Ron Paul's Clout Grows Within GOP Minority, Among Some Dems

From the Washington Independent

*snip*

From time to time, a few members of Congress—as many as 10, sometimes fewer—gather with Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) to eat lunch and hear from an author or expert whose opinion he thinks is worth promoting. They grab something to eat off of a deli plate. They take notes. They loosen up and ask questions.
...
And then there are the luncheons. The off-the-record talks have brought in speakers such as ex-CIA counterterrorism expert Michael Scheuer, libertarian investigative reporter James Bovard, iconoclastic terrorism scholar Robert Pape, and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley. Perhaps the most influential guest has been Thomas Woods, a conservative scholar whose previous books include “The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History” and “Who Killed the Constitution?: The Fate of American Liberty from World War I to George W. Bush,” and whose current book “Meltdown” has inspired Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) to question Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner about economic fundamentals.
...
Bachmann “goes to these luncheons on a weekly basis,” said Debbee Keller, Bachmann’s press secretary. Keller noted that Bachmann was reading “Meltdown,” which argues that the New Deal failed and that the Federal Reserve is responsible for the current economic crisis. “Just as Austrian theory suggests,” wrote Woods, “the Fed’s mischief was responsible for the Great Depression.”

“I had a feeling she’d have some interest in the book,” said Woods, “because she asked some good questions. She was taking notes. She was asking if this or that point could be found in the book. I thought I recognized a sincere person who wanted knowledge, not the usual politician who couldn’t care less about what the truth is and just wanted to propagandize.”

Paul didn’t take credit for turning Bachmann on to Austrian theory (”He’ll give credit to everyone on the planet except himself,” laughed Woods) but said he was pleased to see more members of Congress delving into economics. “She’s very open to studying,” said Paul. “In fact, she’s been working really hard to get me back to Minneapolis. She says, ‘You’ll get such a great reception there!’”

*snip*

http://washingtonindependent.com/41786/ron-pauls-economic-theories-winning-gop-converts

... Ron Paul and Michelle Bachman in the same room's a little more than I can handle as far as extreme right politicians go.

Look for whines about a "Nanny State" or anytinhg trying to make Dr. Paul look good...and my favorite whiney comeback..."What did Dr. Paul ever do to you?"

Paultards...that whine only works on Republicans.

As a Democrat, I hope they give him the microphone as often as possible.
Quickest way to divide the GOP in half, if you ask me.

and his politics are not left or right, but absurd bordering on schizophrenic (the one endearing thing is that he has been consistent with his nutbar jackassery over the years)...any democrats cozying up with him need to be marked closely -- and please don't start his so-called liberal supporters with that picking-and-choosing "BUT he wants to end the war/legalize drugs/investigate 9-11!!!!"

Yes, Ron Paul has some very bad ideas. However, he also has some very good ones as well, such as downsizing our military and reducing our imperial stranglehold on the world and ending the drug war.

The key to moving forward is building coalitions with the opposite party on some issues and fighting them on others.

Ron Paul is someone that we can work with on some issues.

He's an anti-imperialist because he doesn't like Governments messing with the worldwide economy. He is against the drug war for similar reasons.

However, the point of politics is to build consensus around GOOD ideas such as ending the drug war. With Ron Paul and some Dems, we can finally get a consensus for some of the GOOD ideas.

he is persona non grata in his own party (when this story says "expanding influence in congress," I take that to mean from 4 to 5 people)...Getting in bed with him means getting in bed with the most insane of the anti-tax, anti-government, UN black helicopter, chemtrail, water fluoridation, gold standard, one-world government, free-market-worshiping teabag crowd...I know his simplistic views and harmless persona make him the Chauncey Gardener of the modern age, but both Paul and his supporters need to be kept at arms' length... Let them create their libertarian paradise elsewhere...

So I'm going to go ahead and say no thanks.

I don't care if he has one good idea, the man is a total nut. Seems all the other nuts are attracted to each other. However, what is Jonathan Turley doing hanging around this bunch? Then again, he wanted Clinton impeached so...

except a woman who came into our co-op dissing Prez Obama was touting ron paul and now this article quotes him as saying "she's open to studying" when the truth is she.. "couldn’t care less about what the truth is and just wanted to propagandize.”

Who are woods and paul trying to fool?

they will cut him off at the knees before he gets to be a leader in *their* GOP.

Thanks for posting your thoughts. :)