Stories tagged with “Ron Paul”

U.N. Conspiracy Theorist Ron Paul Turns To U.N. To Solve Website Dispute

By Hayes Brown on Feb 11, 2013 at 3:36 pm

Former Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) is taking a set of entrepreneurs to a body of the United Nations to gain control over the rights to RonPaul.com.

The whole affair stems from the fact that Paul owns neither RonPaul.com nor RonPaul.org, with both instead being owned and maintained by supporters of his. Those same supporters also maintain an e-mail list of over a hundred thousand names, by their count, a valuable asset to any politician or movement leader. When Paul stated on a radio show that he regretted not owning the rights to the domain RonPaul.com, the owners offered what they viewed as a fair price to Paul for ownership of the sites as well as the mailing list.

A quick summary provided by the maintainers of RonPaul.com explains the situation that followed:

The value we put on the deal was $250k; we are getting our mailing list appraised right now but we are confident it is easily worth more than $250k all by itself. Claims that we tried to sell Ron Paul “his name” for $250k or even $800k are completely untrue, and there is little doubt that our mailing list would have enabled Ron Paul to raise several million dollars for the liberty movement this year. It would have been a win/win/win situation for everyone involved.

Instead of responding to our offer, making a counter offer, or even accepting our FREE gift of RonPaul.org, Ron Paul went to the United Nations and is trying to use its legal process related to domain name disputes to actively deport us from our domain names without compensation.

The mention of “the United Nations” refers to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), one of many international bodies that falls under the U.N. umbrella of organizations. WIPO is empowered by the International Cooperation for Assigned Names and Numbers — the independent group that manages domains and website registries — to provide arbitration on name ownership disputes. Paul has filed a claim under what’s known as the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), which has the authority to turn over the rights of RonPaul.com to Paul — should he prevail in the case.

While Paul may have a case, the irony, however, of the former Republican congressman turning to the United Nations is palpable for several reasons. First, for constantly espousing free trade, that Paul would refuse to negotiate directly over a market value for a piece of property is stunning. What’s more, though, Paul has been a harsh critic of U.S. membership in the United Nations for years. He’s fallen firmly in the camp of those who believe that the United Nations is set to take the freedoms of Americans through such benign measures as Agenda 21. For someone who once said that “the choice is very clear: we either follow the Constitution or submit to U.N. global governance,” the whole supposed “global governance” thing doesn’t seem too bad to Paul once it becomes useful.

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Politics

Ten People We Are Grateful Are No Longer Members Of Congress

By Ian Millhiser and Annie-Rose Strasser on Jan 3, 2013 at 12:00 pm

Under the Twentieth Amendment, “[t]he terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January.” Accordingly, as of this very moment, many members of 112th Congress are now unemployed. Here are ten that we are particularly grateful will no longer be able to contribute to federal legislation:

Jim DeMint

It’s more ‘see you soon’ than ‘goodbye’ for former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who will take his far-right, tea party-loving persona over to the conservative Heritage Foundation. DeMint leaves a bleak legacy. Over his time in Congress, he’s gained notoriety for his anti-union, gay-bashing, anti-abortion, anti-obamacare, pro-austerity positions, among the most extreme in the Senate.

Todd Akin

Former Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) thought he was moving up in the world when he abandoned his House seat to seek a spot in the Senate. Instead, Akin’s campaign made a crash landing after he told a radio host that victims of “legitimate rape” can’t get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Ron Paul

Most members of Congress leave politics with a few new laws to their credit if they are lucky, former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), however, can take credit for reviving generations worth of terrible ideas and building a national movement behind his poor grasp of the Constitution and basic economics. Paul believes the Departments of Energy, Education, Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Labor are all unconstitutional — as are Social Security and Medicare, which he compared to “slavery.” He would return to the gold standard. And he thinks states can simply nullify federal laws they don’t feel like following. Yet it is a testament to the grip Paul has on America’s lunatic fringe that his supporters will whip themselves into a frenzy every time anyone dares to question his ill-considered views. Don’t believe us? Just wait and see what they write in comments on this very post.

Joe Lieberman

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) likes war, a lot. He was a leading proponent of the war in Iraq. He cheerleaded for war in Iran, and even pushed for more belligerence against Syria. Lieberman once defended waterboarding. He accused President Obama of “encourag[ing] Israel’s enemies.,” and he once called for Social Security cuts to pay for “war with Islamist extremists.” Lieberman loves Fox News, and he ended his tenure in the Senate will a call to raise the Medicare retirement age.

