A Look Into Ron Paul’s Well-Stocked Skeleton Closet
Published on January 8, 2008 by Daniel Taylor · 34 Comments
So a lot of people I know have been saying a lot of good things about Ron Paul, the darkhorse Republican Presidential Candidate who has made a name for himself with his unflinching dedication to withdrawing troops from Iraq and actually instituting the small-government type shit that Republicans always talk about but never actually do. However, a look back at some of the Texas Congressman’s old newsletters uncovers more than a few somewhat questionable opinions, to put it mildly. Though nebulous in their actual authorship, the passages in the newsletter all ran with the implicit editorial signature of Paul himself. A few of the better excerpts:On Martin Luther King Jr:
A “world-class philanderer who beat up his paramours,” “seduced underage girls and boys,” and “made a pass at” fellow civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy. One newsletter ridiculed black activists who wanted to rename New York City after King, suggesting that “Welfaria,” “Zooville,” “Rapetown,” “Dirtburg,” and “Lazyopolis” were better alternatives. The same year, King was described as “a comsymp, if not an actual party member, and the man who replaced the evil of forced segregation with the evil of forced integration.”
On AIDS victims in San Francisco:
“[T]hese men don’t really see a reason to live past their fifties. They are not married, they have no children, and their lives are centered on new sexual partners.” Also, “they enjoy the attention and pity that comes with being sick.”
Paul’s newsletter was also supportive of some interesting causes. Such as right-wing militia groups:
In January 1995, three months before right-wing militants bombed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, a newsletter listed “Ten Militia Commandments,” describing “the 1,500 local militias now training to defend liberty” as “one of the most encouraging developments in America.” It warned militia members that they were “possibly under BATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms] or other totalitarian federal surveillance” and printed bits of advice from the Sons of Liberty, an anti-government militia based in Alabama–among them, “You can’t kill a Hydra by cutting off its head,” “Keep the group size down,” “Keep quiet and you’re harder to find,” “Leave no clues,” “Avoid the phone as much as possible,” and “Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
And everyone’s favorite, David Duke:
In a passage titled “The Duke’s Victory,” a newsletter celebrated Duke’s 44 percent showing in the 1990 Louisiana Republican Senate primary. “Duke lost the election,” it said, “but he scared the blazes out of the Establishment.” In 1991, a newsletter asked, “Is David Duke’s new prominence, despite his losing the gubernatorial election, good for anti-big government forces?” The conclusion was that “our priority should be to take the anti-government, anti-tax, anti-crime, anti-welfare loafers, anti-race privilege, anti-foreign meddling message of Duke, and enclose it in a more consistent package of freedom.”
Duke has, of course, returned the favor in kind, offering frequent updates on and support for the Paul campaign on his website. If you’re one of the tens of thousands of people who’ve given Paul money over the internet, there’s only one thing I can say: PWN3D!!!!!!!!!!!!111 
Tags: David Duke, Martin Luther King Jr., money, pwn3d, republican, Ron Paul, Texas
Readers Comments (34)
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This is OLD NEWS. Those comments were written by a ghost writer, please, do your job and do research before you publish and support lies.
Take 10 minutes to listen to Dr. Paul speak, and you will know that those newsletters were not written by him.
Try this one:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/01042008/watch2.html
Goodness!
What a bunch of junk!
Be careful of the context and the question being asked. Ron Paul does not speak in 30 second sound bites. It takes time to explain his positions on complicated issues where the government has been screwing things up for people and the harm needs to be undone. Furthermore by his actions over many years it is 110% clear that these accusations are all part of a smear campaign by the neocons to discredit Dr. Paul. The reason is simple; he is beginning to have his anti-war, pro-economic and pro-individual freedom message heard by America. And he is taking votes away from the other 5 pro-war candidates. Slowly but surely he is showing them all out to be inconsistent flip floppers! He is the un-politician. It is a simple and ugly smear campaign. That has been tried before. Check out his web site and his voting record for 30 years. He is the most consistent pro-individual rights person running. He voted against the Patriot act for gosh sakes! The New Republic, like Fox News, seems to have been taken over by the neocons present in both parties. I support and trust Ron Paul.
