Fed Foe Ron Paul Breakfasts With Bernanke at Central Bank

[sailingaway]

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/05/09/fed-foe-ron-paul-breakfasts-with-bernanke-at-central-bank/

I think he wants better comments in Ron's next book. In one of his prior ones Ron mentioned that Volker had him over for breakfast once.....


Republican presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul certainly wants to end the Federal Reserve. But he also has to eat breakfast.

One day after chairing a hearing on proposals to abolish or overhaul the central bank, the Texan congressman sat down for the first meal of the day Wednesday with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, the lawmaker confirmed in a brief interview at the Capitol. The decision to meet for breakfast at the Fed was “mutual,” said Mr. Paul, who last year introduced a bill to eliminate the central bank.

The Fed chief and lawmaker had “sort of an open discussion,” Mr. Paul said, while declining to provide any details of the conversation. “It was off the record,” he said. The Fed declined to comment on the meeting.

more at link

[bluesc]

Check out Dr. Paul sitting down for breakfast with the most powerful man in the world :D.

It's good to see Bernanke is an adult.

[belian78]

Was this the "Ron, enjoy the twilight of your career and all that you have done for your country... Or Else" breakfast?

/tinfoilhat

[devil21]

I don't like the sound of that, honestly.

Tinfoil hat or not that could have been Ron's "come to jesus" moment. I hope Ron's security tightens up.

[sailingaway]

In one of his hearings Bernanke indicated he would be 'very happy to speak to Ron' about creating ways for people to save in gold and silver without capital gains tax etc on spending it. I don't have any idea what they discussed, but I've been thinking something might come of that from the reception. It was during the hearing when Ron held up that silver coin, earlier this year.

[S.Shorland]

The article sets up a strawman in regards to Bernanke's lecture series stating that a fixed dollar/gold exchange rate would cause chaos.Paul wants the market to find the exchange rate.He stated it on 'money in motion' on 4th may.
I just hope he checked his wallet on the way out.
Was this the "Ron, enjoy the twilight of your career and all that you have done for your country... Or Else" breakfast?

/tinfoilhat

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTjoz92PisR5aYlkrG5dWk4yusOMQaYm 5GuFj0jfuoOxJCc5ebos1komaqb

[The Goat]

Didn't Ron actually ask him if they could discuss competing metal currency over breakfast?


In one of his hearings Bernanke indicated he would be 'very happy to speak to Ron' about creating ways for people to save in gold and silver without capital gains tax etc on spending it. I don't have any idea what they discussed, but I've been thinking something might come of that from the reception. It was during the hearing when Ron held up that silver coin, earlier this year.

[DGambler]

Did Ron have someone taste his food prior to consuming it?

[The Goat]

So did Wednesday’s meeting overturn any deep-set beliefs?

“He’s for the gold standard now,” joked Mr. Paul.

Could Paul have started explaining the competing currencies gold standard? can you teach an old dog new tricks?

[alucard13mmfmj]

they should've checked his food for poisons... chemical, biological, radiation. if they slip some polonium into ron's food.. he'd be sick within months and no one would know why.

[american.swan]

Well, I was worried about this too when I read it, but a few things calmed my mind. First is that Ron did the same thing in the 80s with Volker and nothing evil resulted. Also, Bernanke speech a while back telling Congress the CBO estimates wont happen.

[Copenhagen]

http://jettandjahn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bernankefed-300x287.jpg

Hopefully Dr. Paul was packing heat:D

[LibertyIn08]

The comments in this thread make me want to either cry or laugh.

[wgadget]

Ron Paul, always the coalition builder...

[devil21]

Well, I was worried about this too when I read it, but a few things calmed my mind. First is that Ron did the same thing in the 80s with Volker and nothing evil resulted. Also, Bernanke speech a while back telling Congress the CBO estimates wont happen.

Things are just a tad bit different today than in the early 80's. Paul wasn't a threat back then. He's a huge threat now.

[mnewcomb]

Next time Ron gets to talk to him, he should ask Bernanke if he owns any property. He should ask him how he would like it if the state his property is in, kept redefining what an acre is, so that year after year, Bernanke owned a little less property than he did before...

[maxoutco]

Next time Ron gets to talk to him, he should ask Bernanke if he owns any property. He should ask him how he would like it if the state his property is in, kept redefining what an acre is, so that year after year, Bernanke owned a little less property than he did before...

This is an amazing analogy. I love it.

+rep

[Jovan Galtic]

Next time Ron gets to talk to him, he should ask Bernanke if he owns any property. He should ask him how he would like it if the state his property is in, kept redefining what an acre is, so that year after year, Bernanke owned a little less property than he did before...

Wow! Really beautiful analogy. I hope it is not copyrighted... ;)

[NoOneButPaul]

Telling you guys... this is all setting up for Romney's eventual "give in" to us which will be some kind of FED reform that is all smoke and mirrors.

The Fed stuff is what the GOP is going to use to get us, just watch...

[kathy88]

Telling you guys... this is all setting up for Romney's eventual "give in" to us which will be some kind of FED reform that is all smoke and mirrors.

The Fed stuff is what the GOP is going to use to get us, just watch...

Ron is not going to fall for anything like that. It must be something completely worthwhile and set in stone. He's been working too hard to let them blow smoke up his ass. He's smarter than all of them put together.

[ZenBowman]

Paul and Bernanke disagree, but it doesn't mean that they want to kill each other. Adults can disagree without violence.

