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Ron Paul is currently taking the Internet by storm. His bid for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination has created an upwelling of true grassroots support that has not been seen for quite a long time. His followers push for a "Ron Paul Revolution," and he has united all kinds of political types by being an adamant and outspoken opponent of the War in Iraq. It seems, however, that not many people actually know much about him. To this end, let us shed some light on his background.

Ron Paul was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on August 20th, 1935. He attended Gettysburg College in 1957 and went on to earn a medical degree from Duke University in 1961. From there he spent several years as a U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, before becoming an OBGYN in the late 1960s, settling down in Texas to begin his practice.

His political career began in 1974, when he became a delegate to the Texas state Republican Convention. In 1976 he won a special election for Congress, but would lose the general election later that year. Afterwards, he would win again in 1978, this time serving until 1985. He did not seek re-election, citing his proposal for term limits on Congress, thus putting his words into action.

In 1988 he had his first Presidential run, securing the nomination that year of the Libertarian Party. He would finish third behind George Bush (part 1) and Michael Dukakis. Afterwards, he returned to medical practice, until being elected to the House once again in 1996 by the 14th Congressional District of Texas. He has been re-elected every term since. Paul currently serves on the House Committee on Financial Services and House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Even though he runs under the Republican moniker, his political philosophy is basically libertarian in nature, advocating the restriction of the Federal Government to only those functions given to it by the United States Constitution. He has won numerous awards from many institutions and groups, including the National Taxpayers Union, the Young Americans for Freedom, and the Mises Institute, among many others. Here, from his website (ronpaul2008.com), is "A Brief Overview of Congressman Paul's Record" -

He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.
Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.

It is no wonder why his colleagues have dubbed him "Dr. No." It is also easy to see that, unlike most politicians, he actually has a consistent set of guiding principals, whether you agree with them or not.

Learn more about this author, Gregory T. Janetka.
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