Ron Paul, still pushing, still has nearly $5 million cash, no debt

Rep. Ron Paul, the rebel Republican who's defying his party, its nominee and common political sense, is still campaigning, not so much for his party's nomination, which Sen. John McCain has locked up, but to change the direction of the party from within and to organize for future reform of the GOP, which has gone soft on him.

According to new campaign finance reports filed Tuesday by Paul forces and pored over by Times campaign finance expert Dan Morain, the strict constitutionalist Paul continues to campaign and spend. He spent $406,836 last month, about half of it ($207,000) on radio advertisements.

Tapping his loyalists for another $70,293 in contributions, Paul ended April with $4.71 million in the bank, his filed campaign finance report shows.

He has raised about $34.9 million during his 14-month presidential quest. The 72-year-old Texas representative, who's even older than McCain, spent $30.2 million on his GOP presidential effort. And, true to conservative form, he maintains absolutely zero campaign debt. Contrast that with Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton who, The Ticket misreported earlier today, raised $21 million last month and now still has almost $31 million in debt. (Her debt is actually closer to $21 million.)

CNN pegs Paul’s delegate count at 26.

One-time Republican presidential front-runner Rudolph Giuliani spent $65.3 million on his campaign and won only one single delegate, who has since been released.

Giuliani tapped himself last month, using $500,000 of his own money to help pay off his presidential campaign bills. He still owes $3.628 million. Among Giuliani’s lingering debts is $118,744 to AT&T; $295,093 to Verizon Wireless; and $451,736 to a New York charter air carrier. He continues to owe two of his companies a combined $217,000 for rent and security services.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[wgadget]

Ron Paul will run as an independent as soon as the convention is over.

Ron Paul 2008

[terribly smart]

Over one million votes (50,000 yesterday in Oregon alone), a book at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list...

Either this is a real movement of somebody's got some serious 'splaining to do!

[ron moss]

The whole truth is Original "income" tax to be legal had to be limited to Federal source, payroll for postal workers, and military to avoid conflict with constitutional restriction. Then just following World War 2, confusion was in their favor to decieve the public and spread that tax to paivate labor as well. unlawfully. Present ambiguity plays into the hands of the IRS, together with FBI, ATF, and some courts they continue to steal funds to pay interest on the national debt. Google "Sherry Peel Jackson and Joe Banister" Check it out. Thanks Ron Moss

[dave]

who's the nominee? since you say ron paul is defying him, and you also say mccain only 'has it locked up' - i.e. he's as yet only the preemptively-declared would-be-nominee? and it very much looks like ron paul has no intention of defying his own cause, but will obtain the nomination. regardless how many more of the hopelessly 'locked-up' mccain's lobbyist-paid advertisers and propagandists might scurry off mccain's sinking ship now.
and ron paul's economic skills and expertise, among his many other talents, are widely known and well respected.

[Scott R]

You forgot to mention (again) that he doesn't care about those poor people in Burma.

[Andrew]

Mr. Malcom, I have been impressed with your coverage of Dr. Paul despite the mainstream media viewing Pauls message as crazy. But it seem that you don't see the freedom movement as realistic. Comments like "defying common political sense" leave me to wonder. Ron Pauls message is as old as our country. Hense the rEVOLution. A major point of his campaign is that these values are traditionaly Republican. One question, do you report on Ron Paul for ratings or because you actualy are inspired by the message that he supports.

[Dr. Kibble]

Don't expect Andrew Malcolm to publicly state he is in favor of one candidate or another. To do so would be in violation of journalistic honor and would destroy any credibility he might have. Andrew Malcolm's (and the rest of the media's) job is to report facts and let their audience decide. Going beyond reporting facts is called "spin", and going beyond spin is an opinion/editorial piece; which is supposed to explicitly state that it is an opinion.

True to form, Andrew Malcolm writes another favorable piece about Ron Paul after writing a couple less-favorable pieces. 2 bad articles, 2 good articles. Lather, rinse, and repeat.

[Ben]

"The 72-year-old Texas representatyive, who's even older than McCain, spent $30.2 million on his GOP presidential effort"

That had no place at all being included in that sentence. Does his age have to do with his money-raising? What poor journalism.

Oh, and use spell-checker : representatyive???

[Patrick]

Scott R,
Why is it that you care if Ron Paul doesn't want our gov't to send tax payer money to aid the people in Burma? His idea is that it isn't the role of the gov't. What have YOU done to aid the Burmese people? Do you require the gov't to tell you to donate? If you think it's such a big deal why don't you organize some sort of local relief fund, that way you can feel like you were a part of the solution and not just whining about the problem(again).

[Tom deSabla]

Ron Moss - There is truth in what you say, and I appreciate what you're trying to do, but

no one, and I'm not kidding around here, NO one should say anything about the income tax until they are familiar with Peter Eric Hendrickson's research and book. If you don't know about his findings, you aren't qualified to discuss the issue. I'm sorry if I have offended you.

No one includes Ron Paul too, because even he has a lot to learn from Hendrickson. Just google him, everyone, and hold on to your hats.

**

Hey Andy, I forgot - you need a soul too, so we're going to have to "strengthen" the "Turn Andy Malcolm into a Human Being" resolution I recommended. Since we care so much, and since, as you say, how MUCH we care is measured by how many stupid resolutions we pass and how much taxpayer money we spend, we must go to the well once again.

