Ron Paul Gets Into Hot Water

Ron Paul has been digging himself in a little hole lately with his recent comments as well as ones from 20 years ago:

Yesterday, the Texas congressman, who has the best organization in Iowa, was pressed on CNN about controversial statements attributed to him in a newsletter published 20-plus years ago. Some conservatives are now taking aim, with one columnist even comparing him to Jeremiah Wright, the controversial former Obama pastor. But there are plenty of issues of substance — and positions he holds today — that, although they’re consistent with Paul’s libertarian views, are potentially problematic with the conservative base and the general electorate.

– Heroin, marijuana, cocaine, prostitution OK if states allow them: “… In essence, if I leave it to the states, it’s going to be up to the states. Up until this past century, you know for 100 years, they were legal. What you’re inferring is ‘You know what? If we legalize heroin tomorrow, everybody is going to use heroin.’ How many people here would use heroin if it was legal? I bet nobody would.”

– OK with prosecuting CIA for “war crimes”: He said they are bombing people in Pakistan with predator drones, adding, “I don’t want the secrecy of the CIA.” And he accused the agency of being “over there torturing people. They committed all kinds of war crimes and tortured people and killed people, committed assassination. Right now, our CIA’s running the predator program, bombing citizens and not all of them — They claim they’re bombing terrorists, but they’re bombing a lot of innocent citizens in Pakistan. No, they shouldn’t have this secrecy … I don’t want the secrecy of the CIA, I don’t think they provide any services … For them to be over there and torturing people, so that we’re safer — I think it’s destroying the soul of America by permitting that.”