Join Campaign Manager Lew Moore and National Field Director Debbie Hopper tomorrow night, Tuesday, February 19, for a video update on the campaign and the present and future of the Precinct Leaders program. The video begins at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcast at http://www.justin.tv/ronpaul. No password needed. All Precinct Leaders are encouraged to participate.

Lew and Debbie will be talking about what we've achieved so far and where we're going from here. They'll also be able to answer your questions: send your questions to precinctleaders@ronpaul2008.com. And don't forget to tune in tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Ron Paul Says U.S. Weakening Constitution

Republican Presidential Candidate Calls For an End to Federal Income Tax and Less Concentration on Foreign Matters

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul called for stricter adherence to the Constitution during an impassioned speech about his political ideologies on Feb. 13 at Georgetown.

The Texas congressman positioned himself as leader of a revolution that would tout a return to constitutional principles with a small federal government, no income tax and more concentration on domestic, rather than foreign, matters. He blamed many of the country's problems on a willingness to ignore the founding fathers' intent and a willingness to weaken the Constitution with amendments.

"We've made one serious mistake -- we've ignored our Constitution," Paul said in a speech frequently punctuated by cheers and chants from the audience. "If you want to get back to the basics and restore the principles of this country and this republic, we have to obey the Constitution."

Though he is running on the Republican ticket, Paul identifies as a Libertarian, who advocate minimal government and social programs in favor of individual rights.

Freedoms are rapidly disappearing, Paul said, and Georgetown students should ask themselves one question: What should the role of the government be?

"The founders asked themselves that question and came up with a pretty good answer. They said the role of government should be one thing, to protect liberty," he said. "That should be the only purpose of government."

Freedom used to mean "freedom for you. You were in charge of your life and if you messed it up, it was your fault," he continued. "If there is one thing I hope to achieve in this campaign, it's to get people thinking what freedom is all about. The purpose of freedom is for us to lead our own lives, to promote our own virtue … Government interest destroys everything."

He pinpoints the start of trouble when the government declared rights to include access to education, jobs and medical care.

"What you have is a right to your life. That's what you have," Paul said. "If that were fully understood, you'd have a right to the fruits of your labor, and you would be able to keep everything you earn and not have to share it with the big government."

Paul came to Georgetown as part of the university's presidential candidate lecture series. He is the second candidate to speak after Democrat Bill Richardson, who has since dropped out the race.

Enthusiastic supporters greeted Paul in Gaston Hall by chanting his name. Much of Paul's base includes younger voters who have flocked to his Web site and set donation records -- a $4.2 million take on Nov. 5, 2007 is most a GOP candidate has raised on a single day. The congressman said his message resonates strongly with Americans who want a different form of government that puts its citizens above foreign engagement.

Paul said military personnel are embracing that point in particular, and claimed he has received more donations from that group than all other candidates combined. However, research from the Houston Chronicle found this is only from donors who self-identified as military personnel, something that is not required, and many donors are civilian employees.

In a wide-ranging speech that touched everything from the war in Iraq to abortion to tax policies, Paul reiterated that the current generation of Georgetown students will pay the price for what he called mistakes of the government. He pointed to overspending, borrowing money from foreign governments and a financial strain on the middle class as unsustainable practices that will have significant fallouts.

While acknowledging he is not the front runner for the Republican nomination, Paul said his principles are stirring supporters' passion about what the United States could accomplish.

But the night was not without detractors. To a mix of applause and boos from the audience, one Georgetown student questioned the candidate about racist and homophobic slurs that appeared newsletters published by Paul in the 1990s. Though Paul has since said he did not write the articles in question, the student pushed to know why Paul did not denounce the writings years ago when first confronted.

The congressman said it was a mistake and blamed the comments getting published on time constraints during his time as publisher. Paul also called himself "probably the biggest champion of rights for everybody."

"A true Libertarian," he said, "is incapable of being a racist."

Source: Blue & Gray (February 15, 2008)

Dear [Paul Bear],

It is a crazy day here at the American Freedom Campaign, but I wanted to share some great news with you.  Today, the U.S. House of Representatives finally passed the contempt resolution against White House officials Josh Bolten and Harriet Miers!  As you know, the American Freedom Campaign -- backed by all of you -- has been pushing for this vote for months.  Congress has taken a stand in support of our system of checks and balances and we all have reason to celebrate.

I would personally like to thank everyone who took the time to send an email to Congress, urging passage of this contempt resolution.  Over the past few months, AFC supporters have sent about 19,000 emails on this issue.  This caught the attention of the popular Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call, which this morning cited these 19,000 emails as part of the reason the resolution made it to the floor.  We are a young organization, but we are having a serious impact in Washington!

As my time is limited, I thought I would paste below much of our press release we sent out today.  It provides some additional information about the vote along with our reaction to it.

As always, thank you for all of your support.  If this victory inspires you to help support our organization financially, please click on the following link.

