Did you know Ron Paul opposed the bail-out of Chrysler in 1979?

[elton]

http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2008/11/bailout-flashba.html

Some quotes:

“Do we in Congress have the authority, either moral or constitutional, to cause this suffering? I can find no provision in the Constitution authorizing Congress to make loans or loan guarantees to anyone, let alone to major corporations. Nor have I yet seen a valid moral argument concluding that we, as representatives of all the people, have the right to tax the American people – most of whom receive less in wages and benefits than Chrysler workers – to support a multibillion-dollar corporation. What right have we – and I pose a serious question that deserves an answer – what right have we to force the American taxpayers to risk their money in a business venture which private investors dealing in their own funds have judged to be too risky? Chrysler paper is now classified; that means that any private investor who is handling funds for his depositors, shareholders, or clients may be judged as violating his fiduciary responsibilities should he invest in Chrysler. Don’t we have a trust equally important from the American people? Are we not betraying their trust by voting for a Chrysler bailout? I believe so.”

“Last year there were 200,000 bankruptcies in this country, according to U.S. News & World Report. Yet we have selected only the largest for our aid. This is discrimination of the crassest sort. We ignore the smaller victims of this government’s policies simply because they are small. Only the largest, those with the most clout, the most pull, get our attention. This aristocracy of pull is morally indefensible. What answer can be given to the small businessman driven into bankruptcy by government regulations when he asks: “You bailed out Chrysler, why not me?” No justification can be given for this discrimination between the powerful and the powerless, the big and the small.

It is an axiom of our legal system that all citizens are to enjoy the equal protection of the laws. That axiom is violated daily by our tax laws, and now by this proposed corporate welfare plan for Chrysler. Apparently some citizens are more equal than others. That is a notion I reject, and I hope you do, too. I urge you to reject this proposal for all the reasons I have stated.”

Do you agree with him?

[wynn]

You would be hard pressed to find anyone to disagree with Paul... Contrary to popular belief I think most all of his arguments (much like Barry Goldwater) were based in a moral framework that just so happened to coincide with realistic world workings. Rare and impressive.

[josephus]

I agree with much of what Ron Paul says.. I trust his judgement for the most part.. This is before my time tho..

[doran]

I agree with him. I also knew, from seeing this this morning.

But if you had said 'do you think Ron Paul opposed the Chrysler bailout in 1979?' I'd have been able to say 'yes' easily.

Consistency and principles are wonderful things.