While I appreciate some of Ron Paul’s political beliefs, mostly his support for more lenient federal marijuana laws, it is things like this that remind me that he is in fact an outdated, out-of-touch right-winger: the Libertarian-leaning presidential candidate has accepted, and not yet returned, campaign donations from white supremacists.
As Michael McAuliff at The Huffington Post reports, Paul’s campaign has taken more than $6,000 from people associated with the white separatist or supremacist movements: William Johnson and Virginia Abernethy. Both work with the white nationalist group American Third Way, which believes races should live in separate bubbles. “We want an America that is recognizable to us, one that we can feel comfortable in,” says the group’s website.
Now, $6,000 is not a lot of money — not in the political realm, at least — but the fact that Ron Paul’s campaign, which is no doubt aware of these ties, is using hate-splattered money to win the White House is absolutely disgusting, particularly in light of the fact that Paul himself approved racist, homophobic and all-around bigoted newsletters warning of race wars and AIDS conspiracies. More than that, though, Paul is apparently close enough with Johnson to have endorsed him for a judicial position in 2008. Paul only revoked that endorsement after the press began running stories about Johnson’s racist politics.
The revelation that Paul’s campaign has unabashedly accepted this tainted money should make people remember that for all his speeches about individual rights and political respect, Ron Paul truly is of a different era, an era in which white was right and the rest of the country be damned.
If the Congressman wants the nation’s respect, he needs to be forthright about these donations and in no uncertain terms condemn these donors.
February 28, 2012 at 5:34 pm, John Robert Hartigan said:
Perhaps the President should not accept money from "African Americans for Obama" which is blatantly racist. Racism goes both ways.
February 28, 2012 at 5:39 pm, Mike Brinkman said:
But when a Democrat does it, that's different…
February 28, 2012 at 10:12 pm, Chris Larsen said:
Don't be silly – when the establishment takes "tainted" money it's politics, when Ron Paul gets $6000 out of $30 millon from some skin heads it's a top story. HuffPost makes it sound like Paul was presented with one of those big checks that said "white power" in the memo. What a a joke.
February 28, 2012 at 5:45 pm, Rudi Soliz said:
So RP trolled some racist a-holes out of their money? Good for him. He didn't put a gun to their heads. As long as they aren't murdering, stealing, or enslaving, I don't give a damn what a racist does. Racism is an ugly, ignorant thing; but it's not a crime. Get over yourselves already.
February 28, 2012 at 10:30 pm, Chris Larsen said:
Great comment – concise, logical, explanatory. Thank you!
March 01, 2012 at 1:18 am, Rob Albion said:
'[M]urdering, stealing, or enslaving'? You're talking about blacks right? 'ugly, ignorant thing' yep ok you are. 14% percent of the population responsible for 90% of racially motivated crime and their targets are Whites, they also rape in the region 38,000 white women a year in the States, while in Africa there practicing slavery again.
So '[M]urdering, stealing, or enslaving' check!
'ugly, ignorant' check!
February 28, 2012 at 5:48 pm, Sean Adams said:
Then by this principle shouldn't the U.S government give back all the taxes these men have ever paid! I mean we don't want to use White supremacists money! Checkmate!
February 28, 2012 at 7:38 pm, Tom Giles said:
Albert Pike one of the primary forces in the KKK has a statue in Washington.
February 28, 2012 at 5:50 pm, Dave Vane said:
Man this article shows how screwed up our priorities are. You're saying a few racist jerks who also have idea's of sound currency, less war, and individual freedom who have no real influence on a candidate should have their measly 6k returned because of their unsavory personal ideals. But yet there is no condemnation for the president or pretty much everyone except Dr. Paul for there accepting the few hundred – millions of dollars in corporate, bank, and other special interest money that is having an impact on their campaign and influencing not only their ideas but our policy. No morality problems there. Glad you got your priorities strait!
February 28, 2012 at 6:10 pm, Brett Cates said:
Congrats Andrew Belonsky! You just wrote a baseless hit piece!
Here's the truth:
Ron Paul is not a racist.
A senior editor of Forbes wrote the newsletter.
Ron Paul says that gays should have the right to marry and have no government intrusion on anyone's right to marry. The government needs to stay out of the institution of marriage.
Ron Paul is the only one that will save us from becoming the next Greece.
Ron Paul is not a fascist.
Ron Paul 2012 or good luck with that.
February 28, 2012 at 6:21 pm, Corey Juklien Hanke said:
This is hardly news. The same people donated to him last time. This is just an updated version of a story from 4 years ago, which is all the media seems to be able to do. It must be caused by their incapacity to write something original.