Don't let this rustle your jimmies.

[AmericasLastHope]

Ron Paul ate with Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, on Wednesday, and after their meal Paul joked that "he's for the gold standard now."

Ron Paul, the only remaining official opponent to Mitt Romney in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, and Bernanke ate together at the Federal Reserve's headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, during which they had what Paul described as "sort of an open discussion," according to the Wall Street Journal.

The meeting was certainly an odd one, as the two leaders are not exactly similarly-minded, as Ben Bernanke heads the Federal Reserve and the Texas Congressman led a hearing on Tuesday to consider proposals to end or overhaul the Fed .

The men made a "mutual" decision to speak with one another, according to Paul, who declined to comment on what exactly was said, as he told the Wall Street Journal that their discussion "was off the record. The Fed is not commenting on the meeting.

Paul, a libertarian and medical doctor who has served in Congress for decades, told the Journal that he had visited the headquarters building in the past for a meal with Paul Volcker, a previous head of the Fed.

It's quite a sight, seeing these very different men agreeing to discuss monetary policy during a time when politics are essentially deadlocked in Washington due to hyper-partisanship.

But Paul is more of an independent thinker than many members of both the Democrat and Republican parties, which may have contributed to Bernanke's willingness to meet with him despite the fact that the Ron Paul 2012 campaign has been built on a platform that has called for abolishing the Federal Reserve and returning to the gold standard.

And Bernanke has also been outspokenly against such positions, even speaking extensively during a recent speech about the problems with returning to the gold standard.

But it seems that Dr. Paul is taking it all in stride, as he had a joke about the meeting which the Journal was sure to report on:

"He's for the gold standard now," Paul said.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/339674/20120510/ron-paul-bernanke-fed-gold-news-2012.htm

[jmdrake]

Bernanke: Dr. Paul, I know your side will eventually win. Is there room for me at the table?
Paul: No.

[Zippyjuan]

Good to see two people with different opinions on things sitting down and having a civil discussion.


It's quite a sight, seeing these very different men agreeing to discuss monetary policy during a time when politics are essentially deadlocked in Washington due to hyper-partisanship.

[dannno]

Oh, to have been a fly.......... IN BERNANKE'S SOUP!! :D

[Jovan Galtic]

"Bernanke paid for the meal with freshly printed $20 bills..."

[Travlyr]

Good to see two people with different opinions on things sitting down and having a civil discussion.

Indeed it is. I'll bet Bernanke has read all Ron's books and knows deep down Ron is right.

[rpwi]

To a certain extent this is actually a bad thing. This is a discussion not of personal issues...but of public issues and concerns two of most influential politicians on the Fed in the chairman of the Federal Reserve and the chairman of the Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology Subcommittee.

This is what the Fed wants.... Tough questions and weaselly answers being delivered in secret where they can't be embarrassed by the media and won't awaken the rest of congress to how corrupt they are. They know if they don't answer Ron's questions in private...they will have to do so publicly and could face much more reprisal. Plus, when politicians meet at dinner...there is more of a chance of schmoozing and going off on non-topic tangents. Subconsciously, you feel closer to that person and subsequently your criticism of their policies diminishes as you would feel guilty attacking an ego you got to know (mostly on a subconscious level). Lobbyist have this trick down pat and try to get personal meetings whenever possible to put a face on the opposition.

[GeorgiaAvenger]

Ron is a sell out!

/had to get my shot at the "sell out" namecallers

[idiom]

Pssh.

If they said anything worthwhile its going to end up in the congressional record sooner or later. It just goes into RP's quiver.

[aloneinthewilderness]

I'm not sure I've ever seen the word breakfast used as a verb before.

[devil21]

I'm not sure I've ever seen the word breakfast used as a verb before.

What would be the proper term then? Dinner is "dines", lunch is "lunches".....breakfast is "breakfasts"?

[SpiritOf1776_J4]

Check out Dr. Paul sitting down for breakfast with the most powerful man in the world :D.

It's good to see Bernanke is an adult.

You mean he doesn't eat coco puffs?

[PatriotOne]

Fed Foe Ron Paul Breakfasts With Bernanke at Central Bank

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e198/Yekt40/awkward.jpg

[IDefendThePlatform]

Hasn't Ron basically convinced Alan Greenspan that he's right? Maybe he can do the same with bernanke. A former fed chief (or two) coming out in favor of Ron's free competition in currency act would be huge.

It might be that bernanke would rather see that passed than an audit of the fed because a fed audit could really embarrass/expose him as corrupt.

[sevin]

Hasn't Ron basically convinced Alan Greenspan that he's right? Maybe he can do the same with bernanke. A former fed chief (or two) coming out in favor of Ron's free competition in currency act would be huge.

It might be that bernanke would rather see that passed than an audit of the fed because a fed audit could really embarrass/expose him as corrupt.

Alan Greenspan understood Austrian economics and the dangers of central banking decades ago. He still understands it, but he just doesn't care. He's a sellout and he has no soul. He'll never come out in favor of competing currencies.

[devil21]

I don't like the sound of that, honestly.

Tinfoil hat or not that could have been Ron's "come to jesus" moment. I hope Ron's security tightens up.


HUGE BUMP

Anybody remember this?

Yeah, the timing of this breakfast and the sudden big change of tune by the campaign seems more than just coincidence. Some said I was crazy when I suggested this meeting may have been where Ron was threatened. Maybe not sounding so crazy after all.