Daily Archives: April 6, 2016

History of genetic engineering – Wikipedia, the free …

Posted: April 6, 2016 at 3:42 pm

Genetic modification caused by human activity has been occurring since around 12,000 BC, when humans first began to domesticate organisms. Genetic engineering as the direct transfer of DNA from one organism to another was first accomplished by Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen in 1973. The first genetically modified animal was a mouse created in 1973 by Rudolf Jaenisch. In 1983 an antibiotic resistant gene was inserted into tobacco, leading to the first genetically engineered plant. Advances followed that allowed scientists to manipulate and add genes to a variety of different organism and induce a range of different effects.

In 1976 the technology was commercialised, with the advent of genetically modified bacteria that produced somatostatin, followed by insulin in 1978. Plants were first commercialised with virus resistant tobacco released in China in 1992. The first genetically modified food was the Flavr Savr tomato marketed in 1994. By 2010, 29 countries had planted commercialized biotech crops. In 2000 a paper published in Science introduced golden rice, the first food developed with increased nutrient value.

Genetic engineering is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome using certain biotechnology techniques that have only existed since the 1970s.[2] Human directed genetic manipulation was occurring much earlier, beginning with the domestication of plants and animals through artificial selection. The dog is believed to be the first animal domesticated, possibly arising from a common ancestor of the grey wolf,[1] with archeologically evidence dating to about 12,000 BC.[3] Other carnivores domesticated in prehistoric times include the cat, which cohabited with human 9 500 years ago.[4] Archeologically evidence suggests sheep, cattle, pigs and goats were domesticated between 9 000 BC and 8 000 BC in the Fertile Crescent.[5]

The first evidence of plant domestication comes from emmer and einkorn wheat found in pre-Pottery Neolithic A villages in Southwest Asia dated about 10,500 to 10,100 BC. The Fertile Crescent of Western Asia, Egypt, and India were sites of the earliest planned sowing and harvesting of plants that had previously been gathered in the wild. Independent development of agriculture occurred in northern and southern China, Africa's Sahel, New Guinea and several regions of the Americas.[7] The eight Neolithic founder crops (emmer wheat, einkorn wheat, barley, peas, lentils, bitter vetch, chick peas and flax) had all appeared by about 7000 BC.[8]Horticulture first appears in the Levant during the Chalcolithic period about 6 800 to 6,300 BC. Due to the soft tissues, archeological evidence for early vegetables is scarce. The earliest vegetable remains have been found in Egyptian caves that date back to the 2nd millennium BC.

Selective breeding of domesticated plants was once the main way early farmers shaped organisms to suit their needs. Charles Darwin described three types of selection: methodical selection, wherein humans deliberately select for particular characteristics; unconscious selection, wherein a characteristic is selected simply because it is desirable; and natural selection, wherein a trait that helps an organism survive better is passed on.[11]:25 Early breeding relied on unconscious and natural selection. The introduction of methodical selection is unknown.[11]:25 Common characteristics that were bred into domesticated plants include grains that did not shatter to allow easier harvesting, uniform ripening, shorter lifespans that translate to faster growing, loss of toxic compounds, and productivity.[11]:2730 Some plants, like the Banana, were able to be propagated by vegetative cloning. Offspring often did not contain seeds, and therefore sterile. However, these offspring were usually juicier and larger. Propagation through cloning allows these mutant varieties to be cultivated despite their lack of seeds.[11]:31

Hybridization was another way that rapid changes in plant's makeup were introduced. It often increased vigor in plants, and combined desirable traits together. Hybridization most likely first occurred when humans first grew similar, yet slightly different plants in close proximity.[11]:32Triticum aestivum, wheat used in baking bread, is an allopolyploid. Its creation is the result of two separate hybridization events.[12]

X-rays were first used to deliberately mutate plants in 1927. Between 1927 and 2007, more than 2,540 genetically mutated plant varieties had been produced using x-rays.[13]

Various genetic discoveries have been essential in the development of genetic engineering. Genetic inheritance was first discovered by Gregor Mendel in 1865 following experiments crossing peas. Although largely ignored for 34 years he provided the first evidence of hereditary segregation and independent assortment.[14] In 1889 Hugo de Vries came up with the name "(pan)gene" after postulating that particles are responsible for inheritance of characteristics[15] and the term "genetics" was coined by William Bateson in 1905.[16] In 1928 Frederick Griffith proved the existence of a "transforming principle" involved in inheritance, which Avery, MacLeod and McCarty later (1944) identified as DNA. Edward Lawrie Tatum and George Wells Beadle developed the central dogma that genes code for proteins in 1941. The double helix structure of DNA was identified by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953.

As well as discovering how DNA works, tools had to be developed that allowed it to be manipulated. In 1970 Hamilton Smiths lab discovered restriction enzymes that allowed DNA to be cut at specific places and separated out on an electrophoresis gel. This enabled scientists to isolate genes from an organism's genome.[17]DNA ligases, that join broken DNA together, had been discovered earlier in 1967[18] and by combining the two enzymes it was possible to "cut and paste" DNA sequences to create recombinant DNA. Plasmids, discovered in 1952,[19] became important tools for transferring information between cells and replicating DNA sequences. Frederick Sanger developed a method for sequencing DNA in 1977, greatly increasing the genetic information available to researchers. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), developed by Kary Mullis in 1983, allowed small sections of DNA to be amplified and aided identification and isolation of genetic material.

As well as manipulating the DNA, techniques had to be developed for its insertion (known as transformation) into an organism's genome. Griffiths experiment had already shown that some bacteria had the ability to naturally uptake and express foreign DNA. Artificial competence was induced in Escherichia coli in 1970 when Morton Mandel and Akiko Higa showed that it could take up bacteriophage after treatment with calcium chloride solution (CaCl2).[20] Two years later, Stanley Cohen showed that CaCl2 treatment was also effective for uptake of plasmid DNA.[21] Transformation using electroporation was developed in the late 1980s, increasing the efficiency and bacterial range.[22] In 1907 a bacterium that caused plant tumors, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, was discovered and in the early 1970s the tumor inducing agent was found to be a DNA plasmid called the Ti plasmid.[23] By removing the genes in the plasmid that caused the tumor and adding in novel genes researchers were able to infect plants with A. tumefaciens and let the bacteria insert their chosen DNA into the genomes of the plants.[24]

In 1972 Paul Berg utilised restriction enzymes and DNA ligases to create the first recombinant DNA molecules. He combined DNA from the monkey virus SV40 with that of the lambda virus.[25]Herbert Boyer and Stanley N. Cohen took Berg's work a step further and introduced recombinant DNA into a bacterial cell. Cohen was researching plasmids, while Boyers work involved restriction enzymes. They recognised the complementary nature of their work and teamed up in 1972. Together they found a restriction enzyme that cut the pSC101 plasmid at a single point and were able to insert and ligate a gene that conferred resistance to the kanamycin antibiotic into the gap. Cohen had previously devised a method where bacteria could be induced to take up a plasmid and using this they were able to create a bacteria that survived in the presence of the kanamycin. This represented the first genetically modified organism. They repeated experiments showing that other genes could be expressed in bacteria, including one from the toad Xenopus laevis, the first cross kingdom transformation.[26][27][28]