Joe Walsh

Now-former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) got himself kicked out of Congress by continuously bashing his opponent, a female war veteran and amputee who Walsh said was not a “true hero.” The tough-talking Congressman also once said that Muslims are “trying to kill Americans every week,” and once screamed at his own constituents.
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Politics

GOP Rep: NRA Plan To Put Guns In Schools Would Create ‘Orwellian Surveillance State’

By Zack Beauchamp on Dec 24, 2012 at 1:33 pm

Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) blasted National Rifle Association (NRA) Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre’s plan to put armed guards in school, worrying that it would lead to “an Orwellian police state in America.” Paul, a libertarian most famous for his numerous presidential runs, connected the NRA proposal to onerous TSA regulations in statement on his official website:

Furthermore, do we really want to live in a world of police checkpoints, surveillance cameras, metal detectors, X-ray scanners, and warrantless physical searches? We see this culture in our airports: witness the shabby spectacle of once proud, happy Americans shuffling through long lines while uniformed TSA agents bark orders. This is the world of government provided “security,” a world far too many Americans now seem to accept or even endorse. School shootings, no matter how horrific, do not justify creating an Orwellian surveillance state in America.

While Paul’s right to highlight the troubling implications of the NRA proposal in terms of expanding police presence and power, the armed guards plan also wouldn’t work as a practical matter. Schools with armed guards have been the victims of several mass shootings. There probably aren’t enough adequately trained police officers to do the job. And more guns in schools could very well make the problem worse.

Unfortunately, Paul also repeated several myths about guns in an attempt to equate calls for regulation of gun ownership with the NRA’s lunacy. His suggestion that “more guns equals less crime” is belied by the most recent research; the reverse is most likely true. Likewise, Paul’s claim that “private gun ownership prevents many shootings” is not supported by any real research. And the idea that gun control can’t work because “criminals don’t obey laws” misunderstands the several policy proposals on the table that would almost certainly save lives.

Paul appears to simply oppose any action to address gun murders, saying somewhat bizarrely that “our federal government has zero moral authority to legislate against violence.” His conclusion is the same as that of the editors of National Review: mass murder is the price of freedom.

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Justice

At Least Three Republican Electoral College Candidates May Refuse To Vote For Mitt Romney

By Ian Millhiser on Sep 14, 2012 at 9:00 am

One of the most basic tasks the two political parties must perform every four years is identifying 538 people loyal to their nominee, who will cast the only votes that truly matter in the presidential election when the Electoral College convenes to choose the next president. Apparently, Team Romney may have failed in that task:

At least three Republican electors say they may not support their party’s presidential ticket when the Electoral College meets in December to formally elect the new president, escalating tensions within the GOP and adding a fresh layer of intrigue to the final weeks of the White House race.

The electors – all are supporters of former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul – told The Associated Press they are exploring options should Mitt Romney win their states. They expressed frustration at how Republican leaders have worked to suppress Paul’s conservative movement and his legion of loyal supporters.

“They’ve never given Ron Paul a fair shot, and I’m disgusted with that. I’d like to show them how disgusted I am,” said Melinda Wadsley, an Iowa mother of three who was selected a Republican elector earlier this year. She said she believes Paul is the better choice and noted that the Electoral College was founded with the idea that electors wouldn’t just mimic the popular vote.

While it is certainly amusing that the Republican Party is apparently no better at identifying faithful Electoral College candidates than they are at selecting prime time convention speakers who won’t carry on a conversation with a chair, the real lesson here is that the Electoral College is a really bad idea. If a majority of the American people vote for Mitt Romney next November, than his voters have a right to expect Romney to be sworn in as president and Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan to be sworn in a vice-president. The people’s choice should not be thwarted because an obscure group of Ron Paul activists infiltrate an antiquated selection process.

Several states signed onto an effort to effectively neutralize the Electoral College known as the National Popular Vote compact.

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Election

How To Get An Endorsement From Ron Paul

By Zack Beauchamp on Jul 24, 2012 at 1:13 pm

This morning, Mother Jones published a profile of Wes Riddle, a Republican candidate for the House who has said, among other heinous things, that “Are the descendants of slaves really worse off? Would Jesse Jackson be better off living in Uganda? Would we? (Don’t answer that).” Mother Jones suggested that Riddle has a serious chance to win, partly as a consequence of a prominent endorsement: Representative Ron Paul (R-TX). Unfortunately, Riddle isn’t the only candidate with an extreme history Paul has endorsed this year – his hand-picked candidates seem prone to having seriously questionable views:

1. Ted Cruz, Senate: Paul and his son, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, have endorsed Cruz, a fellow Texas extremist. Cruz has opposed the Voting Rights Act, touted his role in executing an undocumented immigrant, and expressed belief in the absurd theory that George Soros and the United Nations are coming for your golf game.

2. Kurt Bills, Senate: Paul has endorsed the Minnesota Republican who, as a state legislator, introduced a bill to make gold and silver legal tender and “study” the (unconstitutional) idea of having Minnesota develop its own currency. Bills also has compared the Affordable Care Act, unfavorably, to the burning of Washington in the War of 1812 and released a bizarre campaign ad/48 hour film festival entry that suggests voting for his opponent, incumbent Democrat Amy Klobuchar, will cause you to “die alone in a broken world.”

