Ron Paul Fights to Move the GOP to the Right

Just like Ronald Reagan did in the years from 1968 to 1980, Ron Paul's organization is building itself into a force to move the GOP back to the right.

And many of the people contributing to the effort are volunteers who are donating their time and talents to the cause.

A group of independent artists have contributed their talents to a project that rendered Congressman Ron Paul into a 3-D animation. They're hoping that their video project, a 60-second commerial entitled, "The High Tide", is able to be aired before the Pennsylvania primary.

The High Tide is not just about Presidential candidate Ron Paul, but about the idea of returning America back to it's founding principles of freedom and liberty.

A small group of dedicated grassroots artists have created a new 60 second promo/TV ad for Presidential candidate Ron Paul, entitled "The High Tide". The ad combines carefully edited audio from various Ron Paul speeches with high end computer animation, motion graphics, and a moving musical score, into a unique presentation that is reaching new eyes and reinvigorating the dedicated Ron Paul grassroots.

Serving as lead animator, Arcfx's Nathan Evans conceptualized the project and reached out to various grassroots activists, tapping into individual creative talents the Ron Paul Revolution is famous for. Coming in early on, Ron Paul CNN/Youtube ad competition winner Chris Rye (AdamT from RonPaulForums.com) built the audio from famous speeches given at the Robert A. Taft Club and the Ann Arbor, Michigan rally where Ron Paul drew a crowd of over 2000.

IN OTHER RON PAUL NEWS:

Ron Paul's supporters are taking a page from the Barry Goldwater/Ronald Reagan history books: they're continuing to build a grassroots organization to fight for the soul of the Republican Party.

Reagan, first campaigned in 1968 and later in 1978, losing to Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. But in the process, he assembled the organization that later propelled him to a historic victory against Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and his thousands of fervent supporters may be fighting more over the soul of the Republican Party nowadays than they are for the actual presidential nomination, No it's not your eyes It's Republican presidential candidate and House member Ron Paul on a giant TV screen in Killeen Texas a GOP House of Representatives member from Texas who continues to campaign against Sen John McCain. Paul reported his campaign finances March 19, 2008 having raised nearly $35 million with nearly $5.6 million cash on hand and like a good conservative no debts. Seeeing how the congressman is more than 1,000 delegates shy of what he'd need to head the ticket.

With John McCain having already secured the nomination--and having left the country--Paul supporters are actively continuing the campaign for the next election, whether Paul actually runs again or not.

The 72-year-old Paul has plenty of free political time now because no Democrat, not even in Texas, is dumb enough to take him on in the November House election, which will award Paul his 11th term. On March 4, Paul vanquished his main Republican challenger in the 14th District by capturing 70% of the vote. Other than that, it was close.

Paul says he'll continue to take his conservative message of smaller government, more personal freedoms and an end to American troops abroad wherever his followers are strong and loyal, places like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, maybe Idaho. But they're actually all over, even allegedly liberal California, where one branch posed nearly-naked for a Hotties4RonPaul pinup calendar.

Other Paul supporters have chipped in with a music video, while others have contributed the above 3-D animation commercial project.

Ron Paul's organization is doing it the Reagan way: building an organization, one county at a time across the country.

And they're finding plenty of people who feel the two main parties are not listening to them.

As noted here earlier this week, Paul's volunteers are winning GOP influence the old-fashioned way, at the grassroots level county by county, tedious meeting after tedious meeting, largely under the radar of the national media, except The Ticket. Paul's volunteers, many of them new to politics, hope to exert some influence on the platform in St. Paul and go from there, the way the 1964 Goldwater generation of conservatives finally won in 1980 with Ronald Reagan.

What assets do the Ron Paul have in their fight to move the GOP rightwards?

Read the rest of "Ron Paul: Campaign Fights to Move the GOP to the Right"

by Mondoreb
images: connie talk
Sources:
* What's this? Ron Paul runs a conservative campaign with no loans?
* Ron Paul, waiting to be wooed, defies concession to John McCain
* YouTube: The High Tide
* Grassroots Artists Create Ron Paul as a 3-D Animation
* Alaska is Ron Paul Country
* Ron Paul: Supporters Want to Move the GOP back to the Right


DBKP.com - Bigger, Better!.
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Top Twenty Ron Paul T-Shirts

Pro- and Anti-Ron Paul Slogans





Regardless of what some commentators write about Barack Obama's ability to inspire, Congressman Ron Paul also has the ability to inspire.

Both supporters and opponents are passionately vocal.

NO other candidate has inspired the furor in Internet forums and blogs.

We looked at 100s of Ron Paul shirts. No, make that thousands of Ron Paul t-shirts: one site alone has over 5600 Ron Paul-inspired t-shirts.

We picked out 20 favorites: both pro- and anti-Ron Paul shirts.