In 1973 Rudolf Jaenisch created a transgenic mouse by introducing foreign DNA into its embryo, making it the worlds first transgenic animal.[29] Jaenisch was studying mammalian cells infected with simian virus 40 (SV40) when he happened to read a paper from Beatrice Mintz describing the generation of chimera mice. He took his SV40 samples to Mintz's lab and injected them into early mouse embryos expecting tumours to develop. The mice appeared normal, but after using radioactive probes he discovered that the virus had integrated itself into the mice genome.[30] However the mice did not pass the transgene to their offspring. In 1981 the laboratories of Frank Ruddle, Frank Constantini and Elizabeth Lacy injected purified DNA into a single-cell mouse embryo and showed transmission of the genetic material to subsequent generations.[31][32]

The first genetically engineered plant was tobacco, reported in 1983.[33] It was developed by Michael W. Bevan, Richard B. Flavell and Mary-Dell Chilton by creating a chimeric gene that joined an antibiotic resistant gene to the T1 plasmid from Agrobacterium. The tobacco was infected with Agrobacterium transformed with this plasmid resulting in the chimeric gene being inserted into the plant. Through tissue culture techniques a single tobacco cell was selected that contained the gene and a new plant grown from it.[34]

The development of genetic engineering technology led to concerns in the scientific community about potential risks. The development of a regulatory framework concerning genetic engineering began in 1975, at Asilomar, California. The Asilomar meeting recommended a set of guidelines regarding the cautious use of recombinant technology and any products resulting from that technology.[35] The Asilomar recommendations were voluntary, but in 1976 the US National Institute of Health (NIH) formed a recombinant DNA advisory committee.[36] This was followed by other regulatory offices (the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)), effectively making all recombinant DNA research tightly regulated in the USA.[37]

In 1982 the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released a report into the potential hazards of releasing genetically modified organisms into the environment as the first transgenic plants were being developed.[38] As the technology improved and genetically organisms moved from model organisms to potential commercial products the USA established a committee at the Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) to develop mechanisms to regulate the developing technology.[37] In 1986 the OSTP assigned regulatory approval of genetically modified plants in the US to the USDA, FDA and EPA.[39] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, guidance on assessing the safety of genetically engineered plants and food emerged from organizations including the FAO and WHO.[40][41][42][43]

The European Union first introduced laws requiring GMO's to be labelled in 1997.[44] In 2013 Connecticut became the first state to enacted a labeling law in the USA, although it would not take effect until other states followed suit.[45]

The ability to insert, alter or remove genes in model organisms allowed scientists to study the genetic elements of human diseases.[46]Genetically modified mice were created in 1984 that carried cloned oncogenes that predisposed them to developing cancer.[47] The technology has also been used to generate mice with genes knocked out. The first recorded knockout mouse was created by Mario R. Capecchi, Martin Evans and Oliver Smithies in 1989. In 1992 oncomice with tumor suppressor genes knocked out were generated.[47] Creating Knockout rats is much harder and only became possible in 2003.[48][49]

After the discovery of microRNA in 1993,[50]RNA interference (RNAi) has been used to silence an organism's genes.[51] By modifying an organism to express mircoRNA targeted to its endogenous genes, researchers have been able to knockout or partially reduce gene function in a range of species. The ability to partially reduce gene function has allowed the study of genes that are lethal when completely knocked out. Other advantages of using RNAi include the availability of inducible and tissue specific knockout.[52] In 2007 microRNA targeted to insect and nematode genes was expressed in plants, leading to suppression when they fed on the transgenic plant, potentially creating a new way to control pests.[53] Targeting endogenous microRNA expression has allowed further fine tuning of gene expression, supplementing the more traditional gene knock out approach.[54]

Genetic engineering has been used to produce proteins derived from humans and other sources in organisms that normally cannot synthesize these proteins. Human insulin-synthesising bacteria were developed in 1979 and were first used as a treatment in 1982.[55] In 1988 the first human antibodies were produced in plants.[56] In 2000 Vitamin A-enriched golden rice, was the first food with increased nutrient value.[57]

As not all plant cells were susceptible to infection by A. tumefaciens other methods were developed, including electroporation, micro-injection[58] and particle bombardment with a gene gun (invented in 1987).[59][60] In the 1980s techniques were developed to introduce isolated chloroplasts back into a plant cell that had its cell wall removed. With the introduction of the gene gun in 1987 it became possible to integrate foreign genes into a chloroplast.[61]

Genetic transformation has become very efficient in some model organism. In 2008 genetically modified seeds were produced in Arabidopsis thaliana by simply dipping the flowers in an Agrobacterium solution.[62] The range of plants that can be transformed has increased as tissue culture techniques have been developed for different species.

The first transgenic livestock were produced in 1985,[63] by micro-injecting foreign DNA into rabbit, sheep and pig eggs.[64] The first animal to synthesise transgenic proteins in their milk were mice,[65] engineered to produce human tissue plasminogen activator.[66] This technology was applied to sheep, pigs, cows and other livestock.[65]

In 2010 scientists at the J. Craig Venter Institute announced that they had created the first synthetic bacterial genome. The researchers added the new genome to bacterial cells and selected for cells that contained the new genome. To do this the cells undergoes a process called resolution, where during bacterial cell division one new cell receives the original DNA genome of the bacteria, whilst the other receives the new synthetic genome. When this cell replicates it uses the synthetic genome as its template. The resulting bacterium the researchers developed, named Synthia, was the world's first synthetic life form.[67][68]

In 2014 a bacteria was developed that replicated a plasmid containing an unnatural base pair. This required altering the bacterium so it could import the unnatural nucleotides and then efficiently replicate them. The plasmid retained the unnatural base pairs when it doubled an estimated 99.4% of the time.[69] This is the first organism engineered to use an expanded genetic alphabet.[70]

In 2015 CRISPR and TALENs was used to modify plant genomes. Chinese labs used it to create a fungus-resistant wheat and boost rice yields, while a U.K. group used it to tweak a barley gene that could help produce drought-resistant varieties. When used to precisely remove material from DNA without adding genes from other species, the result is not subject the lengthy and expensive regulatory process associated with GMOs. While CRISPR may use foreign DNA to aid the editing process, the second generation of edited plants contain none of that DNA. Researchers celebrated the acceleration because it may allow them to "keep up" with rapidly evolving pathogens. The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that some examples of gene-edited corn, potatoes and soybeans are not subject to existing regulations. As of 2016 other review bodies had yet to make statements.[71]

