Biography
Ron Paul was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and now lives in Lake Jackson, Texas. Paul graduated from Gettysburg College and the Duke University School of Medicine.
He served in the U.S. Air Force as a flight surgeon and has been an obstetrician and gynecologist practicing near Houston.
He served eight years in the U.S. House as a Republican, from 1977 to 1984, and was the Libertarian Party nominee for president in 1988. He again was elected to the U.S. House in 1996 as a Republican and made a second White House run in 2008.
Paul and his wife, Carol, have five children.
Profile
Ron Paul, who ran as a Libertarian for president in 1988, made another run for the White House in 2007-08 under the Republican banner.
His proposals have included abolishing the income tax and the United Nations, and he developed a following among libertarians and others committed to the principles of small government, including many young people, Internet chatters and surfers.
He drew media attention as the only Republican opposed to the Iraq war. In a May 2007 debate, he was chastised by Republican opponents for saying U.S. troops' presence in Saudi Arabia contributed to al-Qaida's attacks on the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001.
"If we think that we can do what we want around the world and not incite hatred, then we have a problem," Paul said. "They don't come here to attack us because we're rich and we're free. They come and they attack us because we're over there."
His ability to ply the Internet for contributions also drummed up interest in his candidacy. While his poll numbers were in the single digits, he shattered a one-day campaign fundraising record with $6.2 million in online donations.
Paul appealed to a mix of liberals and conservatives who feel alienated and deeply distrustful of the government. He used creative ideas, such as launching a blimp that urged viewers to "Google Ron Paul."
Paul has long had an anti-tax, anti-spending message. He promoted himself as "the taxpayers' best friend" during his 1996 campaign that returned him to the House after a 12-year absence.
"I want to end the income tax as we know it and replace it with a simpler, lower tax system, whether that's the flat tax or the consumption tax," he said. "I never once voted to raise taxes, and I never will."
Paul has long been known as "Dr. No" because he votes against most legislation that involves federal spending, expanding government or reduces privacy protections. He voted against giving medals to Rosa Parks and Pope Paul II because he objected to the use of taxpayer dollars to make them.
But that didn't prevent him from requesting funding for earmarks, considered pork by some, for his district during 2007 budget writing.
Keeping with his libertarian values, Paul voted against the 2001 Patriot Act, against expanding government power to cut money flows to terrorist networks and against financing the Homeland Security Department.
Paul was the lone House Republican to vote present on the resolution expressing support for military forces at the start of the war with Iraq.
However, Paul voted three days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks for a resolution allowing the U.S. to use armed forces against those responsible for the attacks, which he saw as a proper role for government.
He was one of two Republicans to vote against Defense Department funding for 2008. He is Congress' most prominent advocate of returning to the gold standard abandoned in the 1930s. Essentially, that would mean all paper currency could be redeemed for gold.
On a personal side, Paul's congressional Web site boasts he has delivered more than 4,000 babies as an obstetrician/gynecologist.
Paul serves on the House committees on Financial Services and Foreign Affairs and the Joint Economic Committee. He is ranking Republican on the Financial Services Committee's Subcommittee on Domestic and International monetary policy, trade and technology.
Paul's district was one of the most drastically changed Republican districts when the Texas Legislature redrew the congressional boundaries in 2003. The district remains Republican but picked up more Democratic voters. Even so, he drew no opponents in 2004.
The liberal Americans for Democratic Action gave Paul's 2006 voting record 45 out of a possible 100 points; the American Conservative Union gave him 76 points.
Campaigns
Ron Paul declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president on March 12, 2007.
Paul served in the U.S. House from 1977 to 1984, leaving that seat after four terms to run for the Senate. He lost to Republican Phil Gramm, who won 73 percent of the vote. Paul had 16 percent.
In 1988, Paul ran for the White House as a Libertarian, topping the minor-party candidates with 431,499 votes but still finishing a distant third behind Republican George H.W. Bush and Democrat Michael Dukakis.
He returned to the U.S. House in 1996, receiving 51 percent of the vote against Democrat Charles Morris.
Paul was re-elected in 1998, defeating Democrat Loy Sneary with 55 percent of the vote. Paul was re-elected in 2000 with 60 percent of the vote.
In 2004, Paul was unopposed despite a redrawing of his district a year earlier that made it more Democratic.
In 2006, the former Libertarian standard-bearer defeated Democratic rancher Shane Sklar with 60 percent of the vote.
Source: AP
