… felony convictions of three top staffers on Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign.

… FELONY CONVICIONS …

I am shocked …

SHOCKED …

I tell you …

RP didn't hire the most ethical chiefs of staff for his campaigns. Lew Rockwell, for instance, was one of RP's chiefs of staff. Whatever you may think of him as a writer or about the stable of libertarian writers he has assembled at the Von Mises Institute in Auburn, he would not be my first pick for a chief of staff. Not that RP is the only one in Congress with a chief of staff that is unsuited to the job.

Jesse Benton was a fool.

I don’t doubt that. I have always found all libertarians to be fools.

I believe Benton was strongly associated with the Paul family.

I think he served as a high-ranking staffer for Ron Paul.

As I remember he probably then served as Rand Paul's campaign manager when Paul was elected Senator of Kentucky.

It’s terrible – I tell you, terrible – that Ron and Rand Paul associated with such a fool.

One would think both Ron and Rand would have been too smart to bely of one's true intentions by deceptive words or action.

Well, I can see from all of this that they were not very smart.

Shameful …

Jesse Benton was a fool.

Speaking of being a fool –

Hey, Deckard …

I read that ‘libertarianism is variously defined by sources as there is no general consensus among scholars on the definition nor on how one should use the term as a historical category. Scholars generally agree that libertarianism refers to the group of political philosophies which emphasize freedom, individual liberty and voluntary association. Libertarians generally advocate a society with little or no government power.”

Is this true?

I then read that “there are many philosophical disagreements among proponents of libertarianism concerning questions of ideology, values and strategy. For instance, left-libertarians were the ones to coin the term as a synonym for anarchism. Outside of the United States, libertarianism is still synonymous with anarchism and socialism (social anarchism and libertarian socialism). Right- libertarianism, known in the United States simply as libertarianism, was coined as a synonym for classical liberalism in May 1955 by writer Dean Russell due liberals embracing progressivism and economic interventionism in the early 20th century after the Great Depression and with the New Deal. Thus, the term was co- opted in the mid-20th century to instead advocate laissez-faire capitalism and strong private property rights such as in land, infrastructure and natural resources. Hence, the main debate between the two forms of libertarianism concerns the legitimacy of private property and its meaning. Most other debates remains within right-libertarianism as abortion, capital punishment, foreign affairs, LGBT rights and immigration are non-issues for left-libertarians whereas within right-libertarianism they are debated due to their divide between cultural liberal and cultural conservative right-libertarians.”

Is this also true?

Finally, I read “that libertarians, the ground has shifted. In recent years, libertarians have been deserted by former allies left and right. We used to say that a shorthand description of libertarianism was “liberal on social issues, conservative on economic issues.” No more. So libertarians can no longer say that they are on the left on social issues and on the right on economic issues. They can say that they stand where the left used to stand on social issues and where the right used to stand on economic issues. But that is confusing.”

Wow. I can understand about it being confusing – All of that is very confusing.

Say, Deckard, what do you find confusing about libertarianism?

Tell us, please …

The truth was that until the 2012 election cycle, the key delegates and their influencers (like state senators) in both parties in Iowa were for sale like a pack of dilapidated old whores. And they were cheap old whores to boot.

Jesse Benton's main problem was that he didn't realize that times had changed in both parties and it was no longer going to be tolerated to just buy state senators' endorsements outright (and pretty much publicly) to swing certain voting blocks in Iowa to a particular candidate.

The judge was also unduly harsh in sentencing Benton and the other two. Almost like they would overlook the regular Dem/GOP buying/selling of delegates in Iowa but decided to throw the hammer down on this libertarian guy's staff. After all, Ron Paul opposed not only wars in the Mideast but also Big Corn and its kissing cousin, Big Ethanol. Benton is probably lucky he didn't get the death penalty, given that his grandpa-in-law was Ron Paul, equally hated by both party elites in Iowa.

Ergo, since you are not Deckard’s apologist – or at least I think that you are not – then there was no need for you to offer an apology defense of something controversial.

I will thank you for the “sorry” and I graciously accept your generous apology offered on Deckard’s behalf since you went ahead and spoke for him.

I found it somewhat surprising that after you posted “you've already gotten more than the attention warranted by this puny thread” – You then proceeded to give me more attention by posting three additional paragraphs.

I read the information you included and my interest was captured when you stated that people were for “sale like a pack of dilapidated old whores. And they were cheap old whores to boot.”

I was shocked – I tell you, shocked – to learn that Ron and Rand paid for “whores.”

I would have characterized the “whores” as “political whores.”

But then, that’s just me and that would not have sounded so rough when associating “whores” with Ron and Rand.

You take care, ya hear …

– You then proceeded to give me more attention by posting three additional paragraphs.

I was hoping no one would notice that if I typed it all really fast.

Catch you tomorrow ...

• Michael Flynn, Trump’s national security adviser, on one count of lying to the FBI
• Rick Gates, Trump’s former deputy campaign manager and Manafort protégé, on one count of conspiracy against the United States and one count of making false statements to FBI agents
• George Papadopoulos, a low-level Trump foreign policy adviser, for making false statements to the FBI about his contacts with Russians during the campaign
• Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, who committed campaign finance violations related to hush money payments he made to porn actress Stormy Daniels
• Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chair, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against the US and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice

Say, Deckard, what do you find confusing about libertarianism?

I find nothing confusing - it's simple.

However what I do find confusing is your seemingly psychotic obsession with libertarians and Ron Paul along with your abject worship of fed.gov and your consistent disdain for freedom and liberty.

You claim to be a constitutional conservative, but most of us here see you as a neo-conservative at best.

Some of your stated ideals are more in line with leftists.

Say, Deckard, what do you find confusing about libertarianism?

I find nothing confusing - it's simple.

… simple …

Ah, you mean free from guile and totally insignificant.

I get it …

Some of your stated ideals are more in line with leftists.

Please do so now …

However what I do find confusing is your seemingly psychotic obsession with libertarians and Ron Paul along with your abject worship of fed.gov and your consistent disdain for freedom and liberty.

I thought you said you gave that vile stuff up years ago …

You claim to be a constitutional conservative …

Please link to where you say I made such a claim.

… but most of us here see you as a neo-conservative at best.

The idea that any of you libertarian can see at all is amazing.

Some of your stated ideals are more in line with leftists.

Please link to where I stated any those ideals.

You claim to be a constitutional conservative …

Please link to where you say I made such a claim.

Oh - you're not one?

Thanks for admitting that.

If we are to continue a debate, I must insist you present facts and stop lying.

Why must you always be so childish ...

Really interesting …

… Ron Paul …

You don’t realize that I do it because it bothers you?

You’re stupid …

Why does it bother you so much that I post about Ron Paul?

You don’t realize that I do it because it bothers you?

The fact is Parsons - it bothers pretty much everyone here.

Why does it bother you so much that I post about Ron Paul?

You don’t realize that I do it because it bothers you?

The fact is Parsons - it bothers pretty much everyone here.

Nope, that is no FACT. My how you do misuse word.

What that is – is a supposition.

That means you are expressing an uncertain belief.

There, I have once again straightened your ass out.

And you have never been elected to speak for “pretty much everyone here.”

And for those it “may” bother –

Let those goddamned cowards step forward and speak for themselves.

Now answer the question – which was:

Why does it bother you so much that I post about Ron Paul?

Let those goddamned cowards step forward and speak for themselves.

Hittin' the sauce a little early tough guy?

stupid …

Tater is a tip of the spear neo-Trotsykite.