In 1976 Genentech, the first genetic engineering company was founded by Herbert Boyer and Robert Swanson and a year later and the company produced a human protein (somatostatin) in E.coli. Genentech announced the production of genetically engineered human insulin in 1978.[72] In 1980 the U.S. Supreme Court in the Diamond v. Chakrabarty case ruled that genetically altered life could be patented.[73] The insulin produced by bacteria, branded humulin, was approved for release by the Food and Drug Administration in 1982.[74]

In 1983 a biotech company, Advanced Genetic Sciences (AGS) applied for U.S. government authorization to perform field tests with the ice-minus strain of P. syringae to protect crops from frost, but environmental groups and protestors delayed the field tests for four years with legal challenges.[75] In 1987 the ice-minus strain of P. syringae became the first genetically modified organism (GMO) to be released into the environment[76] when a strawberry field and a potato field in California were sprayed with it.[77] Both test fields were attacked by activist groups the night before the tests occurred: "The world's first trial site attracted the world's first field trasher".[76]

The first genetically modified crop plant was produced in 1982, an antibiotic-resistant tobacco plant.[78] The first field trials of genetically engineered plants occurred in France and the USA in 1986, tobacco plants were engineered to be resistant to herbicides.[79] In 1987 Plant Genetic Systems, founded by Marc Van Montagu and Jeff Schell, was the first company to genetically engineer insect-resistant plants by incorporating genes that produced insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) into tobacco.[80]

Genetically modified microbial enzymes were the first application of genetically modified organisms in food production and were approved in 1988 by the US Food and Drug Administration.[81] In the early 1990s, recombinant chymosin was approved for use in several countries.[81][82] Cheese had typically been made using the enzyme complex rennet that had been extracted from cows' stomach lining. Scientists modified bacteria to produce chymosin, which was also able to clot milk, resulting in cheese curds.[83] The Peoples Republic of China was the first country to commercialize transgenic plants, introducing a virus-resistant tobacco in 1992.[84] In 1994 Calgene attained approval to commercially release the Flavr Savr tomato, a tomato engineered to have a longer shelf life.[85] Also in 1994, the European Union approved tobacco engineered to be resistant to the herbicide bromoxynil, making it the first genetically engineered crop commercialized in Europe.[86] In 1995 Bt Potato was approved safe by the Environmental Protection Agency, after having been approved by the FDA, making it the first pesticide producing crop to be approved in the USA.[87] In 1996 a total of 35 approvals had been granted to commercially grow 8 transgenic crops and one flower crop (carnation), with 8 different traits in 6 countries plus the EU.[79]

By 2010, 29 countries had planted commercialized biotech crops and a further 31 countries had granted regulatory approval for transgenic crops to be imported.[88] In 2013 Robert Fraley (Monsantos executive vice president and chief technology officer), Marc Van Montagu and Mary-Dell Chilton were awarded the World Food Prize for improving the "quality, quantity or availability" of food in the world.[89]

The first genetically modified animal to be commercialised was the GloFish, a Zebra fish with a fluorescent gene added that allows it to glow in the dark under ultraviolet light.[90] The first genetically modified animal to be approved for food use was AquAdvantage salmon in 2015.[91] The salmon were transformed with a growth hormone-regulating gene from a Pacific Chinook salmon and a promoter from an ocean pout enabling it to grow year-round instead of only during spring and summer.[92]

Opposition and support for the use of genetic engineering has existed since the technology was developed.[76] After Arpad Pusztai went public with research he was conducting in 1998 the public opposition to genetically modified food increased.[93] Opposition continued following controversial and publicly debated papers published in 1999 and 2013 that claimed negative environmental and health impacts from genetically modified crops.[94][95]

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Ron Paul Wikipdia, a enciclopdia livre

Posted: at 3:41 pm

Origem: Wikipdia, a enciclopdia livre.

Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul (Pittsburgh, 20 de agosto de 1935) um mdico e poltico estadunidense, ex-membro da Cmara dos Representantes do Congresso dos Estados Unidos da Amrica. Ron Paul foi candidato presidncia dos Estados Unidos em 1988, 2008 e 2012.

Ron Paul pai do Senador Rand Paul, do estado de Kentucky, um dos lderes do movimento conservador Tea Party.

No Congresso, Ron Paul tem aderido a princpios libertrios, baseando suas posies polticas, frequentemente, no constitucionalismo e direitos dos estados. Ele nunca votou a favor do aumento de impostos ou do aumento do salrio de congressistas e se recusa a participar do sistema de penso do Congresso. Ele ganhou o apelido de "Dr. No" (Dr. No) por sempre votar contra propostas que ele considera estarem em violao da Constituio dos Estados Unidos da Amrica.

Ron Paul apoia a reduo nos gastos do Estado e nos impostos. Como congressista, sugeriu a abolio do imposto de renda. Ele tambm apoia a converso do sistema de sade dos Estados Unidos num sistema de livre mercado com maior competitividade e portanto se ope ao sistema de sade universal. Ron pr-vida, no entanto contrrio proibio federal do aborto, por defender que cada estado tenha sua legislao prpria sobre a questo, e se ope a qualquer controle sobre a educao a nvel federal, relegando tal responsabilidade tambm aos estados. Ele foi galardoado em 2012 com o que considerado o Prmio NobelNobel do conservadorismo, o Prmio Barry Goldwater.[2]

Ron Paul nasceu em Green Tree, Pensilvnia, (a sudoeste de Pittsburgh), filho de Howard Caspar Paul (1904-1997), que por sua vez era filho de um imigrante alemo luterano, e Margaret Paul (ne Dumont) (1908-2001), donos de uma fazenda nos arredores de Pittsburgh.[3] Ele era o terceiro de cinco filhos nascidos durante os sete anos da Grande Depresso.[4] O pai de Ron tinha educao de primeiro grau e era dono, junto com seus irmos Lewis e Arthur, da Green Tree Dairy. Em sua infncia, Ron comeou trabalhando na fazenda de seu pai aos cinco anos. Mais tarde, passou a entregar jornais e trabalhar numa drogaria, tornando-se entregador de leite ao atingir idade suficiente para dirigir.[4]

Ron completou o ensino secundrio em 1953 na Dormont High School, Pennsylvania, com honras. Obteve excelncia em atletismo,[5] ganhando o campeonato estadual da Pennsylvania na corrida dos 200 metros e alcanando o segundo lugar na corrida dos 400 metros. Ele tambm estava no time de luta greco-romana e era presidente do conselho estudantil.[4]

Ron pagou seu primeiro ano no Gettysburg College com dinheiro que poupou entregando jornais, vendendo limonada e cortando gramados. Ron entregava cartas e roupas por fora enquanto estudava em Gettysburg; por um ano, gerenciou a cafeteteria do colgio.[4] Renunciou ao atletismo aps uma leso no joelho e matriculou-se no time de natao aps t-la praticado, inicialmente, como terapia. Ron recusou uma bolsa que lhe foi oferecida para participar do time de atletismo, temendo no poder alcanar o desempenho de antes.[4] Afiliou-se fraternidade Lambda Chi Alpha,[6] e serviu como monitor e gerente de casa da fraternidade.[4] Ele recebeu seu bacharelado em 1957.

