By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 2 minutes ago



WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul has received a $500 campaign donation from a white supremacist, and the Texas congressman doesn't plan to return it, an aide said Wednesday.

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Don Black, of West Palm Beach, recently made the donation, according to campaign filings. He runs a Web site called Stormfront with the motto, "White Pride World Wide." The site welcomes postings to the "Stormfront White Nationalist Community."

"Dr. Paul stands for freedom, peace, prosperity and inalienable rights. If someone with small ideologies happens to contribute money to Ron, thinking he can influence Ron in any way, he's wasted his money," Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said. "Ron is going to take the money and try to spread the message of freedom."

"And that's $500 less that this guy has to do whatever it is that he does," Benton added.

Black said he supports Paul's stance on ending the war in Iraq, securing U.S. borders and his opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants.

"We know that he's not a white nationalist. He says he isn't and we believe him, but on the issues, there's only one choice," Black said Wednesday.

"We like his stand on tight borders and opposition to a police state," Black told The Palm Beach Post earlier.

On his Web site, Black says he has been involved in "the White patriot movement for 30 years."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071219/ap_po/ron_paul_white_supremacist;_ylt=AsxHQMYSAzsH_LkjwH36d7Os0NUE

And this brings us to the issue of freedom of speech,  should the money be rejected just because the man is white supremacist? Should the vote of people who hold such a view not have to count Should people be demonized for having offensive views?? should people like this be treated like criminals??

Out of respect for democracy, their votes are relevant, and they have the right to support any candidate of their choice. But any candidate, who knowingly fraternizes with them might not earn the respect of the masses.

Same works for candidates that take donations from gay groups, abortion rights groups, anti-religion groups. I think the people will ultimately have to choose as they want. I for one have no problems with allowing the next man who I do not agree with express his rights as he needs to.

Ndipe:

Out of respect for democracy, their votes are relevant, and they have the right to support any candidate of their choice. But any candidate, who knowingly fraternizes with them might not earn the respect of the masses.

Agreed. However, some people do not understand that freedom of speech has limits. There are border lines that are enforced legally and others that are enforced morally or otherwise. Legally, Ron Paul has every right to keep the money, but the real reason why this does not matter is that Ron Paul has as much chance as RichyBlack of becoming the Republican candidate for the 2008 election - he has no chance! If it were any of the front runners (Giuliani, Huckabee or Romney) then I'm certain that the paltry $500 donation would have been promptly returned because of the moral enforcement against publicly fraternizing with racists.

Never mind Ron Paul,what about the smirking benighted creep called Huckabee? Is there a more nauseating purveyor of windy religiosity in the entire race?

Never mind Ron Paul, he is irrelevant, he is never gonna win the nomination talkless of the presidency.