Liberté
02-04-2008, 01:32 PM
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/15279446.html
On the eve of Minnesota's precinct caucuses, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul brought his anti-tax, anti-war, anti-big government campaign to Minnesota Monday.
He scheduled a rally at 7 p.m. at the University of Minnesota's Northrop Auditorium, moving it from a smaller venue because of what his campaign staff described as "overwhelming response from supporters."
Paul, a longtime congressman from Texas, gave a preview of his message at the rally at a morning press conference.
Whether the issue is health care, education or international affairs, "it's a question of intervention versus non-intervention," he said, saying Americans don't want their government butting into their personal lives, their economic lives or "telling other countries how to live."
He called for an immediate end to the war in Iraq and said he would immediately bring home all troops stationed around the world. "The empire's coming unglued," Paul said.
Paul's libertarian platform (he once ran as the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate but said he doesn't plan an independent bid this year) has attracted considerable Internet buzz, which has triggered a gusher of campaign contributions.
That interest, however, has not translated into success at the polls. In the first eight GOP contests, his biggest vote total was the 63,063 he received in the Florida primary, representing just 3 percent of the vote.
"We've done miraculous things," he said. "We're taking on everyone -- the entire system."
Young voters, a key target of Paul's campaign, "are very attracted to this message," Paul said. "I talk about personal liberty. They get to decide their own lifestyle ... Young people have a lot at stake and understand this message."
On the eve of Minnesota's precinct caucuses, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul brought his anti-tax, anti-war, anti-big government campaign to Minnesota Monday.
He scheduled a rally at 7 p.m. at the University of Minnesota's Northrop Auditorium, moving it from a smaller venue because of what his campaign staff described as "overwhelming response from supporters."
Paul, a longtime congressman from Texas, gave a preview of his message at the rally at a morning press conference.
Whether the issue is health care, education or international affairs, "it's a question of intervention versus non-intervention," he said, saying Americans don't want their government butting into their personal lives, their economic lives or "telling other countries how to live."
He called for an immediate end to the war in Iraq and said he would immediately bring home all troops stationed around the world. "The empire's coming unglued," Paul said.
Paul's libertarian platform (he once ran as the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate but said he doesn't plan an independent bid this year) has attracted considerable Internet buzz, which has triggered a gusher of campaign contributions.
That interest, however, has not translated into success at the polls. In the first eight GOP contests, his biggest vote total was the 63,063 he received in the Florida primary, representing just 3 percent of the vote.
"We've done miraculous things," he said. "We're taking on everyone -- the entire system."
Young voters, a key target of Paul's campaign, "are very attracted to this message," Paul said. "I talk about personal liberty. They get to decide their own lifestyle ... Young people have a lot at stake and understand this message."