Rand Paul endorses Mitt Romney for president | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

Rand Paul endorses Mitt Romney for president | Indianapolis Star  - Joseph Gerth, Courier-Journal:

June 8, 2012 - "U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has endorsed Mitt Romney for president.

"Paul made his announcement Thursday on the Fox News Channel during an interview with Sean Hannity. Paul ... said his father, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, was his first choice for president but that he was supporting Romney 'now that the nominating process is over'....

"Romney said that he has embraced ideas that Paul championed. 'As president, I will reform the federal government and make it smaller, simpler and smarter. I am grateful for Senator Paul’s support and look forward to working with him to get America back on the right track,' he said.

"But some of Paul’s supporters, many of whom believe that Romney is not wedded to a smaller, less intrusive government, weren’t as pleased. By Friday afternoon, more than 2,500 people commented on Paul’s Facebook page — many of them critical of him."

Read more: http://www.indystar.com/article/B2/20120608/NEWS01/306080074/Rand-Paul-endorses-Mitt-Romney-president?odyssey=nav%7Chead
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Cuomo's pot plan gets raves from Bloomberg, Johnson

Cuomo's pot plan gets raves from Bloomberg, Johnson - Catalina Carmia, USA Today:

June 5, 2012 - "New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat and possible 2016 presidential candidate, is getting kudos from Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson for his call to decriminalize open possession of small amounts of marijuana.

"Cuomo's proposal is a 'welcome bit of sanity,' says Johnson, a former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico. Still, Johnson believes it would be better to legalize marijuana outright in order to lift the burdens on police officers and the courts.

Cuomo is also supported by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, who says the Democrat's proposal 'strikes the right balance.'"

Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/06/andrew-cuomo-marijuana-possession-gary-johnson-/1#.T9FXSrBDySo
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Massachusetts GOP upholds election of Ron Paul delegates in Romney’s congressional district

Massachusetts GOP upholds election of Ron Paul delegates in Mitt Romney’s congressional district | Politics - The Boston Globe - Callum Borchers:

June 6, 2012 - "The Massachusetts Republican Party’s Allocation Committee has upheld the election of six Paul loyalists who defeated Romney backers at a Fifth Congressional District caucus in April.

The upsets did not strip Romney of delegate votes -- because of Romney’s decisive win in Massachusetts’s March primary, delegates from the state could not vote for Paul during the first, and likely only, round of balloting at the convention, even if they preferred the representative from Texas....

"Statewide, Paul backers seized 18 of the 27 delegate slots Romney won on Super Tuesday."

Read more: http://bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2012/06/06/massachusetts-gop-upholds-election-ron-paul-delegates-mitt-romney-congressional-district/eZeCGyrJ2ww0UavnGEWLQL/story.html
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Michigan Secretary of State refuses to list Gary Johnson on November ballot

Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Michigan Libertarian Party State Convention Takes Action to Guarantee Gary Johnson is on the November Ballot:

June 3, 2012 - "Gary Johnson, the national Libertarian Party presidential nominee, was on the ballot in the February 2012 Republican presidential primary ballot in Michigan. The Secretary of State is interpreting Michigan law to mean that, therefore, the Libertarian Party is forbidden to nominate Johnson.

"The Secretary of State’s position is very weak. The law hasn’t changed since before 1980, and in 1980 the former Secretary of State, Richard Austin, interpreted the state’s 'sore loser' law not to apply to presidential primaries. Therefore, he printed John B. Anderson’s name on the November 1980 ballot in Michigan even though Anderson had run in the 1980 Republican presidential primary. The Secretary of State disavows this precedent on the grounds that in 1980, Michigan didn’t have procedures for independent presidential candidates, something that is irrelevant, and also not true....

"In all history, no minor party has ever had its presidential nominee kept off any state’s general election ballot on the grounds that the nominee had run in a major party presidential primary."

Read more: http://www.ballot-access.org/2012/06/03/michigan-libertarian-party-state-convention-takes-action-to-guarantee-gary-johnson-is-on-the-november-ballot/
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Ron Paul Delegates Arrested As They Win a Majority at Louisiana GOP Convention

Ron Paul Delegates Arrested As They Win a Majority at Louisiana GOP Convention:

June 2, 2012 - "The Louisiana State Republican Convention descended into chaos Saturday morning, with several delegates being arrested and the convention chairman being thrown to the ground by police. Sources report that state party officials panicked when it became clear that Ron Paul delegates commanded a decisive majority of the delegates on the floor – at least 111 of 180 (62%)....

"When Alex Helwig, the newly elected Rules Committee chair, rose to address the delegation, [Roger] Villere [Chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party] ordered him removed from the floor. Video footage shows Shreveport police dragging Mr. Helwig out of the room.... At this point, a motion was made to elect a new convention chairman. Henry Herford, Jr., was elected by an overwhelming majority. Nevertheless, Mr. Villere – who had appointed himself the convention chairman – refused to relinquish control of the gathering.... Mr. Villere and state party officials then ordered police to attack Mr. Herford."

Read more: http://www.policymic.com/articles/9163/ron-paul-delegates-arrested-as-they-win-a-majority-at-louisiana-gop-convention
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Video of a Ron Paul Delegate Being Assaulted and Thrown Out is Posted on YouTube

Louisiana State Republican Convention Results LIVE: Ron Paul Campaign Releases Statement -Policy Mic:

 "Saturday 3:27 PM: Video of a Ron Paul Delegate Being Assaulted and Thrown Out is Posted on YouTube  A video of Alex Helwig, Ron Paul Rules Chairman, who was elected legitimately by the majority delegation, being thrown out and assaulted by Shreveport Police from  the Louisiana Convention was posted on YouTube."

Watch here::


Following is a statement from the Ron Paul Campaign as printed by The Examiner: “The Ron Paul campaign condemns the unfortunate activities that took place at the Louisiana Republican State Convention in Shreveport. However, we also wish to highlight and applaud the fact that the convention ended on a high note reflective of the cooperation all Republicans wish to see toward the mutual aim of defeating President Obama in the November general election." Read more: http://www.policymic.com/articles/9130/louisiana-gop-convention-results-live-ron-paul-can-win-big
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Rick Santorum asks Louisiana GOP to make sure 'bona fide' supporters represent him in Tampa

Rick Santorum asks Louisiana GOP to make sure 'bona fide' supporters represent him in Tampa | NOLA.com - Jonathan Tilove, Times-Picayune:

May 31, 2012 - "Washington - Rick Santorum Thursday sent Louisiana GOP Chairman Roger Villere a list of 20 'bona fide Santorum supporters' who he would like to see Saturday's Republican State Convention in Shreveport name to fill the ten delegate and ten alternate slots he won in his overwhelming victory in the state's March 24 primary. Santorum's letter was an effort to forestall any move by Ron Paul supporters, who, by virtue of their triumph in the party's sparsely attended April 28 caucuses, will control events in Shreveport, to name Paul loyalists to fill the Santorum slots at the national convention in Tampa....

Noting that he won 49 percent of the primary vote, Santorum wrote, 'T'hough I have suspended the campaign, I have no intention of releasing delegates before the Republican National Convention'....

But at Saturday's state convention, at which the delegates to he national convention will be chosen, Paul forces will control 111 of the 180 delegates, according to Charlie Davis, who is directing the Paul effort in Louisiana, 'We'll have a clear majority on every committee and in every way possible,' said Davis.

"It is possible they could choose Paul backers to be Santorum delegates. They would vote for Santorum if he has not released them before the balloting, but support Paul in his efforts to otherwise influence the convention."

Read more: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/rick_santorum_asks_la_gop_to_m.html
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