What About Ron Paul's Newsletters?

[Kathianne]

Should they be ignored because Paul claims not to have written them? Should they be viewed as harmless or irrelevant? Are the ideas that Paul espouses, libertarian, big enough to make what should be relevant, not so?

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/12/the-story-behind-ron-pauls-racist-newsletters/250338/


The Story Behind Ron Paul's Racist Newsletters

By Michael Brendan Dougherty

Dec 21 2011, 12:12 PM ET

So as Ron Paul is on track to win the Iowa caucuses, he is getting a new dose of press scrutiny.


And the press is focusing on the newsletters that went out under his name in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They were called the Ron Paul's Political Report, Ron Paul's Freedom Report, the Ron Paul Survival Report and the Ron Paul Investment Letter.


There is no doubt that the newsletters contained utterly racist statements.
Some choice quotes:



"Given the inefficiencies of what DC laughingly calls the criminal justice system, I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal."

"We are constantly told that it is evil to be afraid of black men, it is hardly irrational."

After the Los Angeles riots, one article in a newsletter claimed, "Order was only restored in L.A. when it came time for the blacks to pick up their welfare checks."

One referred to Martin Luther King Jr. as "the world-class philanderer who beat up his paramours" and who "seduced underage girls and boys."

Another referred to Barbara Jordan, a civil rights activist and congresswoman as "Barbara Morondon," the "archetypical half-educated victimologist."

Other newsletters had strange conspiracy theories about homosexuals, the CIA, and AIDS.

In 1996 when the Texas Monthly investigated the newsletters, Paul took responsibility (http://www.criticalreactor.com/ronpaul/newsletters/1996_Dallas_Morning_News.html) I assert that's debatable for them and said that certain things were taken out of context. (It's hard to imagine a context that would make the above quotes defensible.)


When the newsletter controversy came up again during the 2008 campaign, Paul explained that he didn't actually write the newsletters but because they carried his name he was morally responsible for their content. Further, he didn't know exactly who wrote the offensive things and they didn't represent his views...

in between the above and what follows, is a discussion of the men whom Paul has relied on over the years regarding spreading his views and helping him politically for fundraising:

...


You can attribute their "redneck strategy" to the most malignant kind of cynicism or to a political desperation that made them insane. Neither is particularly flattering. Phil Klein of the Washington Examiner is correct when he writes:


Rick Perry and Mitt Romney have both attacked each other for what was written in their respective books. If either of those books had included a number of overtly racist statements, their candidacies would be over before they started.


This is undoubtedly true. The media seems to simply accept that Ron Paul has some oddities in his past and in his inner circle. They take his grandfatherly demeanor at face-value. In part this is because they believe he is not a serious candidate.


Winning the Iowa caucuses would change all that instantly. Undoubtedly the movement that Paul inspired has moved far beyond the race-baiting it engaged in two decades ago. Young people from college campuses aren't lining up to hear him speak because of what appeared in those newsletter about the 1992 L.A. riots. Rand Paul tried his hardest to place Paul-style libertarianism into the context of the Tea Party. And he will likely carry on the movement without this 1990s baggage.


But the questions remain. If Ron Paul is so libertarian that he won't even police people who use his name, if his movement is filled with incompetents and opportunists, then what kind of a president would he make? Would he even check in to see if his ideas are being implemented? Who would he appoint to Cabinet positions?

These are all legitimate questions. And the media is going to start asking them now. If there isn't already a "ceiling" on Ron Paul's support, widespread knowledge of the newsletters could build one quickly.

[revelarts]

why is this in a new thread? should this be merged with other you started, it's the same topic?

[Kathianne]

why is this in a new thread? should this be merged with other you started, it's the same topic?

This is on the relevancy of the letters, get the difference? You have absolutely no problem going between two threads on the same, when it suits your purpose.

One would almost think you are using this board as a political soapbox, which is ok. Just expect that others, including myself, may feel free to post on other candidates or against your man.

[revelarts]

This is on the relevancy of the letters, get the difference? You have absolutely no problem going between two threads on the same, when it suits your purpose.

