Libertarians hold their own rally in nearby Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS — Thousands of Ron Paul supporters – incensed at the state of their country and the two major parties that run it – on Tuesday shouted their support for their unsuccessful 2008 presidential candidate and gave a raucous welcome to an ex-wrestler who could be their 2012 contender.

Paul, a Texas GOP congressman seeking re-election this year, was the featured speaker at the "Rally for the Republic," a sort-of counter convention to the Republican National Convention going on in nearby St. Paul.

"One thing I have said is that the revolution is a lot more than about me. There is no doubt about it. This revolution will continue," he told a packed Target Center arena. "But I would like to think that the campaign and our efforts together have done a whole lot to speed up the revolution that was destined to come anyway."

Paul's libertarian politics struck a chord with many voters around the nation who viewed it as more of a cause than a candidacy. But Paul failed to run well in any primary as his candidacy faded and morphed into an anti-IRS, anti-Federal Reserve Bank, anti-foreign intervention, shrink-the-federal-government movement.

"When they asked me about what I wanted to do as president I said I look at it differently," he told cheering supporters. "I want to be president because of the things I don't want to do."

Paul was introduced by Barry Goldwater Jr., son of the late Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, the 1964 GOP presidential candidate and a conservative who set what became the party tone many years later.

"With the Ron Paul revolution we will take back the party," Goldwater said, calling Paul "our messenger, our leader, our inspiration."

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura – echoing Paul's libertarian leanings - had the Target Center rocking with in-your-face comments about the two major parties, the state of the nation and what he sees as a government conspiracy to cover up key information about the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The Second Amendment provision concerning gun rights is not about hunting, Ventura said, but about citizens' "ability to rise up" if the government "gets out of control."

"And why is it when you ask questions about 9/11, it's out of bounds?" he said, adding, "Why has the United States Department of Justice not charged Osama bin Laden for 9/11?"

"Inside job! Inside Job!" some in the crowd chanted in response.

"Cause Bush did it," a man down front screamed.

Ventura said Bush "stonewalled any investigation of 9/11 for over two years."

The former governor wrapped up by hinting at a 2012 presidential campaign.

"Chanting and yelling isn't going to do it," he said as many in the arena screamed support for such a candidacy. "I need action. If I see it in 2012 we'll give them a race they'll never forget."

The long day of speakers also included John McManus, president of the John Birch Society, who told Paul backers, "If you like Ron Paul you'll love the John Birch Society."

McManus drew applause by attributing U.S. immigration policy to a "plan to put us in a North American union with Canada and Mexico" and a longer-range plan to merge with the European Union.