Ron Paul Radio with John Ziegler

Ron Paul did appear live, in studio, with KFI's John Ziegler Tuesday night.

Audio of the interview, about thirty minutes.

Below are my impressions of the interview. There is no transcript and I'm not going to go through the thirty minute clip several times to get exact questions and quotes. If you disagree with what my opinions and impressions are of the exchange, then click on the audio link and listen for yourself.

Ziegler bills himself as more libertarian than any other political leaning, but more cynical than anything. Despite his common ground with Paul's libertarian beliefs, the exchange sometimes turned testy and contentious.

Zig and Paul have differing opinions and viewpoints on the Iraq War and much of the interview was spent on that subject. One thing that Paul always brings up about Iraq is that it's un-Constitutional, because Congress didn't declare war. Yet, during the same interview Paul said he voted for the Afghanistan War. But that's not a declaration of war either. Much the same means and language have been used for both both military actions.

Most of the time I think Paul is just bent out of shape because it doesn't say United States Declares War on ________ at the top of the legislation.

Paul wouldn't even consider that the war in Iraq is simply the resumption of hostilities due to Iraq's breach of the Desert Storm cease fire agreement.

Ziegler turned the exchange to 9-11, as would be apt for the date, and especially Paul's views on the cause. Zig pointedly asked Paul if he was in the same camp as the 9-11 troofers. Paul adamantly denied that, saying he's not in the LIHOP/MIHOP* extreme. However, he does think we don't know the whole truth about 9-11, how we got there and what actually happened. Paul is not satisfied with the findings of the 9-11 Commission, nor, apparently, any other results of any investigations. However, sounds like he is of the belief we brought it upon ourselves - we deserved it.

I don't know how Paul thinks he's going to find a totally impartial, truth at any cost, body of people to find the whole truth and nothing but the truth in this day and age. Good luck on that.

In summation, Ron Paul has some good things to say and certainly has some valid points on the size and function and role of government. What he doesn't address is how he would be able to accomplish anything as President. If elected, even as a Republican, he would have no natural caucus in Congress. He might be able to cobble together a few from each side and get some legislation passed - but not very often. He could veto a lot of bills, which I predict would get overridden quite often.

As Ziegler pointed out to Paul during the interview it's not practical to make decisions today on what you should or should not have done in the past, but based on where you are today. I feel like Ron Paul would want to roll back our government to 1800. That's just not practical. Even if he's absolutely, 100% right, it's not practical - nor doable.

I was, have been, disappointed that no one has asked Paul about his invoking international law in one of his answers during the FOX debate in New Hampshire. I want to know how that squares with Paul's Constitution.

There's common ground I could find with some of Ron Paul's positions, just not as President. I simply cannot buy into Ron Paul's vision of foreign policy, especially not at this point in history. It's so one hundred years ago.

*Let it happen on purpose/Made it happen on purpose