Today, The New Republic published a damning expose of what they call Ron Paul's bigoted past. As evidence, the author cites hundreds of newsletters circulated by Paul throughout his career. Filled with racist statements and paranoid ramblings, the recently unearthed publications may spell the end of his 2008 campaign.

Some excerpts.

On Blacks:

“[O]ur country is being destroyed by a group of actual and potential terrorists—and they can be identified by the color of their skin.”

“Korean-Americans, hated by blacks, never riot, and in fact are some of the most productive people in America (the reason for black hatred).”

On the "Coming Race War"

.... a newsletter warned of "The Coming Race War," and, in November 1990, an item advised readers, "If you live in a major city, and can leave, do so. If not, but you can have a rural retreat, for investment and refuge, buy it."

In June 1991, an entry on racial disturbances in Washington, DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood was titled, "Animals Take Over the D.C. Zoo." "This is only the first skirmish in the race war of the 1990s," the newsletter predicted. In an October 1992 item about urban crime, the newsletter's author--presumably Paul--wrote, "I've urged everyone in my family to know how to use a gun in self defense. For the animals are coming." That same year, a newsletter described the aftermath of a basketball game in which "blacks poured into the streets of Chicago in celebration. How to celebrate? How else? They broke the windows of stores to loot."

“Two years ago, in a series of predictions for the 1990s, I said that race riots would erupt in our large cities. I’m now predicting this will be the major problem of the 1990s.

The campaign's response leaves a lot to be desired - they say that Ron Paul didn't personally approve all of the content in the newsletter bearing his name ("The Ron Paul Political Report," "The Ron Paul Survival Report"), and the he therefore doesn't necessarily agree with everything that was said.

It's hard to believe that, over the course of the many years that the various publications ran, Ron Paul was none the wiser. But whether Ron Paul agrees with the statements or not may not matter. He has, if nothing else, shown a bizarre willingness to let others use his likeness to promote whatever personal cause they wish. He may call it "libertarianism," but I have a hard time seeing it as anything other than classic pandering or tacit approval.