If a reader feels inspired by any of these, click on the shirt to be taken to an order page.
























































by Mondoreb
Sources/images:
* Cafe press
* spreadshirt
* ron paul market



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Ron Paul: Will Stay in Race; Help "Ron Paul Republicans"

Ron Paul News Roundup

Ron Paul "Hotties" Calendar Sold Out
Paul to Stay in Race
The Rise of "Ron Paul Republicans"?



The big news this morning is that Ron Paul has announced that he will stay in the Republican presidential race.

And that the "Hotties 4 Ron Paul" calendars are sold out--and there won't be any more printed.

Also, that more candidates are running under the "Ron Paul Republican" banner--one just announced in Michigan.

Click on Krista to enlarge this month's Featured Ron Paul Hottie

Repeating what he'd insisted: that Ron Paul will stay in the race.

"I will stay in as long as my supporters want me to," the Texas congressman said on American Morning Wednesday. "I was very reluctant to enter the race, didn't think it would last more than a month or two, but to my amazement, we literally got hundreds of thousands of supporters and millions of dollars, and they are still very enthusiastic. And I say as long as the number of volunteers continues to grow, and the money comes in, and there are primaries out there, and they want me to be involved, I am going to stay involved."

Paul won 5 percent of the vote in Wisconsin and 7 percent in Washington State in yesterday's Republican primaries. He said he believes his unlikely run has attracted others of similar political leanings who want to run for Congress.

One such person is Linda Goldthorpe of Michigan. She announced plans to run as a "Ron Paul Republican".

Linda Goldthorpe of Curtis in the Upper Peninsula plans to run in the Republican primary against state Rep. Tom Casperson and conservative Don Hooper, and if she prevails will run as a “Ron Paul Republican” against seven-term Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak.

An outspoken disciple of Ron Paul, Goldthorpe says she has called herself a “pro-life Libertarian” for years.

Libertarians were an important part of the Reagan Republican coalition in the 1980s, but with the election of George Bush and the rise of "compassionate conservatism"--politicalspeak for more big government spending--libertarian concerns of smaller government and less government intrusion seem to have been pushed to the back of the Republican national agenda.

Now, more Americans with Libertarian principles are trying to make the issue of smaller government more important to the national GOP poobahs.

"One of my problems now is that I am being overwhelmed with individuals who want to [run] and I have the responsibility of sorting it out because we are capable of raising funds," he said. "So it is a responsibly that will be a significant one for me to make sure I help the candidates that are true believes and not just the ones who want to be in Congress."

A Ron Paul Republican would most likely be Libertarian in outlook: i.e., adamant about scaling back the power of a U.S. federal government that has reached into almost every facet of individual life in modern-day America.

Paul had previously announced this month that he was scaling back his presidential run to focus on his Texas district and the re-election race he faces there.

Paul is facing a challenge that any Congressman running for President must face: opponents who use the time spent away from the congressional district as a talking point.

Congressional opponents are using Paul's presidential run as an issue: it's being said that Ron Paul is more concerned with running for President than he is his local constituents.

So, Ron Paul is putting more time into meeting and greeting the folks back home in his Texas district. And in helping organize like-minded individuals who are running for office across the country.

Paul, who won 5 percent of the vote in Wisconsin and 7 percent in Washington State, also said he believes his unlikely candidacy has attracted like-minded individuals who want to run for Congress.

Paul also categorically ruled out a third party bid in the future.

As far as attractive women and Ron Paul, there will be no more "Hotties 4 Ron Paul" calendars reprinted.



The website for "Hotties for Ron Paul" says the calendar is sold out.

The site apologizes for everyone coming to the site to get a calendar. The website statement: "The Hotties4RonPaul Calendar has sold out! We apologize to all the Ron Paul supporters out there who came here looking to get a calendar!"

Concerning a reprint of the obviously-popular wall hanging which the site says "rated G, contains no nudity, and is safe for the workplace," the question is answered in the site's FAQ.

You have sold out of calendars, will you be printing more?
No, at this time we are not planning on printing any more calendars.

Iconoclast Republican Ron Paul attracts unconventional support for his presidential campaign, including a 2008 pinup calendar by Hotties for Ron Paul, an independent fund-raiser not affiliated with the campaign. The calendar features 12 scantily clad young women (no nudity). February's "Featured Hottie" is Krista Allee DiPaola, identified as a Detroit special education teacher.

In America, as in the rest of the world, politics and attractive women seem to be a natural combination.

Of course, leave it to an American to figure out a way to make a buck off the two.





images:
* hotties4RonPaul
Sources:
* Goldthorpe, a "Ron Paul Republican" plans to run in primary
* Paul Vows to Press on
* Taking it off for a cause--the Ron Paul cause



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Ron Paul - Get Excited

Ron Paul - Get Excited - Amazing videos are here

Our entry into the 30-second YouTube competition for the CNN debates.



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Ron Paul Pictures Wanted

Want to help the Ron Paul cause? Now you can.

DBKP Video is looking for Ron Paul pictures and graphics.

What's needed:

1- Any photos of large enthusiastic Ron Paul crowds. The more colorful the better.

