Ron linked this video on his facebook page with this note:

https://www.facebook.com/ronpaul

Congress, Drones, and The Imperial Presidency

Last week the US Senate took a break from debating the phony cuts known as “sequestration,” for Senator Rand Paul to hold a 13-hour filibuster to force the Obama administration to state whether it believes the President has the right to kill American citizens with drones on US soil. I find it tragic that there has to be a discussion on an issue that should be so self-evident.

However, feeling the pressure, the administration finally said “no,” but in language so twisted that no one should feel in the slightest bit reassured. According to Attorney General Eric Holder, the president does not believe he has the right to use the military to kill an American who is “not engaged in combat on American soil.” Left undefined is how the administration defines “combat.” As constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley wrote last week, “one can easily foresee this or a future president insisting that an alleged terrorism conspiracy is a form of ‘combat’.”

The administration’s outrageous response to the most serious Constitutional question of all -- when a government can kill its own citizens -- is clear evidence of an executive branch out of control.

Many of the drafters of the Constitution envisioned the presidency as an office with very limited powers, but even the most dedicated proponents of a strong presidency at the time would be shocked to see the concentration of power in the modern presidency.

Today the presidency is viewed as the center of the federal government, with each successive administration expanding the power of the executive at the expense of Congress and the people.

Ironically, some of the worst offenders are those who campaigned promising to reverse the power grabs of their predecessors. For example, candidate George W. Bush campaigned on a “humble foreign policy,” but as president he attacked Iraq based on his own administration’s lies and claimed the right to indefinitely detain anyone he deemed an "enemy combatant.”

Candidate Barack Obama promised he would reverse his predecessor’s constitutional abuses. Yet not only has President Obama not closed Guantanamo Bay, he reportedly holds weekly meetings in the oval office to draw up “kills lists,” uses drones against American citizens, and routinely sends the US military into combat abroad without even consulting Congress!

The modern use of “executive orders” also usurps the lawmaking function of Congress. The most notable recent example was President Obama’s January series of executive orders on gun control, but unfortunately there are countless other examples over the last several administrations.

Ultimately, the fault for the expansion of presidential power lies with Congress. Too many members of Congress are all too eager to avoid responsibility for controversial actions, preferring to “pass the buck” to the president. For example, Congress no longer declares war, but instead passes an “authorization of force” telling the president he can go to war when or if he wants!

On domestic policy, Congress passes large, vaguely-worded pieces of legislation and leaves it to the president and the bureaucrats to fill in the details. Many members of Congress score points with their constituents railing against “the faceless D.C. bureaucrats” while never mentioning that they voted for the law that gave the bureaucrats their power!

Last week, a group of “fiscally conservative” senators even tried to give President Obama more authority over spending as a part of sequester replacement that would have “required” Obama to decide where to reduce spending and where to increase it. They want to restrain the president by giving him more authority?

Growth of executive power is a threat to liberty. Fortunately, Congress can restrain the executive simply by exercising its constitutional powers. The American people must demand that Congress stop passing the buck on its foreign and domestic policy responsibilities. If the people care about liberty, they will demand their representative stand up to the imperial president. Let us hope last week’s filibuster will give Congress the backbone it needs to do its job.

http://the-free-foundation.org/tst3-11-2013.html

Speech

the youtube isn't quite to the end but the whole thing is here:
http://video.stcatharinesstandard.ca.../2212275013001

at end they flash back to 'electric' atmosphere with Ron Paul there, and use it as a segue to someone else's speech, so it is worth staying a minute after it is over

Here is the discussion

http://video.stcatharinesstandard.ca.../2212271280001

In the discussion, I wish Ron were willing to toot his own horn a bit when they ask about the libertarian answer to income inequality, and mention that he always gave discount or free health care to those who couldn't afford it, or payment plans and never took medicare or medicaid. I think the smug assumptions would kind of shatter for many. They don't know he walked the walk. There are so many who just 'talk the talk.'

SPRINGFIELD, Virginia- Ron Paul, Campaign for Liberty Chairman, and former Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Monetary Policy issued the following statement today regarding Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s testimony before the House Committee on Financial Services:

“While I certainly don’t miss Congress, where politicians are constantly trying to limit Americans’ freedom, during my time there I always enjoyed the opportunity to question the Federal Reserve Chairman about the damage the Fed’s policies do to the American economy. I also appreciated the chance the Congressional hearings presented to educate the American people about issues such as the role of gold in the monetary system, and the need for greater transparency in the Federal Reserve. Today, unfortunately for the American people, Chairman Bernanke presented more failed policies that will only worsen our economic crisis at the expense of the vulnerable, while enriching entrenched allies and politicians.

