The Stafford Voice

Our little place to talk about and share about life.

Ron Paul

Ron Paul Announces 2012 Presidential Exploratory Committee

by

Ron Paul announces exploratory committee | Reuters PhotoThrowing his name into the 2012 potential runners, Ron Paul announced in Iowa his formation of an exploratory committee. The difference between Paul and the long list of those seeking the GOP nomination is that Paul aligns with the majority of Americans on almost all issues. Namely on the economy and the ever expanding federal government. And, while he has said that he would like to end the fed, his most sought after slogan could come to reality if he were to be elected: Audit the Fed.

The LATimes | With an eye toward tapping “tea party” votes, Ron Paul said Tuesday he was forming a presidential exploratory committee for a second try at the Republican nomination.

The Texas congressman built a passionate following in 2008, raising more than $35 million but failing to win any caucuses or primaries. At a news conference in Des Moines, Iowa, he said the country has changed, with “literally millions of more people now concerned about things I talked about four years ago,” including excessive government spending.

His announcement came one day after Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour announced he wouldn’t run. It leaves Paul as the most prominent critic of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan in the Republican field.

Paul, 75, was the Libertarian Party nominee for president in 1988. He faces competition for votes from Gary Johnson, a former two-term New Mexico governor who recently entered the Republican contest on a libertarian platform. He’ll also be competing with other conservative candidates for tea party support.

The father of tea party favorite and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, the elder Paul promised a final decision soon about a 2012 run, probably before June. He said he entered the exploratory phase in order to qualify for the first debate of the campaign, scheduled for May 5 in South Carolina.

Paul said he was filing papers with the Federal Election Commission but none had been received late Tuesday.

Ron Paul to Head Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee

by

Ron Paul, who has written books and bills calling to “End the Fed” finds himself as the new head on the Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee.

CBS News reports:

Republican Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, one of the most outspoken critics of the Federal Reserve, will lead a congressional panel next year with oversight over the central bank.

Paul, who wrote a book entitled “End the Fed,” told Bloomberg Television in an interview this morning that he will “not really, not right up front” push for an end to the Fed.

“But obviously that’s the implication,” he added. Paul said he will first focus on oversight.

In a Bloomberg report, Baucus had this to say:

House Financial Services chairman-elect Spencer Bachus, an Alabama Republican, selected Paul, 75, to lead the panel’s domestic monetary policy subcommittee when their party takes the House majority next month, the committee chairman said today.

“This is the leadership team that crafted the first comprehensive financial reform bill to put an end to the bailouts, wind down the taxpayer funding of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and enforce a strong audit of the Federal Reserve,” Bachus said in a statement.

Paul, in an interview last week, said he plans a slate of hearings on U.S. monetary policy and will restart his push for a full audit of the Fed’s functions.

“We are ready to hit the ground running, and I look forward to continuing our work in the next Congress,” Bachus said.

This will certainly be interesting to follow!

Conservatives Speak at CPAC; Issues Lead the Charge

by

One of the most anticipated things to come with CPAC is the straw poll, and with the results from this year is what Conservatives have been rallying about for the last year or more. The main thing to take away is that strong Conservative/Libertarian issues lead the way.

When it was announced that Texas Congressman Ron Paul was at the top of the list at 31%, there were boos. And then, a resounding applause when former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was announced with 22%. But why Paul before Romney? After all, some argue that Romney is the real winner and discrediting Ron Paul. However, when you look at what Paul has been talking about over that last few elections, one can’t help but think that Ron is now getting his turn at the limelight.

Part of the unscientific poll is to get an idea of where people stand on current issues. The theme of this year at CPAC was spending and the size of government. Both are top priority issues both Paul and Romney are proponents of. When asked, “Which ONE of the following comes closest to your core beliefs and ideology,” 80% of the people responded with, “My most important goal is to promote individual freedom by reducing the size and scope of government and its intrusion into the lives of its citizens.”

While favorability was part of the poll, those nembers can change almost at an instant. So again, we are brought back to the issues.

Which of the following issues is MOST, and SECOND MOST IMPORTANT to you personally?

  • 52% – Reducing size of Federal Government (35% 1st | 17% 2nd)
  • 33% – Reducing Government Spending (12% 1st | 21% 2nd)
  • 18% – The War on Terrorism (8% 1st | 10% 2nd)
  • 18 % – Lowering Taxes (6% 1st | 12% 2nd)          . . . MORE

Taking a look at those numbers really show you what people find important, but it also shows that people are educating themselves on the current issues. They aren’t so concerned about health care, as they are about reducing the size and reach of the government. They are educated about just how much the administration is spending and at what rate. So what should the Republican party do? The poll asked that same question, and people responded with 58%  cutting federal spending, 23% reducing the federal debt, and 15% cutting federal taxes.

Going back to trying to discredit Ron Paul would be absurd. He is a viable candidate. As viable as Romney. But, it is how these two build off the momentum created from the convention. Ron Paul has continued to say the same thing over and over again, and he would only have to present his record to prove his viablity against the more popular Mitt Romney.