Sunday, January 1, 2012

NH Paper Rips Paul And His Supporters

New Hampshire's most influential newspaper took the knives out for Ron Paul Friday, calling the GOP hopeful "dangerous" and labeling his supporters the "lunatic fringe."
Joseph McQuaid, publisher of the Union Leader, lamented that reporters more interested in chasing the latest political developments have largely ignored Paul's views on foreign policy."Those views have been largely overlooked by a news media more interested in the presidential 'horse race' than in the candidates' positions on issues. But we expect New Hampshire primary voters will examine the facts and act accordingly," McQuaid wrote.The column ticked off several of Paul's views, starting with the stance that suspected terrorists be tried in civilian courts."This is nothing short of nuts," McQuaid wrote. "What is needed to competently fight a war, and al-Qaida is indeed at war with us, is the ability to gather information. Telling the enemy that it has a 'right to remain silent' is absurd."Other positions at issue: Paul's controversial stance on Iran, which has recently come under fire from other candidates on the campaign trail."He has repeatedly said that we should allow Iran to continue to develop a nuclear weapon," McQuaid wrote. "This is the same country whose leadership vows death to America, the 'Satanic power,' and who wants Israel wiped from the map."McQuaid also directed his wrath at Paul's supporters, who he said were far from mainstream."Never mind Paul being the favored candidate of the lunatic fringe (see white supremacists, anti-Semites, truthers, etc.)."Paul's press secretary Jesse Benton released a statement saying the editorial reflected establishment thinking."Dr. Paul is fighting for real change and taking on the entire establishment - the neo-conservative foreign policy establishment, the monetary establishment and the big spending establishment in Washington," Benton wrote. "He is bound to take a lot of arrows from supporters of the status quo, but he has broad shoulders and will never stop fighting for what is right."

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