Be Serious,
There’s so little in Paul’s closet, the opposition has resorted to attacking his supporters.
Steve
January 8, 2008 5:28 am EST
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – In response to an article published by The New Republic, Ron Paul issued the following statement:
“The quotations in The New Republic article are not mine and do not represent what I believe or have ever believed. I have never uttered such words and denounce such small-minded thoughts.
“In fact, I have always agreed with Martin Luther King, Jr. that we should only be concerned with the content of a person’s character, not the color of their skin. As I stated on the floor of the U.S. House on April 20, 1999: ‘I rise in great respect for the courage and high ideals of Rosa Parks who stood steadfastly for the rights of individuals against unjust laws and oppressive governmental policies.’
“This story is old news and has been rehashed for over a decade. It’s once again being resurrected for obvious political reasons on the day of the New Hampshire primary.
“When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publically taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name.â€
This came up about 2-3 months ago and was debunked, and Paul himself has actually already commented on this accusation. Very few of the newsletters were written by Paul, none of which are the ones you display here. Rather, a ghostwriter writing under Paul’s name got out of control and began printing unsavory, hate-filled articles.
This is all I could dig up on it for the meantime (http://reason.com/blog/show/124281.html)
BAM! (http://www.ronpaul2008.com/press-releases/125/ron-paul-statement-on-the-new-republic-article-regarding-old-newsletters)
Sorry, but your sources lack the concept of ‘research’.
Looks like you’re scared, and trying to smear, bash the credibility of a candidate, which is pretty much par for the course. I doubt that this comment will get through because I’m sure you’re scrubbing all messages so that only YOUR point of view is presented. Hopefully buy now, the people on the web have come to understand the bias that is being portrayed.
You do a disservice to your country. I hope that one day you will look in the mirror and realize what you have done.
I can at least say that I was honest, I chose the candidate who I felt was best for this country without having some “special” interest to serve.
Best Hopes.
Nice photoshop job. You should blur the edges if the poster and add some grain if you want it to blend in. Meanwhile look up Ron pro King words and compare those to what is “allegedly” written in these letters. As a liberal who supports Paul I feel that ending genocide (Iraq), tyranny (Bush), the police state, drug war etc.. is more important than my social beliefs. After all what good are gay rights and race relations if we are turning into the new nazi empire (Iraq, Afghanistan and soon Iran).
The Truth Shall Set You Free:
http://youtube.com/profile?user=RonPaul2008dotcom
I think you’ve been pwned.
It has been refuted over and over again, that Dr. Paul did not write this himself. Do some research before you ruin your country’s future
If you received your info from TNR, TNR has a long and checkered history of pro-fascism, pro-communism, and pro-new dealism. Founded to promote the rotten progessive movement of militarism, central banking, income taxation, centralization, and regulation of business, it naturally hates and fears the Ron Paul Revolution. The mag is also famous for having published a slew of entirely made-up articles by Stephen Glass, which it passed off as non-fiction. Through the 1950s it was an important magazine, of sigificant if baleful influence, but it long ago declined in circulation and significance, like all DC deadtree ops. Long close to Beltway libertarians, for whom its politically correct left-neoconism is fine and dandy, TNR once published a cover story literally comparing Ross Perot to Adolf Hitler when he was running for president. That is the publication’s style–hysterical smears aimed at political enemies. By the way I took this info from Lew Rockwell check out his website.
You guys are really on some serious drugs.
Only The Mentally Minuscule Take Words Out Of Context To Bend Them To Their Preconceived Paradigm.
If you refuse to look at the actions of a man for temperance of judgment then you truly castrate you mind and make it easy to arrive at wrong conclusion.
The weak minded are easily led by the bridle of emotion.
