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Title: For Ron and Rand Paul, Like Father, Like Son?
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Published: Aug 12, 2009
Author: By Nikki Schwab
Post Date: 2009-08-12 11:02:41 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 115
Comments: 2
By Nikki Schwab, Washington Whispers Calling Ron Paul's supporters enthusiastic is an understatement. When the libertarian Republican lawmaker from Texas ran in the recent presidential election, his fans swarmed the Internet, created a "Hotties for Ron Paul" pinup calendar, and even got him a blimp. So it's no wonder that one of Paul's sons caught the politics bug as well. Rand Paul announced this week that he is entering the race to replace Sen. Jim Bunning, a Kentucky Republican who is retiring. Ron Paul was on daddy duty when he heard his son's plans. "I said, 'Are you sure you want to do this? You want to give up a completely good medical practice to go into politics?' " Ron Paul tells Whispers. "Of course, I was kidding him because I didn't have any credibility on that argument," the congressman adds. Rand, a doctor like his dad, tells the story this way: "I guess his best advice was, 'Be careful. You could possibly win.' " Rand is considered a long shot, most likely battling Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson among others in the Republican primary and Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, the Democratic favorite, in the general. "We're hoping that they will be quite overconfident and not think that we're a threat and we'll sneak up on them," says Rand. The "we" includes many of the online activists who helped his father: They've already scheduled a "money bomb" for Rand on August 20 in honor of Ron Paul's birthday. Money bombs—when supporters arranged a date for a mass donation online—were a hit during the elder Paul's presidential run. Rand is open to recycling other ideas, too. "We love the idea of the blimp," he tells us. "They can bring the blimp back, by all means." Rand says nobody's son can win political office simply on a parent's fame. "I think I have enough of my own credibility," he says. And his dad agrees. "He's been involved with political things for a long time," says Ron Paul. "I think he's going to be a lot better than I am at it because I think he's more reasonable," the congressman says with a chuckle.
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
Ron took a dive..TWICE... No money, no support for the kid.
Rand made a lot of great appearances for his dad in 2008. But his interest in politics goes back to his high school years when he interned every summer at his dad's office, riding to work with Ron Paul and Lew Rockwell every day. He has had his own tax protest groups in his state as well, a sustained and determined grass roots effort. So he is no neophyte as the article tries to suggest. Rand also has some terrific ideas on limiting lobbyist influence and campaign finance reform. For instance, he wants to eliminate all companies funneling money back to any congresscritter while they have a contract with the government. This would be a contractual clause when a company signs a contract with the government, not any law that would limit First Amendment rights. No. The blimp was way too expensive and that money could have been better spent. Now, I did support the blimp with a small donation because so many of the young RP supporters were in such a lather about it but it clearly did not pay off nearly as well as print ads and radio ads and various rally events. No blimp.
#2. To: Brian S (#0)
So it's no wonder that one of Paul's sons caught the politics bug as well. Rand Paul announced this week that he is entering the race to replace Sen. Jim Bunning, a Kentucky Republican who is retiring.
Rand is open to recycling other ideas, too. "We love the idea of the blimp," he tells us. "They can bring the blimp back, by all means."
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