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Phantom
04-05-2008, 07:20 AM
Candidate Paul vows to keep fighting despite the odds

Written by Margaret Harper
Gazette Staff Writer
Friday, 04 April 2008

Even though he knows the numbers, polls and odds are not in his favor, Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul is not ready to call it quits in his quest for the Republican nomination.

“There's not enough reason for me to get discouraged,” he said, speaking at a Freedom Rally on Thursday afternoon at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

But when it's over, it's over. He said he would “probably not endorse” Republican rival John McCain or attempt to run as a third-party candidate, which he said is nearly impossible.

He also admits there is probably not even a chance for him as a vice presidential running mate.

“I don't think that's going to happen,” said Paul, 72, a Texas congressman.

But until then, Paul said, he would continue to reach out to his faithful supporters and fight for what he believes in: freedom.

“Freedom really does work,” he said. “The answer is freedom.”

With a goal that has “always been about bringing significant change,” Paul relayed his ideals and views to a crowd of mostly students filling the 450-seat capacity auditorium at Eberly College of Business.

Paul said he believes younger voters are interested in his views, including limited government, liberty, pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq and governing America using the Constitution.

“The Constitution was written to protect liberty and restrain the government,” he said. “But today, we have so little of that.”

Too many aspects of Americans' privacy have been invaded by the government, he said. He cited medical information that insurance companies can access and the ability of the government to collect information about individuals, especially under the Patriot Act.

The government, he said, should leave people alone.

He also criticized the blending of big business and government and said if he were president, he would pardon all non-violent drug offenders.

Discussing the state of the economy, Paul was not afraid to use the word “recession.”

He compared the economy to a drug addict, who needs fix after fix to feel better, but only for a short time.

Sooner or later, he said, the fix kills the addict.

“We're continuing to give the economy a fix,” he said. “I claim we're in the middle of a recession.”

The solution to fixing the economy and government's debt is by cutting government spending, he said.

Options to cut spending include foreign aid, such as funds given to help fight diseases in other countries, while children in America go without health insurance and health care.

Another cut could be to the military, with troops stationed in 130 countries. He believes it's time for the U.S. to bring those troops home and mind our own business.

“We shouldn't be the policemen of the world,” he said.

This includes pulling out of the Iraq war.

“I say we ought to come home,” he said.

Paul also advocates the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service, taxes and Social Security.

The enthusiastic crowd cheered, yelled and nodded in agreement with his statements while displaying signs and wearing stickers in support of his campaign.

But he said in a press conference before the event that he was unsure how much support he would garner in Pennsylvania during the April 22 primary election.

The mainstream media, he said, predicted hopefuls such as Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani would be the frontrunners in the race for nomination, and he believes the mainstream media ignored his campaign.

But now, there are only two Republican hopefuls left: he and McCain.

Paul believes people are confused about whether he is even campaigning. But, he does have a local connection, which might garner some support.

“People identify with that,” he said.

And, his Internet campaign was successful, he said, especially with fundraising. Paul's campaign raised about $30 million for his attempt at a nomination, and a lot was raised through grass-roots efforts, he said.

Paul said it was good to be back in Pennsylvania, where he was born and raised in Green Tree near Pittsburgh. His wife, Carol, also in attendance at the rally, grew up in Dormont.

Link (http://www.indianagazette.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23970&Itemid=2)