Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the Libertarian candidate for president in 1988 and a GOP candidate in 2008, has just announced he has formed an exploratory committee for a bid for the Republican Party’s 2012 presidential nomination. More importantly, Paul has announced an “Iowa Leadership Team” that includes Drew Ivers of Webster City, Iowa. Ivers was chairman of Paul’s 2008 Iowa Caucus campaign. Ivers also worked on Pat Buchanan’s 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns and he worked for Pat Robertson’s 1988 campaign. Ivers is also part of Paul’s Campaign for Liberty network.
David Fischer, an engineer from Ivy, Iowa, will serve as vice chair of Paul’s Iowa Leadership Team. Fischer is currently a member of the Republican Party of Iowa’s state central committee. He also helped escort Kentucky Senator Rand Paul around a couple of weeks ago during Rand Paul’s first trip to Iowa.
The other vice chair of the Paul effort in Iowa is A.J. Spiker. a realtor from Ames. Spiker has been active in the Story County GOP, recently serving as its chairman.
Ivers, Fischer & Spiker are all members of the Iowa GOP’s State Central Committee. “After 35 years of political activism, I have not seen another candidate with more integrity, character…and courage that Ron Paul,” Ivers said. Ivers said Paul was “perhaps destined to be America’s leader.” He called Paul “Washington’s conscience” on fiscal issues and the “soul” of the Republican Party’s limited gov’t tradition.
“The immorality of spending money we don’t have is perhaps the gravest threat we face,” Ivers said. “…We will be able to build an organization and compete very well in this firs-ttin-the-nation Caucus state.”
Fischer made comments next. “I’ve watched my own party stray farther from its principles…I’ve stepped up to lead my party, to call the GOP back to its roots…of bringing us a constrained government…Ron Paul is a real Republican,” Fischer said, adding Paul’s vision was the “future of conservatism in America…Ron Paul is the right Republican with the right message at the right time.”
Spiker was next, speaking very briefly. Paul then answered questions.
“The country is already quite different…millions of more people are concerned about the things I talked about four years ago…conditions are deteriorating,” Paul said. “…It will be a much, much more significant campaign.”
In response to the second question: “I do see a lot of support,” Paul said, adding a few moments later: “I do intend to make a firm decision (about a race) in the not too distant future.”
A question about why Ron Paul rather than Rand Paul elicited a “you’ll have to ask him” response.
He was asked about Federal Reserve policy, but the question came from the back of the room, but Paul couldn’t hear and his aide had to repeat the question to him. “The infaltionary problems, the creation of new money is historic,” Paul said. “World history has never seen the monetary inflation that we have seen in the past couple of years…Higher prices will be the key issue in next year’s election…When it’s the American consumer who suffers…and then they see interest rates cropping up, this is a big deal and it is related to the Federal Reserve system.”
He didn’t take any more questions. “I thank you for coming,” he said, walking out of the room.
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About O.Kay Henderson
Kay is a founding member of the Radio Iowa network newsroom. In 1994, she became the network’s news director. She’s a featured reporter and commentator on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press,” and the 2002 recipient of the Shelley Award.
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