I remember well during 2007 getting tons of pushback every time I would criticize Ron Paul for his loopy statements on foreign policy or his years of playing footsie with white supremacists while marketing his newsletter. Paul makes good sense often on economics and the intrusiveness of government, but he’s essentially a conspiracy theorist whose presence in Congress is much more problematic than beneficial for conservatives and the GOP, with whom he’s nominally associated. Basically, if you think of Paul as our Dennis Kucinich, then it makes it much easier to understand the following hysterical rant captured at a January 15th appearance in Atlanta at the Campaign for Liberty conference and posted at Weasel Zippers, who provides the transcript:

There’s been a coup, have you heard? It’s the CIA coup. The CIA runs everything, they run the military. They’re the ones who are over there lobbing missiles and bombs on countries. … And of course the CIA is every bit as secretive as the Federal Reserve. … And yet think of the harm they have done since they were established after World War II. They are a government unto themselves. They’re in businesses, in drug businesses, they take out dictators … We need to take out the CIA.

“Take out”? Isn’t Paul a member of Congress? Has he introduced any legislation to stop CIA funding, or demanded any hearings? After all, those are actions that Congress can take short of annihilation. I think the military would laugh at the notion that they take orders from the CIA. They take orders from the President and are accountable to Congress. We know this, because we’re rational adults and not conspiracy theorists.

The only coup that has been conducted is the one that took out Paul’s sense of rationality and judgment years ago. Maybe a primary challenge would be a good idea in Paul’s district.

Update: Good news — there already is a primary challenge in Paul’s district, by Tim Graney:

We need expanded nuclear energy use, additional drilling and continued research into non-petroleum based transportation fuels. We need to reduce the burden of regulation and over-taxation on businesses in the U.S. so we can compete with other nations in this global economy and keep more jobs here in America. American values are something special, but over the years as we continue to tolerate more and different value systems, we almost have become intolerant of where we came from. Toleration is a two-way street and it is time for assimilation to be traveling back on the other side of that road. Assimilation does not mean losing our diverse cultural identities, but it does mean immigrants should absorb some of the very values and traditions that attract immigrants from around the world to the American dream.

There are other major issues that need to be addressed, most notably health care and education.  We did not end up with excess government overnight, it has taken decades to get where we are and it will take years to unwind the amount of government in our lives.  By working together on the issues that are important to all Americans, we can begin this process of restoring the Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness our Founding Fathers envisioned for all of us.

Sounds like Ron Paul without the crazy.  I’m going to have to get Graney on my show — very, very soon.