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Ron Paul moves on

Ron, we hardly knew ye. Libertarian-ish GOP Representative Ron Paul wrapped his quixotic presidential campaign in bubble wrap yesterday, officially suspending the effort “for legal reasons” likely having to do with paying staff, creditors, and the like. Paul should have no problem doing that, though, as his campaign raked in $35 million - a tremendous online haul - through the end of April. Ben Pershing at the WaPo says Paul still has close to $5 million on hand.

Paul is moving from seeking an office to launching a people-powered movement through such patriotically-themed activities as a “Revolution March” and a “Campaign for Liberty.” Apparently, the revolution will be blogged.

Does the on-life-support status of the campaign mean that Paul intends to crash the gates of the Republican convention? Seems unlikely, as he is planning an alternative convention in the same city, Minneapolis, as the GOP gathering. He’s looking for 11,000 people to fill the hall. It will be interesting to see if fervor for Paul-the-man will translate into a broader political effort.

Meanwhile, the new reality show in the minds of party leaders is Win Ron Paul’s Money! Pershing speculates that the Republican Party hopes it’s possible to get their hands on some of Paul’s largesse - donations for GOP candidates in tough contests - and suggests that the party scale down its expectations:

Nothing in Paul’s history suggests that he will start simply doling out cash to whichever Republicans happen to need it most. More likely he will pick and choose his spots, looking for ideological bedfellows. His fellow House GOPers might want to try to stay on his good side, lest they end up on the wrong end of the revolution in their next primary campaigns.

Look for a new Republican commandment as the convention approaches: Speak no ill of Ron Paul. This should give his supporters a bit of swagger, considering how some of them were allegedly treated by certain state GOP organizations.

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