Ron Paul brings libertarian pitch to New Hampshire

Ron Paul finally arrived in New Hampshire Friday afternoon, three days after a third-place showing in the Iowa caucuses that he said shows his message is getting through.

The Texas congressman spoke for just about 15 minutes in an airport hangar here to a boisterous, youthful crowd, making his familiar pitch about the need to “fight for the Constitution.”

“They call us dangerous,” Paul said. “In a way, we are -- to their empire.”

Paul said the U.S. was overextended abroad in unauthorized wars, and that at home the government has “become more secretive at the same time privacy is being undermined.”

“We’re trying to salvage our Constitution and salvage our liberties,” he said.

Introducing his father, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul lashed out at former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum for being party to the explosion of debt, even when Washington was under total Republican control.

He said the result in Iowa was essentially a three-way tie, and that each of the lead contenders emerged with the same number of delegates (in fact, none were allocated as a result of the contest).

The elder Paul said the Iowa result showed that “we are having a tremendous impact.”

“I believe the momentum will continue. This country is ripe -- they’re frustrated with the leadership of both parties. ... [And] they know darn well I will stick to my guns.”

Though Paul has been absent from the state since the Iowa result until Friday, he’s had a major presence on local TV airwaves. He’s scheduled to hold one more town hall meeting Friday night, and will participate in a pair of debates this weekend.

He did draw a crowd of several hundred, though it was unclear how many were New Hampshire voters, given the sizable number of out-of-state license plates parked outside.

Speaking with reporters after the event, Paul said he planned to be very active in the state for the final five days.

“This is not a state that likes big government. My job in the next five days is to explain what they have supported in the past,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, all my opponents support way too much government.”

Paul also disavowed what he said was an “ugly” web video from supporters of his that calls Jon Huntsman a “Manchurian candidate” and uses pictures of his adopted children.

“All campaigns have to suffer these consequences when somebody puts something up with the candidate’s name on it,” he said. “Obviously it was way out of order.”

michael.memoli@latimes.com
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Ron Paul finally arrived in New Hampshire Friday afternoon, three days after a

third-place showing in the Iowa caucuses that he said shows his message

getting through.

The Texas congressman spoke for just about 15 minutes in an airport hangar

here to a boisterous, youthful crowd, making his familiar pitch about the need

to “fight for the Constitution.”

“They call us dangerous,” Paul said. “In a way, we are -- to their empire.”

Paul said the U.S. was overextended abroad in unauthorized wars, and that at

home the government has “become more secretive at the same time privacy is

being undermined.”

“We’re trying to salvage our Constitution and salvage our liberties,” he said.

Introducing his father, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul lashed out at former

Pennsylvana Sen. Rick Santorum for being party to the explosion of debt, even

when Washington was under total Republican control.

He said the result in Iowa was essentially a three-way tie, and that each of

the lead contenders emerged with the same number of delegates (in fact, none

were allocated as a result of the contest).

The elder Paul said the Iowa result showed that “we are having a tremendous

impact.”

“I believe the momentum will continue. This country is ripe -- they’re

frustrated with the leadership of both parties. ... [And] they know darn well

I will stick to my guns.”

Though Paul has been absent from the state since the Iowa result until today,

he’s had a major presence on local TV airwaves. He’s scheduled to hold one

more town hall meeting tonight, and will participate in a pair of debates this

weekend.

Speaking with reporters after the event, Paul said he planned to be very active in the state for the final five days.

“This is not a state that likes big government. My job in the next five days is to explain what they have suported in the past,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, all my opponets support way too much government.”

Paul also disavowed what he said was an “ugly” web video from supporters of his that calls Jon Huntsman a “Manchurian candidate” and uses pictures of his adopted children.

“All campaigns have to suffer these consequences when somebody puts something up with the candidate’s name on it,” he said. “Obviously it was way out of order.”