Antiwar.com Radio yesterday posted a very informative interview between Charles Goyette and Ron Paul. At about 10 minutes into the interview, Goyette asked Congressman Paul about my comment on the blog regarding negotiations with the Republican party for a speaking slot at the Republican Convention in September convention.
Congressman Paul replied: “I don’t know where he got that information because there will be no negotiations. And if they [the Republican Party] would call me up and ask – ‘do you want to speak at the convention,’ I would probably say yes.†Paul added that “there is zero chance of that happening – so there are no negotiations going on.â€
I’m glad to hear that the Paul campaign is not currently negotiating for a speaking slot. It’s good that seeking the podium at the convention will not impede Paul’s criticism of Bush’s foreign aggression.
As I have said before, Ron Paul is America’s best congressman. It is great that Paul’s campaign has awakened many Americans to the perils of government and the value of liberty.
Paul’s comments in the Antiwar.com Radio interview are especially helpful in resolving the different signals from his campaign staff and other officials in recent months on this issue:
The Washington Post reported on May 6 that “Paul’s campaign hopes to turn such support into upward of 50 delegates for the party’s national convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul in September, where he is gunning for a speaking slot.â€
On May 9, the Boston Globe reported that Paul’s Maine coordinator, Ken Lindell, declared, “The goal at the national convention is to get a speaking slot for Dr. Paul to deliver that message.”
The Los Angeles Times blog on May 12 reported that Ron Paul supporters “hope to demonstrate their disagreements with McCain vocally at the convention through platform fights and an attempt to get Paul a prominent speaking slot.â€
Fox News reported the same day that according to Jesse Benton’s comments, “Paul is planning on having as big a delegation as possible at the convention, and he continues to seek a speaking opportunity there, something the party has not offered to him yet.â€
The focus on a speaking slot has been mentioned by the campaign off and on going since early February. On February 12, MSNBC reported that after the Super Tuesday showings, “Paul’s goal, according to spokesman Benton, is to get a substantial delegation to convention (they estimate they’ll have about 42 delegates) get a good speaking spot, and ‘spread the conservative message.’”
These comments confirm what top operatives said at a meeting of a few dozen of Ron Paul’s key supporters in Washington in late April, according to one attendee.
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I hope Ron Paul gets a great speaking slot at the GOP convention. Giving the delegates and the television audience a double-barrel dose of truth could be the best tonic the nation receives this Fall.