You see Andy, the brave men and women who protect our freedoms by turning you into a human being deserve every "tool" we can give them. The unfortunate fact that the original resolution only included a heart and brain obviously left a "loophole" in the law that must be closed, if we really cared about you. So, in consultation with Barack Obama, we will appoint a "soul commission" to determine the desirable makeup of your future soul that we, who care so much, are going to "give" to you.

Oh, just one more thing Andy...

Please submit yourself for examination, drug testing, HIV testing, means testing, psychological profiling, biopsy, and DNA sampling immediately. We can't just go around giving people souls unless we know a little more about them, now can we?

[barry]

Patrick - you are right about Burma. My guess is that Scott R was being sarcastic, however.

[Jerry]

Mr. Malcom could stop his rants about Paul with a simple antidote:

Read his book The Revolution: A Manifesto.

My thoughts are that he will not read it because he can not refute it. And I predict that this comment will not appear in print, either.

[matt]

This doesnt have anything to do with the article.
For all you Ron Paul supporters out there (me included).
It is interested contrasting media reports versus real life observations. Its not that close to November yet, and I have noticed locally that not many candidate signs or bumper stickers are around. But since december, I have seen three Obama bumpers sticker, nothing for Clinton, and about 20 Ron Paul signs, and 12 RP bumper stickers. Kinda interesting considering he has been called a long shot ever since he announced he was running.

[John]

When analyzing the fiscal prudishness of Congressman Paul, you should always mention that he doesn't take a buck from federal matching funds.

[Louis Nardozi]

There are millions of us and we won't go away. We care a lot more about being free than you care about being popular. We will have Ron Paul as our candidate and as our President. We can accept your disdain, because we know you'll be thanking us later when you can choose for yourself what your life is unburdened at least by income tax. Remember, that is a small part of what comes out of your check. They also take FICA and Soc. Sec. too. A lot of you lose about 1/3 of your check - what would you do with that money? Times getting tight? Need Gas money? Ron Paul will give it to you the very BEST way - by not taking it from you in the first place!

[AKK]

@Scott R

I suppose you do. Are you DOING anything about it? Or are you just pointing fingers at people who aren't as holy and virtuous as you are?

[Web Smith]

Ron is has said that he's staying in the race to spread his message which is full of common sense.

Why would any country give a private bank the right to print its currency and then borrow it from the same bank and pay interest on it? How can any country print endless supplies of money and expect it to hold its value? Why would any country borrow money to give it to another country? Why would anyone loan people money until the only thing they can do is pay interest and expect the economy to be OK? How can any country kill people in another country and think that people in that country are not going to get angry and retaliate? How can any country think that it can allow people to cross its borders at will and not have problems? How can any country take 50% of the wealth from its people and expect its economy to be OK? How can any country burden its population with regulation and expect them to remain ambitious and hopeful? How can any country establish programs to support its population and expect them to remain industrious? How can any country take the freedom, the very reason its immigrants came here, away from its population and expect them to remain loyal?

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know when something stinks.

[Web Smith]

Ron is has said that he's staying in the race to spread his message which is full of common sense.

Why would any country give a private bank the right to print its currency and then borrow it from the same bank and pay interest on it? How can any country print endless supplies of money and expect it to hold its value? Why would any country borrow money to give it to another country? Why would anyone loan people money until the only thing they can do is pay interest and expect the economy to be OK? How can any country kill people in another country and think that people in that country are not going to get angry and retaliate? How can any country think that it can allow people to cross its borders at will and not have problems? How can any country take 50% of the wealth from its people and expect its economy to be OK? How can any country burden its population with regulation and expect them to remain ambitious and hopeful? How can any country establish programs to support its population and expect them to remain industrious? How can any country take the freedom, the very reason its immigrants came here, away from its population and expect them to remain loyal?

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know when something stinks.

[BradF]

They only write about Ron Paul, because McCain doesnt draw enough traffic to their website to sell ads.

[Ray]

How is it that fighting until the fight is over defies common political sense?

[terribly smart]

sheeeesh

Scott R was being sarcastic!

[T. Paine]

@ Web Smith,

Shhhhhh... You make to much sense. Stop thinking...

[GhoulianisTears]

Hahaha! Poor Rudy. For so long the establishment media were touting Rudy as the Republican frontrunner to be beat and in the same breath saying that Ron Paul was the kooky long shot.

Man were you guys wrong.

Over and over we'd hear the same talking points "long shot presidential candidate Ron Paul" as the media mockingbirds chirped all over the nation.

I and many others I know have completely lost faith in the media. You guys are a joke.

[RaferJanders]

Andi, "We know how old Ron Paul is, Parties direction?
Ron Paul wants to change the Country, It does not have to be this way, So divided and greedy full of hate, American's are the greatest people in the World, Ron Paul does not even want to get paid for the job, If his run for president represents his fiscal policy, What is wrong with That! Look at all the others with millions of debt. hmmm, I have always been a planner, I like Ron for some many reasons, One of the most important one is honest, carring person, My god 4000 babies! Air force vet, Andi the good guys dont always win but the fact is we are the only American's awake, and see threw the Government and what they have done to this Country in the last 8 yrs, Come Andi join us, I'll be your best friend and take you fishing.

[Jon]

F the poor in Burma.. Its not our job to bail all these countries out. Its nice when we have the extra cash to do it, but this counrty is in debt. More countries should be more self reliant, than US reliant. Ron Paul DOES care about Burma, Buts its unconstitutional to send them aid money. Alll the food sent is hoarded by the Govt anyway, so it makes no difference.