“If I were still in Congress, and serving as Chairman of the Monetary Policy Subcommittee, I would have asked Chairman Bernanke why, since the continued high unemployment rates show that the Fed’s ‘Quantitative Easing’ programs have not helped the economy, he thinks continuing the same failed policy in perpetuity will help the average American — as opposed to the big banks and the big spending politicians?

“I would also ask Chairman Bernanke, how the German Bundesbank’s request for the Federal Reserve to return the Fed’s store of German gold to Germany could affect the US’ standing in the global economy. And most importantly, why are so many central banks buying gold when you told me in 2011 that ‘gold is not money’?

“While Chairman Bernanke’s twice-a-year appearances before the House and Senate represent an opportunity for Congress and the people to learn more about the Federal Reserve’s policies, it is not nearly enough. The American people deserve a full accounting of the Fed’s operations, which is why it is vital they demand Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid bring Senator Rand Paul’s Audit the Fed (S. 209) legislation to the Senate floor for a vote this Congress.”

http://www.campaignforliberty.org/na...nanke-hearing/

I received an email from Steve Bierfeldt today that they only need $914 for this to be a go! I would love Tom Woods speaking to Iowa GOP and other conservatives. If you would too, and can donate, please donate any amount at the link below.

They needed $7,472 total, and currently have all but $914! Can we get this over the top?

"Spread the message!"




DONATE here!! --> http://www.freedomontour.com/

http://the-free-foundation.org/tst2-11-2013.html

of course I recall that they didn't show his best polls, but that is only to to be expected of Fox. They also focus most of the first 6 minutes on Ron's reactions to others, not his own positions.

http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS12300000

Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey

Series Id: LNS12300000
Seasonally Adjusted
Series title: (Seas) Employment-Population Ratio
Labor force status: Employment-population ratio
Type of data: Percent or rate
Age: 16 years and over



https://twitter.com/RonPaul/status/297366676222128129

2012 Picture from the campaign trail, in Las Vegas

Former Congressman, Physician, and author Dr. Ron Paul who served as the U.S. Representative for the 14th District of Texas from 1997 to 2013, celebrates his 56th wedding anniversary with his wife Carol today.

Retired Congressman and former presidential candidate for both the Libertarian and Republican parties, Ron Paul celebrates his 56th wedding anniversary with his wife Carol today. (2/1/13) Ron met Carol in High School when she asked him to escort her to her Sadie Hawkins style 16th birthday party on February 29th, 1952. Carol is quoted as saying "I came into the picture about 1952 when Ron was my escort to my 16th birthday party. Don't tell anyone – but I asked him... actually my birthday is February 29th and it was a Sadie Hawkins-type party where the girls asked the boys... and I asked him." [1]

Ron and Carol were together for several years before he proposed to her in the summer of 1956 while they were having a picnic in the park. They were finally married on February 1st, 1957 in Pittsburgh, when Ron was 21 years old and Carol was 20. "We married in an all-white wedding with the bridesmaids carrying armloads of red roses,” Carol said in “The Ron Paul I Know,” posted on lewrockwell.com. “The flower girl wore a white dress and sprinkled rose petals down the aisle. A fraternity brother of Ron's sang ‘The Wedding Prayer’ and the ‘Lord's Prayer.’”

Dr. Paul, who retired from congress this year [2], will be free to spend his 56th anniversary with his wife, unlike last year or their 55th anniversary when he was busy campaigning for president and let his wife, who usually followed him on the campaign trail, sleep in and surprised her with breakfast in bed.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/articl...#ixzz2JgyWVxHU

From ME's Ashley Ryan: "At the request of our constituents in the Maine Republican Party and the conservative grassroots movement, Mark Willis and I respectfully stood in opposition of the reelection of Chairman Priebus. Although we were unsuccessful, I am proud and honored to have had the opportunity to have stood up for my state party and its principles and beliefs."

https://www.facebook.com/AshleyRyanR...35204836504258

One state but three votes, Ed Sarlls from Texas apparently voted with Ashley and Mark Willis per Ashley's tweet: https://twitter.com/AshleyRyanRNC/st...61075496030208

Links to contact your state chair, committeemen and women here: http://www.gop.com/members/ make a good impression, and remind them how the Priebus RNC stripped the states of GOP power with Rule 12 amendments!