2- Any pictures of work on the huge Interstate Ron Paul signs. Both when they were being built and the completed signs are welcome.

3- Photoshops of with Ron Paul in them. There's a ton of great ones out there. Do you have any? Humorous or patriotic ones especially are wanted.

4- Pictures of an older person (the older the better) with a Ron Paul hat or holding a Ron Paul sign, or both. Also, child 3-5 holding a Ron Paul sign or wearing Ron Paul hat or both. Two children 3-5 with RPaul hats and holding a larger sign might also be needed. Remember to smile!

There's no money involved, but you'll be compensated in three ways:

1- You'll be helping out a good cause. Studies prove people who participate in volunteer activities sleep better at night.
2- If we use your picture, you'll be mentioned in the credits.
3- You'll have something to talk about around the water cooler at work.

IMPORTANT: Make sure these pictures, photos and graphics are yours (or someone you know) and not someone else's. Simple as that. The same goes with Photoshops pictures; they have to be your photoshops.

Send all pictures to: dbkpvideo@ gmail.com.

Thank you and let's get them in.

by Mondoreb


Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Ron Paul 30-second Video Contest

The Ron Paul campaign is looking for a few good videos. Well, one video to be exact, but the campaign is looking for a video to air during the CNN/Youtube Republican Debates on November 28.

Rules and details below. If you have any other questions, click on the link below.

Create a Ron Paul Video for the CNN/You Tube Debate

CNN has requested for the campaign to submit a 30 second ad to be used as a bumper when going in to commercial during the Nov 28 CNN/YouTube Debate. The national campaign has asked us, the Ron Paul Grassroots Supporters, to be the ones to develop the ad to be shown!
Please let everyone know as quickly as possible because we don't have much time! Here are the rules ... READ THESE VERY CAREFULLY:

1. Ad must be exactly 30 seconds; no more, no less.
2. Ad will be shown for the FIRST TIME EVER PUBLICLY during the debate. Any video uploaded to YouTube for public viewing or accidentally placed on the Internet will be disqualified.
3. Ad must be available in both NTSC-ready format (for TV viewing) and smaller YouTube-size for review.
4. NO copyright violations. Must use original music, video and images, or need to have permission. If permission received, documentation MUST be provided for review.
5. Ads will be sent to me no later than Friday, November 23 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time, no exceptions.
6. Upload the ad to YouTube in PRIVATE mode (make sure not to use public!), and share the ad with RonPaulAdCompetition *only*.

What happens after the ads are submitted?

* A group of marketing professionals will review the ads on Friday and narrow down to a group of 4-6.
* The final videos will be sent to the national campaign for their review on Saturday, November 24 at 12:00 AM (Midnight) Eastern Time.
* The national campaign will select one (1) video of the 4-6 finalists to send to CNN on Monday, November 26 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
* The selected ad will be shown during the CNN/YouTube debate on Nov. 28th!

Start rolling people it's time to make this happen! If you have questions email me at rp.ad.comp@gmail.com, or visit this Channel as updates occur.

-----------

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

1) Add RonPaulAdCompetiton as a YouTube friend.
2) Upload the video to YouTube in PRIVATE mode. Select RonPaulAdCompetition as the only member of your contact list to have access to view the video.
3) Send an email to RonPaulAdCompetition or rp.ad.comp@gmail.com stating your video's name, link and your YouTube username.
4) Complete these steps no later than 8AM on Friday, 11/23.
5) The video can be switched to PUBLIC mode no earlier than the morning of 11/29.

-----------

NOTE 1: CNN debate footage can be used. Footage of other debates (Fox, NBC) can be used if copyright permission is received. Anyone submitting a video with debate footage will need to demonstrate proof of permission. This is true of any copyright audio, video or images used.

Producers can use audio/video of existing RonPaul2008dotcom channel content, and of Ron Paul's Flickr account (www.flickr.com/ photos/ronpaul2008), but no high-quality versions are available. Make sure to give credit to the appropriate parties. See the "Update from the Campaign" bulletin below.

NOTE 2: Previously we had discussed about the need to have 4-6 seconds for the Federal Election Commission (FEC) required verbal disclaimer of "I'm Ron Paul and I approve of this message". No need to do so for this CNN version, just 30 full seconds to use.

I might suggest it would probably be a good idea to have 'RonPaul2008.com' displayed at some point during the video.

NOTE 3: The campaign has stated that any submitted video needs to be "significantly original to be considered". (In the email the word 'significantly' was italicized for emphasis.) Changing some animation, shuffling words, and changing phrases would not be considered a new video.

All the public will see will be the winner. It would be much more interesting to see ALL the videos submitted. And will the "Ron Paul Girl" enter? Surely.

Let the debates begin.

by Mondoreb & Little Baby Ginn



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Ron Paul Dollars: FBI, Secret Service Raid Liberty Dollar --An Old Adversary

FBI, Secret Service Seize Thousands of Coins in Raid

Two Tons of Ron Paul Dollars Seized

How did a long-simmering philosophical and legal difference of opinion between a private coin organization and the United States Government spill over into the 2008 presidential elections?

THE HEADLINES FROM EARLIER TODAY:
FBI Raid Seizes 2 Tons of Ron Paul Dollars and the UPDATES

The joint FBI/Secret Service raid on Evansville, IN-based Liberty Dollars earlier caused a stir in the blogosphere today. The disturbance had to do with the fact that among the items seized by the Agents were nearly 2 tons of Ron Paul dollars.

The mere mention of Ron Paul fires most people up into a Ohio State-Michigan football-like frenzy. This news likely will cause two bitter rival cults, the Pro- and anti-Paul commentators to further furious action.

A number of views have already been presented at DBKP about this story and its connection to the Ron Paul presidential campaign. Some are for and some are against; trying to weave them into a single tapestry makes one dizzy.

It seems sensible to look at the background first. Then, we'll examine the other points one at a time, try to maintain an even balance and let the readers make up their own minds.

This is largely the tale of the fight between Liberty Dollar and the U.S. Government. As some of us feel that the Paul campaign's involvement was incidental at most, we'll leave that for a later article.

WHY WAS LIBERTY DOLLAR RAIDED?

Liberty Dollar has been involved in an ongoing struggle with various divisions of the federal government for awhile now. The source of their dispute is whether Liberty Dollar (once named NORFED--National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act and the Internal Revenue Code) is creating its own currency system to compete with the government.

The man who signed the letters that went out from Liberty today was Bernard von NotHaus. Keep his name in mind.

From NORFED's Historical site:

Please be aware that this is the historic site for NORFED, that distributed the Liberty Dollar (1998 to 2006). Since its founding by Bernard von NotHaus, the Liberty Dollar has consistently gathered momentum by becoming more main stream.

The emphasis at Liberty seems to be on using the coins as a sort of "value preservative." That is, the coins would ensure that the holder had something of value in case of a collapse of federally-backed paper money.

They also argue that the coins can be exchanged for goods at certain merchants who willingly take them to support the idea as another way of having something of value in case of a crash.

There is a lot of stock market, money system collapse conversations among the fanciers of coins. Liberty talks this point up.
From NORFED's web page:

Andrew Williams, a spokesman for the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C.:

"There is no law that says goods and services must be paid for with Federal Reserve notes. Parties entering into a transaction can establish any medium of exchange that is agreed upon."

Paul Harvey, well-known and respected news commentator, reported:

What's new? The Liberty Dollar! Fed Ex competes with the Post Office. So now there's the Liberty Dollar competing with the greenbacks printed by your government. The Liberty Dollar is backed by gold and silver. Yes, there's a competitive currency right here in the United States. In five years it has become the second most popular currency in America.

100,000 Liberty Dollar supporters:

REAL Money's got the look, the feel, and the real value. Because it is REAL Gold and Silver. I use it every day! And so can you!

So apparently, Liberty is selling something some people want. They also think it has value, especially if those people think the money system is in jeopardy.

Also from NORFED's web page:

Hi. My name is Bernard von NotHaus. I was so concerned about what is happening to our "money" that I designed and developed the Liberty Dollar. For 25 years, I was the Mintmaster at the Royal Hawaiian Mint and have devoted my life to the study of money, why it is valuable, and how we use it to fulfill our dreams. Like you, I am paying a lot higher gas prices, but I am also making a lot more money because I am using the Liberty Dollar. Here is what G. Edward Griffin, the noted author on the Federal Reserve said:

On page 573 of "The Creature from Jekyll Island", I wrote that before we could abandon Federal Reserve Notes, we first had to be able to convert them into real money. I said: "That means we must create an entirely new money supply which is 100% backed by precious metal; and we must do so in a reasonably short period of time." Well you have to be careful what you recommend, because Bernard von NotHaus did exactly that. And although I initially thought there were too many obstacles, to my surprise, the more I studied the details of his plan, the more convinced I was that by Jove, it just might work! My business, The Reality Zone, is a Liberty Associate, and I urge you to get in on the ground floor and join this growing group of concerned Americans as a Liberty Associate now!

This is all a little off the beaten path for most people, but doesn't sound scary enough for a full FBI/Secret Service raid. Wouldn't a couple agents have done the trick?

Perhaps not.

Where does Ron Paul fit into all of this?

Very peripherally, at the most. His likeness is on the Ron Paul Dollar, which has many admirers of the Libertarian stripe. Liberty is like any other business. They go with what is Hot. And in Libertarian circles, and all over the countr--because of the election campaign--Hot is Ron Paul.

So Dr. Paul gets his mug on a coin.

Which Liberty made.

Which federal agents raided today.

And took almost 2 tons of coins with Ron Paul's likeness on them.

