Michigan GOP Chairman Petitions to have Ron Paul Banned from Debates

Can candidates have their own positions or should those that don't tow the party line be silenced? Apparently, some GOP officials believe it's the latter. The real irony is that the man they want silenced is the most conservative candidate in the field.

Apparently, candidates who don’t parrot the current Republican Party talking points, don’t get invited to debates. Saul Anuzis, the GOP Chairman in Michigan is working to have Ron Paul banned from future debates and has said he will petition the Republican National Committee, sponsors, and broadcasters in an attempt to see that it happens. Anuzis obviously didn’t agree with Paul’s stances in the South Carolina Republican Debate. He said Dr. Paul would have been “more comfortable on a stage with the Democrats,” and went on to call him a distraction. That’s an interesting philosophy since Democrats don’t usually run on a platform of strict constructionism and disbanding government bureaucracies. It's also very ironic considering the less than conservative stances of the Republican "frontrunners." It was clearly Paul’s remarks concerning the war that sent some Republicans into a tailspin. Ron Paul’s campaign manager, Jesse Benton, brought up the fact that non-intervention used to be the Republican position on foreign policy and also said, “I think it's a shame when people try to silence the traditional conservative Republican standpoint.” Ron Paul has indicated that he doesn’t think his comments will put an end to his campaign, and judging by post debate polls, he seems to be correct. Dr. Paul has said that he has not and will not change his position.