Embora tenha considerado tornar-se ministro luterano como dois de seus irmos,[5] Ron decidiu seguir a carreira mdica e foi aceito na Escola de Medicina da Universidade de Duke, onde recebeu seu diploma de Medicina em 1961. Ele conduziu seu internato e um ano de residncia em Clnica mdica no Hospital Henry Ford em Detroit de 1961 at 1962 e residncia em Obstetrcia e Ginecologia na Universidade de Pittsburgh de 1965 at 1968.[7]

Ron Paul bem versado em filosofia econmica da Escola Austraca de Economia, sendo autor de vrios livros sobre o assunto. Ele tem retratos de Friedrich von Hayek, Ludwig von Mises e Murray Rothbard pendurados na parede de seu escritrio.[8][9]

Ron Paul e sua esposa, Carol Wells, casaram-se em 1 de fevereiro de 1957. Carol convidou Ron para seu primeiro encontro numa dana Sadie Hawkins (um evento onde as mulheres convidam os homens).[4] Eles partiram para colgios em estados diferentes, mas mantiveram contato e casaram-se no ltimo ano escolar de Ron no Gettysburg College.[4]

Eles tm cinco filhos:[10] Ronnie, Lori, Rand, Robert e Joy, alm de dezoito netos e um bisneto.[5] Enquanto viviam em Detroit durante a residncia mdica de Ron, Carol tocava uma escola de dana no poro de casa.[4] Trs dos filhos de Ron, Robert, Rand e Joy tambm tornaram-se mdicos.[10] Rand especializou-se em Oftalmologia e Robert em Medicina de famlia. Assim como o congressista, sua filha Joy especializou-se em Obstetrcia e Ginecologia.[11] Ron Paul financiou o estudo de seus filhos durante seus anos de bacharelado e escola mdica, no permitindo que participassem em programas federais subsidiados de bolsa estudantil. Ele no aceita penso de congressista pelo mesmo motivo.[12]

Quando seu marido fazia campanha no 14 distrito, Carol Paul decidiu ajudar compilando receitas de famlia num livro de receitas e enviando cpias aos constituintes.[10] O livro recheado de fotos da grande famlia de Paul. Cinco edies j foram escritas desde sua publicao original. Ela e outros membros da famlia mantm uma coluna intitulada Recipe of the Week (Receita da semana) no website da campanha de seu marido.

Paul costuma visitar Lake Jackson nos fins-de-semana.

O treinamento mdico de Ron Paul foi interrompido quando foi recrutado pela Fora Area durante a crise dos msseis de Cuba. Ele permaneceu nas foras armadas durante os primeiros anos da guerra do Vietn.[13] Paul nunca foi enviado ao Vietn. Em vez disso, serviu em pases como a Coria do Sul, Ir, Etipia e Turquia. Tambm serviu como cirurgio de voo na base area de Kelly, em San Antonio, no Texas de 1963 at 1965. Ele, ento, passou a servir na Guarda Nacional Area, de 1965 at 1968, enquanto completava sua residncia mdica em Pittsburgh.[14] Alcanou a patente de capito durante seu servio na Fora Area.[15]

Dois anos aps terminar a escola de medicina, Ron Paul trabalhou no setor de emergncia de uma igreja-hospital em San Antonio, por um salrio de US$3 por hora. Mais tarde, Paul se especializou em Obstetrcia e Ginecologia onde realizou o parto de 4000 bebs. Ele assumiu a clnica de um mdico que se aposentou em Lake Jackson no Texas, onde se manteve ocupado como o nico obstetra e ginecologista do condado de Brazoria. Ron Paul afirmou sobre sua poca como doutor, "eu assistia entre quarenta e quarenta e cinco partos por ms e realizava muitas cirurgias.".[16] Dr. Paul no aceitava pagamentos do Medicare ou Medicaid como mdico, preferindo trabalhar pro bono ou combinando planos de pagamento personalizados e com desconto para pacientes carentes.[12][17]

Sua campanha pela presidncia dos Estados Unidos comeou em 12 de maro de 2007 quando se candidatou nominao do Partido Republicano. A partir de 6 de julho, Ron Paul arrecadou US$2,4 milhes em dinheiro, ultrapassando o candidato John McCain. 100% das contribuies de Ron Paul so de pessoas fsicas, sendo quase metade (47%) das contribuies abaixo de US$200.

Ron participou de todos os trs debates de candidatos republicanos transmitidos em rede nacional nos Estados Unidos. Seu momento mais proeminente ocorreu no debate do dia 15 de maio na seguinte discusso com o candidato Rudy Giuliani:

PAUL: Voc j leu sobre os motivos pelos quais nos atacaram? Eles nos atacaram porque estivemos l. Estivemos bombardeando o Iraque por 10 anos. Estivemos no Oriente Mdio [durante anos]. Eu acho que [Ronald Reagan]] estava certo. Ns no entendemos a irracionalidade da poltica do Oriente Mdio. Agora mesmo, estamos construindo uma embaixada no Iraque que maior que o Vaticano. Estamos construindo 14 bases permanentes. O que diramos se a China estivesse fazendo isso em nosso pas ou no Golfo do Mxico? Ns estaramos protestando. Precisamos olhar para o que fazemos sob a perspectiva do que aconteceria se algum fizesse isso conosco.

MODERADOR: O Sr. est sugerindo que convidamos os ataques de 11 de setembro?

PAUL: Estou sugerindo ouvirmos as pessoas que nos atacaram e as razes que os motivaram, e eles esto felizes por estarmos l pois Osama bin Laden disse, "Estou contente por vocs estarem em nossa areia porque podemos ating-los muito mais facilmente." Eles desde ento j mataram 3400 de nossos homens, e eu acho que isso foi desnecessrio.

GIULIANI: Essa uma afirmao extraordinria. Essa uma afirmao extraordinria, para algum que sobreviveu ao ataque de 11 de setembro, que ns convidamos o ataque porque atacamos o Iraque. Eu acho que nunca ouvi essa explicao antes e eu j ouvi explicaes bem absurdas para o 11 de setembro. E eu pediria ao congressista que retirasse seu comentrio e se retratasse.

PAUL: Eu acredito muito sinceramente que a CIA est correta quando ensinam e falam sobre blowback. Quando fomos ao Ir em 1953 e instauramos o X, sim, houve blowback. A reao a isso foi a tomada de refns, e isso persiste. E se ns ignorarmos isso, fazemo-lo sob nosso prprio risco. Se acharmos que podemos fazer o que quisermos pelo mundo sem incitar o dio, ento temos um problema. Eles no vm aqui nos atacar porque somos ricos e livres, eles vm e nos atacam porque estivemos l.

Ron apoia uma poltica externa no-intervencionista para os Estados Unidos e defende o retorno imediato das tropas americanas que se encontram no Iraque. Em julho de 2007, sua campanha recebeu mais doaes de empregados das foras armadas do que as de todos os outros candidatos.

