Political Ruminations

Quote of the Day

Ron Paul (R-KY) on the upcoming ruling by the Supreme Court on Obamacare, aka the Affordable Care Act:

“I suspect they're going to rule it constitutional, but that is a big guess out of thin air.”

I suspect he’s right.

Earlier this morning, the Supreme Court began listening to arguments on the healthcare law. A ruling is expected sometime in June.

Ron Paul Deal With Romney?

It seems increasingly likely that Ron Paul has made some sort of deal with Mitt Romney, at least that’s what it looks like according to a study by Think Progress:

Paul has gone beyond merely refraining from attacks. He has actively defended Romney on some of his biggest vulnerabilities. For example, when Rick Perry attacked Romney for “Romneycare” during an October 18 debate, Paul interjected:

“First off, you know, the governor of Texas criticized the governor of Massachusetts for “Romneycare,” but he wrote a really fancy letter supporting “Hillarycare.” So we probably ought to ask him about that.”

Paul has also run advertisements attacking Romney’s key rivals at critical times. He ran hundreds of thousands of dollars in brutally negative ads attacking Gingrich in Iowa. Paul now is using his scarce funds on a television ad attacking Rick Santorum in Michigan, a key state where Paul is a non-factor.

Paul is effectively acting as Romney’s on-stage surrogate during the debates. The key question is: what is Paul getting out of it?

What is he getting out of it? Money?

Morning Quote: Ron Paul Proposed a Bailout for Slaveowners

From an interview of Ron Paul by Tim Russert on Meet the Press in December 2007:

Tim Russert: “I was intrigued by your comments about Abe Lincoln. [Mr. Russert reads from the Washington Post] ‘According to Paul, Abe Lincoln should never have gone to war; there were better ways of getting rid of slavery.’”

Ron Paul: “Absolutely. Six hundred thousand Americans died in a senseless civil war. No, he shouldn’t have gone to war. He did this just to enhance and get rid of the original intent of the republic. I mean, it was that iron fist…”

Tim Russert: “We’d still have slavery.”

Ron Paul: “Oh, come on...Slavery was phased out in every other country of the world. And the way I’m advising that it should have been done is do like the British empire did. You buy the slaves and release them. How much would that cost compared to killing 600,000 Americans and where the hatred lingered for 100 years? Every other major country in the world got rid of slavery without a civil war. I mean, that doesn’t sound too radical to me. That sounds like a pretty reasonable approach.”

A bailout of slaveowners would not have accomplished the same thing, and it would obviously have been wrong to reward people who had enslaved others. There is satisfaction to be had in the idea that we will stand up and fight for our highest ideals even when it costs us our lives. An end to the enslavement of other human beings is such an ideal.

Related Posts: Sixteen Things You Should Know About Ron Paul

Morning Quote: Ron Paul

“I would like to restore your right to drink raw milk anytime you like!”

- The next GOP frontrunner, Rep. Ron Paul in New Hampshire, vows to provide the risk tolerant with the right to ingest unsafe food/drink.

Ron Paul Calls Social Security and Medicare Unconstitutional

From Think Progress:

Appearing on Fox News Sunday this morning, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) defended his longstanding view that Medicare, Social Security (and pretty much everything else) violate the Constitution. At one point, Paul even claimed that letting Social Security and similar programs to move forward is just like permitting slavery:

WALLACE: You talk a lot about the Constitution. You say Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid are all unconstitutional.

PAUL: Technically, they are. . . . there’s no authority [in the Constitution]. Article I, Section 8 doesn’t say I can set up an insurance program for people. What part of the Constitution are you getting it from? The liberals are the ones who use this General Welfare Clause. . . . That is such an extreme liberal viewpoint that has been mistaught in our schools for so long and that’s what we have to reverse—that very notion that you’re presenting.

WALLACE: Congressman, it’s not just a liberal view. It was the decision of the Supreme Court in 1937 when they said that Social Security was constitutional under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

PAUL: And the Constitution and the courts said slavery was legal to, and we had to reverse that.

Ron Paul Showing His Roots

In an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews last night, Ron Paul (who just announced his second run for the presidency yesterday), told Matthews that he wouldn’t have voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because it was “unfair to property owners”:

MATTHEWS: You would have voted against that law. You wouldn’t have voted for the ’64 civil rights bill.

PAUL: Yes, but not in — I wouldn’t vote against getting rid of the Jim Crow laws.

MATTHEWS: But you would have voted for the — you know you — oh, come on. Honestly, Congressman, you were not for the ’64 civil rights bill.

PAUL: Because — because of the property rights element, not because it got rid of the Jim Crow law.

MATTHEWS: Right. The guy who owns a bar says, no blacks allowed, you say that’s fine. … This was a local shop saying no blacks allowed. You say that should be legal?

PAUL: That’s — that’s ancient history. That’s ancient history. That’s over and done with. [...]

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you this. We have had a long history of government involvement with Medicare, Social Security, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act. And I think you are saying we would have been better off without all that?

PAUL: I think we would be better off if we had freedom, and not government control of our lives, our personal lives, and our — and policing the world.

Watch:

Can we just say that this has to qualify as one of the dumbest quotes ever from a contender for a presidential nomination?

Ashby:

The bonafide lunacy of Randian disciples and their leader Ron Paul isn't exactly news, but given the embarrassing nature of the current Republican presidential field and the Libertarian under-current running through the veins of the Tea Party right now, Ron Paul could become a significant 3rd Party candidate if not the actual nominee.

Of course, I would love, love, love to see a third party Conservative candidate, or… let me be honest, I would also love to see Ron Paul as the GOP nominee!

Adding….I shouldn’t be surprised. Earlier in the day yesterday, Ron Paul called for eliminating FEMA.