February 28, 2012 at 6:24 pm, Billy DeFonteny said:
How funny that anytime I see a negative Ron Paul title in your feed, I now know immediately that it's written by Andrew Belonsky. When this little blog was getting going I liked it because it didn't seem to pander to politics as usual, but now you're doing exactly that.
Please show some self-respect when presenting pieces to the internet. This article is, as Brett said, a baseless hit piece that shows you don't care so much about what's right and what's wrong or what's true and what's not, but about standing hard-and-fast with whatever you hear Rachel Maddow and CNN telling you is the latest threat to homosexual or colored Americans – here's a heads up, IT'S NOT RON PAUL.
February 28, 2012 at 6:42 pm, James Hamilton said:
I will say this with no reservations Ron Paul is not a racist, so why should he give the money back? are you saying that just because someone has different race oriented views than you (Right or Wrong) they should not be allowed to donate to the candidate of their own free choice? Even if an American citizen holds different racial views, as long as he isn't depriving someone of their civil liberties that's his business, and don't dare think I'm upholding racism that's my wife of 17 years in this thumbnail. People have rights in America even when they don't hold the same views.
February 28, 2012 at 6:58 pm, Thomas Stewart Webber said:
This is idiotic. I've donated many times to Dr. Paul's campaign, and the only information I'm required to give is address, place of employment, etc…
Suppose I'm racist… you don't really know, do you? Are you suggesting that they run a background check on all donors, in order to prevent accepting money from potential racists?
Let's see… a background check should cost about ten times the amount of my donation.
Quit being silly.
February 28, 2012 at 7:05 pm, Ryan Durand Young said:
"Ron Paul truly is of a different era, an era in which white was right and the rest of the country be damned."
^^^^this is basically an ad hominem fallacy.
you need to go back to school son before you post any more bylines.
February 28, 2012 at 8:17 pm, Matthew Paul Bachelier said:
In the words of the infamous Ron Paul, "Why would I give the money back to them and have them do something evil with it?"
February 28, 2012 at 3:20 pm, Ron Paul said:
[...] …Campaign finance records show Ron Paul accepted support from white supremacistsExaminer.comRon Paul needs to give back that racist white nationalist moneyDeath and [...]
February 28, 2012 at 8:31 pm, Matt Williams said:
This is a joke. Even this 11 year old is smarter than Andrew Belonsky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__z_YBE7ebQ.
February 28, 2012 at 8:58 pm, Daniel Genseric said:
Everybody says there is this RACE problem. Everybody says this RACE problem will be solved when the third world pours into EVERY white country and ONLY into white countries.
The Netherlands and Belgium are just as crowded as Japan or Taiwan, but nobody says Japan or Taiwan will solve this RACE problem by bringing in millions of third worlders and quote assimilating unquote with them.
Everybody says the final solution to this RACE problem is for EVERY white country and ONLY white countries to “assimilate,” i.e., intermarry, with all those non-whites.
What if I said there was this RACE problem and this RACE problem would be solved only if hundreds of millions of non-blacks were brought into EVERY black country and ONLY into black countries?
How long would it take anyone to realize I’m not talking about a RACE problem. I am talking about the final solution to the BLACK problem?
And how long would it take any sane black man to notice this and what kind of psycho black man wouldn’t object to this?
But if I tell that obvious truth about the ongoing program of genocide against my race, the white race, Liberals and respectable conservatives agree that I am a naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.
They say they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-white.
Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.
February 28, 2012 at 11:26 pm, George Derby said:
Well said Daniel.
Now if only we could have an open public discussion about this white genocide agenda in at least one of these "free" Western countries.
February 28, 2012 at 9:30 pm, Ben Waller said:
Every political campaign in history has received money from at least one individual who holds a questionable or immoral viewpoint. Should Obama reject donations from individuals who are racist against whites? Should he search out every donor that doesn't match up identically with his own views? It is not as if Ron Paul is pushing these donors' agenda, but rather is protecting their rights as individuals, something that it just so happens white supremacists and black community members both cherish, or should.
February 28, 2012 at 10:18 pm, Devon Gagnon said:
lol, this is non news. $6000 isn't something even worth talking about. Although I myself am not a racist and don't support racism, he doesn't have any specific reason not to take their money. They're still citizens of this country whom have the right to their opinion, however mislead they might be. This is a slander article, plain and simple.
February 28, 2012 at 10:23 pm, James Hamilton said:
Mr. Andrew Belonsky We don't take away this guys right to vote just because of his view on race so as long as these people aren't breaking the law why would you want to take away their right to support whom ever they want as president? These are American citizens not some over seas terror group. People like you are the reason we need people like Ron Paul.
