Bachmann was eloquent and did well. It seemed highly polished and I was not sold on her true belief. I think the last questions proved she was
willing to bend the Constitution to void laws in the states that she did not like. Herman Cain and Newt - I'm skipping them. They have no chance.
If someone else wants to summarize then by all means.
Ron Paul starts at 13:11 in the above video.
Paul started talking about the Constitution - that its whole purpose was to limit what the government could DO to the people and not the other way
around. That the General Welfare and the Interstate Commerce clauses have been grossly abused.
Q: The federal government has a lot of control over all of the institutions, what would you downsize? A: Difficult question, because its a long list.
Give me a list of what we should keep. We need sound money and enforcement of contracts, and defense. We weren't supposed to have a 100,000
bureaucrats that carry guns. People were supposed to carry guns, not them! With the economy in shambles we're in much bigger trouble than people
realize.
Q: You and I worked on an audit of the Federal Reserve, what is the solution? A: The President has a limit as to what he can do. It can be
constrained or eliminated by the Congress. People need to understand the business and money cycle. I don't say close it down in one day. Why
can't we have competing currency using Gold. Today you can go to prison for that and the counterfeiters are over there printing money. We found out
the Federal Reserve was passing out $15,000,000,000,000 with one-third going overseas. Jefferson and Jackson got rid of it, and when the people can
vote on it they always choose sound money.
Q: What would be your jobs plan? A: We have to do a lot, we have to repatriate our capital, our USD go out and buy goods and services and our jobs go
with it. I want to get rid of the capital gains and income taxes and shrink the size of government. Its not easy because half the people like
receiving your money. We have to change our foreign policy.
Q: Give us your perspective of your foreign policy? A: I would take the advice of the founders and George Bush when he started - no nation building.
Don't go be the policeman of the world. We should stay out of entangling alliances of NATO and the UN. Look at the mess we're in in Libya. We
should defend THIS country but we'd have to bring the troops home. We're paying to defend Germany, Japan, and South Korea.
Q: What conditions would you support in a balanced budget amendment? A: I don't want any chance that they raise taxes for it. We have to cut the
concept of big government. Jefferson wanted to do it and they rejected him. The Federal Reserve spent more than Congress so you have to deal with
that as well. There isn't enough restriction in what is proposed. GDP is not a good measure of economic growth. I don't like that approach
because its deceptive.
Q: 72 means tested welfare programs have been identified, how would you address it? A: Its going to be difficult without changing the attitude. We
have a 3rd or 4th generation that has been taught that entitlements are a right. Liberty and rights have nothing to do with entitlements.
Entitlements mean you can take other peoples money and the government is there to redistribute it. When we think of entitlements we think about food
stamps, the big entitlements go to corporations. The whole idea has to be challenged. Any program you can chisel away at it you need to do it. The
inflation tax is coming next summer and its going to get worse.
Q: 47% of households don't pay income tax. If you fix the Federal Reserve is that a problem? A: When you say 47% I think we're half way there. If
Congress runs up debts everyone knows that the Federal Reserve is the lender of last resort.
Q: What does the globe look like as you pull back the troops, is there anywhere you would leave troops overseas. A: No, I would bring them all home.
Q: Would you project power anywhere else in the world with the Navy or Airforce? A: No, you want to be able to defend our country. In 2003 there
were 3 suicide attacks per year and by 2007 there were 700 per year. There was a miscalculation. We never asked what the motivation was for 9/11 and
as a result the attacks will continue to grow and grow and we'll be more vulnerable and besides we are bankrupt. I believe we'd have a stronger
national defense.
Q: After the Civil War the Constitution was amended 3 times, and the 5th section of the 14th amendment gave the government the power to enforce equal
protection, would you propose legislation to protect life or would you wait for a Constitutional Amendment to overrule Roe vs Wade? A: I wouldn't
wait for an amendment, but I would remove the jurisdiction from the Federal Courts so that the states could immediately do what they want.