3. John Koster, House: Ron has also endorsed Koster (R, WA-1), who “physically flinches” at the thought of two men kissing during their wedding, once bragged about using his position as a state legislator to intimidate a university into cancelling a conference for gay students [Lexis, 6/6/98], wants to shutter the IRS and withdraw from the United Nations, and expressed opposition to a conspiracy theory about a mythical “NAFTA superhighway.” Those last three extreme positions are “the correct answers” on to some of the questions on a candidate survey by Ron Paul’s 501(c)(4) political operation, Campaign for Liberty.

The troubling thinking that appears pervasive in Paul-endorsed candidates perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise: Ron Paul has a storied history of peddling conspiracy theories and flirting with out-and-out racism on the national stage.

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NEWS FLASH

Bipartisan Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced In House | A bipartisan group of Congress members are proposing legislation to bridge the gap between the federal prohibition against medical marijuana and state-level laws that allow it. Under HR 6134, individuals who are using marijuana for medical purposes in accordance with their state’s laws will be better able to defend themselves against federal law. The bill also makes it more difficult for the federal government to seize and destroy marijuana paraphernalia. A coalition of 16 House Democrats and 3 House Republicans — including Reps. Ron Paul (R-TX), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), and Justin Amash (R-MI) — have signed on to support the legislation.

NEWS FLASH

Christian Ministries Pastor: ‘God Wants Ron Paul To Be President’ | Pastor Steven Andrews, president of the USA Christian Ministries, said in a statement released today that “God wants Ron Paul to be President.” According to Andrews, during a prayer in which he asked “Father, who do you want for President?” God replied: “Of the three, I want Ron Paul.” Andrews claims that President Obama and Mitt Romney “are deceived and would seek Satan because they refuse to make Jesus Lord.” Andrews added that “we must obey God and vote for Christians.”

– Nina Liss-Schultz

Economy

GOP Rep. Ron Paul Admits He Takes Social Security, Which He Once Likened To Slavery

By Pat Garofalo on Jun 20, 2012 at 11:50 am

Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), a libertarian hero, last year said that allowing Social Security to exist is akin to permitting slavery. But during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe today, Paul admitted to the Huffington Post’s Sam Stein that he collects Social Security checks anyway:

STEIN: A bit of a personal question then, are you on Social Security? Do you get Social Security checks?

PAUL: I do.

STEIN: Well, I mean, is there — you just told younger generations that they should ween themselves off this social contract.

PAUL: That is true.

STEIN: But you haven’t done it yourself…Don’t you think you chould have set a good example for the future generations. You’re not the wealthiest man in congress, I know that, but you have enough means to take care of yourself in retirement…Couldn’t you have set an example?

PAUL: No. I think the programs are so designed, just as I use the post office too, I use government highways, I do that too, I use the banks, the federal reserve system, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t work to remove this in the same way on Social Security.

Watch it:

Paul is, of course, not the only conservative to benefit from government programs that he or she opposes. But his crankish view of the Constitution has brought him to the conclusion that Social Security is altogether unconstitutional, which also hasn’t stopped him from collecting benefits.

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NEWS FLASH

Ron Paul: ‘No Way’ Would I Endorse Mitt Romney | Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) brushed aside the possibility that he would endorse Mitt Romney before the GOP presidential convention, telling CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Tuesday afternoon that he was not ready to join his son Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) in backing the former Massachusetts governor. “No way,” Paul said and pledged to “continue to debate and decide what we as a party actually believe in.” Watch it:

LGBT

Where The Remaining GOP Presidential Candidates Stand On LGBT Issues

By Guest Blogger on Mar 5, 2012 at 3:45 pm

Our guest bloggers are Josh Garcia, intern forLGBT Progress, and Crosby Burns, Research Associate for LGBT Progress.

With Super Tuesday looming, the four remaining GOP candidates are scrambling for votes in Ohio, Oklahoma, and elsewhere with hopes of securing enough delegates to eventually win their party’s nomination and challenge President Obama this November.

Unfortunately, none of the Republican candidates stand for fair and equal treatment of LGBT Americans. In fact, these candidates have affirmed their support for policies that would all but guarantee discriminatory treatment of LGBT Americans in marriage, in the military, in employment, and elsewhere. For example, none of the remaining candidates support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would finally make discrimination against LGBT employees illegal.

With the clock ticking, the time has never been more important to understand the major differences between the GOP candidates on the many issues facing the LGBT community.
Legend for Table

Candidate	Marriage Equality	Relationship recognition	DADT Repeal	ENDA	DOMA Repeal
Newt Gingrich Former Speaker of the House
Ron Paul Representative from Texas
Mitt Romney Former Governor of Massachusetts
Rick Santorum Former Junior Senator from Pennsylvania