February 28, 2012 at 10:44 pm, Justin Thomas said:
How about you ask Obama why he's changed his stance on Super PACs or give back all the BLOOD MONEY he's gotten from Goldman Sachs? Or you could pull your head out of your ass. The fact that even those with so much hate can find their hearts softened and embrace peace means it's working. So fuck you Andrew Belonsky.
February 28, 2012 at 10:49 pm, Steven Afton Wolfe said:
You're an idiot. Did you get paid to write this? Because you should give the money back, for sure.
February 28, 2012 at 11:05 pm, Jim McClarin said:
Pphhttt! Ron Paul give money to white supremacists? Now that WOULD be idiotic. If they gave him money I think he would make sure they never got it back. If Hitler had given you a bunch of money would you have given it back? You would be aiding him if you did.
February 28, 2012 at 11:13 pm, Tiny McLarge said:
What? the Federal Reserve just prints the money.. Ron Paul doesn't have that Lobbiest money.. I am really sorry that the KKK has a worst name then K Street but I would rather Ron Paul take Donations Directly from the KKK then K Street. Lets be Honest instead of Emotional. K Street is killing Black People. not the KKK, K Street is destroying family (5million forclosures and 25% of the prisons population of the world and 65% of that population is Black. because of K Street Laws) and I could go on but you get the Idea? I reject any and all Racism. but when Santorum is on K Street bragging about killing little brown skin American kids.. I want the KKK and the New Black Panthers and the La Raza and the Orthodox Jews to all hold hand in hand and sing for Ron Paul.. dig deep and help him Compete with those who just print money and buy up all the media. Public Opinion is PUBLISHED opinion. Group Think is strong Kung Fu and the Fascist Warparty has that weapon. so Whores for Ron Paul and Nuns for Ron Paul.. I'm not going to become a prostetue or a covert so I welcome them to the team for Liberty.
February 28, 2012 at 11:21 pm, George Derby said:
As opposed to the BILLIONS provided to the anti-white Establishment politicians to continue pushing the global white genocide agenda?
Africa for the Africans, Asia for the Asians, white countries for EVERYBODY!
Mass immigration and "assimilation" forced on all white countries and ONLY white countries.
Genocide is genocide, it makes no difference if it is accomplished by bullets and mustard gas, or mass immigration and social engineering.
Anti-racist is a codeword for anti-white.
February 28, 2012 at 11:21 pm, George Derby said:
As opposed to the BILLIONS provided to the anti-white Establishment politicians to continue pushing the global white genocide agenda?
Africa for the Africans, Asia for the Asians, white countries for EVERYBODY!
Mass immigration and "assimilation" forced on all white countries and ONLY white countries.
Genocide is genocide, it makes no difference if it is accomplished by bullets and mustard gas, or mass immigration and social engineering.
Anti-racist is a codeword for anti-white.
February 28, 2012 at 11:45 pm, El Jones said:
That is absurd! Are you really calling for all of the candidates to do background checks on everyone who donates to them? I suspect you can find unsavory characters donating to ALL of the candidates.
I never was a big believer in the guilt by association thing. People are responsible for their own behavior…not the behavior of others.
February 28, 2012 at 11:47 pm, El Jones said:
Oh, and not for nothing…can you PLEASE try something new? This one is so tired. ::: yawns:::
February 29, 2012 at 12:13 am, Seamus MacGiolla Mhartain said:
Yet one more tool to help educate people about the candidates based on their RECORDS, not what a biased media wants you to believe:
election4uspresident2012.weebly.com
Please use it. Thanks!
February 29, 2012 at 2:41 am, Chris Fitzmaurice said:
One can almost hear the high pitched, nasal whine of the writer.
March 09, 2012 at 2:27 am, Elizabeth Herrman said:
I am a highschool teacher for the last twenty years. White female. And I've been called a racist about 100 times or more. I'm certainly not a racist and neither is Ron Paul. The media is trying to demonize Ron Paul, of course. It's so obvious./// One of the founding fathers said: "most people get the government they deserve." I really have no sympathy, anymore, after this country elected Obama. If the country fails to back Ron Paul, then okay–you all deserve the government you get–and it looks like that'll be Communism.
March 09, 2012 at 2:40 pm, Gregory Hampton said:
prone to hyperbole are we?
June 05, 2012 at 10:42 am, Carol May said:
Should Romney and Obama return their donations from all their racist supporters who hate Arabs and Persians…
Maybe asking for the Thought Police to control our electoral process is not such a good idea after all….
June 05, 2012 at 10:42 am, Carol May said:
Should Romney and Obama return their donations from all their racist supporters who hate Arabs and Persians…
Maybe asking for the Thought Police to control our electoral process is not such a good idea after all….