No other member of congress was able to foresee the impending collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He has a savvy that he wisely chooses not to parade about as a part of him, yet it is no less lacking in it's ability to win over the hearts and minds of those millions who still love freedom and are not willing to ever give it up. This September, Dr. Paul told us a message that slipped under the radar of the guys (and their minions) with “D's” and “R's” in front of their names and I'm glad that it did. The message wasn't for them anyway even if they did have the common sense to appreciate it. The first “number” he pulled, if you dare to see it as such.

His endorsement of Chuck Baldwin left many thinking that Paul was throwing something away when he was actually trying to build a foundation for a movement that would last well beyond November and teach others a lesson that was years overdue. I personally wouldn't vote for Chuck Baldwin because I don't pick and choose which rights people have. It's already been spelled out for us. The US Constitution and the Magna Carta immediately come to mind as trusty enough guides.

Chuck can't play “The Name Game” in polite company and he would not be my choice to lead America even if Ron Paul himself introduced me to him as “one of the five best men in the world”. Then why do I think that Ron Paul created a masterpiece of political insight? Looking at this from a standpoint after the 2008 election, then please first understand that the ballot box is only a means of achieving liberty in our time, not an end.

The Libertarian Party is the third of those parties I am referring to. His “number” that Ron did on them, was that Bob Barr should not lead us to the polling places, as he has not earned it from his deeds, only from his popularity or at least the temporary illusion of it. I wavered back and forth as to whether Barr was deserving of my vote. I only recently came to the conclusion that Ron Paul was to show that another minor party candidate, even with all his obvious flaws, was more Libertarian than who the LP faithful was running for president.

He also wanted to show the party what would happen to them if they strayed from their time honored tradition of nomination of the candidate that best represents liberty that we want to show to the world. The nomination convention of the “Party of Principle” openly rejected vastly more qualified candidates for president, choosing instead an only slightly famous congressman who never showed any respect for freedom or The Constitution while serving in office. The LP was begging to be taken out behind the woodshed and shown how it's downward slide split the party faithful into mere splinters. Mr. Paul is bringing them back together without the party's blessings or assistance.

His choice to have the conference and invite minor party candidates on September 10th was sheer brilliance. He wasn't compromising himself to them, he was offering them to join the movement for liberty.

He showed the minor candidates that they too had also been badly stung by big government. Mired in their ignorance of economic reality, the minor parties have drifted too. Ron Paul offered a coalition to them, but one on his terms and that makes all the difference. Congressman Paul has taken it upon himself to educate them about the flip side of the freedom equation and it's vast importance to us all. The bailout, jobs, the economy, new loads of taxes, yeah, timings good too. Ron Paul chugs along whether you give him credit for smarts or not. It's a given that naysayers do not slow him down.

Big brother is losing it's friends, and liberty is scooping them up and pointing them in the direction they have finally realized they wanted to go in. This can build into something incredible. I am so grateful that I 'll be here to witness it when he pulls the next number. He's one of us, pledging his life, fortune and sacred honor,

With Liberty,

Dan Steward