The Past Catches Up to Dr. Paul: He Didn't Read It, But Someone Did and Why It Doesn't Matter

"I never read that stuff."
Ron Paul.


That stuff would be things like this, "Order was only restored in LA when it came time for blacks to pick up their welfare checks three days after the rioting began." And, "95% of black men in Washington are semi criminal, or entirely criminal."

Things like that "stuff" are pretty hard to defend in civilized conversation and on most campaign stops. Its no wonder the congressman from Texas has retreated to the Ken Lay defense. "I was in charge, but I didn't have any idea what was going on."

Yes indeed, plead complete ignorance, disavow and deny. Unfortunately for Dr. Paul video tapes and newspaper articles from a decade and and a half ago show him defending the quotes that appeared in some of the newsletters that he was publisher of from 1985 to 1996. Pesky archives. You'd think after Nixon someone would have learned a lesson.

In 1984 Paul formed Ron Paul and Associates. He was president of the publishing firm that in 1985 began issuing both "The Ron Paul Survival Report" and "The Ron Paul Investment Letter". In 1987 along came, "The Ron Paul Political Report." At its height the now defunct business was making about one million dollars a year. The editor was former Paul chief of staff, Lew Rockwell. He denies writing, "the stuff" too. He says at the time there were seventeen or eighteen freelance writers working off and on for the newsletters and since there are no bylines he doesn't know who wrote them.

But he knows who allowed them in and mailed them out to subscribers. He did. And Ron Paul was in charge of it all.

A little while ago Rachel Maddow, the arch liberal, talk show host was questioning the viability of the Paul campaign with this sort of hateful nonsense in his background. She and Melissa Harris-Perry, a professor of politics at Tulane University, were wondering what Ron Paul could do to truly prove he is repelled by what once appeared under his very bold name on the masthead of these publications. They are missing the point entirely.

He doesn't have to truly prove he is repelled by any this. Look at his core constituency. Hell, most of his true believers liked what he said. That is why they subscribed and are making phone calls for him in Iowa as I type. These are people who really did agree with "The Ron Paul Political Report" when it said Martin Luther King Day, is "hate whitey day." He is not now, nor has he ever been playing to the black vote, or the Jewish vote, or any other vote except the ever shrinking white conservative, racist, tea party, crowd.

Ron Paul is not going to be nominated by the republican party to be their presidential candidate. The fact that he got this far is a tribute to the fear, loathing and activism of the conservative fringe. They know they are on the way out and their death throes are gruesome and loud, just as their past is as offensive as their hero's.

No, despite a lead in Iowa the Paul campaign is a futile exercise in blue suit, well groomed, extremism. When it comes to his candidacy it is best to paraphrase old Joe Conrad: "Mistah Paul, he's dead."

12-28-11