Dr. Ron Paul's druthers lie on sheets of cellulose amid an atmosphere of argon and helium, inside seven separate metal-and-glass encasements at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

These so-called charters of freedom - the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights - have guided the U.S. representative throughout his 31-year political career and now into a second bid for the presidency.

Paul served as a U.S. representative briefly in 1976, and again from 1978 to 1984. In 1984, Paul lost a primary bid for the U.S. Senate to Phil Gramm of College Station.

In 1988, Paul ran as a libertarian for the U.S. presidency, finishing third in the popular vote (0.5 percent) behind George Bush and Michael Dukakis. In 1996, Paul beat incumbent democrat Greg Laughlin for U.S. representative, the office he currently holds.

In January, Paul formed an exploratory committee to look into running for president in 2008. He garnered about 430,000 votes as a Libertarian in 1988, but probably won't get that many in the Republican primary.

But let's pretend Paul shocks the free world, wins the nomination in September and beats the Democrats in November (which wouldn't be impossible given a Clinton/Obama ticket).

Bam! Paul is president. He has his druthers, and he would follow them: President Paul would end the War in Iraq, stop the War on Drugs and save us taxpayers money. As commander in chief, he would bring the troops home, rather than sending them out all over the world.

"Since World War II, we haven't declared war," Paul said in an October interview, conducted by phone while he waited at a dentist's office in Lake Jackson, Texas. "And since then, we haven't won a war."

Paul said many people have exaggerated the threat posed by a nuclear North Korea or Iran, just as people formerly hyperbolized the threat posed by a nuclear Pakistan.

Using executive orders and the power to appoint judges and agency heads, Paul would end the federal War on Drugs.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools