phipps & Co.

Wayne Paul, who helps run Paul, Phipps, said his firm has maintained an
account for all of his brother's employees "to ensure they get checks twice
a month and that all reports are properly filed."

The accountant explained that the person who did Paul's books earlier in the
campaign was having trouble with payroll.

"It was a matter of ensuring there were no more third parties that attempted
to screw up my brother's campaign by not filing proper returns," Wayne Paul
explained. "If that's impropriety, by God . . . have at it. It was done out
of sheer necessity. Our firm was repaid for purposes of ensuring that
everybody got properly paid."

[Alonzo]

Just what happens to all the money Paul's campaign didn't spend?

Guess there's always that mansion he's wanted.

[NortheastCynic]

Just another article written by someone who knows nothing about libertarianism. "The party's most conservative of conservatives". Someone needs to look up the definitions of libertarianism and conservatism.

-NC

[bishop]

Just what happens to all the money Paul's campaign didn't spend?

Guess there's always that mansion he's wanted.

speaking of nepotism, i doubt anyone would even know hillary exists had it not have been for her husband.. but i guess it's okay that he helped win her a seat in the senate and has used his own connections to try and get her into the white house - the big offense, undoubtedly, is paul's grandkids getting paid a paltry sum to help on his campaign..

plus, let's take a gander at what mr. hillary spends on her staffers (combined weekly salary expenses seem to dwarf what paul spent in the aforementioned article).. i wonder if there's any nepotism involved with these highly paid staffers.

http://www.fecwatch.org/pres08/expend_detail.php?cid=N00000019&cycle=2008&excode=A20

[Mia]

He's also running for Congress again......if he drops out of the Presidential race, he can use the funds for that.

[micfranklin]

At least he can continue to be one of the few in Congress who knows what the hell he's doing.

[Mia]

That would be good, wouldn't it?

It's nice to go back to all this legislation I hate and see 'Oh, not everyone was so stupid to vote for it!'

[bishop]

paul stated in a note to his supporters (not sure how many of you are on the distribution list) that he's going to use the money to help like-minded candidates running for house seats. the money would be reinvested into the grassroots movement.

[Truth_and_Power]

Just what happens to all the money Paul's campaign didn't spend?

Guess there's always that mansion he's wanted.

I think it's great how you act like everything you can think of in relation to paul is a novel issue in american politics. Interesting how this never bothers you on any other candidate.

Also -- What do you think would happen if he bought a mansion with campaign money?

[Alonzo]

I think it's great how you act like everything you can think of in relation to paul is a novel issue in american politics. Interesting how this never bothers you on any other candidate.

Few politicians say the things Paul does, making it particularly hypocritical.

Also -- What do you think would happen if he bought a mansion with campaign money?

His followers would think that it's a fitting place for a God.

[bishop]

nothing but hot air...

[Mia]

Few politicians say the things Paul does, making it particularly hypocritical.

His followers would think that it's a fitting place for a God.


What is hypocritical? Your hypothetical? LOL.

It's Obama that is revered like some supernatural spirit by many of his supporters; your constant derision of people who simply like our constitution and a candidate who sticks to it is just strange. :peace: