The Pittsburgh Herald-Tribune's Bill Steigerwald is one of the most dedicated constitutionalist conservative/libertarian writers around, and his new interview with Ron Paul is a terrific, succinct presentation of Paul's philosophy and platform.
A taste:
Q: Do Republican voters really want someone like you – someone who really wants to cut the size and power of government and maximize individual freedoms?A: I don’t think all Republicans do, because they keep electing the wrong kind. But I think the grassroots – those who go to conventions and those who write the platforms – do. I was just studying the Iowa state Republican platform, and, boy, it’s hardcore. And Texas has a platform that’s really hardcore. But they are not the money people. The money people in the Republican Party come from the drug industry and the military industrial complex.
So yes, that’s our competition and they have a lot of money and a lot of clout and frequently they own media outlets, too. It’s a struggle, but I am convinced we are on the right side of the issue and we are also in an era where something has to be done, because more and more people every day are starting to realize that we can’t continue to just expand our entitlement system and never draw back from our foreign commitments and think that we can have a viable currency and a viable economy. I think it’s becoming quite clear that our economy is suffering from this.