A campanha de Ron Paul recebe grande parte de seu apoio pela Internet. Ele continua com altos ndices de trfego e buscas em sites como Technorati, Youtube, Facebook, MySpace, Eventful, de visitaes ao site oficial de sua campanha e em pesquisas de opinio realizadas por redes de notcias.

Ele foi uma unanimidade entre os grandes movimentos sociais da atualidade nos Estados Unidos, tanto entre o teabaggers quanto entre os membros do Occupy Wall Street.[18]

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Ron Paul Wikipdia, a enciclopdia livre

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Rand Paul – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Posted: at 3:41 pm

Randal Howard "Rand" Paul (born January 7, 1963) is an American politician and physician. Since 2011, Paul has served in the United States Senate as a member of the Republican Party representing Kentucky. He is the son of former U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Paul attended Baylor University and is a graduate of the Duke University School of Medicine. Paul began practicing ophthalmology in 1993 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and established his own clinic in December 2007. Throughout Paul's life, he volunteered for his father's campaigns. In 2010, Paul entered politics by running for a seat in the United States Senate. Paul has described himself as a Constitutional conservative and a supporter of the Tea Party movement and has advocated for a balanced budget amendment, term limits, and privacy reform.

On April 7, 2015, Paul officially announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination at the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He suspended his campaign on February 3, 2016, shortly after the Iowa caucus.

Randal Howard Paul was born on January 7, 1963, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Carol (ne Wells) and Ron Paul, who is also a politician and physician. The elder Paul was a U.S. Representative from Texas and ran for President three times.[1] The middle child of five, his siblings are Ronald "Ronnie" Paul Jr., Lori Paul Pyeatt, Robert Paul, and Joy Paul-LeBlanc.[2] Paul was baptized in the Episcopal Church[3] and identified as a practicing Christian as a teenager.[4] Despite his father's libertarian views and strong support for individual rights,[4][5] the novelist Ayn Rand was not the inspiration for his first name. Growing up, he went by "Randy",[6] but his wife shortened it to "Rand."[4][7][8]

The Paul family moved to Lake Jackson, Texas, in 1968,[6][9] where he was raised[10][11] and where his father began a medical practice and for an extent of time was the only obstetrician in Brazoria County.[6][9] When he was 13, his father was elected to the United States House of Representatives.[12] That same year, Paul attended the 1976 Republican National Convention, where his father headed Ronald Reagan's Texas delegation.[13] The younger Paul often spent summer vacations interning in his father's congressional office.[14] In his teenage years, Paul studied the Austrian economists that his father respected, as well as the writings of Objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand.[6] Paul went to Brazoswood High School and was on the swimming team and played defensive back on the football team.[4][10] Paul attended Baylor University from fall 1981to summer 1984 and was enrolled in the honors program. During the time he spent at Baylor, he was involved in the swim team and the Young Conservatives of Texas and was a member of a secret organization known as the NoZe Brotherhood.[15] Paul also regularly contributed to The Baylor Lariat student newspaper.[13] Paul dropped out of Baylor without completing his Bachelor's degree in either biology or English,[16] when he was accepted into his father's alma mater, the Duke University School of Medicine. At the time, Duke did not require an undergraduate degree for admission to its graduate school. He earned an M.D. degree in 1988 and completed his residency in 1993.[17]

After completing his residency in ophthalmology, Paul moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky. He has held a state-issued medical license since moving there in 1993.[18] He received his first job from John Downing of Downing McPeak Vision Centers, which brought him to Bowling Green after completing his residency. Paul worked for Downing for about five years before parting ways. Afterwards, he went to work at the Graves Gilbert Clinic, a private medical group in Bowling Green, for 10years before creating his own practice in a converted one-story house across the street from Downing's office.[19] After his election to the U.S. Senate, he merged his practice with Downing's medical practice.[20] Paul has faced two malpractice lawsuits between 1993 and 2010; he was cleared in one case while the other was settled for $50,000.[19] His medical work has been praised by Downing and he has medical privileges at two Bowling Green hospitals.[18][19] Paul specializes in cataract and glaucoma surgeries, LASIK procedures, and corneal transplants.[7] As a member of the Bowling Green Noon Lions Club, Paul founded the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic in 2009 to help provide eye surgery and exams for those who cannot afford to pay.[21] Paul won the Melvin Jones Fellow Award for Dedicated Humanitarian Services from the Lions Club International Foundation for his work establishing the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic.[22]

In 1995, Paul passed the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) boards on his first attempt and earned board-certification under the ABO for 10 years.

Prior to this, in 1992, the ABO had changed their certification program, which had previously awarded lifetime certifications, instead requiring doctors to recertify every 10 years. Those who had already been given lifetime certification were allowed to keep it (according to the ABO, they would not legally have been able to rescind these certifications).[23] Shortly after this change, Paul began a campaign to protest it. This effort culminated in 1997 with him creating, "along with 200 other young ophthalmologists", the National Board of Ophthalmology (NBO) to offer an alternative certification system, at a cost substantially lower than that of the ABO.[23][24][25] Its certification exam, an open book take-home test, was described by one taker as "probably harder" and "more clinically relevant" than the ABO's exam.[23]

Named board members were Paul, his wife, and his father-in-law.[26] The NBO was never itself accepted as an accrediting entity by organizations such as the American Board of Medical Specialities,[18] and its certification was considered invalid by many hospitals and insurance companies.[23] Paul let his own ABO certification lapse in 2005, which did not affect his practice in Kentucky, since the state does not require board certification.[23]

By Paul's estimate, about 50 or 60 doctors were certified by the NBO.[23] The NBO was incorporated in 1999, but Paul allowed it to be dissolved in 2000 when he did not file the required paperwork with the Kentucky Secretary of State's office. He later recreated the board in 2005, but it was again dissolved in 2011.[27]

Paul served as the head of the local chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas during his time at Baylor University.[13] In 1984, Paul took a semester off to aid his father's primary challenge to Republican Senator Phil Gramm.[13] While attending Duke Medical School, Paul volunteered for his father's 1988 Libertarian presidential campaign.[14] In response to President Bush breaking his election promise to not raise taxes, Paul founded the North Carolina Taxpayers Union in 1991.[14] In 1994, Paul founded the anti-tax organization Kentucky Taxpayers United (KTU), serving as chair of the organization from its inception. He has often cited his involvement with KTU as the foundation of his involvement with state politics.[28] Described as "ideological and conservative" by the Lexington Herald-Leader, the group considered itself nonpartisan,[29][30] examining Kentucky legislators' records on taxation and spending and encouraging politicians to publicly pledge to vote uniformly against tax increases.[31][32] Paul managed his father's successful 1996 Congressional campaign, in which the elder Paul returned to the House after a twelve-year absence.[13] The elder Paul defeated incumbent Democrat-turned-Republican Greg Laughlin in the Republican primary, despite Laughlin's support from the NRCC and Republican leaders such as Newt Gingrich and George W. Bush.[13]