The trouble between Liberty and the U.S. Government's been brewing for awhile (NORFED started in 1998), but it really got warmer last year. An article from USA Today entitled "Feds Lower the Boom on Alternative Money":

The government Thursday warned consumers and businesses that it is illegal to use alternative money known as "Liberty Dollar" coins, which organizers promote as a competitor to the almighty dollar.

"We don't want consumers to be fooled," U.S. Mint spokeswoman Becky Bailey says, noting U.S. Attorneys offices across the USA have noticed a marked increase in inquiries about the coins.

The article went on to say that Liberty wouldn't roll over and play dead. Philosophical principles were at stake.

It also goes on to detail a few of the government's objections.

The coins' producers vowed to fight the government's decision.

Evansville, Ind.-based National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act and the Internal Revenue Code, otherwise known as NORFED, has been making the Liberty Dollar coins for eight years and claims $20 million is in circulation. The group says the money, unlike official U.S. cash, has a hedge against inflation because it is made almost entirely of silver and is backed by stocks of silver and gold in a vault in Idaho.

The coins are then spent by the group's 2,500 Liberty Associates in stores run by fellow supporters or are accepted unknowingly by clerks who are unaware they are not receiving real money.

The Justice Department has determined that use of Liberty Dollars, which come in varying denominations, "is a crime," according to the Mint, which issued a rare public warning Thursday.

"The United States Mint is the only entity that can produce coins," Bailey says.

The Mint notes the coins share some resemblances to real money, such as the term "Trust in God" instead of "In God We Trust" and use of a torch in the design. Such similarities may confuse people into thinking the money is real, the Mint says.

But NORFED says it will challenge the government, arguing it has never claimed Liberty Dollars were official money and that it has a right to offer an alternative.

"The designs and verbiage ... are original and are not copies of any U.S. Mint currency," NORFED Executive Director Michael Johnson said in a statement.

It's unclear how many people or businesses are unknowingly holding Liberty Dollars, which cannot be exchanged for real money at banks.

In a case in Buffalo, a man and his son are set to go on trial next month after they knowingly tried to buy beer at a Buffalo Sabres hockey game with Liberty Dollars.

The Mint did not say if government officials will seek to prosecute individuals or NORFED after its warning.

Reed Runk, part-owner of Kendall Funk & Bismark Jewelers in Chambersburg, Pa., says the store has been accepting Liberty Dollars for about a year and has sold a few as well. Runk says the store will continue to accept and sell the coins.

"We just feel that they are something that educates people as to what the monetary systems are like in the world, that they are a fiat system, that if people lose faith in them, they will collapse," he says. Besides, "They are a good-looking coin."

So the battle lines are forming: Liberty and the people who distrust big government on one side; big government on the other.

Earlier this year, things got hotter still for Liberty. From Hot Items at the U.S. Mint's website:

The National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act and the Internal Revenue Code (NORFED) is producing and marketing gold and silver medallions that NORFED calls "Liberty Dollars." The United States Mint and the United States Department of Justice have received inquiries regarding the legality of these so-called "Liberty Dollar" medallions. The United States Mint urges consumers who are considering the purchase or use of these items to be aware that they are not genuine United States Mint bullion coins and they are not legal tender. These medallions are privately produced products and are not backed by, nor affiliated in any way with, the United States Government. Moreover, prosecutors with the Department of Justice have determined that the use of these gold and silver NORFED "Liberty Dollar" medallions as circulating money is a Federal crime.

Consumers may find advertisements for these medallions confusing and should take note of several issues related to them.

First, the advertisements refer to the product as "real money" and "currency." These medallions might look like real money because they—

* Bear the inscriptions, "Liberty," "Dollars," "Trust in God" (similar to "In God We Trust"), and "USA" (similar to "United States of America"), and an inscription purporting to denote the year of production; and


* Depict images that are similar to United States coins, such as the torch on the reverses of the current dime coin, 1986 Statute of Liberty commemorative silver dollar and 1993 Bill of Rights commemorative half-dollar, and the Liberty Head designs on the obverses of United States gold coins from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s.

However, despite their misleading appearance, NORFED "Liberty Dollar" medallions are not genuine United States Mint coins and they are not legal tender.

Second, the advertisements confusingly refer to NORFED "Liberty Dollar" medallions as "legal" and "constitutional." However, under the Constitution ( Article I, section 8, clause 5 ), Congress has the exclusive power to coin money of the United States and to regulate its value. By statute ( 31 U.S.C. § 5112(a) ), Congress specifies the coins that the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to mint and issue and requires the Secretary to carry out these duties at the United States Mint (31 U.S.C. § 5131). Accordingly, the United States Mint is the only entity in the United States with the lawful authority to mint and issue legal tender United States coins.

