Then I found a transcript of the Sept. 17 debate.
At first, he seemed to be my kind of guy.
Q: What will you do to restore legal protection to the unborn?PAUL: As an O.B. doctor of thirty years, and having delivered 4,000 babies, I can assure you life begins at conception. I am legally responsible for the unborn, no matter what I do, so there's a legal life there. The unborn has inheritance rights, and if there's an injury or a killing, there is a legal entity. There is no doubt about it.
I like this position:
Q: Will you abolish all plans to promote economic integration of North America?PAUL: Not only do I not want a North American Union, I want us out of the U.N., the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO, NAFTA and CAFTA. NAFTA has nothing to do for free trade. It's a pretense to lower tariffs, but it's a reason to go talk to the WTO to raise tariffs. We need free trade. That's very, very important. But you don't get that by world government.
But then this:
Q: The Bush Justice Department is reticent to prosecute any but the worst hardcore pornographers--and most often, only the smaller companies that produce such filth. Meanwhile, hardcore pornographers have found their way into major hotel chains. Would your administration prosecute all illegal adult pornography, including so-called white-collar pornographers?Why wouldn't you prosecute illegal activity that hurts women and children, destroys marriages, and damages families?
PAUL: No.
Q: Sarah Lu was forced to work in labor camps for six years, for the crime of being a Christian house church leader. Thousands of prisoners of conscience are forced to manufacture items that stock our American shelves. Would you make future trade with China contingent on them measurably improving their record on religious freedom & human rights?The United States and China are huge economies, who do billions of dollars in business with each other. Here is one chance for us to put our money where our mouth is. Why would we not want to see China improve their human rights record?
PAUL: No.
And this:
Q: My name is Bobby Schindler, and I'm with the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation. My beloved sister Terri Schiavo was starved & dehydrated to death, in the land of abundance. The world watched because she was disabled & unable to speak for herself. Would you support legislation that would protect the cognitively disabled & vulnerable people from having their food & water taken away?And this:
PAUL: No.
Q: I was made a slave during the government of Sudan's war against black Christians of southern Sudan. I am a slave no longer, but today want to free tens of thousands of my brothers and sisters who remain in chattel slavery in Sudan. Would you today endorse the creation of a commission to monitor the eradication of slavery in Sudan, where the slavery of a man is legal?Is there any candidate that would protect our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, at all stages - preborn, disabled, slaves, the elderly? One who will do something about China, with a huge trade imbalance, exploiting helpless workers, and now won't let our Navy dock, even when prior permission was obtained?
PAUL: No.
I'm getting discouraged.