Ron Paul Won't Endorse Romney

Before Ron Paul rides into the sunset, he has to get in a few more barbs at the Republican Party, a free-spirit to the last:

CBS News: Paul Can't Speak, Therefore, No Endorsement

In an interview with the (NY) Times, Paul said that he was offered an opportunity to speak at the convention this week on two conditions: that he let the Romney campaign vet his speech, and that he give Romney his full support. He declined the offer.

"It wouldn't be my speech," Paul said. "That would undo everything I've done in the last 30 years. I don't fully endorse him for president."

Today Paul's supporters had a big rally for him today without any mention of Mitt Romney.

Via Politico

While top GOP officials cancelled the first day of events in Tampa because of Tropical Storm Isaac, Paul supporters were undaunted, gathering in droves to hear the Texas lawmaker, his son — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul — and prominent Paul activists from the caucus states where Paul did best.

. . . Paul started his speech with a joke about being invited at the last minute to speak at the Republican National Convention on Monday night — which was canceled because of the weather. But Paul is well aware that he was denied a speaking slot during prime-time, though he son had been slotted for Monday night but has been moved to Wednesday.

Paul doesn’t control the five state delegations he needs to be formally nominated at the convention. After months of détente, . . . he was obviously peeved about an unexpected push by the Romney campaign during the Republican National Convention rules committee meeting Friday to bind delegates to whichever candidates win a state in 2016.

“They’ve learned how to bend rules, break rules, and now they want to rewrite the rules,” Paul said. “They’ve overstepped the bounds.”

Ron Paul Supporters in . . . Poland?

No other group is as determined as the Paulites, LOL. And they will literally follow Mitt Romney anywhere. And like the roadrunner, they got there way ahead of Wile E. Coyote (Romney).

When Mitt Romney and family got off the plane in Gdansk, Poland today, they were met with the sight of Ron Paul supporters holding up a banner with his name on it.

As Romney's enters Gdansk, Poland his motorcade passed these supporters...for Ron Paul (photo) twitter.com/scottwfoster/s…
— Scott Foster (@scottwfoster) July 30, 2012

And another demonstration is planned tomorrow for Warsaw, where Romney is set to make a major speech:

Planned demonstration for Romney's Warsaw event tomorrow. Get the word OUT to the Poles. #RonPaul in Poland dailypaul.com/246829/ron-pau… #OTB
— Ian Shilling (@Ian56789) July 30, 2012

Rick Santorum Comes Galumphing Back

He's BACK! And just in time to cause big trouble for Romney (and Ron Paul) at the Republican Convention in Tampa. But we knew this would happen. The Convention is going to be like Cirque du Soleil meets Barnum and Bailey meets 1776 rolled into one Big Tent of Crazy.

Santorum had a press conference in Illinois today in which he threw down the gauntlet about fighting it out with Ron Paul and his supporters over the Party Platform at the Convention.

From ABC News

"I want to make sure that the folks who represent the values that I did during this campaign are also are able to come to that convention and have their voices heard. I certainly have encouraged everyone to support Governor Romney as I have, but there are a lot of other issues at the convention other than just voting for the nominee."

Santorum added that he would spend the months before the August convention ensuring that his delegates are "armed and ready to engage the fight."

Paul, a candidate who advocates for a non-interventionist foreign policy and drug decriminalization, recently told supporters his delegate count puts him "in a tremendous position to grow our movement and shape the future of the GOP."

It seems like only yesterday he was giving his farewell speech about Washington crossing the Delaware. But the "Early Patriot" theme lingers on because Rick has started a new group called "Patriot Voices" to raise money - *cough* SuperPac *cough* - and to keep his name out in the public. It's all about the Bible, Babies, and Big Money.






Martin Bashir called this new venture the "Save Santorum Fund."

"When Republicans like Santorum or Sarah Palin are touring the country in her bus, and preaching about the private sector and jobs, they're talking about themselves aren't they? Leave our privately funded Superpacs alone and let them create our new jobs."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Ron Paul Ends Presidential Bid

Ron Paul is ending his forward momentum (if he had any) by vowing not to campaign in anymore states.

From Politico

“Moving forward, however, we will no longer spend resources campaigning in primaries in states that have not yet voted,” Paul said in a statement released by the campaign Monday afternoon. “Doing so with any hope of success would take many tens of millions of dollars we simply do not have.
The move comes two weeks before Paul’s home state of Texas — which awards 155 delegates — is scheduled to vote in its GOP primary. Paul had been airing television ads in the Lone Star state.
Other big states left on the calendar include California and New Jersey on June 8; the final presidential primary will be Utah’s on June 26.