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2165/t/2629/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=2644

Best,
Steve

Steve Fox
Campaign Director
American Freedom Campaign Action Fund

=================

 American Freedom Campaign media release, February 14, 2008

WASHINGTON - Today, by a margin of 223-32, the U.S. House of Representatives, through the adoption of a self-executing rule, passed two resolutions related to the refusal of two White House officials to comply with congressional subpoenas to testify before Congress last year.  The first resolution directed the U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C. to bring criminal contempt charges against White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers to a grand jury.  The second resolution authorizes the House general counsel to bring a civil suit against the White House to settle the question of whether the testimony of Bolten and Miers should be covered by executive privilege.

 "After months of frustration, we are pleased that the House has finally passed these important resolutions," said Steve Fox, campaign director for the American Freedom Campaign.  "In order for our system of checks and balances to be effective, Congress must have oversight over the executive branch.  When Bolten and Miers -- with the encouragement of the President -- refused to comply with the congressional subpoenas last summer, they were tacitly saying that this oversight power no longer existed.  If they are not held in contempt -- and prosecuted in the courts -- our Constitution will have been defiled."

While the American Freedom Campaign is pleased by the outcome of the vote, it is disappointed by the fact that only three Republicans voted in favor of these resolutions.  Worse, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) stood on the floor of the House and asked members of his party to walk out of the chamber and skip the vote entirely.  All but 34 Republicans complied with this request.

"This should not have been a partisan issue," Fox continued.  "This is an historic dispute between two branches of government.  Both Democratic and Republican members of Congress should stand up for the American people and for the institution in which they serve.  Any Republican who failed to vote in favor of this resolution has expressed his or her support for an impotent Congress during an Obama or Clinton administration.  Such a development would be just as damaging for our nation as an impotent Congress under President Bush."

"Those members of Congress who walked out on this vote, have turned their back on the Constitution itself," Fox added.  "They have violated their oath to 'support and defend the Constitution' and do not deserve to represent the American people.  Again, this is not a partisan matter.  We would say the exact same thing if Democrats walked out on a vote to defend the oversight powers of Congress under the Constitution."

The American Freedom Campaign has been one of the most aggressive organizations in the country pushing its members to stand up for our system of checks and balances.  Since November, nearly 19,000 emails have been sent from AFC supporters to their U.S. representatives, urging them to pass the contempt resolution.

For more information, visit the American Freedom Campaign Web site - http://www.americanfreedomcampaign.org

FREEDOMFEST
The Trade Show for Liberty
July 10 - 12, 2008
Bally's/ Paris Resort, Las Vegas
www.freedomfest.com  
88 Speakers, Over 100 Exhibitors, and More Than 1,000 Attendees Expected!

Re: Consider Attending FreedomFest 2008 - The Trade Show for Liberty  
To: Friends in the Freedom Movement and the media
From: Ron Holland 

You are on my Ron Paul e-mail list as you’ve either written about Ron Paul, discussed his campaign in the media or written to Fox News in my Protest Fox News effort when they excluded Paul from the debate.  He has been invited to the FreedomFest 2008 conference and I hope he is available to speak again this year as his debate in 2007 was a highlight of the conference but this will depend on his campaign schedule.

Heritage Foundation has its annual Resource Bank…  State Policy Network has its annual gathering of state think tanks…  and there are many excellent conferences for those of us who desire a return to the Constitution, free markets and sound money, but I want to tell you about FreedomFest put on by my wife Tami and Mark Skousen.

FreedomFest is happy to announce THE TRADE SHOW FOR LIBERTY , “the one stop” conference for investors, the media, business leaders, Ron Paul supporters and all lovers of liberty, to learn, network, and celebrate with their favorite think tanks and organizations in the freedom movement.

FreedomFest 2007 was a roaring success with 1,027 attendees, speakers, and sponsors. And they are planning for a bigger crowd in 2008—88 speakers, 100 exhibitors, and over 1,000 attendees.  You are invited to attend and also exhibit if you have a website, service or political group that could benefit from this unique conference, scheduled for July 9-12, 2008, at Bally’s/Paris Resort.

So far several dozen organizations have already signed up as sponsors and exhibitors at this year’s event, including the Fraser Institute, Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College , FLOW, National Center for Policy Analysis, Universidad Francisco Maroquin, Regnery Publishing , and Laissez Faire Books.

Past speakers have included Congressman Ron Paul, Tom D’Lorenzo (Mises Institute), David Boaz, José Piñera and Dan Mitchell (Cato Institute), Nick Gillespie and Brian Doherty (Reason Foundation), Muhammed Yunus (Grameen Foundation), Dinesh D’Souza (Hoover Institution), John Mackey (Whole foods Market and FLOW), Jerry O’Driscoll (Heritage Foundation), Charles Murray (American Enterprise Institute), Steve Moore (Wall Street Journal), Bill Westmiller (Republican Liberty Caucus), David Thereux (Independent Institute), Richard Vigerie, Art Laffer, Ben Stein, Ted Nicholas, Harry Browne, Nathaniel Branden, and many more.  Plus speakers from the Goldwater Institute, Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), Pacific Research Institute, among others.