Racism is not consistent with the philosophy expressed by Ron Paul. He has rebutted these accusations from the same distortions in previous days.
Ron Paul is the only candidate that I would trust with my money and my family’s safety.
I Vote For Virtue; I Vote For Ron Paul !!!
Paul did not write those articles. It was brought up during his representative campaign and was debunked then. Now it is coming up again for political reasons only.
Ron Paul’s response:
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/press-releases/125/ron-paul-statement-on-the-new-republic-article-regarding-old-newsletters
This is ridiculous. Do you really think that this is accurate information? Do you really think that it would not have been reported by the very news stations that have made their best effort to stifle Ron Paul?
I think I would be more concerned about his voting record. Is he consistent? Does he impose his religious views on others?Does he protect our right to freedom? DOES HE FOLLOW THE VERY OATH HE TOOK WHEN ELECTED TO OFFICE? To FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION.
There are so many other things that are so much more important then this trash reporting. Look at him, read his personal writings, not the writing done by others in a newsletter with his name on it. If you really listen to this trash rather than going to his web page and reading what he has actually written. Or maybe read some of his books on foreign policy and the economy, you might have an actual grasp on where this country needs to go.
Everyone knows this moron that sent this “article” as a press release at 12am on the day of the NH primary was only to get him good coverage and advance his candidate, Guliani. AS well as you knowing that the mere mention of Ron Paul on your website will gain you tons of traffic. Do you really think this is a news story? Do a little homework on this, the writers in those newsletters were fired. THESE newsletters and the content have already been addressed.
When you slander someone who is fighting for your right to sit in front of your computer and publish what you wish on the internet, you are only hurting yourself. If Bush and his cronies running for president had their way everything you read and write on the internet would not only be recorded, but would be edited for content, and you would not have any say in it. When this happens I hope to not hear one bit of whining about your free speech being taken from you. Read the constitution, cherish it, because it will just be a piece of history long forgotten.
Oh and by the way, thats a lovely fucking picture. Way to photoshop the ron paul poster, the only thing in focus. You are such garbage.
Oh please. Dr Paul has explained that he was unawares of the content of the newsletter(s). He accepts that he was negligent and should have read what was actually being printed. He did not write this garbage it was other people using his name. Ron Paul is a saint compared to the other candidates.
Convenient story on a pathetic hatchet job by a glorified blogger. I’m amazed the New Republic will print the story.
…but then again, there is a primary tomorrow.
Why did you have to do this dude? Would you hold the Forbes family or Oprah responsible for anything posted in their magazines? This claim has been discredited so many times that Paul’s Texas oponents for Congress are afraid to bring it up.
HERE IS THE REST OF THE STORY:
The newsletter was published 60 miles away from where Paul resides. Eric Dondero, who once worked for Paul, but is now a disgruntled zealot, was fired for the incident. The newsletter even attacked one of Paul’s close friends. Paul was pissed and he apologized to everyone. Get over it.
Did you bother to do any research before dredging up this old stuff that has already been discussed for about a decade?
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/press-releases/125/ron-paul-statement-on-the-new-republic-article-regarding-old-newsletters
January 8, 2008 5:28 am EST
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – In response to an article published by The New Republic, Ron Paul issued the following statement:
“The quotations in The New Republic article are not mine and do not represent what I believe or have ever believed. I have never uttered such words and denounce such small-minded thoughts.
“In fact, I have always agreed with Martin Luther King, Jr. that we should only be concerned with the content of a person’s character, not the color of their skin. As I stated on the floor of the U.S. House on April 20, 1999: ‘I rise in great respect for the courage and high ideals of Rosa Parks who stood steadfastly for the rights of individuals against unjust laws and oppressive governmental policies.’
“This story is old news and has been rehashed for over a decade. It’s once again being resurrected for obvious political reasons on the day of the New Hampshire primary.
“When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publically taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name.â€
Um, yea. You are very bright.