One would almost think you are using this board as a political soapbox, which is ok. Just expect that others, including myself, may feel free to post on other candidates or against your man.

Fine, just seems like we were talking about the exact same thing in the other thread. earlier today. And I don't think I create 2 or more threads to talk about the same issue a day apart, I'll piggy back on threads others have created on similar issues but , fine, sooo K by me.

[Gaffer]

Who are the Ron Paul supporters? Who will be filling his cabinet positions? Who will be his advisors? Who will be his head of DOJ? Who will be his Sec of State? Who will be his head of drug distribution?

Who he surrounds himself with is very important. Just look at the current regime. Paul has lots of good domestic policies. But his foreign policies are for shit.

An important thing to note. If he didn't know who was writing the newsletters in his name, or what was in them, what makes anyone think he's qualified to be president. We already have one of those.

Should he get elected does anyone think he can accomplish all the changes he wants to make in govt? The congress will stonewall him at every turn. He'll be a lame duck from day one.

[jimnyc]

why is this in a new thread? should this be merged with other you started, it's the same topic?

I believe the others were about a straw poll, and about an article, and both had the topic of the newsletters come up but that wasn't the "topic" of the threads. Either way, doesn't matter, as there really isn't any way to defend his part in racist newsletters. It's either admit he is racist, or admit he is too incompetent to run an 8 page newsletter, let alone the country. Or just realize he is on the "fringe" and once Americans see him for who he really is, they distance themselves from him.

[jimnyc]

Since this stuff wasn't addressed in the other thread, posting here too...

Here's some old things from Kathianne, or from other sites, good reading about the kook!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/10/paul.newsletters/index.html

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/ron_paul_racist/

Some great kookiness to be seen here - http://michellemalkin.com/2007/05/19/trutheriness-and-ron-paul/

[Kathianne]

Now up at Yahoo news:

http://news.yahoo.com/ad-newsletter-ron-paul-forecast-race-war-011503908.html

So Paul 'disavows' what he claims not to have written, BUT he made millions off those letters and wrote to potential subscribers using the same sort of inflammatory rhetoric. So now his Iowa chairman, (Ivers), is left to say that while Paul takes responsibility of the things he wrote, he doesn't really. Interesting attempt to spin that fails.


In ad for newsletter, Ron Paul forecast "race war"http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/FZN6924R0WZ__x92.x6.GA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9Zml0O2g9Mjc-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/logo/reuters/d0c3eb8ca18907492a4b337b5cec5193.jpeg (http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11b00ifr6/EXP=1325848883/**http%3A//www.reuters.com/)<cite id="yui_3_3_0_22_1324639287730382" class="byline vcard">By Mark Hosenball and Samuel P. Jacobs | Reuters – <abbr title="2011-12-23T01:35:02Z">9 hrs ago

</abbr></cite>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A direct-mail solicitation for Ron Paul's political and investment newsletters two decades ago warned of a "coming race war in our big cities" and of a "federal-homosexual cover-up" to play down the impact of AIDS.


The eight-page letter, which appears to carry Paul's signature at the end, also warns that the U.S. government's redesign of currency to include different colors - a move aimed at thwarting counterfeiters - actually was part of a plot to allow the government to track Americans using the "new money."


The letter urges readers to subscribe to Paul's newsletters so that he could "tell you how you can save yourself and your family" from an overbearing government...

...

Paul has said that he is not sure who wrote the articles that were published under his name. He has said the articles do not reflect his views, and noted that his public stances - supporting gays in the military for example - have run counter to the incendiary statements in the newsletters.


In an interview with CNN's Gloria Borger on Wednesday, Paul said of the newsletter's articles: "I didn't write them. I didn't read them at the time and I disavow them."


When Borger continued to pursue the subject, Paul removed his microphone and walked out of the interview.
"It is ridiculous to imply that Ron Paul is a bigot, racist, or unethical," Ivers said.


However, Ivers said, Paul does not deny or retract material that Paul has written under his own signature, such as the letter promoting Paul's newsletters.


