Ron Paul: Rivals say he hates Republicans
Ron Paul is now leading in Iowa polls of GOP voters. It鈥檚 quite possible 鈥� if not likely 鈥� that he鈥檒l win the Hawkeye State caucuses on Jan 3. He鈥檚 well positioned in New Hampshire, too. Depending on how he does there, Representative Paul could scramble the entire Republican presidential race.
Naturally, in light of Paul鈥檚 surge in fortunes, those in the party who disapprove of the Texas libertarian are now moving to attack him.
First up this week was the Weekly Standard, a newsmagazine notable for its (fruitless) efforts to get New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and/or Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin into the GOP race. It ran a piece by journalist James Kirchik about the contained in newsletters issued under Paul鈥檚 name in the 1980s and 1990s.
For decades, Mr. Kirchik writes, Paul promoted 鈥渉ateful and conspiratorial nonsense,鈥� including outlandish tales of racial violence, and hate speech about Martin Luther King, Jr.
This is not a new story 鈥� Kirchik and others have written about it in years past. Paul has defended himself by pointing out that he did not write any of this stuff himself and he did not know who the ghost writers producing it were.
Asked about the Kirchik story Tuesday during an appearance on CNN鈥檚 鈥淎merican Morning,鈥� Paul said that it must mean he was doing well, since people are starting to dig up old charges to try to stop him.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 good 鈥� but I didn鈥檛 write [the stories] and those aren鈥檛 my beliefs, so I sleep well,鈥� said Paul.
Then Wednesday the conservative blog RedState posted a piece titled, 鈥淩on Paul Hates Republicans and Everything They Stand For.鈥�
Written by contributing editor Leon Wolf, the piece focuses on Paul鈥檚 GOP presidential candidate John McCain in the 2008 election.
Instead of backing his own party鈥檚 choice last time around, Paul endorsed a number of minor party candidates who signed on to a pledge to balance budgets, bring troops home, protect civil liberties, and investigate the Federal Reserve. These included Green Party standard bearer Cynthia McKinney, and independent candidate Ralph Nader.
Ms. McKinney is a former Democratic member of Congress who once got in trouble for striking a Capitol police officer who asked her for identification, writes Mr. Wolf. Mr. Nader鈥檚 anti-corporate views are well known.
鈥淔or whatever his failings as a Presidential candidate and conservative (and they were legion), no reasonable person would say that John McCain was worse than any of these clowns,鈥� writes Wolf.
Not to be outdone, the conservative National Review has been running a discussion on Paul in its blog, The Corner, titled, 鈥淭he Fringe Frontrunner.鈥�
In one post National Review editor Rich Lowry describes Paul as of the GOP in 2011 than he was in 2008. But he adds that Paul 鈥渉as never been able to distinguish between fringy cranks and above-board purists鈥� and thus has at times associated himself with 鈥渓oons and bigots.鈥�
Paul鈥檚 rivals are attacking him directly as well 鈥� Texas Gov. Rick Perry, for instance, talks about Paul鈥檚 earmarking efforts on the stump.
What does it all mean? It almost certainly means that Paul鈥檚 rise has caught the party鈥檚 notice and worried the backers of other candidates to the point where they鈥檙e not ignoring him any longer. Other front-runners have endured withering attacks this political season, and now it is Paul鈥檚 turn.
鈥淭he more progress I make in challenging the status quo ... the stronger they will emphasize picking at this and ignoring the important issues of what freedom is all about and what civil liberty is all about,鈥� said Paul on CNN Tuesday.
