Ron Paul supporters lining up behind Pat Anderson
Pat Anderson's campaign for governor is getting support from the supporters of Texas Congressman Ron Paul. Anderson, who served as State Auditor between 2003 and 2007 is seeking the GOP endorsement for governor.
Her Facebook Page features a photo with Paul and her. She also thanks Minnesotans for Limited Government for their endorsement. Minnesotans for Limted Government is a coalition of Ron Paul supporters (known as Liberty Republicans) from Minnesota's 4th Congressional District. Meanwhile, Marianne Stebbins, who managed Paul's campaign for president in Minnesota, penned an e-mail backing Anderson.
"Pat's words are not just political rhetoric. Her libertarianism - her father is a life-long member of the Libertarian Party - is not just an ideological faith; she has in the past and pledges to continue in the future to govern by those principles because they work.
Pat's not perfect; she's not going to call out the National Guard and run the Federal Government out of Minnesota. But she does support pulling Minnesota out of No Child Left Behind. She does support passage of a medical marijuana bill. She does support 10th Amendment Sovereignty legislation that has teeth. She's against a National ID. And most importantly, she has the executive experience to turn these issues into workable policies, supported by legislation, that actually change the way Minnesota is governed. Most importantly, Pat is right on fiscal issues. She joined us at our Freedom of Economics conference with Tom Woods.
Pat understands that government does not create wealth. She understands that every dollar spent by government is a dollar taken from somewhere else in the economy. While other candidates are proposing tweaks to the state budget to close projected deficits, Pat is the one who recognizes that the state cannot address the budget deficit without fundamental reform - more economic liberty that encourages wealth-building economic development and fundamental reform that reduces spending by getting government out of areas where it has no legitimate constitutional authority.
I often talk about whether a candidate has a "core," whether they actually believe in liberty or whether they'll need babysitting. We won't have to feel like we need to watch over Pat's shoulder with every move. She has liberty in her heart, and this is important to me."
Stebbins said the so-called Liberty Republicans will have a presence at this weekend's GOP straw poll and at future state party conventions. She said about a third of the state delegates consist of the group.
But it's unlikely that every Ron Paul supporter will back Anderson. Stebbins said Anderson will likely get a majority of the votes at this weekend's straw poll but said other candidates are getting some support from them as well. She said several Ron Paul supporters, including the 6th District GOP Chair, are backing state Rep. Tom Emmer.
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