Now this is a good find.

Washington Post Reports:

Rep. Ron Paul is captivated by gold. Over the past two decades, he has written books about the virtues of gold-backed currency. He has made uncounted speeches about the precious metal. He even took a leadership post on the House subcommittee that oversees the nation’s monetary policy, mints and gold medals.

But his focus on gold goes beyond the theoretical.

In recent years, Paul (R-Tex.) has poured hundreds of thousands of his own dollars into stocks of some of the world’s largest gold-mining operations, according to a review of his financial disclosure forms by The Washington Post. In 2008, while advocating for the United States to reinstate a gold standard, he reported owning up to $1.5 million in shares of at least nine gold-production companies. In addition, he disclosed up to $200,000 in silver stocks. In all, those holdings represented close to half of his assets.

The intersection of Paul’s investments, policy convictions and congressional duties is acceptable under the ethics rules that govern lawmaker investing, a code of behavior that stands in stark contrast to the stricter regulations that government and private executives typically must follow.

Of course, one of Ron Paul’s main sock puppets; racist bigot, anti-Semite and writer of the Ron Paul Newsletters — Lew Rockwell Jumps to his defense:

The Washington Post, house organ of the Fed-banking-Wall Street complex, attempts to smear Ron Paul today. Check the headline and the deliberately unflattering photo, as well as the biased article itself. But Ron Paul has no sway of this sort in congress. He could have had it, but he chose not to play that game. Instead he has used his position to teach America and the world about sound money, freedom, and peace. He has persuaded individual congressmen, but–God bless him–he has no power in the conventional sense, has not sought it, and does not want it. So, are gold investments a conflict of interest because he also promotes the gold standard and competitive currencies? First, he has the right to protect his family with the money he earned as a successful physician and investor. Second, it is Greenspan and Bush, and Bernanke and Obama, who made gold go up in terms of dollars, not Ron Paul. If he had his way, gold would no longer be an investment. It would be money. But although Ron has no power in the Gingrich-Pelosi sense, he has vast influence, especially with young people. Millions of them. That’s why WaPo wants to hurt him. But he swats them away like a bothersome bug.

UPDATE from Eli Cryderman:

The Washington Post was purchased in 1933 by Federal Reserve Chairman Eugene Meyer. His son-in-law, Philip Graham took over in 1946 and after his death in 1963, Katherine Graham (Meyer’s daughter) took control. In 1979, Katherine’s son (and Meyer’s grandson) Donald Graham took over up until 2008, when his college buddy ran it for a few years until Katherine Weymouth, Katherine Graham’s granddaughter took over. All are ivy-league elites (some from influential families) who couldn’t possibly have any financial interest in keeping the fiat, house of cards monetary system going. One dead-tree rag would never prop up another dead tree instrument of exchange for mutual benefit, would they?

That all might be true, although I very highly doubt it, but does that excuse Ron Paul’s conflict of interest? No, it does not. Nice try though Lew.

I will so glad when Ron Paul is voted out of office come 2010. (or is it 2012??? I cannot remember…) Anyhow, the man needs to go, Paul has become a part of that beltway establishment and is profiting off of his own grandstanding. It’s time of grandpa Paul to get to his retirement. It’s time for a new face and a new perspective.

Countdown to the Paleo-Cons, Libertarians, and Paul-bots calling me Jew Lover, Neo-Con, or whatever else they call people like me in 5…..4…..3….2……