The Friends of Ron Paul

Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs has been digging deeper into the question of alleged ties between Neo-Nazis and the Ron Paul campaign, and what he discovered is anything but reassuring. In short, there is growing evidence of connections between white supremacist groups and the Paul campaign, yet the candidate and his handlers have largely refused to address--or repudiate those ties.

Yesterday, we reported that Dr. Paul had decided to keep a $500 campaign contribution from Don Black, leader of a known Neo-Nazi group called Stormfront. Black's vile racism and anti-Semitism is readily visible on his organization's website, and his leadership role in white supremacist circles is well-established. When Black made his donation, several commentators, ranging from columnist and radio host Michael Medved to the American Thinker's Andrew Walden, called on Dr. Paul to return the money, and reject the support he was receiving from racist groups.

A month after the controversy first errupted, a Paul spokesman announced that the campaign would not return the Stormfront leader's check, offering the pathetic excuse that accepting the money would give Black "$500 less to do whatever it is he does." The spokesman, Jesse Benton, also stressed Dr. Paul's "independence," though we'd argue that accepting a Neo-Nazi's campaign contribution is hardly a display of independence. That led us to suggest that Ron Paul may not be for sale, but he's certainly for rent, and by some of the most vile elements in our political system.

Now, Charles Johnson's research suggests even broader ties between racial hate groups and the Paul campaign. On a Neo-Nazi site called the Vanguard News Network, Mr. Johnson found this letter which claims the Texas Congressman is lying about his involvement with white supremacists. We'll second Mr. Johnson's admonition to take this "claim" with a grain of salt.

Ron Paul Lies About Lack Of Involvement With White Nationalists

Comrades:

I have kept quiet about the Ron Paul campaign for a while, because I didn’t see any need to say anything that would cause any trouble. However, reading the latest release from his campaign spokesman, I am compelled to tell the truth about Ron Paul’s extensive involvement in white nationalism.

Both Congressman Paul and his aides regularly meet with members of the Stormfront set, American Renaissance, the Institute for Historic Review, and others at the Tara Thai restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, usually on Wednesdays. This is part of a dinner that was originally organized by Pat Buchanan, Sam Francis and Joe Sobran, and has since been mostly taken over by the Council of Conservative Citizens.

I have attended these dinners, seen Paul and his aides there, and been invited to his offices in Washington to discuss policy.

For his spokesman to call white racialism a “small ideology” and claim white activists are “wasting their money” trying to influence Paul is ridiculous. Paul is a white nationalist of the Stormfront type who has always kept his racial views and his views about world Judaism quiet because of his political position.

I don’t know that it is necessarily good for Paul to “expose” this. However, he really is someone with extensive ties to white nationalism and for him to deny that in the belief he will be more respectable by denying it is outrageous — and I hate seeing people in the press who denounce racialism merely because they think it is not fashionable.

Bill White,

Commander
American National Socialist Workers Party


Still, there may be more to this than first believed. An alert LGF reader found a payment of $314.59 for the Tara Thai Restaurant among disbursements for the Paul campaign. That doesn't put Dr. Paul at the same table with Bill White, but it does raise questions about who he met with during dinners at that establishment.

And, it turns out that the candidate has actually met Neo-Nazi's face-to-face. Another LGF reader found--and lightened--this photo, from the Values Voter Presidential Candidate Debate in Fort Lauderdale on 17 September of this year: The man to Dr. Paul's immediate left is non other than Don Black. Standing next to Black is his son, Derek, who runs a white supremacist site for kids.


Presidential candidate Ron Paul (in striped tie), Neo-Nazi leader Don Black and Black's son Derek, at the Values Voter presidential candidate debate in Florida earlier this year (lightened photo posted by Zombie at LGF).

In fairness, we should note that presidential contenders have their photos taken with lots of people on a daily basis. It's impossible to vet everyone who wants a picture with their favorite candidate. But, as others have speculated, what are the odds that Mr. Black didn't mention his donation while the picture was snapped? That would certainly separate Black from the ranks of ordinary photo-seekers, and possibly prompt some sort of cursory check by the campaign. Indeed, we still don't know the extent of past contacts between the candidate and the white supremacist leader.

And, Dr. Paul and his supporters have remained largely silent on this issue, save their laughable effort to explain acceptance of Don Black's campaign contribution. Unfortunately for the candidate and his campaign, this issue won't quickly fade away. There are legitimate questions about Dr. Paul's ties to Neo-Nazis and other white supremacists--particularly those purported dinners in D.C.,--but so far, answers to those questions are in short supply.

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ADDENDUM: While Ron Paul will not be the GOP standard-bearer next year, his links to the racist fringe should be a concern to all Republicans. As we noted in a previous post, the MSM and their friends in the Democratic Party have (essentially) ignored this story. There's reason to believe that both groups are merely "saving" the scandal, hoping to use it "down the road," in yet another attempt to paint Republicans as racist.

GOP front-runners should preempt those efforts, by raising the issue in an upcoming debate, and forcing Dr. Paul to go on record about his support from white supremacist groups. If they don't, the MSM and the Democrats will almost certainly raise the issue in the future, asking the nominee how he can "be a member of a party that includes the likes of Ron Paul and Don Black."

H/T: Kevin McCullough at Townhall.com