BY GABE SEMENZA - VICTORIA ADVOCATE

January 08, 2008

Ron Paul came under fire on Monday night for a story supporters thought died seven years ago.

Welcome to presidential politics, congressman.

Paul, a Texas Republican vying for the U.S. presidency, is linked to ideas centered on racism, homophobia and paranoia.

Paul published newsletters for decades that included editorials calling black people 鈥渁nimals,鈥?gays 鈥渓imp-wristed鈥漚nd accusing Martin Luther King Jr. of being 鈥渁 pedophile,鈥漵aid James Kirchick, a writer for The New Republic.

The New Republic is a national magazine of opinion published twice per month. It has a circulation up to 65,000. Politically, the magazine supports modern liberal policies.

Kirchick researched Paul and his newsletters for a lengthy piece set to publish in the magazine on Friday, and online today on its Web site, www.TNR.com.

Paul鈥檚 camp said the congressman did not write the newsletter editorials, and he regrets not having better reviewed the content in them.

Tucker Carlson said that鈥檚 a shoddy defense. Carlson, a political news pundit, hosts MSNBC鈥檚 鈥淭ucker,鈥?the TV show in which Kirchick shared his findings on Monday night.

Hours before the live TV show, Kirchick offered a telephone interview with the Victoria Advocate.

鈥淭he newsletters were called the Ron Paul Freedom Report and the Ron Paul Political Report,鈥?Kirchick said by phone. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way he didn鈥檛 know what was in there.鈥?br>