Rep. Ron Paul has been hailed by many as the “only true conservative” left in the U.S. Congress, and he perhaps has one of the largest grassroots followings of any U.S. Representative.
Rep. Paul has now formed an exploratory committee to seek the GOP nomination for President of the United States in 2008.
There is an unconfirmed rumor around the net that he will tap Tom Tancredo to be his running mate.
Some conservatives say this could be the “dream team.” Both men have very large grassroots support and both oppose the third-world invasion of the United States.
A paleolibertarian (and Libertarian Party presidential nominee, 1988), Ron Paul has recently become (according to some) more of a “paleoconservative” or “conservative Constitutionalist.”
Ron Paul is a harsh critic of immigration amnesty, and he outright opposes the third-world invasion of America. He is a member of Tom Tancredo’s Immigration Reform Caucus.
Paul was only one of six Republicans to vote against the war in Iraq. He foresaw the disaster it would become, and was not afraid to say so, even though it was unpopular at the time. Ron Paul also has voted against the Patriot Act in 2001 and again in 2005, and strongly endorses American withdrawal from the United Nations.
Ron Paul has been unafraid to criticize the neocon Bush Administration, and has been highly critical of their excessive spending. Paul professes a limited government. His regular votes against almost all proposals for government spending, initiatives, or taxes, and his frequent dissents in otherwise unanimous votes have irritated some of his Republican colleagues and have earned him the nickname “Dr. No” (an example being his dissenting vote in the socialist No Child Left Behind Act where he was one of three Representatives voting against it).
Rep. Ron Paul has been highly critical of the NAFTA Superhighway, and has co-sponsored legislation to end its construction. Although previously in favor of free trade, he has more recently become skeptical of it.
Historically, conservatives have opposed free trade, because they say it destroys the economy and erodes national sovereignty.