When asked whether that meant Paul believed there was a government conspiracy to cover up the impact of AIDS, Ivers said, "I don't think he embraces that."

...

<cite id="yui_3_3_0_22_1324639287730382" class="byline vcard"><abbr title="2011-12-23T01:35:02Z">
</abbr></cite>

[revelarts]

Ron Paul

I am not a racist.
I didn't write the the newsletters.
I don't speak like that.
No one has ever heard me say anything like that.
Usually there's a clip of some racist comments their is none because I don't talk like that.
Rosa Parks is 1 of my heroes.
Martin Luther King is 1 of my heroes.
Libertarianism is anti racist, racism is a collectivist idea.
I see Everyone as an individual.
It's not the color of a persons skin that matters it's the content of their Character as MLK said.
I would Pardon ALL of the Blacks and Whites in jails now for non violent drug crimes.
The Judicial system is unfair to Blacks and discriminatory.
The death penalty is unfair to Blacks and I'm against it now.
I repudiate all of the racist statements in the newsletters, My whole life is a repudiation of those statements.

Most comments from CNN 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKBlk1Vpeuw
One comment form CSPAN 2008

[Toro]

On the newsletters, Ron Paul should say something along the following.

"I did not write them. I completely disavow the bigoted comments that were in them. They were published in my name, I take full responsibility for that, and apologize for any hurt or anger caused by them. But I categorically do not agree with these sentiments. Unfortunately, in a free society that cherishes free speech, some will say things that are appalling and reprehensible. That is the price we sometimes have to pay in a free society. However, we should work towards eliminating all forms of bigotry, whether that is racism or homophobia or whatever. We may have differences on how to do work towards eliminating bigotry, but we should all be moving towards that common end."

[jimnyc]

Ron Paul

I am not a racist.
I didn't write the the newsletters.
I don't speak like that.
No one has ever heard me say anything like that.
Usually there's a clip of some racist comments their is none because I don't talk like that.
Rosa Parks is 1 of my heroes.
Martin Luther King is 1 of my heroes.
Libertarianism is anti racist, racism is a collectivist idea.
I see Everyone as an individual.
It's not the color of a persons skin that matters it's the content of their Character as MLK said.
I would Pardon ALL of the Blacks and Whites in jails now for non violent drug crimes.
The Judicial system is unfair to Blacks and discriminatory.
The death penalty is unfair to Blacks and I'm against it now.
I repudiate all of the racist statements in the newsletters, My whole life is a repudiation of those statements.

Most comments from CNN 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKBlk1Vpeuw
One comment form CSPAN 2008

Sure, he's not racist. How can he be racist when he said he wanted to legalize heroin and cocaine to protect blacks from the vicious drug laws? :laugh2::laugh2:

[revelarts]

On the newsletters, Ron Paul should say something along the following.

"I did not write them. I completely disavow the bigoted comments that were in them. They were published in my name, I take full responsibility for that, and apologize for any hurt or anger caused by them. But I categorically do not agree with these sentiments. Unfortunately, in a free society that cherishes free speech, some will say things that are appalling and reprehensible. That is the price we sometimes have to pay in a free society. However, we should work towards eliminating all forms of bigotry, whether that is racism or homophobia or whatever. We may have differences on how to do work towards eliminating bigotry, but we should all be moving towards that common end."

He's said nearly all that already but it would be a good overall response.
However i'm it seems some here wouldn't accept that either.

[Kathianne]

Ron Paul

I am not a racist.
I didn't write the the newsletters.
I don't speak like that.
No one has ever heard me say anything like that.
Usually there's a clip of some racist comments their is none because I don't talk like that.
Rosa Parks is 1 of my heroes.
Martin Luther King is 1 of my heroes.
Libertarianism is anti racist, racism is a collectivist idea.
I see Everyone as an individual.
It's not the color of a persons skin that matters it's the content of their Character as MLK said.
I would Pardon ALL of the Blacks and Whites in jails now for non violent drug crimes.
The Judicial system is unfair to Blacks and discriminatory.
The death penalty is unfair to Blacks and I'm against it now.
I repudiate all of the racist statements in the newsletters, My whole life is a repudiation of those statements.

