Ron Paul (R - Texas) declares his candidacy for President

Ron Paul officially declared his candidacy on C-SPAN today, arguing that the Republican party has gone in the wrong direction, becoming the party of big government.

Explaining that he initially got into politics to combat excessive spending and debt, he has lately become more involved in foreign policy. Having opposed the original vote for the war against Iraq, he now wants to cut funding and end the war, immediately, and also strongly opposes attacking Iran.

From his C-SPAN interview:

"In recent years I have become much more interested in foreign policy, for obvious reasons. I have always advocated a non-interventionist foreign policy, which is the traditional conservative, Republican, American position. We ought to mind our own business and take care of ourselves and provide for our national defense. Take the advice of the founders, that we shouldn't be involved in nation-building. Even our president, campaigned in the year 2000 on a humble foreign policy, no nation building, don't police the world, I really believed in that. And yet it's lost. All of a sudden we have one episode, one incident, and the American people are frightened by our leaders."

From MySanAntonio.com:

He also criticized federal efforts following Hurricane Katrina.

Paul derided the federal government handouts after the devastating storm and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's handling of the cleanup and aftermath.

A medical doctor, Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies and is a pro-life candidate. He also supports medicinal marijuana and has argued for a repeal of America's drug war laws.

He opposes federal funding of entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, and argues for a return to the gold standard.