The esteemed representative and presidential candidate Ron Paul writes this on his Web site:
But today, too many politicians and lobbyists are spending America into ruin. We are nine trillion dollars in debt as a nation. Our mounting government debt endangers the financial future of our children and grandchildren. If we don't cut spending now, higher taxes and economic disaster will be in their future - and yours.
Hmmm. If that's the case, why is Rep. Paul asking for megabucks in earmarks for his district in Texas?
Read these requests (file in PDF) and note how vague they are and the lack of concrete numbers asked for. There are over a hundred requests for funding of various projects including "marketing wild American shrimp" to "construction" and "engineering services." The requests must be in the high millions or billions of dollars.
Paul seems to have adopted the "do as I say, not as I do" approach to governance so popular with the left. Perhaps Rep. Paul can forgo all earmarks to set a good example for the rest of Congress. He can be the anti-pork leader in the bloated legislature. Come on Rep. Paul, I challenge you to drop every single request for earmark funding and help us lower the debt. That seems to be your goal, but alas, I foresee you continuing your high-spending ways.
Hat tip: Ace, who is not nearly as nice as I've been.
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 5)
46. Scott, are you being paid to slander Dr. Paul? That is what you've done here.
If so, by whom?
If not, what the heck is wrong you, selling-out without at least getting paid for it?
Don Babbitt at 3:56AM on Jul 2nd 2007
47. you Ron Paul supporters need to know what he's up to. Just like the Billery supporters need to know about the 2 million she was caught on tape diverting into her campaign. Felony charges being squashed as we talk. Nad the OHHH Bama supporters need to know about the 750,000 he pocketed from the land deals he's being investigated for. And Guiliani's supporters need to know about the $50,000,000 put in his pocket giving speaches from 911. and the $200,000,000 Rhomney put in his pocket from hosting internet porn sites with his web company. and the Fred Thomson supporters need to know about the $370,000 in left over campaign funds from his senate race that he converted to a leadership pac and paid his son $178,000 to run it. ect. ect. But that would take a little research, much easier to ask the only honest politician for something and then when he gives it to you, use it for a hit piece and still have time to take the weekend off. With pay I'm asuming. The good doctor is much more honest than you could ever be. Ann
Ann K at 4:37AM on Jul 2nd 2007
48. the attempt to destroy him is clearly on and proof that he is the real deal and an absolutely legitimate threat to the establishment
go ahead and continue pounding away
its not going to work this time...with each attack you are making his supporters increasingly passionate
1000 people show up at a counter rally on 4th of July weekend just to see the guy?
just as we defeated the the Amnesty nonsense, so we shall reveal the truth and save this country
this revolution will not be televised
RPisright at 6:02AM on Jul 2nd 2007
49. Let's seewhat the Paulites have written in the last day. I see that they've accused this site of, well, soething "AOL news is controlled by the international (UN) bankers" and the Paulites speak of Neo-cons. We all know what they are buzzwords for, now don't we?
As for the 9/11 Truth movement and the other conspiracy theories some Paulites have been pushing, I think I need to get my anti-Zionist/anti-government tin foil hat out and wear it every day until the savior, Ron Paul goes from 0.0006% of the polling to 60%. Remember, the revolution will not be televised so you'll need that tin foil hat to pick up the nomination speech by Dr. No.
Scott at 6:34AM on Jul 2nd 2007
50. Dear Scott -
We have seen your recent attempt to smear Ron Paul and the overall response from the public. We have seen the results of your attack on him and have just one thing to say to you. PLEASE write another article attempting to smear us just like you tried to do with Dr. Paul.
We could all use the help.
Thank You,
Signed -
John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback, Duncan Hunter, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Tommy Thompson, Tom Tancredo, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, and Al Gore.
max at 12:07PM on Jul 2nd 2007
51. What a pathetic hit-piece this turned out to be. Several commenters have already pointed out that Ron Paul voted "no" on the very bills which included the earmarks. He also explained to the people of his district why he did it.
I encourage people not to listen to propaganda like this and research for yourself what Ron Paul stands for. If the media has taught me anything over the last 10 years it's that you can't trust a word they say. You have to find it for yourself. Which is precisely why I'm on the internet. At least for the time being, while the federal government and the globalist money machinery hasn't gotten its ugly claws all the way into its spine, you can still find all sides of a story and decide for yourself, with wide-ranging evidence, who is telling the truth.
