Ron Paul turns campaign toward electing libertarian-leaning Republicans

By Kelley Shannon
Associated Press
via Yahoo News
Thursday, June 12, 2008

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080613/ap_on_el_pr/ron_paul;_ylt=AoG1mqyNKX...

HOUSTON -- Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul said Thursday night he is ending his campaign but will keep spreading his message by working to help elect libertarian-leaning Republicans to public office around the country.

"The campaign is going to shift gears. It's going to accelerate. It's going to get much bigger," Paul told The Associated Press in an interview before a rally where he was making the announcement. "To me, it's a technical change."

Paul was announcing his decision to supporters attending the Texas Republican Party state convention. He said he expected many of those at the rally to attend an alternative mini-convention he's hosting Sept. 2 in Minnesota to coincide with the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

In the interview, Paul said his political message would not change and that he'll continue to speak out about freedom and the Constitution, just as he has since he first ran for Congress from Texas.

"It's just now that there's so much more enthusiasm, and so many more people involved," he said. "This last year has been astounding. ... We have to keep it going."

The announcement is a formality. The 72-year-old congressman won few delegates during the Republican primaries, but he raised large amounts of money online and developed a huge grass-roots following.

Jesse Benton, Paul's campaign spokesman, said Paul is beginning a "Campaign for Liberty."

The presidential campaign still has about $4.7 million in the bank, which can now be used for the new effort, Benton said, describing it as a "permanent campaign."

"We're going to work with the grass roots," Benton said. "People are really eager to continue and grow these efforts."

Paul opposes the war in Iraq and is a champion of small government. His campaign also drew support from independents and Democrats opposed to the war. His supporters have been pushing for him to have a speaking role at the Republican national convention.

But Paul has refused to endorse likely Republican presidential nominee John McCain, and he told the AP that was unlikely to change.

"I don't plan to," Paul said, explaining that he doesn't feel he can make an endorsement because of their disagreement on issues. "I've tried to soften that by saying 'unless he changes his position, unless he lets us bring the troops home.'"

* * *

GATA is grateful for financial contributions, which
are federally tax-deductible in the United States.