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2010 that although Paul had told a Kentucky television audience as recently as September 2009 that KTU published ratings each year on state legislators' tax positions and that "we've done that for about 15 years", the group had stopped issuing its ratings and report cards after 2002 and had been legally dissolved by the state in 2000 after failing to file registration documents.[28]

Paul spoke on his father's behalf when his father was campaigning for office,[33] including throughout the elder Paul's run in the 2008 presidential election, during which Rand campaigned door-to-door in New Hampshire[34] and spoke in Boston at a fundraising rally for his father on the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.[35]

In February 2014, Paul joined the Tea Party-affiliated conservative advocacy group FreedomWorks in filing a class-action lawsuit charging that the federal government's bulk collection of Americans' phone records metadata is a violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.[36][37][38] Commenting on the lawsuit at a press conference, Paul said, "I'm not against the NSA, I'm not against spying, I'm not against looking at phone records.... I just want you to go to a judge, have an individual's name and [get] a warrant. That's what the Fourth Amendment says."[36] He also said there was no evidence the surveillance of phone metadata had stopped terrorism.[36] Critics, including Harvard University law professor Alan Dershowitz[39] and Steven Aftergood, the director of the American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy,[38] called the lawsuit a political "stunt". Paul's political campaign organization said that the names of members of the public who went to Paul's websites and signed on as potential class-action participants would be available in the organization's database for future campaign use.[36][40] On the announcement of the filing of the lawsuit, Mattie Fein, the spokeswoman for and former wife of attorney Bruce Fein, complained that Fein's intellectual contribution to the lawsuit had been stolen and that he had not been properly paid for his work.[41] Paul's representatives denied the charge, and Fein issued a statement saying that Mattie Fein had not been authorized to speak for him on the matter and that he had in fact been paid for his work on the lawsuit.[41]

Paul is co-author of a book entitled The Tea Party Goes to Washington (2011)[42][43] and also the author of Government Bullies: How Everyday Americans Are Being Harassed, Abused, and Imprisoned by the Feds (2012).[44] Paul was included in Time magazine's world's 100 most influential people, for 2013 and 2014.[45][46]

At the beginning of 2009, there was movement by political supporters of his father to draft Paul in a bid to replace beleaguered Republican Kentucky senator Jim Bunning. Paul's potential candidacy was discussed in the Los Angeles Times[47] and locally in the Kentucky press.[48] Paul's father said, "Should Senator Bunning decide not to run, I think Rand would make a great U.S. Senator."[49] On April 15, 2009, Paul gave his first political speech as a potential candidate at a Tea Party rally held in his town of Bowling Green, Kentucky, where more than 700 people had gathered in support of the Tea Party movement.[50]

On May 1, 2009, Paul said that if Bunning, whose fundraising in 2009 matched his poor numbers in opinion polling for the 2010 election,[51] declined to seek a third term, he would almost certainly run in the Republican Party primary to succeed him,[52] and formed an exploratory committee soon after, while still promising to stay out of the race if Bunning ultimately decided to run for reelection. Paul made this announcement on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, though a Kentucky news site first broke the news.[53]

On July 28, 2009, Bunning announced that he would not run for reelection in the face of insufficient fundraising. The announcement left only Paul and Secretary of State Trey Grayson as the remaining candidates for the Republican nomination,[54] with Paul announcing on August 5, 2009, that he would officially run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican. The announcement was made through a series of national TV events, radio, and other programs, as well as newspapers in Kentucky.[55][56][57]

On August 20, 2009, Paul's supporters planned a moneybomb to kick off his campaign. The official campaign took in $433,509 in 24 hours. His website reported that this set a new record in Kentucky's political fundraising history in a 24-hour period.[58] A second "moneybomb" was held on September 23, 2009, to counter a D.C. fundraiser being held for primary opponent Trey Grayson, by 23 Republican United States Senators.[59] The theme was a UFC "fight" between "We the People" and the "D.C. Insiders".[60] Later in the campaign, Paul claimed his pledge to not take money from lobbyists and Senators who had voted for the bailout was only a "primary pledge";[61] he subsequently held a DC fundraiser with the same Senators who had been the target of the September 23, 2009, "moneybomb". Paul ended up raising some $3 million during the primary period. Paul's fundraising was aided by his father's network of supporters.[13]

Although Grayson was considered the frontrunner in July 2009,[62] Paul found success characterizing Grayson as a "career politician" and challenging Grayson's conservatism. Paul ran an ad in February that made an issue out of Grayson's September 2008 admission that he voted for Bill Clinton when he was 20 years old.[63]James Dobson, a Christian evangelical figure, endorsed Grayson on April 26 based on the advice of what Dobson described as "senior members of the GOP", but on May 3 the Paul campaign announced that Dobson had changed his endorsement to Paul[64] after Paul and some Paul supporters had lobbied Dobson insisting on Paul's social conservative bona fides.[65]

On May 18, Paul won the Republican Senatorial primary by a 23% margin,[66][67] meaning he would face the Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, in the November 2 general election.[68]

In the 2010 general election, Paul faced Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway. The campaign attracted $8.5 million in contributions from outside groups, of which $6 million was spent to help Paul and $2.5 million to help Conway. This money influx was in addition to the money spent by the candidates themselves: $6 million by Paul and $4.7 million by Conway.[69][70] On June 28, 2010, Paul supporters held their first post-primary online fundraising drive, this time promoted as a "money blast".[71][72]

Paul's campaign got off to a rough start after his comments on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 stirred controversy.[73] Paul stated that he favored 9 out of 10 titles of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but that had he been a senator during the 1960s, he would have raised some questions on the constitutionality of Title II of the Act.[74] Paul said that he abhors racism, and that he would have marched with Martin Luther King Jr. to repeal Jim Crow Laws. He later released a statement declaring that he would have voted for the Act and stated "unequivocally ... that I will not support any efforts to repeal the Civil Rights Act of 1964".[75][76] Later he generated more controversy by characterizing statements made by Obama Administration officials regarding the BP oil spill cleanup as sounding "un-American".[77]

Paul defeated Conway in the general election with 56% of the vote to 44% for Conway.

