Ron Paul and the Cujo Effect

Ron Paul and the 'Cujo' Effect
Paul A. Ibbetson

Ron Paul, the failed presidential candidate of 2008, has become the Cujo of the Republican Party, but not for many of the reasons you may think. Just like the loveable St. Bernard of Stephen King's creative mind, there is an often unobserved duality to the Texas congressman. Like Cujo, Ron Paul is far from being "all bad." Many of his long-standing beliefs in the Constitution, limited government, and the free market are not only conservative beliefs but also bedrock examples of what has made this country great. As well, Paul's military service to this country is exemplary and worthy of emulation.

Unfortunately, Ron Paul's positive points are outweighed by his radical views on many important issues. While many rail against the tax system we currently have, Ron Paul advocates eliminating the Federal Reserve and the IRS with no feasible
replacement system. When Paul gets to slashing government entities, he includes the FBI and CIA, saying they should also go the way of the dodo bird. It is here that the inflammation of a skewed viral way of thinking begins to be seen in the Paul mentality.

This is not something new for the Texas congressman. During the 1980's Paul was attacking Ronald Reagan on the use of the CIA along with his "eye rolling" support for the legalization of drugs. Today, Ron Paul's modern day conspiracy theory stances and "blame America first" positions have garnered him the 9/11 truth crowds and the paranoia-pill pushers such as Alex Jones and Jesse Ventura. In reality, this is a dog that has been hunting for a long time.

It is the added benefit of perspective that shows Ron Paul and Cujo to be on similar ground. Both are not inherently bad, they both just have a "little crazy" in them.

More after the jump.

New Director Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

I thought this news release was interesting because it gives a brief background on the organization of the Federal Reserve Bank system.

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Federal Reserve Board of Governors made the following appointment to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's Board of Directors, effective immediately:

Margaret E. McDermid -- senior vice president and chief information officer, Dominion Resources, Inc. -- was appointed as a Class C director of the Richmond board to fill an unexpired term ending December 31, 2007.

Each Federal Reserve Bank has a nine-member board of directors. Three Class A and three Class B directors are elected to three-year terms by the stockholding member banks, and three Class C directors are appointed to three- year terms by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Class A directors represent the stockholding member banks in each Federal Reserve District. Class B and Class C directors represent the public and are chosen with due consideration to the interests of agriculture, commerce, industry, services, labor and consumers.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond is one of 12 District Reserve Banks that together with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the Federal Reserve System. The Richmond Fed serves the Fifth Federal Reserve District, which encompasses the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and most of West Virginia.

Some paragraphs were split for easier reading. ~f.m.