Under 18 U.S.C. § 486, it is a Federal crime to utter or pass, or attempt to utter or pass, any coins of gold or silver intended for use as current money except as authorized by law. According to the NORFED website, "Liberty merchants" are encouraged to accept NORFED "Liberty Dollar" medallions and offer them as change in sales transactions of merchandise or services. Further, NORFED tells "Liberty associates" that they can earn money by obtaining NORFED "Liberty Dollar" medallions at a discount and then can "spend [them] into circulation." Therefore, NORFED’s "Liberty Dollar" medallions are specifically intended to be used as current money in order to limit reliance on, and to compete with the circulating coinage of the United States. Consequently, prosecutors with the United States Department of Justice have concluded that the use of NORFED’s ";Liberty Dollar" medallions violates 18 U.S.C. § 486.

Liberty isn't the only alternative currency in the U.S. From Wikpedia's entry on Liberty Dollar:

The Liberty Dollar is a private currency embodied in minted metal pieces and gold & silver certificates (ALD), and electronic currency (eLD). It is distributed by Liberty Services (formerly NORFED), based in Evansville, Indiana. The company that mints and warehouses Liberty Dollars is [1] in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The Liberty Dollar was created by Bernard von NotHaus, the co-founder of the Royal Hawaiian Mint Company.[
ALTERNATE CURRENCIES
A number of alternative currencies exist in the United States, including the Liberty Dollar, Phoenix Dollars, Ithaca Hours, and digital gold currency. Unlike most other alternative currencies, both Liberty Dollars and Phoenix Dollars are denominated by weight and backed by a commodity. Phoenix Dollars are backed exclusively by silver, while there are both gold and silver backed Liberty Dollars. Liberty Dollars differ from other alternative currencies in that they carry a suggested US dollar face value.

Things got real hot for Liberty today and that's where we stand at the moment.

Liberty struck a coin with the image of Ron Paul, lots of people bought it and then the raid came down. It says on the Liberty website that $2300 of the proceeds from the sale of the Ron Paul dollars will be donated to the Ron Paul campaign.

That seems to be the lone tie-in with the Ron Paul campaign.

If the 2008 campaign season has focused on anything, it's focused on guilt by association. With the campaigning starting so abnormally early, there is scarce to write about of real news value.

That leaves pundits with a couple things with which to fill their space: polls, fund-raising and "scandals".

The polls are issued seemingly every day, with Rasmussen, CNN, and a host of others filling up space with what people think they will do a year from now.

The fund-raising is treated as if it's the score in a basketball game. Little can be gleaned from early fund-raising except which campaign is better organized. Four years ago, the writers today proclaiming Hillary Clinton as "unstoppable" are the same ones who then confidently predicted that Howard Dean was the Next Big Thing.

Dean's early success at fund-raising was their proof. Dean was one of the first to tap into the Internet to reach fund-raisers and got a head start. But by February, he was winded and John Kerry cruised to the Democrat nomination.

The third item is scandal and it usually involves a procedure that goes something like this:
1- Someone is discovered to have something "bad" in their past--crime, drugs, corruption, bad breath--that taints them.
2- The "bad" person is tied to a candidate's campaign in some way. Rudy Guiliani and Fred Thompson are the latest to feel that sting.
3- Calls ring out for the candidate to denounce the offender. It's a form of political "shunning".
4- Everyone forgets about it and looks for another scandal target. Repeat and rinse.

BACK TO LIBERTY:
So now look for calls to the Paul campaign to denounce a small coin dealer who's run afoul of the federal government. There has been no convictions in this case--no one except the government even knows the charges. If there are any convictions, it may be because federal agents seized almost everything of worth at Liberty Dollar today: computers, files, money, gold and silver.

It's hard enough fighting a federal charge, but it's even harder when the federal government seizes all your assets.

Makes one wish they had put back some Liberty Dollars for a rainy day.

[There is much more information and background on this battle between Government and Liberty. This story will have the gaps filled in as more information about the specific charges and Liberty's response to them becomes known. It will be updated over the next several weeks until it is more or less a complete narrative.--Ed.]

[NOTE: We will also proofread more carefully later; we will claim deadlines and all that. Truth is: we're tired.]

by Mondoreb
[images:libertydollar]

An in-depth look at the exact terms the government is using to define this issue and a good look at the raid overall is presented by Wake Up America in Spree's piece, "Federal Raid on Liberty Dollar Seizes Illegal Ron Paul Currency"

trackback to Wake Up America.

ALSO, Chucky at Policitco has an article, "Ron Paul's Supporters Get Busted for Illegal Money". It's a pretty good look at what promises to be a zealous anti-government Liberty against the federal government showdown. At the end of the piece is a round-up of links that could serve as a nice primer for anyone interested in cramming on the upcoming David vs. Goliath court battle.



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

FBI Surprise Raid Seizes 2 Tons of Ron Paul Dollars - UPDATE

UPDATES: Surprise FBI Raid Seizes 2 Tons of Ron Paul Dollars

Updates to our original story above. One from Italy where the writer makes a valid point. Not the one about George Bush being jealous: that's gratuitous Bush-bashing at its European finest.