Paul was sworn in on January 5, 2011, along with his father, who simultaneously served in the House of Representatives.[78]

Paul was assigned to serve on the Energy and Natural Resources, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and Small Business committees.[79] Paul also formed the Senate Tea Party Caucus with Jim DeMint and Mike Lee as its inaugural members.[80] His first legislative proposal was to cut $500billion from federal spending in one year. This proposal included cutting the Department of Education by 83percent and the Department of Homeland Security by 43percent, as well as folding the Department of Energy into the Department of Defense and eliminating the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Seven independent agencies would be eliminated and food stamps would be cut by 30percent. Under Paul's proposal, defense spending would be reduced by 6.5percent and international aid would be eliminated.[81] He later proposed a five-year budget plan intended to balance the budget.[82]

In February, Paul was one of two Republicans to vote against extending three key provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act (roving wiretaps, searches of business records, and conducting surveillance of "lone wolves"individuals not linked to terrorist groups).[83][84]

On March 2, Paul was one of nine senators to vote against a stopgap bill that cut $4billion from the budget and temporarily prevent a government shutdown, saying that it did not cut enough from the budget.[85] One week later, he voted against the Democratic and Republican budget proposals to keep funding the federal government, saying that both bills did not cut enough spending. Both bills failed to pass the Senate.[86] He later voted against stopgap measures on March 17 and April 8, both of which passed the senate.[87] On April 14, He was one of 19 senators to vote against a budget that cut $38.5billion from the budget and fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year.[88] Paul voiced opposition to U.S. intervention in the Libyan civil war and has criticized President Obama for not gaining congressional consent for Operation Odyssey Dawn.[89] During the debt ceiling crisis, the Senator stated that he would only support raising the debt ceiling if a balanced budget amendment was enacted.[90] Paul was a supporter of the Cut, Cap and Balance Act, which was tabled by Democratic opposition.[91] On August 3, Paul voted against a bill that would raise the debt ceiling.[92]

On September 7, Paul called for a vote of no confidence in U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.[93] Later that month, Paul blocked legislation that would strengthen safety rules for oil and gas pipelines because he stated the bill was not strong enough.[94] In October, Paul blocked a bill that would provide $36million in benefits for elderly and disabled refugees, saying that he was concerned that it could be used to aid domestic terrorists. This was in response to two alleged terrorists who came to the United States through a refugee program and were receiving welfare benefits when they were arrested in 2011 in Paul's hometown of Bowling Green.[95] Paul lifted his hold on the bill after Democratic leaders promised to hold a Congressional hearing into how individuals are selected for refugee status and request an investigation on how the two suspects were admitted in the country through a refugee program.[96]

For the 113th Congress, Paul was added to the Foreign Relations committee and retained his spot on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and Small Business committees.[97]

On March 67, 2013, Paul engaged in a filibuster to delay voting on the nomination of John O. Brennan as the Director of the CIA. Paul questioned the Obama administration's use of drones and the stated legal justification for their potential use within the United States. Paul held the floor for 12 hours and 52 minutes.[98] He ceded to several Republican senators and Democratic senator, Ron Wyden, who generally also questioned drone usage.[99][100] Paul said his purpose was to challenge drone policy in general and specifically as it related to noncombatants on U.S. soil. He requested a pledge from the Administration that noncombatants would not be targeted on U.S. soil.[101] Attorney General Eric Holder responded that the President is not authorized to deploy extrajudicial punishment without due process, against non-combatant citizens. Paul answered that he was "quite happy" with the response.[102] The filibuster was ended with a cloture vote of 81 to 16, and Brennan was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 63 to 34.[103]

In March 2013, Paul, with Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, threatened another filibuster, this one opposing any legislative proposals to expand federal gun control measures.[104] The filibuster was attempted on April 11, 2013, but was dismissed by cloture, in a 6831 vote.[105] Also in March 2013, Paul endorsed fellow Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell's 2014 re-election campaign.[106] McConnell had previously hired Paul's 2010 campaign manager, Jesse Benton, as his own campaign manager.[107] Paul's endorsement was seen as a major win for McConnell in avoiding a challenge in the Republican primary.[106]

In response to Detroit's declaration of bankruptcy, Paul stated he would not allow the government to attempt to bail out Detroit. In a phone interview with Breitbart.com on July 19, 2013, Paul said, "I basically say he is bailing them out over my dead body because we don't have any money in Washington." Paul said he thought a federal bailout would send the wrong message to other cities with financial problems.[108]

In September, Paul stated that the United States should avoid military intervention in the ongoing Syrian civil war.[109] In an op-ed, Paul disputed the Obama administration's claims that the threat of military force caused Syria's government to consider turning over its chemical weapons, instead arguing that the opposition to military action in Syria, and the delay that it caused, led to diplomatic progress.[110]

In October 2013, Paul was the subject of some controversy when it was discovered that he had plagiarized from Wikipedia part of a speech in support of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli. Referencing the movie Gattaca, Paul quoted almost verbatim from the Wikipedia article about the film without citing the source.[111][112][113] Evidence soon surfaced that Paul had copied sentences in a number of his other speeches nearly verbatim from other authors without giving credit to the original sources,[114][115] including in the speech he had given as the Tea Party rebuttal to the president's 2013 State of the Union address. In addition, a three-page-long passage of Paul's book Government Bullies was taken directly from an article by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation.[116][117] When it became apparent that Paul's Washington Times op-ed on mandatory minimums and related testimony he had given before the Senate Judiciary Committee both contained material that was virtually identical to an article that had been published by another author in The Week a few days earlier,[118] the Washington Times said that the newspaper would no longer publish the weekly column Paul had been contributing to the paper.[119] After a week of almost daily news reports of new allegations of plagiarism, Paul said that he was being held to an "unfair standard", but would restructure his office in order to prevent mistakes in the future, if that would be what it would take "to make people leave me the hell alone."[120]

In response to political turmoil in Ukraine in early 2014, Paul initially said that the US should remain mindful of the fact that although the Cold War is over, Russia remains a military power with long-range nuclear missiles. He said that the US should try to maintain a "respectful relationship with Russia" and avoid taking actions that the Russians might view as a provocation, such as seeking to have Ukraine join NATO or otherwise interfering in Russia's relationship with Ukraine.[121] Two weeks later, after the Russian parliament authorized the use of military force in Ukraine[122] and Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military exercises along Russia's border with Ukraine,[123] Paul began taking a different tone.[124] He wrote: "Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is a gross violation of that nation's sovereignty and an affront to the international community.... Putin must be punished for violating the Budapest Memorandum, and Russia must learn that the U.S. will isolate it if it insists on acting like a rogue nation."[125] He said that the US and European allies could retaliate against Russia's military aggression without any need for military action. He urged that the US impose economic sanctions on Russia and resume an effort to build defensive anti-missile installations in Poland and the Czech Republic. He also called for the US to take steps as a counterweight to Russia's strategic influence on Europe's oil and gas supply, such as lifting restrictions on new exploration and drilling for fossil fuels in the United States along with immediate approval of the controversial Keystone Pipeline, which he said would allow the US to ship more oil and gas to Europe if Russia attempts to cut off its own supply to Europe.[125]

Paul played a leading role in blocking a treaty with Switzerland that would enable the IRS to conduct tax evasion probes, arguing that the treaty would infringe upon Americans' privacy.[126] Paul received the 2014 Distinguished Service Award from the Center for the National Interest (formally called the Nixon Center) for his public policy work.[127]

In response to reports that the CIA infiltrated the computers of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Paul called for the firing of CIA Director John O. Brennan.[128] In December 2014, Paul supported the actions to change the US policy towards Cuba and trade with that country taken by the Obama administration.[129]