Most comments from CNN 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKBlk1Vpeuw
One comment form CSPAN 2008

Uh huh. Yet, now the media has found the advertising, written by Paul. Umm, there's pretty inflammatory stuff just there. Then we have his campaign chairman basically saying, 'he takes responsibility for what he wrote; but not the 'bad stuff.' LOL! Can't have it both ways.

To think he raked in over a million dollars from the newsletters, wrote advertisements for them and was totally unaware of the contents is laughable.

[jimnyc]

He's said nearly all that already but it would be a good overall response.
However i'm it seems some here wouldn't accept that either.

I accept it, but IMO, it disqualifies him from being presidential material. Being a racist and wanting to feed criminals instead of fighting them is stupid.

[Toro]

He's said nearly all that already but it would be a good overall response.
However i'm it seems some here wouldn't accept that either.

Sure.

Some will never accept it. But it's not the "some" that matters. It's the "most" that matters. If Ron Paul is credible (and he's telling the truth), I think most people could get over it.





Not that it matters, because he's not going to be elected President.

[jimnyc]

Another article...


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A direct-mail solicitation for Ron Paul's political and investment newsletters two decades ago warned of a "coming race war in our big cities" and of a "federal-homosexual cover-up" to play down the impact of AIDS.

The eight-page letter, which appears to carry Paul's signature at the end, also warns that the U.S. government's redesign of currency to include different colors - a move aimed at thwarting counterfeiters - actually was part of a plot to allow the government to track Americans using the "new money."

The letter urges readers to subscribe to Paul's newsletters so that he could "tell you how you can save yourself and your family" from an overbearing government.

The letter's details emerge at a time when Paul, now a contender for the Republican nomination for president, is under fire over reports that his newsletters contained racist, anti-homosexual and anti-Israel rants.

Reports of the newsletters' contents have Paul's campaign scrambling to deny that he wrote the inflammatory articles.

Among other things, the articles called the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. a "world-class philanderer," criticized the U.S. holiday bearing King's name as "Hate Whitey Day," and said that AIDS sufferers "enjoy the attention and pity that comes with being sick.

http://news.yahoo.com/ad-newsletter-ron-paul-forecast-race-war-011503908.html

[jimnyc]

More black people than any other race fall victim to cocaine, crack and heroin. Then the Kook, Roan Paul, claims to be "anti-racist" because he would "protect the minority from the vicious drug laws".

So his answer to stopping the increasing addictions, ruined lives and deaths amongst the blacks - is to legalize it and make it easier for them to die. :laugh2::laugh2: :laugh2:

[jimnyc]

So, so far, we have these traits for Ron Paul:

He's a racist
He's anti Israel
He's a liar, and profited from the things he lied about
Either a truther or panders to truthers
Doesn't care about hard drug epidemic

Like I said, NOT presidential material

[Thunderknuckles]

Ron Paul was irrelevant even before this scandal. I don't care if he's a racist or not. I'd never vote for him to begin with

[pegwinn]

So, so far, we have these traits for Ron Paul:

He's a racist Unproven. OTOH Newts serial adultery and ethics issues are well documented via independent sources. Same with Romneys flipflops and business dealings.
He's anti Israel Not really. He's anti foreign aid for everyone. We have no mutual defense treaty with Israel and are under no obligation to do anything at all for Israel.
He's a liar, and profited from the things he lied about Such as?
Either a truther or panders to truthers Pandering to a voting bloc is SOP for any candidate that wishes to get elected to anything above the local PTA.
Doesn't care about hard drug epidemic To be honest I don't either. Drugs are a personal choice. You do or do not use drugs based on your own decision. I really don't need the nanny state making my decisions or causing me to pay for others bad decisions. So long as alcohol and tobacco are legal, any substance abuse laws are hypocritical.

Like I said, NOT presidential material

Long time no see.