Brad at 5:48AM on Jul 3rd 2007
52. Scott, you're an idiot. You can try all you like to insinuate that we (Ron Paul supporters) are nothing but "jew haters" or "anti-semites", but you are resorting to more of the same old lame tactics that the American people are sick of in our media and national conversation. I should be able to say someone is a criminal without being accused of being a racist simply because that criminal happens to be black, white, hispanic, jewish, muslim, or mongoloid.
To me, race is completely immaterial. For all of the Ron Paul supporters and 9/11 Truthers I know, this is the case. You obviously have some kind of chip on your shoulder, however, and it's clouding your journalistic integrity, none of which I suspect you ever really had in the first place.
Brad at 5:56AM on Jul 3rd 2007
53. Somebody mentioned Giuliani capitalizing on 9/11... How about talking about how Giuliani takes campaign contributions from Las Vegas mobsters like the Fertittas?
I'm not joking. Look it up.
Brad at 6:03AM on Jul 3rd 2007
54. Scott, you are a sellout. Your blog was suffering from no-reader-itis, so you decided to write some 'dirt' about Ron Paul, in hopes to attract some attention, good or bad. This is typical behavior for a neocon supporter who doesn't realize the power of Ron Paul's message.
So, now that you have been schooled by dozens of comments, have you had a change of heart? Do you now see the light? Do you understand what Ron Paul is truly about?
It's one thing for CNN to attack Ron Paul by accusing him of 'flying first class', but for some regular Joe to try and dig up dirt on a guy who has none, and I mean NONE... well, it's just validation that Ron Paul is a real threat to system and the corrupt are scared of losing their hold on power.
kyle from salem oregon at 10:25PM on Jul 3rd 2007
55. To all the Ron Paul supporters who have responded-
Cheer up.
Scott would not have posted this hit piece unless he felt that Dr. Paul was a genuine threat to his candidate of choice.
If Dr. Paul simply had no chance at winning, why bother through the effort of trying to dig up dirt?
I'd say let the hit pieces come. It is validation that Ron Paul IS a viable candidate, and one whose message MUST be stopped if Rudy McRomney has a chance at winning.
Scottimack at 9:31AM on Jul 5th 2007
56. I'm a hard-core Ron Paul supporter, but I have to say I'm against what he's done here. The reality is as many of the commenters have mentioned - we're talking about relatively low dollars, and he has already or would vote against all of the bills these earmarks were attached to. The issue I have is that 99% of the media and most voters are not going to take the time to understand what the truth is - Dr. Paul is making it too easy to take easy shots at him that take too long to explain away. This is just the kind of thing that can derail a grassroots effort, and he (or his staff) should have been more on top of this. Appearance = reality unfortunately.
AC Green at 10:17AM on Jul 5th 2007
57. Now the truth about this Ron Paul fever is starting to takes its toll.No man is an island,is a good way to describe Ron Paul.None of the candidates both Democrats and Republican are without some errors but it is the way some speak of this candidate that make him look like a joke.The only reason we don't relly know a lot about this candidate is because the media is not really going after him.It's time for some digging up on the Doctors backyard we may find some more skeleton buried underneath.
Jor at 3:54AM on Jul 8th 2007
58. I would vote for ANY PRESIDENT OTHER THAN HILLARY !!Ron Paul has my vote!!
The wise patriot!!
jeaniebeauty at 12:53AM on Jul 9th 2007
59. This is great. The Ron Paul juggernaut rolls on. He now has exactly 0%:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/07/usatgallup-poll.html
"The current numbers for the rest of the Republicans included in the survey: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, 6%; former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, 2%; Rep. Duncan Hunter, 2%; Rep. Tom Tancredo, 2%; Sen. Sam Brownback, 1%; Sen. Chuck Hagel, 1%; former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, 1%. Neither former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore nor Rep. Ron Paul registered any support."
Roll on Doc, roll on. Come election day, you'll have a whopping 1/10% of the voting public behind you.
Scott at 4:32PM on Jul 9th 2007
60. So... where is the part about his campain staff quitting?? Oh they haven't! Thanks for bringing this up so that we can see that he is the only congressman willing to release details about his earmark requests. We also know that he votes against these, but if they pass he wants the people that he represents to get something back from their taxes paid.
Tracy at 6:04PM on Jul 10th 2007