In the beginning of 2015, Senator Paul re-introduced the Federal Reserve Transparency Act.[130] Senator Paul also introduced the FAIR Act, or Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act, which would restrict civil forfeiture proceedings.[131]

On May 20, 2015, Paul spoke for ten and a half hours in opposition to the reauthorization of Section 215 of the Patriot Act.[132][133] Sections of the Patriot Act were prevented from being reauthorized on June 1.[134]

Paul was considered a potential candidate for the Republican nomination for the Presidency of the United States since at least January 2013.[135] He delivered the Tea Party response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on February 13, 2013,[136] while Marco Rubio gave the official Republican response. This prompted some pundits to call that date the start of the 2016 Republican primaries.[137] That year, he spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington D.C., where he won the 2016 Presidential straw poll. Paul went on to win the straw poll for the next two years as well, leading to some considering Paul to be a front runner for the nomination, although CPAC attendees are typically considered younger and more libertarian-minded than average Republican voters.[138][139][140]

In a speech at the GOP Freedom Summit in April 2014, Paul insisted that the GOP has to broaden its appeal in order to grow as a party. To do so, he said it cannot be the party of "fat cats, rich people and Wall Street" and that the conservative movement has never been about rich people or privilege, "we are the middle class", he said. Paul also said that conservatives must present a message of justice and concern for the unemployed and be against government surveillance to attract new people to the movement, including the young, Hispanics, and blacks[141] During the 2014 election, Paul launched a social media campaign titled "Hillary's Losers" which was meant to highlight many of the Democratic candidates that lost their bids for the U.S. Senate despite endorsements from Hillary Clinton. Clinton is also a candidate for President and is considered a front runner for the Democratic Party's nomination.[142]

Paul began to assemble his campaign team, setting up campaign offices and hiring his campaign manager at in the beginning of 2015, fueling speculation that he was preparing to enter the Presidential race.[143] In February 2015, Paul said he would make an announcement about whether or not he would be running in late March or early April.[144]

Paul officially announced his presidential candidacy on April 7, 2015. Within a day of his announcement, Paul raised $1 million.[145]

In April 2011, Paul filed to run for re-election to his Senate seat in 2016.[146] Had he become the Republican presidential (or vice-presidential) nominee, state law would prohibit him from simultaneously running for re-election.[147] In March 2014, the Republican-controlled Kentucky Senate passed a bill that would allow Paul to run for both offices, but the Democratic-controlled Kentucky House of Representatives declined to take it up.[148][149][150] Paul spent his own campaign money in the 2014 legislative elections, helping Republican candidates for the State House in the hopes of flipping the chamber, thus allowing the legislature to pass the bill (Democratic Governor Steve Beshear's veto can be overridden with a simple majority).[151][152] However, the Democrats retained their 5446 majority in the State House.[153][154][155] Paul has since given his support to the idea that the Kentucky Republican Party could decide to hold a caucus rather than a primary, potentially giving Paul more time to decide whether he should run for U.S. Senator or continue a potential bid for President.[156]

Paul announced the suspension of his presidential campaign on February 3, 2016, shortly after the Iowa caucus.[157]

A supporter of the Tea Party movement,[158][159] Paul has described himself as a "constitutional conservative".[160] He is generally described as a libertarian, a term he both embraced[161] and rejected[162] during his first Senate campaign. He supports term limits, a balanced budget amendment, and the Read the Bills Act, in addition to the widespread reduction of federal spending and taxation.[163] He favors a flat tax rate of 14.5% for individuals and business, while eliminating the FICA payroll taxes, as well as taxes on inheritance, gifts, capital gains, dividends, and interest.[164]

On social issues, Paul describes himself as "100% pro life", believing that legal personhood begins at fertilization.[165][166][167] In 2009, his position was to ban abortion under all circumstances.[168][169] Since 2010, he has said he would allow for a doctor's discretion in life-threatening cases such as ectopic pregnancies.[170] Concerning same-sex marriage, Paul has made a distinction between his personal beliefs and how he feels the government should handle it. He has stated that he personally feels same-sex marriage "offends [himself] and a lot of people", and said there is a "crisis that allows people to think there would be some other sorts of marriage."[171][172] However, he believes the issue should be left to the states to decide, and would not support a federal ban.[173][174]

Concerning drugs, Paul has criticized mandatory minimums that he believes have led to unreasonably harsh sentences for repeat offenders. He has highlighted the case of Timothy L. Tyler as particularly unfair.[175] Paul does not believe in legalizing the recreational use of drugs like marijuana and cocaine,[162] but does not support jailing marijuana users.[176] He supports state laws to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes.[177] Paul was one of three U.S. senators in 2015 to introduce a bipartisan bill, CARERS, that would legalize medical marijuana under federal law.[178]

Paul opposes all forms of gun control as a violation of Second Amendment rights, including provisions of the Patriot Act.[179] His advocacy of personal property rights includes introducing House Bill S. 890, the Defense of Environment and Property Act of 2012. Provisions of the bill include restricting the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency and other Federal agencies to "impinge upon states' power over land and water use." The bill holds requires Federal agencies to reimburse private property owners double the amount of any economic losses arising from new Federal regulations "that relate to the definition of navigable waters or waters of the United States", and holds the enforcement of any such regulation in abeyance until such payments are complete.[180]

Unlike his more stridently "non-interventionist" father, Paul concedes a role for American armed forces abroad, including permanent foreign military bases.[181] He has said that he blames supporters of the Iraq War and not President Obama for the growth in violence that occurred in 2014, and that the Iraq War "emboldened" Iran.[182]Dick Cheney, John McCain and Rick Perry have responded by calling Paul an isolationist,[183][184] but Paul has pointed to opinion polls of likely GOP primary voters as support for his position.[185] Paul also stated: "I personally believe that this group [ISIS] would not be in Iraq and would not be as powerful had we not been supplying their allies in the war [against Syrian Bashar al-Assad's government]."[186] Paul then supported airstrikes against ISIS, but questioned the constitutionality of Obama's unilateral actions without a clear congressional mandate.[187][188] Paul has stated concerns about arms sent to Syrian rebels that wind up in unfriendly hands.[189] In 2015, Paul called for a defense budget of $697 billion in 2016. In 2011, shortly after being elected, he proposed a budget which specified $542 billion in defense spending.[190]

On February 2, 2015, Paul generated controversy by suggesting that states should not require parents to vaccinate their children because parents should have the freedom to make that decision for their children. In an interview with CNBC on February 2, Paul clarified this statement, commenting "I'm not arguing vaccines are a bad idea. I think they are a good thing. But I think the parent should have some input. The state doesn't own your children. Parents own the children, and it is an issue of freedom."[191] On February 3, he posted a photograph to Twitter of himself being vaccinated.[192]

Paul is married to Kelley Paul (ne Ashby), a freelance writer. They and their three sons reside in Bowling Green, Kentucky.[193]

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