GOP hopeful’s slur recalled

A Texas congressman vying for the Republican presidential candidacy reportedly once described Israel’s government as the most powerful “bad” lobby in Washington. “By far the most powerful lobby in Washington of the bad sort is the Israeli government,” Ron Paul wrote in a 1992 newsletter to constituents and quoted in a 1996 article in the Houston Chronicle. Paul also said Zionists stifle criticism, the Chronicle reported. Paul, the only Republican candidate who opposes the Iraq war, is a marginal candidate. However, his quotes about Israel, as well as unsavory comments about blacks and crime, are resurfacing on blogs in the wake of strongly positive response to his performance in debates.