If you register before March 15, registration is only $395 per person and $595 per couple. Details on our three levels of sponsorship can be found by going to http://www.freedomfest.com/sponsorships.htm 

To register or to answer your questions, please contact Tami Holland, conference coordinator, at 1-866-266-5101, or email her at tami@freedomfest.com

Thank you for your time in reading my personal e-mail about the plans and opportunities for FreedomFest 2008 For liberty & a return to limited constitutional government in our lifetime.

Ron Holland, Editor
FreedomFest News www.freedomfest.com/news.htm

SFGate's Mark Fiore has blown a hole through the middle of arguments for telecom immunity. His latest cartoon featuring "Snuggly, the Security Bear" is more eloquent than any newspaper editorial could ever be:

With your participation, the American Freedom Campaign can help stop one of the most outrageous political power grabs in this nation's history.  At stake is not only our Constitution, but also the lives of Americans.  Please continue reading this alert and then take immediate action by clicking on one of the links below.

Recently, I wrote to you about President Bush's plan to sign an agreement with the Iraqi government, making long-term economic and military commitments, without congressional approval.  The negotiations over this agreement continue and the final outcome may not be known for months.

What is known for certain, however, is that the Bush administration cannot be trusted.  That is why three members of the U.S. House of Representatives are poised to introduce a resolution that would make it absolutely clear that President Bush CANNOT, under the Constitution of the United States, make long-term, binding military or economic commitments to a foreign government without congressional approval.

Click on the following link to urge your U.S. representative to co-sponsor this resolution and push for its immediate consideration on the House floor:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2165/t/1027/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=22955

Since my last email on this subject ("Tell Congress: George Bush is not king," January 28), the Bush administration has started to backtrack on its contention that it could make certain military commitments to Iraq without congressional approval.[1]  While this is certainly a good sign -- and we should all be proud that we helped change their tune -- it would be foolish to take the administration at its word.  Instead, Congress must proactively assert its own authority under the Constitution and clearly convey its position to the public.

A resolution proposed by Congresswomen Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey, and Maxine Waters would accomplish these objectives.  As stated in the resolution itself, its primary purpose is to reaffirm "the importance of following constitutional processes when the United States Government makes national commitments regarding the use or maintenance of the United States Armed Forces."  This resolution is not "anti-war;" it is "pro-Constitution."

The House needs to pass this resolution.  And the more co-sponsors it has, the more likely its passage becomes.

So please send an email to your U.S. representative today and urge him or her to co-sponsor this important piece of legislation.  Just click on the following link to get started:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2165/t/1027/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=22955

Thank you for taking action in support of the Constitution.

Best,
Steve

Steve Fox
Campaign Director
American Freedom Campaign Action Fund

[1]  "Gates seeks to reassure Senate on Iraq agreement," Boston Globe, February 7, 2008.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2008/02/07/gates_seeks_to_reassure_senate_on_iraq_agreement/?page=1

Hello Everyone,

Unfortunately, since the 5th of February, DVD orders have slowed.  Hoping that Ron Paul supporters haven't lost hope, and hoping that they still understand that it's the message of freedom and liberty that's important, and not the man himself... we have decided to take a loss on our end, in hopes that we can stimulate supporters around the country (and globe) to take courage, and try like never before to get the message out.  We have thousands of DVDs on hand, and the last place we want them sent to is the dump.  Ron Paul may or may not win the Republican nomination.  Like he says, however, "it's not over till it's over".  Honestly, it doesn't matter how the dust settles.  He has permanently changed literally hundreds of thousands of people for the better, by standing up for what we believe in.  We have been educated on the proper role of government, and the importance of the right to life, liberty and property.  We will never give up, even if some do.  When I feel a bit discouraged in our fight for freedom, my mind reflects back to a quote by Mark Twain, and it gives me strength:

"In the beginning of change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for it costs nothing to be a patriot."

Oh, please... let us be like the patriot described in the verse above.  Our children will thank us.  Our grandchildren will thank us.  And, many generations to come will thank us, and look back in awe on the time in U.S. history when we the people took back what was rightfully ours in the first place.

Ron Paul DVDs, from www.RonPaulDVD.com, are now just 25¢ each, plus postage and fees.  Some of you may have noticed the new order page, that allows you to figure the exact cost on the exact quantity of discs you would like to order.  If you experience any difficulty using the new checkout method, don't hesitate to contact me via phone or e-mail.

Keep at it.  Anything worth having, is worth fighting for.

Your Friend in Liberty,

Nate Jones
208-904-0938
New Plymouth, ID
www.RonPaulDVD.com