Ron Paul auctions old Chevy to help think tank

Catalina Camia | USA TODAY

Time for Ron Paul fans to open their wallets. The former GOP presidential candidate is auctioning off his old car to raise money for his think-tank.

In a post on the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity's website, the ex-congressman says he's offering his 1979 Chevrolet Chevette to the person who pledges the largest donation to his free-market foundation. Proceeds will go toward supporting the think-tank's work, he says.

There is a story behind the car that Paul's acolytes might find endearing. Paul explains that he bought the four-door compact when he first came to Congress in 1979, amid the energy crisis when the price of oil shot up.

Paul parked his car at the U.S. Capitol next to the gas-guzzling Lincoln used by then-House Speaker Tip O'Neill and took a "cheeky photo" that caused an uproar. Paul likens the reaction he got for that stunt to the criticism heard today about the man who leaked secrets about the U.S. spying program.

"Well, you would have thought I was Ed Snowden," Paul writes. "There was a huge blow-up. Tip even levied the ultimate punishment: He blocked pork-barrel funds for me, which I was not seeking anyway."

The car has 69,000 miles on it, has been sitting in a garage for the past 10 years and still "starts and runs," Paul notes. He's offering to give the highest bidder a congressional license plate that was used on the car when he hands over the vehicle.

(A hat tip to Chris Moody of Yahoo! News for linking to Paul's post.)

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