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Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder, who has known Ron Paul for 20 years, unequivocally dismissed charges that the Congressman was a racist in light of recent smear attempts, and said the reason for him being attacked was that he was a threat to the establishment.Linder joined Alex Jones for two segments on his KLBJ Sunday show this evening, during which he commented on the controversy created by media hit pieces that attempted to tarnish Paul as a racist by making him culpable for decades old newsletter articles written by other people.?Knowing Ron Paul?s intent, I think he is trying to improve this country but I think also, when you talk about the Constitution and you constantly criticize the federal government versus state I think a lot of folks are going to misconstrue that?.so I think it?s very easy for folks who want to to take his position out of context and that?s what I?m hearing,? said Linder.?Knowing Ron Paul and having talked to him, I think he?s a very fair guy I just think that a lot of folks do not understand the Libertarian platform,? he added.Asked directly if Ron Paul was a racist, Linder responded ?No I don?t,? adding that he had heard Ron Paul speak out about police repression of black communities and mandatory minimum sentences on many occasions.Dr. Paul has also publicly praised Martin Luther King as his hero on many occasions spanning back 20 years.?I?ve read Ron Paul?s whole philosophy, I also understand what he?s saying from a political standpoint and why people are attacking him,? said Linder.?If you scare the folks that have the money, they?re going to attack you and they?re going to take it out of context,? he added.?What he?s saying is really really threatening the powers that be and that?s what they fear,? concluded the NAACP President.UPDATE: Nelson Linder contacted our office and wanted prisonplanet.com to stress the fact that he made his comments as a private citizen, not as president of the Austin NAACP. He said the libertarian platform deserves the same scrutiny as the Democratic and Republican parties receive in this nation. He went on to say that some on the web have construed that he is endorsing Ron Paul. And that is not the case. Mr. Linder went on to say that the interview was designed to discuss local issues concerning civil rights and civil liberties and his knowledge of the Libertarian party and Ron Paul.__________________________________________________Well, it sounds like some big-power, big-wigs in the NAACP got him to backpedal a little bit, but the most important point is that he makes absolutely clear that Dr. Paul is not a racist, and I believe him. Obviously, no black American working for the NAACP would say that Paul is not a racist if he was. That should be made, first and foremost, absolutely clear even more. I am now convinced that Congressman Paul is not a racist; and, of course,I?m VERY glad to know it!Source:Paul Joseph WatsonPrison PlanetJanuary 13, 2008