It's an economic crisis he largely predicted -- so what's former presidential candidate / Rep. Ron Paul up to these days? He's thinking about the long-term. His campaign for Liberty will start training activists at eight regional summits this year while it continues to urge followers to work against the stimulus and bailout measures in Congress.

More than 500 activists are expected to attend the first summit in St. Louis from March 25 to 27. The second summit is scheduled for April in Jacksonville and a third tentatively set for Seattle. Campaign for Liberty's Senior Vice President Jesse Benton said five more summits will be held if the first three are successful.

Paul will attend the St. Louis summit, as well as Andrew Napolitano, a Fox News legal analyst and former New Jersey Supreme Court justice, and Tom Woods, best-selling author of the "Politically Incorrect Guide to American History."

Benton said the summits will educate activists on the principles of the Constitution and train them in how to influence politics, from organizing, educating, lobbying and running for office. Already activists are getting involved in running for Republican Party leadership races in different states, Benton said.