Ron Paul: All it is–it’s old stuff. It’s all been rehashed. It’s all political stuff.
reason: Why don’t you release all the old letters?
Paul: I don’t even have copies of them, because it’s ancient history.
reason: Do you stand by what appears in the letters? Did you write these…?
Paul: No. I’ve discussed all of that in the past. It’s just old news.
reason: Did the New Republic talk to you before they ran it?
Paul: No, I never talked to them.
reason: What do you think of Martin Luther King?
Paul: Martin Luther King is one of my heroes because he believed in nonviolence and that’s a libertarian principle. Rosa Parks is the same way. Gandhi, I admire. Because they’re willing to take on the government, they were willing to take on bad laws. So I believe in civil disobedience if you understand the consequences. Martin Luther King was a great person because he did that and he changed America for the better because of that.
reason: You didn’t write the derogatory things about him in the letter?
Paul: No.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/018426.html
Wow, and you wrap up the article with a photoshopped picture.
there’s only one thing I can say: PWN3D!!!!!!!!!!!!111
Your a hack…..
nuff said
Enjoy the initial web traffic. Once that is over, you will have lost the creditability needed to continue to get web traffic.
What are the rightwing bloggers scared of? Ron Paul, thats who!
There’s a historical precedent called “Blood Libel”. When you want to criticize a person or a people and don’t really have anything, you make up something insane and push it as truth.
The arabs to this day tell their children that jews use arab blood in their pastries.
Racists claim chinese eat babies, that mexicans ritually murder children, etc…. All lies of course, but thats not the point.
This article is nothing but Blood Libel. You trump up an old story, toss in a few pix of people doing hitler salutes, and of course ya gotta have a David Duke article!
Proven lies, and you just lost any future credibility by reporting the lies.
Let’s remember, when the politically correct use the term racist, they simply mean white Gentiles who discriminate.
Always use more than one source… (especially for issues such as this.)
“Though nebulous in their actual authorship, the passages in the newsletter all ran with the implicit editorial signature of Paul himself.”
Translation: We know this is bullsh!t, but we think you’re either too dumb to know it or too lazy to research it for yourself.
Don’t lose your lunch with all that spinning.
Here’s another blogger who did the same thing (and is in need of comments).
http://badattitudes.com/MT/archives/2008/01/too_bad_about_p.html
I was the first to post a response, so we’ll see if it gets posted. It has to be approved first.
Look at the pack of wolves!!. The Ronpaulites are worse than some cults!!.
Yes, we progressives are scared. We’re scared about a pack of loonies who basically think that everything governments do is wrong, and that governments are a force to be “dealt with”, while on the other hand think the free-market will fix all problems and that huge multinational corporations need NO REGULATIONS and that they’re all going to play nice with us and not abuse their dominant positions, specially if we remove the regualtory and control agencies like the FDA and the like from their backs!!
RonPaulites are just Reaganites on drugs!
HAHAHA. You have a valid point, and it was this point several weeks ago which changed my stance on Ron Paul:
“…free-market will fix all problems and that huge multinational corporations need NO REGULATIONS and that they’re all going to play nice with us and not abuse their dominant positions, especially if we remove the regulatory and control agencies like the FDA and the like from their backs!!”
But at the same time, it doesn’t matter how much government there is! If there is alot, the wealthy make sure that their buddies (lobbiests) are in charge, if there is not enough, the wealthy (multinational corporations) take over the world.
But on the same note, Ron Paul is a constitutional advocate. Something not found, in well, any other candidate. He would repeal the Patriot Act (he voted against it) and restore the constitution. He also believes the internet should remain free which means government regulation of ATT and Verizons desire to fuck the internet. Anyways…
Off topic conclusion:
It seems to be a pretty fucked situation, unless the entire world goes on strike tomorrow, we dismantle corporations by next week and cease to use any and all currency, the next 1400 generations are destined for mental slavery. w00t.
that’s cool. When Ron Paul is elected President I’m sure he’ll have more time to look over everything released under his name…