The one about the FBI conducting the raid in the first place.
[NOTE: In the copy of the letter we saw from Liberty Coin, the Secret Service was involved in the raid also. However, this wasn't referenced in the following report.]
From URU Net, Italy:
"FBI Raids Liberty Dollar"

Webmaster's comment: Thet the FBI carried out this raid suggests a political motive. Maybe Goerge Bush was jealous because nobody wants to put his face on coins (just toilet paper). If the Liberty Dollar was really an illegal form of currency, the raid would have been carried out by the Treasury Department and Secret Service.

This from the Western Standard:
"L. Ron Paul Supporters Raided by FBI"

Why? Well, this company was minting coins and issuing paper notes claiming to be "dollars" and which, at least in the case of the coins, might easily have been taken by individuals for notes and coins issued by the Mint or the Federal Reserve.

Perhaps even more hillariously, given the intended market for these things, it appears that the minted gold, silver, and bronze coins were being told at markups of between 25% and 400% on the actual value of the precious metals contained therein. The only thing worse than a Goldbug is a stupid Goldbug and, apparently, these people were that in droves.

Now, Ron Paul's smarter supporters will attempt to distance themselves from such a disreputable operation. They can try and do that, of course - but, frankly, it will be difficult to with fifty pages of teeth gnashing from L. Ron's supporters about the raid. Moreover, any claim that Ron Paul didn't approve of or support this ought to be viewed skeptically in view of the fact that these people have been marketing these coins using his name and likeness since July at the very earliest.

More as they become available.
by Mondoreb
& Little Baby Ginn
[image: Libertydollars]



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Surprise FBI Raid Seizes 2 Tons of Ron Paul Dollars

A surprise raid on the offices of a coin dealer resulted in the seizure of thousands of coins--literally tons of them--including thousands of newly-minted Ron Paul dollars.

The following letters was quickly sent out to clients of the firm.

From Bernard von NotHaus, Monetary Architect at Liberty Coins:

Dear Liberty Dollar Supporters:

I sincerely regret to inform you that about 8:00 this morning a dozen FBI and Secret Service agents raided the Liberty Dollar office in Evansville.

For approximately six hours they took all the gold, all the silver, all the platinum and almost two tons of Ron Paul Dollars that where just delivered last Friday. They also took all the files, all the computers and froze our bank accounts.

We have no money. We have no products. We have no records to even know what was ordered or what you are owed. We have nothing but the will to push forward and overcome this massive assault on our liberty and our right to have real money as defined by the US Constitution. We should not to be defrauded by the fake government money.

No word yet as to why the FBI and Secret Service raided the Liberty Coin Company.
But to make matters worse, all the gold and silver that backs up the paper certificates and digital currency held in the vault at Sunshine Mint has also been confiscated. Even the dies for mint the Gold and Silver Libertys have been taken.

Thanks again for your support at this darkest time as the damn government and their dollar sinks to a new low.

Bernard von NotHaus
Monetary Architect

No further word at this time on many of the questions that naturally beg to be asked.

Why?

Is the Ron Paul campaign have a connection in some way?

Is Bernard von NotHaus connected to the campaign in any way?

What was so important or criminal to prompt a surprise raid by the FBI, no less?

This news will no doubt fuel speculation in the blogosphere, among the anti-Paulians.

We'll reserve comments for later when more is known, except to say that anytime law enforcement swoops down and carts off the assets of a business, we'd hope it involved serious, serious crime.

We will be following this one quite closely.

No word on whether other presidential candidate coins were seized.

[UPDATE: 2:11 11-15-07] FBI Surprise Raid Seizes 2 Tons of Ron Paul Dollars - UPDATE

Wonder if Franklin Mint is next?

By LBG
& Mnodoreb
Image [libertydollar]
More details: Freedom's Phoenix



DBKP.com - Bigger, Better!.
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Ron Paul: Cure For BlogWriter's Block

The Latest Ron Paul story

Ron Paul's results in the Texas straw poll only prove one thing. Whether you adore or loathe him, Ron Paul is the cure for blog writer's block. Commentators on both sides of the Ron Paul question jump into the saddle to adorn every story with their own spin.

For example: The Hill's David Hill reports that there's trouble back home for Ron Paul.

While Texan Ron Paul’s stock is soaring nationally, there is trouble on the home front. In September, Paul finished third in a straw poll of 1,300 Texas Republican activists who had been delegates to recent Republican conventions.

The congressman corralled just 17 percent of the votes cast, trailing California’s Duncan Hunter with 41 percent.

Hill's reaction is that these numbers are too high. That Texans are more concerned with making a statement or following a leader than they are about whether Paul can actually win the election.

This outcome says Texas Republicans aren’t terribly concerned about viability. Otherwise, one of the national front-runners like Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney would have beaten these long-shots. But if they were willing to “waste” their votes on Hunter, why didn’t most back a fellow Texan? The truth is that Ron Paul, the angry prophet, has little honor in his own land. He’s about to lose his congressional seat.

This interesting article details the history of Ron Paul's elections in both Texas and nationally.

