PIMPIN' FOR PAUL
Nevada brothel offers candidate its endorsement
BY DAVID HIMMEL

Rep. Ron Paul may not have the good looks of Ken doll Mitt Romney or provide the “I was in New York on 9/11!” answers of Rudy Giuliani, but he is attracting support from the far reaches of American businesses. Last month, the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, a legal brothel east of Carson City, made its official announcement to support the presidential hopeful.

During a November press conference in Reno, MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson invited Bunny Ranch proprietor and HBO reality show star, Dennis Hof, to join him and meet the congressman. Hof, not knowing much about the Libertarian in Republican’s clothing, met Carlson with bunnies Air Force Amy and Brooke Taylor on his arm.

“At the conference, I looked over at the two hookers and said to Tucker that I agreed with everything he said. He said all the things that Nevadans think,” Hof said of Paul. “People need to look at this guy. If they look at him, they’ll like him.” 

Paul is far from being a frontrunner, and he mostly makes headlines as a result of his opponents naively attacking him on the issues and his experienced opinion. But Hof sees Paul differently. 

“He [Paul] offers conservative, fiscal responsibility with liberal social behaviors, and he’s concerned with our monetary economy,” Hof said. “He’s saying, ‘You decide. Let the people decide rather than Big Brother Fed telling us what to do.’”

When Hof made his official endorsement last month, all of the major news networks jumped on it, drawing a lot of attention to the Bunny Ranch. But Hof says he didn’t get into the political game to improve business. He doesn’t need it. The Moonlite Bunny Ranch was the subject of a popular 2002 HBO documentary and, subsequently, an HBO television program entitled, “Cathouse: The Series,” which is currently in its second season.

Hof is, however, using the business to drum up additional support for Paul with the "I’m Pimpin’ for Paul" promotion. When a customer walks into the brothel and says, "I’m pimpin’ for Paul," he (or she) gets two bunnies for the price of one. (On the day Liberty Watch spoke with Hof, he’d already sold four Paul specials — three guys and one girl.)

Also the owner of Bunny Ranch Two, Hof has been active in bringing attention to the legal, sound business practices of brothels. He has routinely fought for the national legalization of brothels.

“I’m a right-leaning independent, and I don’t want anyone telling me what to watch, read and who to [have sex with],” Hof said. “Sometimes it takes quirky and fun things to get someone to look at something.”

The Bunny Ranch Website receives 125 million hits each month, and Hof is utilizing that to pimp Paul in the polls. “We’re fundraising by reaching out to our customer base,” Hof said. “I expect to show up to one of his rallies with Bunny Ranch girls pushing a pink wheelbarrow filled with Nevada silver dollars to show this state’s support.”

PAUL IN PAHRUMP
Rural town receives visit by presidential candidate
BY JOSHUA CHASE

After leaving Las Vegas and prior to a charter flight to Reno, Ron Paul made the long drive up State Route 160 for what would become, according to local party leaders, the first-ever campaign stop in Pahrump by a Republican Presidential candidate Nov. 19.

In his speech there, delivered to a packed crowd of at least 250 at the town’s Bob Ruud Community Center, Paul’s words were often met with roaring applause. He began by declaring his opposition to the proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain — an issue close to the hearts of many in the crowd — because, among other things, it was an example of the federal government encroaching on states’ rights.

The congressman then delved into the current state of the national economy, mapping out connections between it and the country’s foreign and domestic policies.

“Today we have some economic problems that we have to deal with and everybody knows it,” he said. “There’s a lot of inflation and a lot of people are hurting.”

The answer? For one, the country needs a currency that is “backed by something,” not a fiat dollar that dropped in value by 10 percent in 2006. Paul also spoke of abolishing both the Federal Reserve Bank, for which he says there’s no constitutional basis, and income taxes.

The nation’s economic woes are also directly tied into the foreign policies of the current and former administrations, he said, which is only one reason why he would remove troops from Iraq.

But Iraq isn’t the only country in which America should stay out of.

“The troops were sent to Korea when I was in high school,” he said. “I think it’s time we brought our troops home from Korea.”

The United States is far more likely to be damaged domestically — by the erosion of personal freedoms and liberties, for example — than it is to be invaded by a foreign army.

“We don’t have to have such a radical revolution,” he explained. “We just have to restore our original revolution.”

Those words spoke loudly to members of the audience, many of whom filed toward the congressman following his speech to get a chance at a handshake and picture. Some, like Eric Woodman, were amazed at the candidate’s ability to convert the disenfranchised into Ron Paul revolutionaries.

“I think it’s rare to agree with so much that a politician said,” Woodman said. “It’s like somebody reached into my head and put my thoughts into action.”

Others, like Mark Roe, said it was they who would be putting Paul’s words into action. Roe, who came to the rally as a spectator, left as a precinct captain for the local Republican party.

“I’m loving it,” a beaming Roe said as he left the community center. “I think this is the perfect time for Ron Paul, because in four years it might be too late.”

PONY UP FOR PAUL
Supporters of presidential candidate look to raise $10 million on anniversary of Boston Tea Party
BY LEWIS WHITTEN

On Nov. 5, $4.3 million was raised through an Internet surge for Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. This was the largest one-day fundraiser by a Republican in a primary race, and it earned Paul quite a bit of attention and respect.

Now on Dec. 16, the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, the same Internet group that led the Nov. 5 effort is expecting to raise $10 million in one day. They’re calling the push Tea Party ’07 and promoting the effort at TeaParty07.com.

The organizers, who are not associated with the Official Ron Paul campaign, are using the slogan “Liberty is brewing” at their website, which includes high-quality YouTube video productions to spread Paul’s message. On Dec. 16, donations are to be made only at the Official RonPaul2008.com website.

Recent polls in Nevada show Paul’s fan base has doubled since September with 8 percent support. His numbers are improving in other states, too, including New Hampshire, where, according to polls, Paul is in fourth place among the Republican presidential contenders.

A recent visit by Paul to Clark County attracted more than 1,000 supporters -- five times as many supporters than Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney attracted during his visit to Henderson. Those numbers suggest that, while candidates like Romney may poll better than Paul, the Texas Congressman will be more successful at getting his supporters out to the Republican caucuses. Nevada’s Jan. 19 caucus will be a first for most voters in the state.

Just as American colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor on Dec. 16, 1773, to protest an oppressive tax. The Tea Party ’07 organizers want American citizens to “dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul presidential campaign to protest the oppressive and unconstitutional inflation tax, which enabled a flawed foreign policy, a costly war and the sacrificing of our liberties here at home.”

With a goal of bringing together 100,000 people to donate $100 each on Dec. 16, this could be the largest one-day political donation event in history. 

Donating to Paul’s campaign is easy at RonPaul2008.com, which accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and PayPal.