It also touches on the anxiety felt at the national level by some Republican leaders about Paul.

David Freddoso at the NRO's The Corner disagrees with Hill's assessment. In Ron Paul's Trouble at Home? his rebuttal consists of three points, including this observation about the straw poll's results.

Hill's other piece of evidence is a September straw poll in Dallas (six hours from Paul's district), which Duncan Hunter won with 41 percent. None of the major candidates participated in the poll, partly because it was limited to current and former party convention delegates and alternates. Paul, despite being in his home state, received only only 17 percent of the votes cast. Paul did not do as well as he'd hoped, but how this is representative of anything that's going on in Paul's district — or anywhere — is completely beyond me.

Still another look at the news is Spree's at Wake Up America. She says, "Ron Paul, the angry prophet, has little honor in his own land".

She points out that the story is about the 2008 Congressional elections and ends by warning off any possible comment hijackers who try turning the discussion to the 2008 presidential election.

Ah, the name of Ron Paul sparks debate throughout the blogosphere. Whether he's running for president or Congress, the Texas Congressman is most probably the most polarizing figure on the national political scene today outside of Hillary Clinton.

Among those who have heard of both Paul and Clinton, Paul may have the edge.

Thank goodness for Ron Paul.

He is the savior for blogosphere writers looking for material about an election that is almost still a year away.

Without him, there'd be a lot less to write about.

by Mondoreb
Mondoreb at BNN: Ron Paul Cure for Writers' Block



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Ron Paul and the Internet: Who's Found Who?

“It’s kind of sad, but the money is what has given us credibility, not the authenticity of the ideas.”
--Ron Paul

The New York Times looks at the Internet and Ron Paul and reports it straight--rare stuff for the Times. It's a "make up your own mind about the Internet and Ron Paul" story in the mainstream media.

The interesting premise: Ron Paul's campaign didn't harness the Internet. It was the other way around: Internet users found Ron Paul and took his campaign on a ride.

More on this interesting look at the Internet phenomenon known as Ron Paul, By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE and LESLIE WAYNE at The New York Times:

From posting video on YouTube to enlisting friends through Facebook, all of the presidential candidates are looking for ways to harness the Internet. In the case of Ron Paul, the Internet has harnessed him.

If his campaign had taken place in the pre-Internet era, it might have gone the way of his 1988 Libertarian campaign for president, as a footnote to history. But because of the Internet’s low-cost ability to connect grass-roots supporters with one another — in this case, largely iconoclastic white men — Mr. Paul’s once-solo quest has taken on a life of its own. It is evolving from a figment of cyberspace into a traditional campaign, with yard signs, direct mail and old-fashioned rallies, like one here on Saturday attended by a few thousand people under cold, gray skies. Mr. Paul said it was his biggest rally so far. He said it proved his campaign was more than “a few spammers” and called it a “gigantic opportunity” to establish credibility.

How much the Paul campaign had snowballed on the Internet became evident last week when supporters independent of the campaign raised $4 million online and an additional $200,000 over the phone in a single day, a record among this year’s Republican candidates. There is even talk that Mr. Paul could influence the primary in New Hampshire, where he could draw votes from Senator John McCain of Arizona, who is trying to revive the independent persona that helped him win the state’s primary in 2000.

The story goes on and is interesting. It's not often we agree with the NYT, but this is a nice job.

The Paul supporters should be happy that a mainstream media outlet reported their man and the Internet happenings surrounding him in a straightforward manner.

This story is reported as a story ought to be: presenting the facts and letting the reader make up his/her own mind. It's a rare item at the Times when the subject is politics.

The rule in many places is: if it's in the Times, it's in the trash. Good for a laugh and a thumbnail of what the world looks like while wearing moonboots.

It's not that the New York Times couldn't be a good newspaper. It's that it tries so hard not to be one. This is an example of what the Times could be if it only would play it straight--instead of injecting its liberal/Leftist worldview into every news story it publishes.

by Mondoreb



Back to Front Page.

Ron Paul, Wolf Blitzer: In the Situation Room

Ron Paul talks about his "phenomenal" fund-raising day, as Wolf Blitzer describes it. Paul, a Republican presidential candidate raised over 4.2 million dollars in one day as part of his campaign's "Money Bomb" fund-raising activities.

Wolf Blitzer interview Paul in the "Situation Room".

Video is 6:56.

Blitzer calls the fund-raising effort "amazing" and asks Dr. Paul why he thinks it was accomplished.

Paul attributes the effort to "frustration" by the "grass roots".
Blitzer also says that Paul's support in the CNN Poll has risen to 5%--more than double what he had two months ago.

Paul talks about what, if any, other candidates he might support. Blitzer also asks Paul if he'd run as a third-party candidate.

Dr. Paul says that if he does not get the nomination, he will remain in Congress.

Blitzer also details the many dissenting votes that Paul has cast in 425-1 House bills.

This may change the way other campaigns plan their fund-raising tactics.

by Mondoreb




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